I wanted to take this time while riding on a shuttle from Kuala Lumpur Airport to the city, to dive in more on my culinary experiences while in Singapore. Now, this is by no means a food blog, nor do I have any expertise whatsoever in the culinary arts, but I just wanted to give one man’s experience on some delicious, and maybe not so delicious delectable I had during my first stop.
The most delicious dishes I had, were at the Hawker markets all throughout the city. From Chinatown, to Geylang, to Newton Food Center, these Hawker markets contained a huge plethora of small food shops at very low prices, and had by far the most authentic flavors. There were so many types of foods to choose from, from Chinese to Indian, to Malay.
Duck noodle soup...very rich and flavorful. Wanted to grab seconds but I had to try more.
The Hawker markets can give you the absolute best value on great tasting, local foods. Just be careful, as you may up stuffing yourself before the end of breakfast!
Fish Biryani that I had near my hostel in Little India. This shop was open 24 hours, so any time you need a bite, you're covered!
To start, I was given a recommendation from my cousin, to try the Hainanese Chicken Rice. Looking at pictures and the meal itself, it looked like it was going to be quite bland. But surprisingly the chicken was very juicy and flavorful, while complemented by various sauces and chilis, it was a wonderful and filling late morning meal.
After a long day, I wanted to unwind with something small, yet flavorful, as well as something that went well with a beer. I went to a local shop next to my hostel, and as recommended Mee Goreng. Basically, another noodle dish.
Mee Goreng, a quick and easy noodle dish perfect after a night out!
To what you were probably waiting for: the exotic foods. I wanted to try something different so I had walked around the Chinatown markets and I had noticed that one stand was serving Turtle Soup! Part of me wanted to keep humane, but my “When in Rome” attitude took the best of me and I indulged. The taste itself was interesting as to me it seemed like it was a crossover of pork and chicken. The consistency itself, was more on the pork/beef end. It also contained a good amount of collagen (for those of you working on your butt). Spiced very well and served in a delicious broth, I liked the small serving I had. It wouldn’t be something I’d pursue repetitively as was a bit pricey for what I received. I’m definitely grateful for the experience.
Insert your own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joke here...
I also had to chance to check out Arab Street, where not only did I see the nicest mosque in my life, I also got a chance to become overwhelmed with the numerous amounts of Islamic restaurants from all sorts of countries. I basically had to close m eye and point to one and it did not disappoint. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of this awesome dish, but I'll let the picture speak louder anyway:
I forgot the name, but this was a wonderful Islamic tomato based meat dish with egg. If anyone can help me out with the name, I'd definitely appreciate it!
As far as libations go, one must really be careful. Since Singapore contains a very high alcohol tax, you're bound to go broke fast if you like to partake. The cheapest beer you can find would be again at the Hawker markets. A tall 650ml (about 20 oz.) beer will set you back $7 SGD. (About $5 USD). Unfortunately, outside of these markets the prices skyrocket. Expect to pay more than double that for a beer, and upwards to $22-$26 SGD for a cocktail. To be fair, some of the pours I had gotten were a little generous, so there's that.
Tiger beer, the Singapore staple. Simple lager that proved to be quite refreshing after walking 10-15 kilometers.
Various infused whiskeys from a bar in the Marina Sands Resort. I was given a chance to sample them and definitely preferred the Dark Chocolate. Unfortunately, a pour was almost $20 US. Pretty typical for LA, but not for Asia I'd think.
Finally, to close out, I wanted to give their McDonalds a try. Which is funny, because I can’t even remember the last time I went to a McDonalds and bought a meal for myself; the only time I recall was when I was in Germany! Anyway, I got a simple combo of their Samurai Burger. Just basically a hamburger with a bit of a sweet sauce on top. Nothing special, I wish I would have gone back for more noodles instead.
This is the first McDonalds burger I've had in probably three years.
In the end, the culinary life of Singapore is similar to its culture in general: Very diverse and full of flavor. The abundance of eclectic options can certainly satisfy anyone’s craving. With Singapore being a huge Southeast Asian Financial capital, one must cater to many different nationalities, and with that, food preferences. I’m happy and grateful that I got the chance to try out some of them, and I look forward to seeing more in my next journey. Many more pictures on my Instagram account: @planetzeebs