Three years ago, I moved to Germany from Singapore. While Germany was a paradise waiting to color my life, in the immediate days that followed, I dearly missed Singapore. I missed how bank transfers happen instantly, the overtly frequent MRTs (Mass Rapid Transit) loaded with people glued to their phones, my daily dose of ‘Kopi C’s, and that sudden spell of rain showers followed by a bout of blazing sunlight. The nostalgia was real. To top it all off, in Germany, food is seasoned with just salt and a bit of pepper (if you are lucky). I terribly missed the explosion of Asian flavors each time I had a meal.
More importantly, I realized how much I loved chilies. Red. Green. Fat. Thin. Round. Irrespective of their color and shape, I clearly needed some hotness in my life.
All these nostalgic feelings clouding in my brain has led me in the direction of a brand-new blogpost, a.k.a.,
5 MUST EATS IN SINGAPORE
Singapore is a melting pot of cultures. Although, the country is only twice as large as Munich, i.e., the city where I live now, it has four different national languages (a.k.a., Malay, Tamil, English and Mandarin). This means that each time an official announcement is made, it is repeated in all four languages. If by some stroke of misfortune, the MRT bogey in front of the one you are in is on fire, by the time an announcement is made in a language that you can understand, you are probably already dead.
Jokes aside, this very cultural fusion observed in Singapore results in a unique (Read: delicious) cuisine highlighting the influence of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian flavors. Thus, navigating through the dishes is a pilgrimage in itself!
In no specific order, these are my top five food recommendations from Singapore,
- Hainanese chicken rice
This dish is one of Singapore’s national dishes and my absolute favorite! Believed to have originated from the small island of Hainan in China, preparation involves poaching chicken for hours and hours in a blend of pork and chicken bone stock. Meanwhile, the rice is cooked in the poached chicken broth with heaps of garlic and ginger.
I would typically have it at least once a week when I was there. It is quite ubiquitous and is easily found in every nook and cranny of Singapore.
- Kaya Toast
Toast is a canvas which brings out the best in every country. Be it vegemite in Australia or the varied types of chocolate hazelnut pastes in Italy, every country has a signature bread spread! In Singapore, it is ‘Kaya’. Kaya is a jam made with coconut, eggs and lots of sugar. Although it sounds outrageous to mix coconut and eggs, kaya is delicious! A staple Singaporean breakfast is toasted bread with a fat slice of butter and a liberal layer of kaya, soft boiled eggs mixed with pepper and soy sauce along with a glass of Kopi-C (coffee with condensed milk)
I used to have them before my morning lectures in Singapore! If you are looking for an authentic Singaporean breakfast, it doesn’t get better than this. You can find it at every ‘Kopitiam’!
- Durian
I am an avid lover of jackfruit. Although, Durian looks like a smaller, smellier version of jackfruit, it tastes nothing like its big brother. Moreover, due to its overbearing stench, Durian is banned in many outdoor spaces!
After one year of toying with the idea, I decided to have Durian a few weeks before I left Singapore for good. Granted, the stench is overpowering but surprisingly I didn’t hate it! It tasted like a weird mix of onions and mangoes with undertones of garlic (sounds disgusting, I know). Irrespective of how off-putting that sounds, you need to have it at least once in our life!
It is available in most grocery stores. I suggest buying it from a store near to where you stay because the fines are hefty in case you are caught with a Durian in buses or trains.
- Ice Cream Sandwich (Es Potong)
I am a little biased to this one because I used to have it from a street vendor right outside my campus! A huge block of ice cream is nudged between a slice of pandan bread (slightly sweet and colorful) making it look like a sandwich. In the scorching heat of Singapore, this is a welcome respite.
If you want to try it, there are several street vendors close to Orchard Road selling it!
- Plethora of Soups
I honestly cannot pick one! I loved trying all the different kinds of soups. Ban Mian is my favorite! It consists of handmade noodles with minced pork, spinach, anchovies and a poached egg.
Yummm!!!
But, there are plenty of others like Bak Kut The, Mee Soto, Laksa and the list goes on! If you get a chance, try them all. They are all available in every hawker center.
Special mention to Satays, Roti Pratas and Llao llao’s range of frozen yoghurt! I wouldn’t have survived Singapore without them.
Bon Appetit,
A
Careless Indian Traveler... 