Thursday 28 January 2010

Satay in Johor Bahru

[Chris]
Satay is probably the most simple and tasty ‘street meat’ I have ever had. Satay is a simple example of cross cultural cuisine, and is available everywhere on Malaysian street corners. Your main choices are beef or chicken, and sometimes mutton too. It is related to middle eastern kebabs but was brought to Malaysia by the South Indian Muslims (Sathai meaning ‘flesh’ in Tamil). Your meat on a stick will be served with a dipping sauce made from peanuts and chilis - two ingredients brought from South America by boat to Malaysia by the Portuguese in the 17th century.


Outdoor satay stands serve up sizzling and mouthwatering barbecued meat late into the night

Satay was traditionally sold from portable stalls with clever compartments that rested on either end of a carrying pole. Today it is still best-enjoyed from plastic stools under street lighting. When you are done, the vendor would traditionally count the number of sticks by your plate (in our case it was a lot!) and then charge you based on current meat prices at the market and mutual trust.


Sara could see that our chopsticks skills have deteriorated since China and gave us a lesson.

Sara Sam and her family helped us try several new fruits - Papaya, Passion fruit, dragon fruit. It’s no wonder she was a little dismayed by the selection waxed apples, oranges and bananas we choose from supermarkets when she lived England. Her local Malaysian night market even made the selection of the huge Saturday farmer’s markets in Paris look a little boring. Our absolute favorite was Mangosteens. They broke into a lovely handful of bite sized sweet morsels - a completely new taste. Then there was Durian - What the heck was this alien fruit? First of all, when we got off the plane a sign told us we could be fined 500 dollars for eating it on the subway…Sara then told us it’s also illegal in hotels… what could be so dangerous about a fruit? We later learned that this ‘king of all fruits’ has a potent smell and bizarre, messy texture, but most Malays do love their durian. They tip them out of fruit carts into mountains of spiky fruits on the streets of Chinatown. If you are brave, go for it.


Mangosteens

The Tan Family later explained that fruit played an important part in Chinese cultural to maintain a balanced body health each day through what you eat. Sara’s Dad took us all to their favorite local restaurant to further our education. And to top it all off, her Mom made an enormous Christmas day dinner, with all the traditional turkey, gravy, purple potatoes (!), Christmas pudding and even an apple pie! It was a feast. Our homesickenss had been cured by our incredibly warm and outgoing hosts.



Thursday 21 January 2010

Christmas with the Tan family

Neither of us have ever spent Christmas time away from away from our homes before; consequently, we’ve never spent a Christmas together either! We’d always said that the first Christmas together would have to be somewhere we could invite both families - neither Manchester nor Washington DC - so it would be fair! As it happened, we ended up in Malaysia for our first ever Christmas together - not exactly convenient for either family!

My very good friend Sara-Sam who I was at uni with in both York and Lausanne and who is from Malaysia kindly invited us to spend Christmas with her family. This was such an amazing offer - we had known when we booked the ‘big adventure’ that Christmas would start the homesickness alarms and our worst nightmare was to be stuck in a dirty hostel somewhere celebrating just the two of us somewhere we didn’t know!

The Tan family really looked after us. We were made to feel so welcome - a real part of the family - and we were certainly fattened up! Sara’s parents wanted to make sure that we had tried every type of Malaysian cuisine possible and we were taken for some incredible meals during our stay. We were introduced to some new fruits too, my favourite being Mangostines (spelling, Sara???!).


Christmas day with the Tans involved a HUGE lunch of both turkey and beef, roast vegetables, stuffing, cauliflower cheese, and even more vegetables.


Chris introduced to the extended Tan family a Danish game he plays with his family at Christmas which involved dice and a lot of little presents - we had great fun with this!


After our THREE deserts - I told you we were being fattened up! - of Christmas pud, choccy cake and apple pie, we were taken out for even more food for dinner! We went to a local Indian place and sampled some of their specialities even though our stomachs were fit to burst!

Speaking to both of our families using Skype was also amazing! We even shared the present opening at home via video link! Chris and I opened the packages that had arrived for us from Manchester while on Skype to my family and we watched my mum, dad, grandma and little bro opening presents we’d sent from Vietnam and India! Such fun! Until Dad popped open the Champagne and declared how much his wallet preferred that we were sharing this moment via video link and not in the same room!

We had a great Christmas with the Tans and would like to thank them all so much for making us feel at home, feeding us with such wonderful food and for their complete kindness and generosity!

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Kopi and Teh


[Chris]
Teh Tarik from the Sarabat Stall
Tea was traditionally sold from Indian vendors who had a long history of selling hot drinks. Their business was known as the Sarabat stall (Sarba is Arabic for drink). The word for tea has variations across the world and as far as the drink’s popularity spread. To Malays it is known as teh, but as neighbors referred to it as: Te (Hokkien), Cha (Mandarin), and Chai (India).

Teh Tarik is ‘pulled’ or ‘stretched’ tea in Malay. Making Teh Tarik involves an elaborate performance of mixing condensed milk with hot tea by pouring the mixture from one condensed milk can to another, so as to cool and blend the flavors at the same time. The empty cans used to be recycled and then used as takeaway cups to customers.

Kick-start your morning with a piping-hot cup of "kopi”

The Malaysian Coffee Shop
One of my absolute favorite things on our world trip has been to rise early and walk the streets as towns wake up, towards the nearest coffee shop to sit with old men, usually. There is something invigorating and utterly fresh feeling to witness how people start their day and open shop in the street. I would often bring my camera and notepad to take down some of the traditions we had learned over the past day. In, old colonial Malacca I found a perfect such place. After turning down the 5 RMB cappuccinos to tourists on Jonker street, I discovered a tiny local place around the corner that was packed morning. Kopi Tiam, or coffeehouses, were once an integral part of society but now are pretty hard to come by. The old men inside all took there morning noodles with a coffee on the side. I asked for “Kopi O" (rocket fuel-grade black coffee), or sometimes in the morning I’ll take “kopi” (coffee with evaporated milk), and toast with a generous slab of chilled butter slathered with homemade kaya (a rich coconut-egg spread). Malaysian coffee is served in a traditional ceramic cup with a deep saucer that is also used to hold a bit of coffee. I was determined to get to the bottom of this. Some people I asked said it was to keep the coffee warm, others that coffee is served in generous amounts right to the brim, and the overflow is normal.



On our last morning in Malacca I really lucked out. While getting a bit of letters and correspondence done, a middle-aged man sat down at the other side of the large table I was hogging in the packed room. He was curious to talk to me, and spoke excellent English. We exchanged travel tales from Europe on the Eurostar and I slipped in a few of my own curious questions about Malaysia. After his noodles were slurped, he was off to start the day, my coffee was topped up, and he was replaced by an old man.


Nyonya Food- China has always traded with lands near and far across the globe. During the Ming Dynasty, as a diplomatic gesture to strengthen ties with the rich and strategic port of Malacca on the Malayan Peninsula, the Emperor of China betrothed his daughter Princess Hang Li Po to the Sultan of Malacca. A unique marriage of cultures resulted in a novel marriage of cuisines, both Chinese and Malay, and is what is now known in Malaysia as Nyonya cuisine.

The old man had hours to talk. He was a retired math teacher who had travelled the world in his retirement to all corners. When he learned of our plan we exchanged many of the cultural differences we had taken note of. I was embarrassed at our short stay in Malaysia and now have a long list of places to see and unfinished business. This was somewhat redeemed by my passion for foods I have tried in our 10 days in his country. When he discovered I hadn’t tried one of the pastries at the front counter, I couldn’t’t resist a new taste and brought a bag of ‘Ondeh Ondeh’ back to the table. He explained that this was known as Nyonya, a marriage of Chinese and Malay cooking, while the black sugary liquid inside gave me a surprising sweet taste. The man continued to teach me words, philosophies on patience, and I learned way more about a person than you would expect as someone just travelling by. I told him before leaving how much I loved the traditional porcelain cups of kopi in Malaysia and he arranged with the family to find me a brand new one to take home as an original souvenir.


Kaya
Another souvenir I would not leave this country without is the famous Kaya - a thick and fragrant Peranakan jam. I am addicted to the stuff. The word literally means -rich- in Malay - maybe too much for Steph. At the hostel in Singapore we were given the green variety (made with white sugar and bamboo leaves) that was probably off the supermarket shelf. Then I tried the homemade amber-gold version in Malaysia, made with brown sugar. This process involves standing in front of the stove for half a day, stirring a steadily thickening mixture made from eggs, brown sugar, pandan essence and coconut cream. It was honestly the best thing toast had ever seen. Definitely sneak a jar into your suitcase to bring home. I was so worried the strict Australian agriculture police were going to take my treasure before bringing my Mom a taste in Sydney. You might have to go with the shop version that lasts longer. The Tong Heng brand is pretty good and available in most supermarkets.

I later tried homemade Kaya with French toast and almost fell over from comfort food delight. Our friend Sara Sam took us to one of the coffee shop institutions in KL for lunch, Yut Kee. She commanded the menu like a 5-star general and before we knew it the table was invaded with food from every corner. She took us on a culinary adventure, encouraging us to try everything. Her adventures in travel and food were aligned like ours. We had a lot in common…and Steph and I had a lot to learn.

To be continued…

Monday 18 January 2010

Down and Out in Melacca



[Chris]
Steph and I were headed down the coast for Johor Bahru, stopping of at Melacca which seemed to be the hot-bed and source for many of our amazing tastes in Malaysia. I was on a hunt for the last two dishes on my list: Char Kway Teow and Bak Kut The. Our old guest house let us navigate the old city on their bikes for the first two days. Steph directed us to the Christmas lights and fireworks in the Portuguese quarter, and then to the English and colonial Dutch settlements the next morning.

I was feeling a bit under the weather on the second day and got out of bed for a second time in the evening only to complete our mission. I think a severe case of Christmas homesickness was also sinking in for both of us. then a friendly women who sold me some flip flops pointed us towards a good hawker centre where we could find our food demands all in one place.

Bold
Today you can even buy sachets of Bak Kut The in medicinal shops. It is typically served with a cup of tea that also helps bring out the flavor and dissolve the fats from the soup.

So that evening the first order of the day was a pork-rib breakfast soup known for it’s medicinal properties. Bak kut the (pork rib tea in Hokkien) was prescribed to Chinese patients and made with over 20 herbs and spices, including cinnamon, cloves and pepper. The soup has healing properties to help with blood circulation, reducing toxins and strengthening the liver.

After being revived, I did another round of the centres many seafood stands (mostly cockles) and was told that the man all the way on the end would make a good Char Kway Teow, which his son then brought over to our table.


Char Kway Teow - these fisherman noodles were originally served on palm leaf plates to add fragrence and retain moisture, or palm leaf ’to-go’ packets tied in twine. Today it runs for about 5 ringgit on the street.

Char Kway Teow translates to fired flat noodles. It was originally sold by fishermen who moonlighted as street food vendors. The noodles are stir-fried over a high flame in lard, soy sauces, garlic. The lard was a cheap source of energy and popular anoung laborers. Then it’s up to you to decide if you want clams, shrimp, fish cakes or chinese sausage. Today the healthier green Char Kway Teow is fried without lard and vegetables are added as shown here. .

Sunday 17 January 2010

Malacca

Malacca (or Melaka in Malay) recently gained UNESCO world heritage status and it’s easy to see why. When the Portuguese colonised this town in 1511 they created a huge trading port allowing the town to prosper for centuries to come. There are still huge Portugese influences in the town, not least in the Portuguese Quarter, of course. Chris and I visited here on our first night and had a wonderful evening strolling along the residential streets whose houses were filled to brimming with Christmas lights! The Catholic Kristangs ( people with partial Portuguese ancestry) go all out for Christmas, it seems! Chris and I were so happy to be feeling Christmassy at last.

Until Singapore, where we landed on 7 December and found Christmas trees, fairy lights and Christmassy music, we hadn’t seen any signs of Christmas around. Such a change from the usual hooh-hah in the UK where supermarkets are already stocked up with Christmas cards and the like from September - I strongly dislike this about Christmas at home and was so pleased not to live through the commercialism this year. Having said that, by the time we reached Malacca on 22 December we were ready to soak it all in. And boy was there a lot to soak in:

The houses were streaming with twinkling fairy lights...

We saw a family of girls carolling…
[video to follow]

People were setting fireworks off in the square...

A Father Christmas was strolling around ho-ho-ho-ing…
[video to follow!)

WOW! What a treat for us when we’ve been away from all things Christmassy since last year! It was a special experience made more so because we were in an Islamic country. We loved walking around this quarter and seeing the faces of the people change once again - this time we really could see the Portuguese ancestry in their faces.

Christ Church, Malacca

Following the Portuguese came the Dutch occupation of Malacca. In their quarter, amongst the parliamentary buildings now posing as an interesting museum of Malacca’s history, the Dutch left a beautiful red church: Christ Church. I was thrilled to be able to listen to the Christmas Carols here on Christmas Eve. The choir were practicing for the evening’s carol service and I sat down a while to enjoy it during an early morning walk. It was an eerie sensation to be hearing ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘Hark, the Herald Angels’ as I looked through the door to the intense, dazzling sunshine where palm trees were swaying in the breeze. Weird. Especially as I knew that back home you were all expecting a tremendous white Christmas. I think I had a little teary moment at this stage as I hummed along to ‘Oh Come all ye Faithful’ and remembered the carol services I usually go to back home…

The Brits made their appearance after the Dutch but we couldn’t really see any examples of British architecture apart from a few red brick buildings. They did however make use of the Portugese church, storing gunpowder here and almost completely destroying it.

In addition to Portuguese, Dutch and British influences, the architecture here has been hugely influenced by the Straits Chinese culture.




Ruins of the Dutch St Paul's Church
where the British stored gunpowder


We had better luck in Malacca with our hostel than in KL. In fact, we stayed in an amazing little place, extremely old and charming - the Sama Sama Guesthouse. It was supposedly the oldest in town and with creaking wooden floor boards and a beautiful garden/courtyard just outside our first floor window, Chris and I were happy here.


We enjoyed exploring Malacca on the free bikes the hostel provided and loved how old it all was. Charming houses, pleasant cafés, delightful food courts; we enjoyed our stay in this friendly town. Visiting the Portuguese quarter had certainly put us in the Christmas Spirit and we were so excited now to spend Christmas with Sara-Sam’s family in Johor Bahru (JB to Malaysians). We caught the bus on the afternoon of Christmas Eve in high spirits…


Saturday 16 January 2010

Late Morning Laksa at Old China Cafe



[Chris] The clock was ticking and we had yet to try a good Laksa. So I dragged steph to another KL institution known as Old China Café before hitting the museums. This restaurant sits in an odd location between pre-WWI shophouses along Jalan Balai Polis. It’s a small miracle that these old buildings opposite a car park from the motorway have not fallen into the hands of property developers. Old China Café’s original building is still structurally intact, right down to the sagging staircase that leads to the musty furniture gallery upstairs.

Steph immediately ordered us a delicious ‘Pie Tee’ as a starter - a delicious top hat-shaped crispy tortilla that you fill yourself.

This café is no secret - we saw tables with the same guidebook bible side by side - but the old charm overpowers any regrets for not being the first to discover it. Popular favorites here include babi png teh (pork stew), tart Assam prawns, laksa, chendol (coconut ice with noodles) and devil's curry.



Laksa was traditionally served in small locally-made handmade bowls bearing `southern Chinese motifs. It was eaten with a spoon only, but now with chopsticks too. The dish probably first surfaced in Portuguese Melaka from the port city’s Persian traders who coupled local ingredients with noodles from Chinese immigrants. The Portuguese are also responsible for it’s cousin ‘laccassa’ when they later brought this noodle recipe to the island of Macao.

In Persian, Lahksa translates directly to noodles. The iconic dish consists of rough rice noodles in a gravy of chili paste and coconut, topped with bean sprouts or cockles. When asking for a tame level of spice for Steph, we were politely corrected by the waitress who insisted that a delicate balance was needed between coconut and spice.The Chinese often add prawns or fish cakes but we opted for the pure sauce and noodles to start our day of sightseeing. The steaming bowl was brought over and we inhaled the fragrance that came up from the signature knotweed garnish, a chopped ‘laksa leaf’ that’s put on top.

Hawkers stored their ingredients and bowls in large tin ‘tiffin’ carriers. A common sight in Malaysia and Singapore in the 1950-60s, Tiffin is a word of Anglo-Indian origin meaning a light meal of curry or lunch.

Our introduction to Malaysia at Yut Kee Café...

Malaysian cuisine is flavored by geography and history. Like Singapore, there is a heavy cross-cultural exchange of food and, although many dishes are shared, I found that the lines between influences are increasingly blurred. China, India, Thailand and Indonesia have all added spice into a beautiful mix of powerful flavors.

Chicken Chop

We began this exploration in the faithful hands of Sara Sam. She started us off at Yut Kee, where they have served up traditional favorites like Chicken Chop and Curry Mee since 1928. The deep dining room mirrored dining room still has original tiles and marble and cast iron tables. We also tried the Roti Babi, shredded pork and onions stuffed into a fried bread pocket and dipped in Worcestershire sauce.

Roti Babi

I followed her lead and ordered a sweet lime juice, a refreshing alternative to beer that is made particularly well in Malaysia - sweet, salty and with very little added to the fresh squeezed lime. It was a lot more flavoursome than the lime soda so popular in India.


Steph and Sara caught up over our long lunch. It has been a few years so we happily took over a table at the back for an hour or two. She was so enthusiastic to show us her world in Malaysia. We were fortunate enough to learn what it’s like to live here and see the country through her eyes.


Curry Mee

Founded at the juncture of two rivers, Kuala Lumpur literally means “muddy confluence” in Malay. We soon found that KL, as the locals call it, is now full of odd juxtapositions. Old cafes are tucked under gleaming skyscrapers and rumbling expressways. It looked very modern to us under first impressions. But as soon as you tried to walk anywhere the city seemed to be somewhat of a chaotic spaghetti bowl. Sara explained that Malaysia had a long way to go towards being a modernly efficient country. I had read that the government is on a campaign to make the country fully developed by 2020. Apparently this is more marketing spin and campaign promises than real progress.

There are over 7.2 million people living, working and coexisting here and Sara also explained how the different ethnic groups — Malays, Straits, Chinese and Indians — both live together (Indian), and stick together (Chinese) in Malaysia, while the Malays have mostly held on to the controlling interest at all levels.

As the long lunch winded down, Sara Sam offered to show us as much of KL’s food experiences as we could handle. And there was clearly going to be a LOT see, taste, smell if we were going to keep up!

Yut Kee
35 Jalan Dang Wangi
60-3-2698-8108

Kuala Lumpur


When Chris and I planned our ‘big adventure’ I was so excited to be able to see Sara-Sam again and we knew that Malaysia would be one of our destinations. Sara’s family were kind (and crazy!) enough to invite the two of us to their home in Johor Bahru for Christmas which we were so looking forward to. Our first stop however was to be Kuala Lumpur; we were able to get a bus easily enough from Singapore there. In typical backpacker style, we opted for the only night bus option, thus giving us an extra day in Singapore which we weren’t in a hurry to leave PLUS inevitably saving us money on a night’s accommodation.

Our choice for a hostel seemed to be the highlight of the taxi driver’s night at 5am when he took us to what he described as one of the worst areas in KL: “You see those men over there? These are not men, these are women. These are dangerous women. You should not go walking around at night”. Great. From the outside, it’s true, the hostel looked like a completely rundown building. Inside however, we were so pleased that there was a great atmosphere and the staff made us feel so welcome. There was even free toast in the morning!

After a nap on the sofas while we waited to check into our room (one of the downsides to taking a night bus which arrives at 5am) we contacted Sara-Sam who came to collect us from the hostel: “Why are you staying here?!”. Ok, Ok, so my usually excellent instincts for which hostels will be good when booking on the internet site hostelbookers.com had this time failed me.

Anyhow, from our very first day in KL, Sara-Sam truly looked after us. Seeing we were in need of food reserves, she took us to an institution called Yut Kee for some traditional Malaysian food which Chris will describe in full in his gastro guide to Malaysia. We also went to the Bahu Caves which taught us that though Malaysia is officially an Islamic nation, there are so many other influences including Hindu as we saw at the caves.



What struck us immediately about KL was how many different cultures and faces there were. Malaysia is made up mainly by people from Malaysian, Chinese and Indian heritage. Not only is this seen in the faces, but also in the different areas of the city - like in Singapore, Chinatown in a must see; there is also a Little India. This mix of cultures comes out in the food too and we ate a great variety of dishes while we were here, thanks to Sara-Sam who guided us through. After visiting the Baru caves on our first day, Sara took us to the night food stalls of Jalan Alor where we tasted our first Malaysian satayed Chicken and Beef - DE-licious! We tried so much food that day, I though we would pop but soon realised that there was more of this to come during our stay with Sara and her family!


The next day, Sara took us for fancy Dim Sum at one of her favourite restaurants which, weirdly, was located inside a shopping mall! Wow - we tried dishes that we couldn’t order in China due to the language barrier and realised how much we missed out on while we were there. We really needed someone to guide us through the menu as Sara did. What a treat it is to be taken for food by a local - Chris was obviously in heaven. He has taken to photographing EVERY single dish we eat before we touch it so we can remember all these delicious things we’ve tried!

In the evening we tried Banana Leaf rice which - you guessed it - is rice and a variety of curries eaten from the best disposable plate in the world, a banana leaf!


Over the next few days, Chris and I entertained ourselves while Sara was at work. We went to more electronic malls (oh yeah - we love it!), visited a bird sanctuary which secret bird-lover Chris enjoyed tremendously, walked around a number of mosques and also visited a fascinating museum about Islamic architecture and culture where we learned about the Muslim visit to Mecca.


We couldn’t miss out the incredible market on Jalan Petaling street. This market is famous for it’s fakes: from watches to bags to wallets. I must admit that, excluding the watches, the fakes in Thailand seemed better. Back in 1999, my Dad spent quite a lot of time in KL for his job and I’ll never forget him returning home laden with a fake watch each for my Mum and me after each trip! Once, one of them didn’t work and, when a new battery didn’t solve the problem, he took the watch back to the market and asked for a refund! Wary of the reputation I may have as a Bargainous-Burke at this market, I bought only two watches and very hurriedly! Chris bought two very fancy ones too which he was very pleased with.

KL is far more gritty than Singapore (where isn’t?!?) and the traffic is abysmal. Sara puts this down to lack of any town planning whatsoever. There are good public transport systems including a cool monorail which winds its way around the city; however none of them seem to link up very well. The metro only links up with the monorail in a few places meaning that often, the best way to get around the city is by taxi which, luckily for scroungers like us, are cheapish.

We enjoyed our stay in KL and especially loved the new foods we were introduced to. It’s a great city if you want a taste of Chinese, Indian and Malaysian culture. There’s great shopping, interesting museums and some fab Islamic as well as colonial architecture. We were lucky enough to be in Merdeka Square during some kind of annual fete; there was a vintage car show, a marching band and even some crazy motorbike stunts involving the local policemen! Fun!

On Sara’s suggestion, we planned to visit the colonial town of Melakka further down the coast for a few days before Christmas. This was to be our next stop…

Friday 15 January 2010

A Guide to Street Food Paradise in Singapore



As a microcosm of Asia, Singapore has something for everyone, whether it's an elegant colonial-era restaurant or a cheap and tasty plate of noodles at the local hawker centre. Coming from Thailand and Indochina, Singapore was very expensive for us. In fact we had no choice but to eat almost all our meals from the worlds cleanest and most diverse selection of affordable food. And with some 16,000 food stalls, Singapore is nothing short of a street-food lover’s paradise.

It used to be that a whole day in Singapore was too long for anyone. Today, it's not enough. This is a food mecca! Entire quarters are dedicated to flavours, such as Katong ( for Peranakan classics), Little India (fish-head curries), and the East Coast (seafood and pepper crabs).



We were lucky enough to stumble upon a fantastic exhibit at the National Museum to guide us through the meaning and methodology behind this whirlwind of food on our plates.

The history of street food goes all the way back to the 19th century Singapore. It was particularly important for bachelors in the 1860s when Singaporean men outnumbered women 10 to 1. It was only in the 1940s that the ratio went back into balance and food could be prepared in the home and food transformed from just a source of a sustenance in the daily routine to a national passion. It thrived in a port city that access to trade, spices and above all, a flow of culinary histories with variety and thick textures that produced beautiful hybrids.

Street carts were originally scattered across Singapore in convenient locations. Some vendors would use sling carrier baskets made from woven bamboo or rattan on a carrier pole. Others would have three-wheeled wooden pushcarts, complete with charcoal stove, pots, bowls and utensils. The cook would usually have an assistant (usually a young boy) who would help serve and take orders The vendors would even move the cart from street to street in search of hungry customers. Sometimes the assistant would even take money lowered from apartments by string and bucket, in exchange for raising their lunch or dinner. On dish, known as Tok Tok Mee, was named after the ‘tik tok’ sound vendors made by striking bamboo to let people know they were in the area. Bak Chor Mee noodle vendors would use a high pitch and faster beet.

The Modern Hawker Centre

In the late 20th century, the government imposed laws that forced all street food vendors into organized hawker centers where they had to abide by strict health department codes under one roof, and where residents can sit together in communal seating. Historically the clientele would changes as the evening would go on. Families an workers would arrive in the early evening. Later on English soldiers would arrive with call girls and hawker centers would take on a more rowdy shade of nightlife.


The chicken rice hawker wields a razor sharp cleaver to chop chicken on a natural hardwood chopping board, made from a full tree trunk so as to absorb intense chopping.

Food also evolved during this transformation indoors. Take the Chicken rice that originated from the Chinese island of Hainan, for example. It was originally molded by hand into rice balls representing harmony, since the circle was a symbol of family cohesiveness. The Hainanese immigrants would wrap balls in a banana leaf and sell them on the street for 1 cent. These were nicknamed ‘communist chicken’ after one stall, whose name paid due to the promise of a better life for the people of China. The chicken ball practice faded however, mostly because of the strict hawker center laws imposed by the government on food preparation.

Etiquette and How to Eat
  • In addition to a huge variety of food, much emphasis is placed on eating. Do not be surprised if conversation grinds to a halt once the meal is served. People are passionate and many will prefer to enjoy their meal in silence punctuated by food-related comments.
  • Many Singaporeans are willing to commit half their lunch hour to wait in line for the best Hainanese chicken rice or 'bak chor mee' (minced pork noodles). See below.
  • At Indian restaurants, be sure to fold your leaf towards you if you are satisfied with your meal - folding the other way is a sign the food was disappointing.
  • Chilli or pepper? Take the latter for local street cred when you go for your crab feast.
  • Chicken Rice - When asked if you want it with the skin, say yes.
  • Arm yourself with a copy of Makansutra - the street-food guide to the best hawker stalls.

The Foods of Singapore Streets


Hainanese Chicken Rice
This quintessential Singaporean dish can be found at any hawker centre. Boiled chicken and rice may not look like much, but the subtle flavours from garlic, ginger and chicken broth, makes for some delicious comfort food that even the least adventurous tourist can appreciate. Locals also add flavour with chili sauce and ginger slices on the side. Available at your local hawker centre, but for a fancier version try the Lau Pa Sat Hawker center in the financial district. It’s in an old Victorian building that hosts live music in the evenings.


Bak Chor Mee
Bak chor mee consists of egg noodles tossed in black vinegar and topped with ground pork, marinated mushrooms, plump wontons, dumplings stuffed with fried flatfish. For a good Bak Chor Mee, look up ‘Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee’ in Chinatown. The family recipe dates back to 1945, when the owner's father sold noodles out of a pushcart on Wayang Street. Hong Lim Complex Food Centre, #02-43; 531A Upper Cross Street;no phone

Hum Jin Pang
This doughnut-like desert is served in a brown bag by the half dozen. The fried pastry is dusted in Chinese five spice, salt and confectionary sugar. It can sometimes be stuffed with sweet red bean paste or kaya. Maxwell Hawker centre has a very good Hum Jin Pang stall at number 23. This is a rare stall where you fry your own hum jin pangs (six for less than a dollar). The owner goes through 55 pounds of flour until he runs out each day, well before the stall's 8:00 p.m. closing time.


Banana Leaf Rice
Indian food is one of the most dominant cuisines along with Chinese and Malaysian. A large, simple meal of banana leaf rice is one of the best values for your money. The waiter will first put a large banana leaf on the table in front of you. He will then dish up as much rice as you would like, followed by vegetables like eggplants, chutneys and relishes. For Indian food head to little India or for excellent Muslim fare, explore the café eateries near the mosque in the Arab quarter.


Roti Prata
Roti Prata is a unique Singaporean term: Roti (in Urdu) and Paratha (in hindi) both loosely mean bread that’s made without yeast. The dish is a great example of a hybrid of north and south Indian cuisine. The southern Indian version is traditionally made with pea curry (roti cannai). However in Singapore the roti is made with either chicken, mutton or fish curry that is thickened with potato.