Hawker Centers:
It might seem a tad bizarre that I can enjoy the French Laundry and asian street food on an equal basis. I assure you it is not. And that, friends, is one of the many things about Asia that I love. On this venture, my friend and I hit the Golden Mile Food Center. Imagine the concessions at your local stadium. Now imagine three stories of that. Now imagine all you have to focus on is the food. Welcome to South East Asia. Naturally we did a loop and whittled down our choices. He wanted duck and elected the traditional Asian roast style and rice. I had my eye on two things. The first was a fresh lime juice, which I downed shortly after ordering it. I'd say it's like lemonade but with lime... yet it isn't. It's not sweet. Asian limes are like key limes... but not quite. (Frankly that's one of the things I most enjoy about traveling. You inevitably encounter something that reminds you of home but its Not Kwite Write... NKW.) That was followed by mee gareng.... AKA Singapore noodles. Fresh made egg noodles sauteed with basically whatever you want. I did veggies and scallops. A dab of chili sauce on the side. Prepared as I watched.... about $2. And far better than most things I eat on a normal basis. Yes, yes. I know food trucks are the big thing these days. It's nothing like that. It's local folks doing things the way they've always done them. Like coming home with a dear friend... watching Grandpa make hand-pressed sugar cane juice for you while Grandma fries the just caught fish with chili and noodles. All the while a hundred other people swarm around you. And yet you feel perfectly....perhaps inexplicably.... at home.
TWG Tea:
I'm a sucker for tea, so when my guide book recommended this spot I figured I'd pick up a few asian style buds and get back on the road. I was not prepared for a full on tea salon pulled from the annuls of British colonialism. The possible selections and their descriptions were presented in a J. Peterman style catalog exceeding 90 pages in length. This opus also detailed the history of tea throughout the world and included instructions on brewing the perfect pot. I selected a Royal Thai Oolong, while my friend chose the Jade Dragon Green. And while perhaps their folio descriptions waxed a bit poetic, it was probably the finest cup of tea I've had. I managed to resist the very tempting menu, consisting not only of your typical high tea fare, but numerous dishes incorporating the various brews. My friend opted for a scoop of ice cream made with a blend of Singapore Breakfast tea which produced raves throughout. TWG also sells each of their teas, so I left with a bag of my oolong, as well as two of their proprietary blends to sample at home.
Coconuts:
Coconut water is ubiquitous these days. But I assure you, those little card board containers bare no resemblance to the real thing. Its been a couple years since I've had the pleasure so I was compelled to sample one while passing through the food stalls in Chinatown. And it reminded me why I've found every attempt at coconut water I've sampled since to be an utter disappointment. After placing your order, you grab a seat while the vender proceeds to hack a pentagon shaped hole into the top with a machete, slipping in a straw and spoon for good measure. The straw provides a dignified way to drink the coconut water, a pure clear liquid devoid of the sweetness found in the commercial brands. The spoon can be used to dig out the thin layer of flesh on the inside. Moist, with a slightly gelled consistency, it's hard to believe this coconut is in any way related to the bagged flakes on your local supermarket shelf.
Seafood:
Given Singapore's location at the tip of the Malay peninsula, its no surprise that seafood is easy to come by. Chili Crab is largely considered the national dish. Here the giant crustaceans are stir fried in the shell, then presented in a vat of spicy chili sauce. The crabs are sold per 100 gram; the “small” ones are about 2kg. For those of you lacking in metric conversions, that's a 4.4 lb crab. In the seafood quarters massive tanks display a variety of stone and king crabs individually topping 20lbs. And much like diamonds, the bigger the individual carat, the more expensive. We split a 2.2kg Sri Lankan which came in at the equivalent of $120. So rather than working through a bushel of blue crabs, you're getting the convenience of dismantling one. Its still an ungodly mess.... exacerbated in this case by the pool of sauce in which it's swimming. But it's delicious all the same. Now I just need to find 10 people to go in with me on a whole king crab. And frankly you just have to love any place that sticks your pitcher of Tiger in a Champagne bucket.
Singapore Slings
If the Chili crab is the national dish, then the Singapore Sling is the national cocktail. And when in Rome as they…. But if you are going to indulge, you may as well do so at the bar that invented this gin and fruit juiced based concoction: The Long bar at the Raffles Hotel. The Raffles itself is a stunning reminder of British colonial grandeur. An imposing white edifice taking up a full city block and sheltering numerous porticos and lush gardens hidden behind its walls. Once on the premises the Long Bar requires a little commitment to find, but proves to be worth the effort. Stepping through the doors is much like stepping back in time. A large well shaded room awaits, complete with a network of rattan fans helping to circulate the breeze. Dark wood helps to create the ambiance along with the typical trappings you'd expect to find in a typical English watering hole of this nature. And of course, heaping bowls of peanuts on the table, shells on the floor, and pigeons taking brief bouts of flight only to aloft in the rafters or waddle amongst the peanut shells. The Raffles actually offers 6 different types of slings. But about certain things I'm a purist. Besides… How can you possibly sample the variations if you've not had the original? And it was a delight. I tend not to drink fruit based cocktails, but I do love gin, and the combination was the perfect antidote for the hot south asian afternoon. And reproduced here for your imbibing pleasure, the official Singapore Sling recipe from the Raffles Hotel:
Raffles Hotel Singapore Sling Recipe
1 oz (30 ml) Gin
1/2 oz (15 ml) Cherry Brandy
4 oz (120 ml) Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz (15 ml) Lime Juice
1/4 oz (7.5 ml) Cointreau
1/4 oz (7.5 ml) Dom Benedictine
1/3 oz (10 ml) Grenadine
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Mix well.
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