During my trips to Singapore, my fascination (isn’t it obvious that I was in it for the FOOD?) was, more than the other cuisines it offered, with their food, in which a lot of Asian countries were represented. I started my culinary adventure in this restaurant called La Huat on Plumer Road corner JLN Besar (which is a few blocks away from Little India), where I had Baby Sotong Goreng, which is crispy fried squid glazed with a sweet red chili sauce. I also tried the sweet n’ sour pork; it was just heavenly. The pork was crisp-fried and very fragrant (thanks to the wonders of custard powder), with just the right sweet n’ sour glaze, unlike our interpretation, in which it is buried in sauce.
Another place I like to frequent, even though it is quite "touristy," is the Newton Circus. It is a mecca of Singaporean hawker cuisine. One can have virtually any Singaporean dish in this place. It was time to feast, so I started going around and ordering food. My favorite was the grilled stingray topped with sambal. The meat of the stingray was very flavorful and very stringy. I also delighted in the rojak: fresh fruits tossed in a tamarind and shrimp paste dressing. There are many versions of rojak (which also means "halo-halo"), but for me, the one in Newton Circus is the best interpretation. The crispy Baby sotong goreng is also exquisite. Different sates from mutton, chicken, and beef are very good and start at around $4.00. A good drink to have with all this hot food is an ice-cold Bandung (rose-flavored milk). The carrot cake is also a must-try. Try a bowl of sea coconut with shaved ice; it really hits the spot, or perhaps a bowl of Iced Kachang, which is their version of "halo-halo," as a nice meal-ender.
Of course, who goes to Singapore without going to the famous Banana Leaf in Little India, where you eat at a table completely covered in banana leaves? We tried the different curries, and were surprised to discover that you can have endless servings of their aromatic rice flavored with turmeric. I recommend you go straight back to your hotel after going there because the smell of curry and spices will adhere to your clothes.
A walk on Clark Quay and Boat Quay is very pleasant because of the ambiance it exudes, especially at night. A grand hotel, the Fullerton, is located in this area. I couldn’t believe that a hotel that exquisite was owned by the Singaporean government…or maybe I’ve just been living in the Philippines too long. A very upbeat spot in the hotel is the Post bar with an upbeat "moderne" interior. I splurged on a couple of glasses of champagne even if the prices went through the roof. It’s one of the very few bars I know that serves champagne by the glass. Bring on the Moet et Chandon!!!
One of the cheap thrills I really enjoy which one can grab at any convenience store is their Heaven and Earth Green Tea, made by Coca Cola. I hope they consider selling this product in the Philippines since a lot of Pinoys are into green tea now because of its antioxidant properties.
I also came across another Indian restaurant, thanks to my friend Rex Chua Tak, who recommended it. It’s called the Tasvee restaurant, and is located in front of the Pearl Center in Eutong Sen. It’s a hole-in-the-wall restaurant which is open 24 hours. As you enter the place, you will be welcomed by the lingering aroma of ghee, and you will see an Indian working the Roti dough, flipping and folding it on a griddle. They call it Roti Pratha Cosong—cosong meaning "empty." You can order it with a filling, but I prefer to eat it with a curry that functions as a dip. The fish curry in this place is highly recommended; it has subtle notes of tamarind that compliment the flavor of the fish. The Chicken Masala with Nasi Biryani was also a winner. After having a hefty meal like this, you will want to walk around half of Singapore to burn off all the calories that you ingested, and that’s what my dad, Junjun (one of the Taste writers), and I did, walking from this place back to our hotel located along Orchard Road.
Our friend from Actron, Mannito Duena, brought us to a place at the Serangoon Garden Way, the Pow Sing Restaurant. The Hainana chicken was very moist and tasty, although I still prefer the Hainan Chicken at my favorite Hainan Chicken place in Bangkok. The Sizzling Deer in black pepper was one of their specialties. The deer was very tender and very tasty because of the dark gravy with lots of black pepper that the deer was cooked in.
The ultimate place for superior Singaporean hawker cuisine is the Tiong Bahru Market, which is only known to locals. It is a wet and dry market with a secluded section of hawkers. A lot of unique items are found in this market place. The Bo Shui Kueh, which is like a puto and radish cake topped with garlic, caramelized vegetables, kinchay, and sesame seeds, was out of this world. This stall caught my attention because of the endless line of people grabbing a bag of Bo Shui Kueh. The Otak, which is fish brains and innards wrapped and grilled in a banana leaf, is very good and best eaten as an accompaniment to porridge with fried fish roe. And the best Char Siu Siopao I have ever tasted in my life can be bought here. The stall is located at the mouth of the market. One will need to fall in with a very long queue at any given time, even if you try to get a head start by going in at around 8 a.m., which I did once. The stall sold some dimsum and a few other variants of siopao, but their Char Siu Siopao stood out from all the products they sold. The filling is the usual asado, but the sweetness and texture is perfect. The pork is either smoked or grilled over some special wood chips because it had a very nice and unique smoky profile. Being a foodie at heart, I always bring home a few dozen Char Siu siopao and go through the painstaking process of hand-carrying it and bringing it to Philippine soil for me to savor with anyone who appreciates good food. Indeed, Singapore is one big gastronomic adventure!
