Breakfast. In the sweltering heat and humidity that is everyday Singapore, an iced coffee never looked so good.
Breakfast crowds at Tiong Bahru MarketAfter
a long day and
late night,
Suze, the
es&t crew and I end up at
Tiong Bahru Market the next day for a mid-morning breakfast. The place is packed with locals, a hive of people eating and drinking and chatting in the sticky 75% humidity.
I'm compelled to do a lap of every hawker stall before I make my choice. Just as I always peruse a restaurant menu at least twice before ordering, I
obsessively carefully deliberate over my final dining decision.
Breakfast set SG$4.80Soft boiled eggs, kaya toast and iced coffeeSuze has gone for the breakfast set, a quiet celebration of protein, carbs and caffeine.
Soft-cooked egg yolkI've really come to embrace the Singapore-style runny egg. Cracked into a bowl, the egg white is somewhat soupy but made palatable with a generous splash of soy and lots of white pepper.
The star of the show is the egg yolk off course, a shimmering golden orb that begs to be burst open.
Kaya toastBreakfast dessert?
Kaya toast. Suze was pleased the crusts were cut off, but I found the thick toast a little dry and crumbly - more like a Melba toast. The kaya jam still had nothing on my favourite version at
Hong Kong Jin Tian Roast Meat around the corner.
The es&t team have industriously gathered a little buffet on their own.
Fried chive dumplings and pink rice flour cakes stuffed with sticky rice
Pork rib and prawn mee
Frogs leg congee $8.00The
frogs leg congee is more of the more expensive breakfast options, but there's plenty of frog action in the bowl.
Frogs legThe frog is tender and almost sweet. I've always thought that frog tastes like "fishy chicken", but here the congee acts as a soothing base of flavour, spiked with rings of green onion and crisp slices of
you tiao deep-fried breadsticks.
My breakfast in brown paper And my choice? It comes wrapped in brown paper and secured with a rubber band...
Nasi Lemak SG$2.50from Bismillah Wan Maemunah, Stall 02-16Nasi lemak! I was astounded that this little package cost a mere SG$2.50. A deep-fried chicken drumette, two small crispy fish, a handful of fried anchovies, omelette, coconut rice was capped off with a tasty splodge of sambal sauce. Unlike many versions of nasi lemak I've had in Sydney, I didn't find this overly oily or rich.
Dessert stall
Bo bo cha cha SG$2.00from Tian Tian Yuan DessertOh yes, ice was required and rather than have a drink, I choose an icy dessert every time! I went for the
bo bo cha cha, not just because I like the name--doesn't it dance across your tongue and make you want to shake your shoulders?--but because it's another dish I've struggled to find decent versions of in Sydney-town.
The bo bo cha cha is quite a simple dish really. Cubes of taro and sweet potato are simmered slowly until tender then served with sweetened coconut milk. My bowl also included fluorescent-coloured taipoca pearls. It's quite a rich dessert with the coconut milk, but the ice helps mute the sweetness.
Delivery man with giant bamboo baskets of dumplings
Tiong Bahru Market entrance
Suze and I exit down the escalators and spend some time exploring the
Tiong Bahru wet markets on the ground floor. It's a moderate-sized collection of fresh food stalls selling fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood.
Tiong Bahru Wet Markets
Chilli, bitter melon, tofu and eggplant stuffed with fish paste
Fresh seafood stall
Rambutan
Vegetable stallFor lunch, we join the es&t crew again and meet up with Leslie, the Singaporean food blogger from
I Eat I Shoot I Post. Leslie had provided us with an address of where we were going to eat, and our taxi driver is a little concerned, wondering why he isn't taking a carload of tourists to the nearest shopping centre, but instead to a block number on Zion Road.
Block 89We exit the taxi wondering if we've been delivered to the right address when we're finally reassured by the sight of red plastic chairs and then a smiling Leslie who is waiting for us with his entire family and his right hand man.
Siang Hee restaurant
Chef and owner Ah YokeSiang Hee is a small cafe restaurant that, thanks to Leslie's post, has enjoyed a surge in patronage from keen blog readers. When we arrive there's a table of women in their 40s and 50s next to us, and halfway through our meal, one of them finally leans over and says "Are you Leslie? We read your blog!"
"The food is very good and so cheap here," one of them says to me. "Seven dishes only SG$100!" she exclaims with glee.
Leslie introduces us as Sydney food bloggers and they all nod and smile knowingly, clucking with approval. It's a surreal experience - not only do they know about food blogs but they're devoted and appreciative blog readers as well.
Inside the Siang Hee kitchenChef and owner Ah Yoke is nervous about letting us into the kitchen. "It's so messy!" she apologises. It's not.
Kitchen condiments
Kang kong water spinach
Chillis in vinegar and soy
Ah Yoke cooking in the kitchenLeslie is a fan of Siang Hee not only because the dishes are of high quality and cheap, but because Ah Yoke is constantly creating new dishes. "Her favourite food is deep-fried," Leslie tells us, at which point Suze perks up and says "Omigod has she tried a deep-fried Mars Bar?"
There's a funny exchange as Leslie explains the concept of deep-frying a caramel and nougat layered chocolate bar. Ah Yoke listens intently, looks puzzled, but nods with a nervous smile.
"She really wants to try it," Leslie translates.
We leave the ordering to Leslie and soon the table is littered with dishes.
Shrimp paste chicken wingsThe
shrimp paste chicken wings are supremely crunchy. Marinated in a mix of shrimp paste for two days, the flesh is juicy and bursting with flavour--not fishy, but salty and sweet. The crunch of the batter is earth-shattering. And there's barely a skerrick of residual oil to be seen.
Luohanguo tasty porkThe
luohanguo tasty pork is like a complex version of sweet and sour pork, the sweetness coming from the luohanguo fruit.
Beans with salted egg yolksFresh squeaky green beans are the perfect complement to the fine crunch of
minced dried prawns, served with slivers of fiery chilli.
Hotplate oyster eggHotplate oyster egg is the best oyster omelette I find in Singapore. The oysters are fresh and raw and delicious against the fluffy omelette.
Specialty bean curdThe food. It continues. I can barely manage a few mouthfuls of the
specialty bean curd, the huge chunk of
deep-fried pork knuckle and the thin slices of
fish with vegetables.
Deep-fried pork knuckle
Fish with vegetables
Butter cream prawns with pumpkin sauceThis is because I've been eating the
butter cream prawns with pumpkin sauce. It's a strange combination that somehow works - pillows of sweet prawns in a light crispy batter that's doused with a bright yellow sauce of pumpkin.
Garlic steamed grouperI'm also a huge fan of the
garlic steamed grouper, a whole fish that is simple but succulent.
The feast
Siang Hee owner Ah Yoke with Leslie from I Eat I Shoot I PostThanks Leslie for being such a great host, and Ah Yoke for an amazing meal!
Ducks drying in front of a fan for crispy skin duck
Whole ducksSuze and I hit Orchard Road next, the massive shopping strip in Singapore Central that will defeat even the most determined shopper. The department stores are sleek and modern and huge, and there are several of these behemoth buildings. Suze and I grin like twins and head straight for
Takashimaya, the Japanese department store with an outlet in Singapore.
Takashimaya centre courtThe centre court of Takashimaya is filled with a rotation of discount stalls. We meander through several levels but spend most of the time in the basement food hall. Of course.
Romankan Yokohama stall inside Takashimaya Food HallSnack time!
It's not until you chronicle a food blogger's day out that you realise how much food is consumed!
Katsu-sando SG$3.20
The
katsu-sando. It calls us.
Suze and I are drawn wordlessly to the snack cart where we make our purchase and then sit down at the tables nearby. The crumbed pork fillet has plenty of crunch, garnished with a thick slice of tomato, a curl of lettuce and squiggles of creamy mayonnaise. The bread is soft and fluffy.
Hot dog on a stick covered with french fries SG$2.20And only an hour later, another snack. It's funny how we both catch sight of the
hot dog on a stick covered with french fries at the same time. We just look at each other and nod.
Alas the hotdog looks better than it tastes. The fries are a little dry and crusty, although we did forgo the offer of sauce just so we could get a better photo!
A couple sitting next to us are intrigued, and later on we meet up with Howard and Qing who are finishing the last of theirs! Food bloggers think alike!
MOS BurgerDinner.Howard is hungry and keen to visit MOS Burger, the Japanese burger chain he has missed so much since his last trip to Japan.
MOS cheeseburger SG$3.55Qing has the
MOS cheeseburger, a thick patty of beef smothered with diced onions, tomato sauce and sandwiched in a bun with a slice of cheese.
Yakiniku rice burger $3.70Howard takes the adventurous route and orders the
yakiniku rice burger. Yes,
a rice burger. We pause as he unwraps his wax paper parcel.
Yakiniku rice burger with French friesWhat is a rice burger? Two discs of lukewarm rice compressed together until it forms a chewy patty of starch. It's as tasty as it sounds.
Howard's verdictHoward's not impressed! He does admit the yakiniku is okay.
Cheeseburger SG$1.95with small French Fries SG$1.80After a day of non-stop snacking, I only have room for a
cheeseburger. The bun is soft but not overly sweet, and there isn't too much of a heavy feeling or unpleasant aftertaste you often get from fast food burgers. The fries have a good crunch to them.
I was impressed by the range of offerings on the menu, including butterflied crumbed prawns (SG$3.30 for 5 pieces), garlic and lemon crumbed mussels (SG$3.30 for 5 pieces) and the unagi eel rice burger (SG$3.70) - only if you like rice patties, of course!
At 9.30pm there's just enough time to get back to the hotel for a nap, a quick shower and then head out again at 11.30pm to hit
Clarke Quay, the snazzy strip of nightclub and bar frequented primarily by tourists.
Wheelchairs at The ClinicLike many tourists, we end up at
The Clinic purely for its gimmick value. The theme is hospitals and we collapse on the outdoor seating of wheelchairs. There are inevitable attempts at wheelchair races (strictly cracked down on by patient Clinic staff) and whilst one part of me wonders whether the use of wheelchairs trivialises their need by those that are forced to use them, Suze also points out that many locals avoid sitting in them out of superstition. Instead many sit on the hospital bed-style seating.
X-Nurse's Party shooters SG$50 for 6 syringesDrinks are not cheap, even if they do offer novelty value. A metal pail of ice holds 6 syringes of alcoholic mixers that's packaged as an "
X-Nurses Party" and sold for SG$50. The shots themselves are sweet and not particularly strong. The
Sex on a Drip cocktail is served in an IV bag that's literally hooked up to an IV drip and trundled over to you so you can suck it slowly from the tube.
Ahh yes what's that tourism tagline again?
Uniquely Singapore!
Grab Your Fork travelled to Singapore as a guest of Nuffnang Australia for the Asia-Pacific Blog Awards.
Don't forget that entries close tomorrow, Friday 5.30pm, for two Grab Your Fork competitions! Enter now to win a copy of Luke Nguyen's Songs of Sapa and in-season movie tickets to see The Boys Are Back. I saw a preview screening of the movie and was really impressed with this earnest and beautifully shot film. The two sons in the film do a great job, and there's a lovely sense of Aussie larrikinism and the simple joys of childhood.
Tiong Bahru Market(Wet market on ground floor, hawker stalls up the escalators)Corner of Lim Liak St and Seng Poh Road, SingaporeOpen 7 days 7am-11pm
Siang Hee RestaurantBlock 89 Zion Road#01-137 Singapore, S160089Open 7 days 11am-10.30pm (closed once every three weeks on Tuesdays)Tel: +65 9736 4067Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Singapore391a Orchard Road #09-00, Singapore, 238873Open 7 days 10am-9.30pmTel: +65 6738 1111MOS Burger - Ngee Ann City391B Orchard Road #B2-32, Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238874Open 7 days 10am-10pmTel: +65 6737 9906The ClinicBlock C, The Cannery, River Valley Road #1-03Clarke Quay, Singapore 179022Open 7 days 5.30pm til lateTel: +65 6887 3733
