Top In Asia | Get prata, ramen and Michelin-recognised food from this vending machine

Vending machines have come a long way from dispensing prepackaged food and beverages to offering popular bakes and even hot meals like prata in a cup.

Soon there will be even more options as ChefGenie, an AI-powered automated kitchen, will introduce freshly cooked food from eight popular homegrown brands.

ChefGenie, developed by home-grown tech company Aikit, will be part of a six-month F&B autonomous-kitchen pilot programme around Singapore, supported by EnterpriseSG, Aikit shared in a press release on Tuesday (Sept 2).

The aim of the pilot is to trial autonomous kitchens as a manpower-lean format of expansion for F&B companies, as well as increasing consumers’ openness towards the concept, the company said.

This pilot programme will be launched on Sept 9 at Punggol Digital District (PDD).

The eight homegrown brands that will be available are Michelin Bib Gourmand Warong Pak Sapari, Michelin-recommended Springleaf Prata, Eat Pizza, Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, Takagi Ramen, Tuk Tuk Cha, The Hainan Story and Instachef.

To prepare the dishes from these brands — which range from hand-pulled prata to traditional Taiwanese street snacks — ChefGenie uses proprietary smart cooking technology.

This system is designed to replicate sophisticated cooking methods with precision, ensuring that each meal is prepared fresh and of restaurant quality, according to the brand.

ChefGenie’s technology also includes automated backend processes such as stock tracking and ingredient replenishment.

Its AI capabilities also allow for popular item suggestions and real-time menu adjustments based on consumer trends, among others.

Aikit said it had come up with the AI-powered smart-kitchen concept after identifying industry gaps of “poor food quality and low customer engagement”, with “traditional options relying on microwaved frozen meals and outdated technology”.

The goal is to provide restaurants and foodservice operators with scalable, cost-efficient solutions while alleviating manpower constraints and lowering operational costs.

ChefGenie was kickstarted by the success of InstaChef, a homegrown automated meal delivery initiative launched in 2023 that combined chef-prepared recipes with smart kitchen technology.

“The success of InstaChef showed us how automation could improve food accessibility and address manpower challenges meaningfully,” said Sky Goh, Aikit’s vice president of business and operations.