Issue 17

Braised minced beef with stewed pear. Grilled chicken with pumpkin sauce. Tuscan lamb stew. While these delicious-sounding dishes might get your mouth watering, they’re sure to get your dog drooling because, believe it or not, that’s whose bowl they’ll end up in.

Recipes like these are the creation of Sharon Ho, the owner of three US Doggie Bakery outlets in Singapore. Approaching its fourth year in operation here, USDB has been successful in satisfying salivating pups and their owners. According to Ho, her recipes are created specifically for dogs that, she claims, ‘can eat human-grade food, but not necessarily everything humans eat’. Her canine-friendly meals and treats are made with all-natural ingredients and no sugar or salt (although the occasional drop or two of honey is used to satisfy the sweet tooth).

As part of USDB’s catering programme, dog owners can sign up to have five meals created each week for a total of $16.50. The dishes consist of an entrée – like roast lamb with potatoes – and can be customised to suit various needs, including sensitive stomachs, food allergies, even the religious requirements of owners. The menu changes each week, and meals can be picked up at any of the USDB sites or delivered to owners’ homes free of charge. When your pampered pooch’s birthday approaches, you can arrange a birthday cake to be delivered or, if the gathering is small enough, you can have a party on the premises at either the East Coast or Bukit Timah locations. Just be sure to remove the candles before letting your beloved beast dive in.

If your dog’s tastes run more towards cookies than cakes, then USDB has plenty to indulge that animal urge with two types of biscuits: regular and premium. The difference is that the premium snacks contain extra supplements – like those found in cranberry bones, lambies and blueberry barks – to help with general health and coat. But there’s nothing wrong with the regular cookies, especially the mintie lips, which are the perfect thing to freshen Fido’s breath after all of this gourmet indulgence. Treat prices range from $7 per 200g for regular cookies to $8.50 for the same amount of premium biscuits.

Puppy prefers pizza? No problem. You can pick up five-inch tomato-and-cheese pies topped with either lamb or chicken for just $6.30 (less for the chicken). And if none of that is enough to make your picky Pekingese happy, there’s always Hainanese chicken rice – a steal at $3.80 – plus shepherd’s pie and a selection of quiches and muffins, all developed specifically for canine consumption. The only issue with all of this is that after tending to your dog’s culinary needs, you’ll only have enough time left to microwave yourself a TV dinner – though that is the perfect meal to accompany the latest special on Animal Planet.

The US Doggie Bakery is open daily and operates at three locations: next to the Caltex Station at 355 East Coast Rd (11am-8pm, 6346 7168); inside Cold Storage at CompassPoint, 1 Sengkang Sq (9.30am-9.30pm, 6384 3520); and at Bukit Timah, just outside Turf City at 110 Turf Club Rd (10am-7pm, 6219 7308). Dogs are welcome at the East Coast and Bukit Timah locations. Delivery orders can also be made online at www.usdb.com.sg.