HOW TO FIND THE REAL FOOD OF
High-rise Marina Bay
I love night-time in the Tropics. The air is soft, warm and humid, and once the sun goes down, everyone’s thoughts turn to the same thing: dinner. Being of Singaporean heritage, I have fond memories of my years living here as a child: visiting night markets, eating grilled satay or the infamously pungent durian fruit by the harbour. My time spent in this prosperous Southeast Asian city-state shaped my love of food and I’m sure led to me becoming a food writer.
I returned for a family visit, hungry to reacquaint myself with much-loved childhood dishes. “Food is the national pastime. No, it’s an obsession!” laughed one of my Singaporean cousins as we gathered round the dinner table. As you’d expect from a country with four national languages (Mandarin, Malaysian, Tamil and English), Singapore’s food scene is gloriously diverse, reflecting its history as a major port and the communities who settled here. Hainanese chicken rice from China and Malaysian satay are both popular Singaporean dishes.
The city’s restaurant scene is as international as London’s, showcasing chefs and cuisines from around the globe. For me though, a trip to Singapore is about enjoying the local food – and that means heading to the city’s ‘hawker food’ centres.
PROPER STREET FOOD – AT A GREAT PRICE
Hawker food is the term given to the grub sold by formerly itinerant street vendors. This Singapore-style street food is served up in clean, well regulated markets (hawker centres). It’s excellent value – and often amazingly high quality. The first Michelin Guide to Singapore.
Diners tuck in at Maxwell Road Centre
everybody loves Hainanese chicken
chilling with the papers
Singapore pau or steamed buns