Hunger pangs

Prepare to eat a lot if you're an aspiring radio jock ready to pull night shifts.

That's according to Hot FM 91.3 DJs Charmaine Yee and Jillian Lim, who helm the Hot 30 Countdown show from 7.30pm to midnight on weeknights.

"In the studio, there is a fixed time when our hunger pangs kick in. It's usually around 10pm. By then, our mouths will start feeling really itchy," said Yee, 26.

Agreed Lim, 24: "We will be complaining non-stop, 'We're hungry, we're hungry'. Actually, we're just waiting for the other party to order stuff from McDonald's!"

The sassy pair met M for lunch last week at Tim's Restaurant & Cafe at Toa Payoh Lorong 4, a stone's throw from Hot FM's office.

Between the two, Lim, who's dating frontman of local hard rock band Caracal Kenneth Christopher "KC" Meals, and who used to be part of now-defunct morning show team Rod Monteiro And The Married Men, confessed to having the bigger appetite.

"Gosh, I'm eating so much these days. I eat before I come in to work, then when I'm in the studio, I eat again. After our show, we go for supper," she said, as she devoured her plate of steak with lobster, washing it down with a bottle of beer.

Yee, on the other hand, ordered a prawn and mango salad, and paired it with a glass of white wine.

"My boyfriend's an athlete, and he has been encouraging me to stay fit. So, right now, I'm rather into clean eating," she said coyly.

Both of you must know a lot of late-night eating spots. Care to recommend some?

Yee: You can find very nice kway chap at the food centre at Bishan Street 22. We discovered it recently.

Lim:

I love Kim San Leng kopitiam at Bukit Panjang and the Hokkien mee stall at Yishun Central Block 925.

Yee:

Newton Circus Food Centre is open till 3am, and there is a particular seafood stall that sells delicious "black" (dark soya sauce) chye tau kway (fried carrot cake).

What are some foods you'd never tire of eating?

Lim: Hokkien mee with extra lard is the best. Darn sexy. It's like the Asian version of carbonara.

Yee: I'm a lazy person, so I like things that are small and easy to eat, such as dim sum and tapas. Don't need to cut. (Laughs) I've also loved Japanese food - especially sashimi - ever since my parents took me on a holiday to Tokyo when I was eight.

Favourite restaurants?

Lim: I celebrate every one of my birthdays at Hard Rock Cafe. Actually, I go to pubs more than I go to restaurants.

I'm totally fine with pub grub. Cuscaden Patio has, hands down, the best chicken wings in the world.

Beer House at Bali Lane is one of my favourite places to hang out too. The beers are cheap! And of course, you can find lots of food along Bali Lane.

My family likes to go to Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood at Casuarina Road, where the food is power-packed.

Yee: For Japanese cuisine, I like Shinji by Kanesaka, which used to be at Raffles Hotel but has moved to another location. I'm more of a cafe person.

I explore different cafes such as Chye Seng Huat Hardware with my parents. I do it to keep them in the know, so that they sound cooler.

Lim: My parents are total hipsters. They check out all these hipster cafes like Wimbly Lu at Serangoon - without me - and tease me afterwards, "We don't eat McDonald's every day like you."

Yee: Oh, I love Dempsey too. I go so often, I should be named a permanent resident there. I just love all the F&B outlets like PS.Cafe, House and CM-PB.

Where have you been on romantic dinner dates?

Yee: Halia at Singapore Botanic Gardens, KU DE TA at Marina Bay Sands Skypark and Ristorante Da Valentino at Turf Club Road.

Lim: So chi chi ah. (Laughs)

Yee: Yah, why am I making myself sound so chi chi? Anyway, I've had very successful dates at these places. At Halia, you have the lush view of the gardens, so half the battle is already won.

Lim: KC and I hardly eat, we just drink! That's why we are so skinny. We are hungover most of the time.

He works at barber shop Hounds of the Baskervilles at Bali Lane and sometimes, after the shop closes, we have drinks in there.