On a Singapore food mission

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

I HAD a mission in Singapore and failed.

The mission was of gastronomical importance: I was to sample all 10 of Singapore’s must-eats in five days.

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Not an impossible task, you’d say. But while I was prepared for spicy, my abilities were overwhelmed by the big servings. And no one mentioned there were so many distractions along the way.

But I wasn’t such a slacker. I did sample and devour five of the 10, and even managed to resist both real and surreal attractions in the Lion City State. But if James Bond is allowed a martini (shaken not stirred) and some time at the casino, why can’t I make a few diversions?

Out of habit (developed through years of financially restricted traveling), I stayed mainly in street food centers (Hawkers’ Centres, as they Singaporeans call them) to sample Singapore’s plated attractions.

My mind and my pocket told me the hawkers’ centers would offer better ambiance and a more realistic environment than the air-conditioned comfort of restaurants. But on my first day at Singapore, it was so humid that I decided to have chicken rice at the food court of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

Chicken rice needs no explanation. It is uncomplicated and tasty. The chicken is the way chicken should be: tender and not over-cooked. The sauce adds flavor to the dish, without being overwhelming. The cost of the meal, SG$6.40 (P217.14), could make you scratch your head if you compare it to what you’d pay for a piece of deep-fried chicken and puso, but you have to allow yourself some of life’s simple joys.

Apart from housing a highly diverse food center, the Marina Bay Sands sits next to the Art Science Museum, which was another good reason to be in the area. Sadly, Vincent Van Gogh’s exhibit was no longer on and I didn’t find Salvador Dali’s surrealism that irresistible.

From Marina Bay Sands, my friend (who kept away from spicy food and was, therefore, no help in the mission) and I took a bus to the Esplanade, to watch the Merlion from a distance.

‘Finish’

In the dying light, on the way to the Fullerton Hotel, we chanced upon a man selling one-dollar ice cream sandwiches. I got excited at the thought of a sugar fix but the vendor, eyebrows knitted in a frown, said “finish!” From then on, I made a vow not to leave Singapore without eating those ice cream sandwiches.

Legs and feet aching from walking, we decided to have an early dinner at Makansutra (Gluttons’ Bay). I was too tired to consult my list of must-eats, so I decided to sup on nasi lemak with chicken.

Nasi lemak is an explosion of flavors. There’s the nuts, anchovies (dilis), shredded egg and a hint of coconut. Of course, it was also spicy, even though I asked the cook cum food attendant cum cashier for “not spicy” (to which he only grinned). The chicken, though, was obviously pre-cooked and reheated that it was completely deprived of any juice.

Still, it turned out to be a nice evening. We shared a table with a native Singaporean who pointed out several areas of interest. Unfortunately, after a few drinks—two cups of tea for her, a can of soda each for us—we never got to know each other’s names.

The next four days passed in a blur, details were of no significance.

Courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board, we were able to enjoy the comfort of Amara Sanctuary Resort and other attractions of Sentosa Island (so much so that I tried to devise a way to trick the attendants into allowing me another round on the Segway while my friend was thinking of another trip, a more challenging one, with the Luge).

At the Taste of Asia, still on Sentosa, we binged on two items on my list—laksa and satay—and more. Thankfully, the restaurant’s Filipino staff was not around to witness our unabashed gluttony. When we were done, we decided to walk off our added weight and took the Sentosa Express to the mainland. We switched trains to go to Boat Quay. After a stroll, we grabbed a table at the Red Dot bar and were served green lager (black coffee for me) by a fellow Pinoy.

By the fourth day, I knew I could not complete my mission. There were just so many things to see, so many other foods to eat.

The Dreams and Reality exhibit—containing some of the Musee d’Orsay’s collection—at the National Museum was a distraction I just had to give in to. Having a deep admiration and empathy (due to the inoperability of one ear) for Van Gogh, I sacrificed a lunch to ogle at Starry Night Over the Rhone. Of course, there were works by Manet, Monet, Cezanne and many more, but I’m a one-eared, one-track-minded pig.
Back on track

After my artsy fizz, we hit Chinatown to get back to my mission. On Smith St., the sight of a pregnant woman, hands as quick as a magician’s, whipping up spices, sauces and noodles on a wok, compelled me to order char kway teow. But this one turned out as flat as the noodles in it.

Perhaps, some dishes are better appreciated when spicy. No wonder the cook’s husband (the cashier cum order-taker) raised his eyebrows when I asked for “not spicy” char kway. I’ll tell my gastroenterologist to shove the endoscope into someone else next time.

In an attempt to tick off more items on my list, I asked about fish head curry for brunch at the food center near a friend’s flat in Chai Chee (central east). But I decided to drop the idea when told they were “cooking (it) in one hour.” So I settled for roti prata (still on the list) with curry sauce, chicken curry and vegetables.

Tongue aflame, we went around Funnan, a mall dedicated to all things electronic. After drooling at tablets and digital cameras, I decided I needed to indulge on something else. The gods must have taken pity on me for, at the next block, there sat a man selling one-dollar ice cream sandwiches. Naturally, I bought two.

My last hour in Singapore, at the Changi Airport, was spent in frustration. There were several opportunities for me to complete the list while in Little India and in Lau Pa Sat, but I was either too full or sleepy (from being too full) to eat anything else other than kachang (a bit like our halo-halo) and kopi-oh.

Feet aching and several pounds heavier, I promised to go back to Singapore. Next time around, I’ll skip breakfast (even if it’s as tempting as the one at Amara Sanctuary), go on an empty stomach, bring a bottle of antacids, and order rojak, bak kut teh, fish head curry, chili crab and fried carrot cake.