Tech

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Key Points
  • Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday.
  • Earlier, Cook had a Singaporean breakfast in the quaint Tiong Bahru neighborhood, known for its 1930s streamline moderne architecture.
  • In a Facebook post, Darren Soh said he and fellow photographer Aik Beng Chia had breakfast with Cook and at the Tiong Bahru Market and gave the tech CEO a "quick tour."
Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, in Sun Valley, Idaho, United States, on July 12, 2019.
Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday, according to a post from the politician.

@leehsienloong: Had a good time catching up with @Apple CEO @tim_cook tdy. It's been almost 4 years since we met, so we had a lively exchange on how the tech scene has changed since. – LHL

Lee said they had a "lively exchange on how the tech scene has changed since" they first met nearly four years ago.

"Apple has long ties with Singapore, right from the early days of the company ... While Apple no longer manufactures devices here, many Singaporeans work in Apple locally and around the world, and many more are fans of their gadgets," Lee said in a Facebook post.

Earlier, Cook had a Singaporean breakfast in the quaint and charming neighborhood of Tiong Bahru — one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore known for its 1930s streamline moderne architecture.

@tim_cook: Hello Singapore! Thanks to iPhone photographers Darren Soh (IG: darrensohphoto) and Aik Beng Chia (IG: aikbengchia) for sharing their love of Tiong Bahru's rich heritage—and amazing food!

In a post on his professional Facebook page, Darren Soh said he and fellow photographer Aik Beng Chia had breakfast with Cook at the Tiong Bahru Market and gave the tech CEO a "quick tour."

On what appears to be Soh's private page, he said, "Tim tried Chwee Kueh, Carrot Cake, Soya Bean Milk but his favourite was pandan flavoured Gao Teng Kueh."

Chwee kueh is a dish of steamed rice cakes topped with preserved radish. The carrot cake that Cook tried is likely a savory dish of stir-fried radish cake, and does not contain carrots like the Western dessert. Cook's apparent favorite dish of the morning, "gao teng kueh," is a multi-layered cake typically made with tapioca flour, rice flour and coconut milk.

Earlier this week, Cook was in Japan, based on recent photos shared on Twitter.

@tim_cook: Our very first store outside of the US, Apple Ginza is always such a special place. Thanks for a wonderful visit! また近いうちに!