Fast forward to 2013 and life in Singapore looked very enticing. With so many new structures - from Marina Bay Sands with its rooftop infinity pool; the modern Helix bridge to the beautiful Gardens by the Bay, suddenly Singapore seemed an exciting place to play.
It helps that the food in Singapore has always been incredible - a perfect melting pot of Malaysian, Chinese and everything else in-between. Foodies in Singapore have discerning palates; food blog-like mentalities and do not suffer from lack of choice.
I stuffed myself for one week and no meal was bad - although there were some exceptional highlights. Let's start with a photo of Makansutra Gluttons Bay - an outdoor hawker center that opens in the evening. The picture of a giant plate and chopstick epitomizes my mindset - FEED ME!
Landing in balmy humid Singapore was a deep contrast to frigid North-east US, so I was feeling a bit dazed and bloated as I followed Aunt Alice to the Ghim Moh Market for a hawker center lunch. We enjoyed wanton noodles, duck noodles with gravy and a braised five-spice tofu dish with broth.
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| Lining up for the food - no air con! |
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| Yummy duck eggy noodles and a braised 5-spice tofu dish with broth - delicious! |
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| Slurping up the noodles - my favorite pastime! |
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| Wantons in broth and a char sui noodle - both very good |
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| Looking hot, sweaty and bloated next to Aunt Alice - body still adjusting to the humidity |
Later that day, Aunt Alice's maid cooked up a seafood feast. What an excellent cook she is! Although I enjoyed crab at a restaurant later that week with colleagues, the home-made crab and shrimp dishes were far superior in taste and quantity. We enjoyed cornmeal shrimp with fried curry leaves and home-cooked black pepper crab and curry crab dishes.
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| Spicy unami-laden black pepper crab |
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| Cornmeal-crusted giant shrimp with fried curry leaves |
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| Curry crab |
With Aunt Alice living right behind Orchard Road, some shopping therapy was definitely on the agenda. Interspersed amongst all the brand-name clothing and cosmetic labels, an occasional food stall will catch my eye. Exotic fruits anyone? I couldn't resist this colorful display of ready-to-eat fruits - melon, pineapple, jackfruit, Chinese pear, mango. They had it all. My eyes beelined for the magenta dragonfruit - an incredible variation of the usual hot pink fruit but with grey flesh, this one had flesh the color of fluorescent magenta. I was told to eat quickly and neatly as the fruit juices can easily stain clothes. It was sweet and delicious.
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| Gorgeous fruits - pret a porter |
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| Magenta dragon fruit |
Throughout the week, there were lots of culinary adventures to be had. On our way to the monorail to Sentosa, I couldn't resist this sign I saw at a food court. Who could?
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| The pork came separate which meant you could use the braising sauce for dipping! |
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| Perfect impromptu snack for two |
The braised pork bun was incredible - just as its picture had promised. Now why no place in Boston can duplicate this and can only produce mediocre imitations, I do not know.
Other meals to highlight - one night out with colleagues to eat crab at New Ubin Seafood brought about this artery-clogging dish. Choice ribeye steak on a board with hand-cut fries. The best though was how they used the residual steak fat to cook a delicious fatty fried rice - the rich meaty savory flavors just exploded in your mouth. Incredibly satisfying.
And finally some simple lunch meals to show how even lunch during a working day brings about immense culinary satisfaction. In one of the many office buildings in the Financial district, an Ippudo Ramen Express delivers hot and luscious ramen. This is the Akasaka - my favorite Ippudo ramen in its signature red bowl. And to round off this post - a simple yakitori snack meal at a shopping center food court - cheap but great.
Singapore - your food is amazing. I love you!!
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| The Akasaka ramen |
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| Japanese yakitori on a bed of nori-laden soy sauce rice - simple but great |
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