The gastronomic tale of Singapore stems from its unique cultural tapestry made up of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Peranakans. Julian Tan follows the hawker trail that wends its way through the various ethnic enclaves in pursuit of a unique gustatory experience.
Singapore is fabulous to explore on foot, and for foodies, it offers an astounding variety of perennial favourites that can be sampled in many hawker centres – which have become an institution in itself. For as little as S$5 (US$3.70) spent on a meal, food is inexpensive in these open-air sheltered complexes housing rows and rows of stalls, from which diners may order as many dishes as they like. The experience affords a taste of Singapore’s multicultural cuisine at its best.
Hawker centres sprung up following urbanisation in the mid-20th century and were designated places for the public sale of food. The problem of unclean food prepared by unlicensed street hawkers was stamped out as a result, and sanitation improved over the years, thanks to stringent hygiene standards and smart white-shirt officers periodically conducting checks of food stalls.
Today, these food meccas have either been rebuilt or upgraded as part of the islandwide Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme by the National Environment Agency under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and continue to serve as premises for the people’s daily meals. Amid the gleaming skyscrapers at Shenton Way, office executives hit the hawker centres for comfort food, while in the residential neighbourhoods which boast a high concentration of them, families troop there any time of the day to have their meals.
“Singapore’s local cuisine is very much a reflection of its cosmopolitan, global outlook and multicultural mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese), Eurasian and other influences,” says Andrew Phua, director of cluster development, tourism shopping and dining, Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“In addition to a variety of international and continental cuisines, many a restaurant offers a delectable menu of local fare, while food centres serve up an array of local dishes at affordable prices.”
One of the best hawker centres to start a food (and architectural) trail is Lau Pa Sat, which means “old market” in the native Hokkien dialect. Constructed in 1894 and gazetted a national monument in 1973, this gem on Robinson Road has stood the test of time as Singapore’s business district developed around it.
Tourists flock to Lau Pa Sat for its Victorian filigree cast-iron detailing. Improvements have been made to the 2,000-people facility, in anticipation of the opening of the Integrated Resorts on Marina Bay nearby and the staging of Singapore’s first-ever Formula 1. They include a revamped dining spot comprising Streets Six and Seven with stalls that open till 4am daily.
Here, diners can expect to find familiar local food selections that are found in every corner of Singapore, from Hokkien noodles at Old Orchard Road Carpark Hup Kee to Indian vegetarian food at Dosa Deli, as well as international delights like Genki Bento’s Japanese cuisine. Other highlights of Lau Pa Sat are the 24-hour Bao Luo Wan Xiang Street (Street Eight) for dim sum, roasted dishes and congee, and Satay Street for charcoal-grilled meat kebabs from 7pm to 3am on weekdays and from 3pm to 3am on weekends.
Like Lau Pa Sat, Maxwell Road Food Centre also started off as a wet market. Located at Tanjong Pagar in the heart of Chinatown, it was revamped in 2001 to better cater to the office crowds. Fans and critics alike rave about Tian Tian’s Hainanese chicken rice (stall 10), Xing Xing’s onde onde or tapioca cake (stall 31), China Street Fritters’ ngoh hiang or five-spice meat rolls (stall 64), and the list goes on.
As you venture further, you will find many other hawker centres dotted around the city-state. The better-known ones include Newton Food Centre which is popular with tourists, while East Coast Lagoon Food Village appeals with a beachside location and tropical setting of outdoor umbrella seating, timber trellises and lush landscaping. Queues also snake their way to the stalls at Adam Road Food Centre for the likes of prawn noodles (Noo Cheng, stall 27), rojak or fruit and vegetable salad (Yummy Rojak, stall 19) and nasi lemak or coconut rice (Selera Rasa, stall 2), as well as Tiong Bahru Food Centre for char tow kway or fried carrot cake (stall 53) and lor mee or yellow noodles in a starchy egg and spice gravy (stall 58).
Celebrating Singaporeans’ food fetish, the STB-organised Singapore Food Festival (www.singaporefoodfestival.com) is a grand annual affair. In its 15th year running, this year’s festival takes place from July 4 to 27 and participants can count on a colourful calendar entailing food carnivals and trails, culinary workshops, cooking demonstrations and special events in the ethnic enclaves islandwide.
The gastronomic tale of Singapore stems from its unique cultural tapestry made up of mainly the Malays, Chinese, Indians and Peranakans. If you take a walk through the ethnic enclaves of Kampong Glam, Chinatown, Little India and Katong/Joo Chiat, chances are you will be inundated by the sights, sounds and smells that are unique to this part of the world. They are seen through the conservation efforts of STB.
“(These ethnic districts) are important for Singapore’s tourism sector given their rich heritage and cultural appeal. Certain areas have been given conservation status to preserve the traditional architecture of the shophouses there,” says Jeannie Lim, STB’s deputy director of cluster development, sightseeing and attractions. “As it is important to preserve that heritage and allow visitors to appreciate the vibrant living culture in each of these areas, initiatives for their growth and development lean towards enhancing the visitor experience such as developing walking tours, heritage markers and storyboards, and supporting stakeholder efforts such as organising events that would generate more visitorship to the areas, and offer visitors the opportunity to experience Singapore’s culture and heritage at its best.”
Phua continues: “Singapore cuisine is a tasty concoction combining the country’s colourful multicultural heritage mixed with a dash of its global and cosmopolitan outlook, to present visitors with a compelling buffet of delights that is Uniquely Singapore (also the name of the campaign promoting intrinsic experiences of Singapore).”
Unique, and trendy it is indeed. As Anthony Bourdain was quoted saying in TimeOut Singapore: “Traditional Singapore hawker culture is already the next big thing. It’s even a massive success in New York. Jean-Georges (Vongerichten) is selling Singaporean street food and charging US$30 for it.”
EAT LIKE A LOCAL
Hawker dining in Singapore is an unforgettable experience provided you know the rules.
- Free seating is encouraged so you may order from as many stalls as you like, although you may choose to sit near the ones you intend to patronise. (However, territorial seating may be practised at certain hawker centres.) Reserve your seats by taking turns with your companions to order food.
- Unless it is self service, take note of your table number and tell the hawker when you order.
- Decide what you want to order beforehand – be it rice or noodles, soup or dry, normal or bigger portion, with chilli or no chilli. Remember, people who patronise hawker centres tend to “eat and go”, hence service is quick and with the hawkers dishing out hundreds of bowls a day, they don’t have time for your questions. But if the wait for your food is far too long, you may want to remind the “auntie” or “uncle” of your order.
- Unlike restaurants that practice BYO, at hawker centres it is BYOT – bring your own tissues. At hawker centres, especially in the CBD, tissue is used as a tool to reserve a table.
- If you don’t want to wait long for food or have people lingering about you and eyeing your seat, avoid the peak hours of 1200 to 1330 and 1800 to 2000.
GETTING THERE
Adam Road
A bus ride away from Newton MRT station.
East Coast Lagoon Food Village
The least accessible of the lot featured here, it can be reached by taking bus 401 from Bedok MRT station. By all means, flag down a cab.
Lau Pa Sat
Take exit F at Raffles Place MRT station and walk towards Robinson Road.
Maxwell Road Food Centre
At the intersection of South Bridge Road and Maxwell Road and within walking distance of Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown MRT stations.
Newton Food Centre
Alight at Newton MRT station and take exit B.
Tiong Bahru Food Centre
From Tiong Bahru MRT station, exit at Jalan Membina and walk for about seven minutes along Tiong Bahru Road until you reach Kim Tian Road.
STREET EATS GALORE
Even if your schedule is jam-packed with board meetings and gourmet business lunches, make sure you find time to try the variety of Singapore’s hawker favourites. Better yet, have your local colleagues take you on a hawker centre trail, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner
- Seafood hor fun: flat rice noodles stir fried in a soy sauce gravy with squid, prawns, fishcakes and vegetables, and best eaten with cut green chilli
- Rojak: a sweet salad comprising the main ingredients of sliced turnip, cucumber, pineapple, dough fritter and dried beancurd, tossed in a prawn paste mixed with assam (tamarind) water and topped with crushed peanuts
- Laksa: rice noodles in savoury coconut milk gravy with cockles, prawns and fishcakes, garnished with chopped kaffir lime leaves and a dollop of chilli
- Pepper crab: steamed crustacean stir fried in black pepper sauce
- Roti prata: crusty Indian pancake served with thick curry gravy. Down it with teh tarik (tea made with a “pull” technique using two hand-held containers)
- Satay: barbecued meat kebabs served with onions, cucumbers, ketupat (steamed rice cake wrapped in pandan leaf) and peanut gravy
- Carrot cake: radish and flour omelette with egg, soy sauce, garlic and pickled radish, served with or without sweet black soy sauce
- Chicken rice: rice cooked with fragrant pandan leaf and served with steamed chicken, cucumber, tomato and garlic chilli
- Peranakan delights: a savoury and sweet spread consisting of fish head curry, sautéed prawns, a variety of kueh (steamed cakes) and kueh pie tee (flour cups stuffed with ingredients like turnips, carrots, bamboo shoots and prawns stir fried)
ABODES WITH A CHARACTER
1929
Guestrooms are decorated with classic designer and retro vintage furniture, within a restored complex of five conservation shophouses built in 1929 in the heart of charming Chinatown. A total of 32 rooms, including two suites with outdoor baths set in tropical roof gardens overlooking the streets, are equipped with flat-screen TVs, clock radio/CD player, digital phone and broadband internet. Guests of 1929 are also privileged to view the owner’s private chair collection throughout the hotel, including a Joseph Hoffman “Kubus” sofa designed in 1910 and Arne Jacobsen’s “Swan” and “Egg” chairs. Black-and-white archival photographs of Singapore in the early 20th century feature along the corridors, while the lobby is Wi-Fi enabled. There is also Ember restaurant and bar for 45 diners. Party animals can venture out to Club Street nearby, and for the executives, the central business district is only minutes away by car or train from the Chinatown MRT station.
PRICE: Rooms from S$170 (US$124).
CONTACT: 50 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089154, tel 65 6347 1929, www.hotel1929.com
The Scarlet
Bathed in hues of red, black and gold, this refurbished 1924 Art-Deco boutique hotel in the central business district channels glitz and glamour. Its grand glass doors are black enamel edged, the lobby shimmers with gold and red Italian Bisazza mosaic, and the gilded mirror is by Harrison and Gill, as well as a black-and-white marble reception counter, venetian gold and amber chandeliers, Maharam gold wall coverings and luminous Russell & Harvey fabrics. Of its 80 rooms, only five are suites – named Splendour, Swank, Opulent, Lavish and Passion, each showering guests with a different mood. The rest are Premium Rooms with balconies, Executive Rooms in taupe and orange and Deluxe/Studio Rooms with clean inviting tones of soft yellow and green, or dusty blue and white. For food and drinks, Desire offers contemporary European cuisine, Breeze is a rooftop alfresco seafood bar and grill, while Bold serves premium vodkas, malts, cocktails, wines and bubbly.
PRICE: Rooms from S$230 (US$168).
CONTACT: 33 Erskine Road, Singapore 069333, tel 65 6511 3333, www.thescarlethotel.com
Link
Residential homes-turned-hotel with a local twist, Link Hotel has 288 guestrooms in two blocks, named Lotus and Orchid linked by a bridge. Guests benefit from the nostalgic feel of the property, which is located in Tiong Bahru, one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates. The area where bird enthusiasts used to congregate in the neighbourhood has been preserved and a bird-singing competition is in the works, in the hope of recapturing the former glory of Tiong Bahru. Guestrooms have Chinese, Indian, Malay and modern themes reflecting Singapore’s multiculturalism. The hotel also provides 18 small office/home office (SOHO) units with complimentary broadband internet access, cable TV, minibar and microwave among others, as well as a business centre, conference room, limousine transfers and shuttle to Outram Park MRT station, Chinatown, Orchard Road, Suntec Convention Centre and Shenton Way.
PRICE: Rooms from S$280 (US$205).
CONTACT: 50 Tiong Bahru Road, Singapore 158794, tel 65 6622 8585, www.linkhotel.com.sg
New Majestic
Housed in a traditional conservation shophouse in Chinatown, this hotel boasts an eclectic mix of heritage chic. All 30 themed and concept guestrooms have a cutting-edge design showcasing the talent of home-grown artists, such as Justin Lee’s “Oriental Girls Go West” Room, Heleston Chew’s “I Am Upside Down Because Of You”, Safaruddin Abdul Hamid’s “One Day I Slowly Floated Away” and Sandra Lee’s “Hey Diddle Diddle”, as well as five top creative individuals – Wykidd Song, one half of Song+Kelly21 fashion line (Fluid Room), film and theatre director Glen Goei (Wayang Room), graphic designer Theseus Chan (Work Room), furniture designer Patrick Chia (Untitled Room) and fashion darling Daniel Boey (Pussy Parlour). Guests also enjoy a Bose audio system, plasma TV, Wi-Fi, Ploh pillows and linens and Kiehl’s toiletries. The Majestic restaurant satisfies any craving for Cantonese cuisine, as is a bar for chilling out from Monday to Saturday.
PRICE: Rooms from S$330 (US$241).
CONTACT: 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089845, tel 65 6511 4700, www.newmajestichotel.com
