Singapore F(oodie)ling: Salivating over Singapore

Ever since I embarked on my career in food, I have been wanting to do a foodie discovery of Singapore in my unique style, getting A Perfect Bite out of Singapore.

I traveled to Singapore in my teens, long, long before I actually became a food writer. It was also before I acquired my obsession for all things foodie. But even my untrained palate of that time, registered many flavours I was exposed to. My first meal on arrival full noodles and slivers of meat redolent of wok hay - the breath of a wok, Curry puffs my cousin brought home to me from the corner sri lankan store stuffed with spicy curry flavoure potatoes, the savoury porridge (conjee) that we had for lunch one day, stuffed crab, leaf wrapped chicken and tom yum soup at a small thai restaurant, straw mushroom bundles and shark fin soup at a fine dining restaurant... ask me the names, I couldn't tell you but I can remember the flavours even now.

So when Singapore Tourism Board offered me the chance to travel to Singapore for the World Gourmet Summit I grabbed it. The chance to participate in the foodiest of foodie events against the backdrop of one of the most mouthwatering cities in the world was one for which I would be willing to sell my hoard of dried guchchi! (No, am not misspelling fashion accesories, those are Kashmiri mushrooms my brother broughtt me from a visit to Kashmir and currently my most treasured culinary posession!)

So anyways, thanks to STB and the food Gods up there that obviously love me, my Guchchi are safe in my freezer, and I am off to Singapore tonight. And I am already salivating at rediscovring all those flavours I remember.

I have already done a food trail starting from Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre followed by Bak Kut Teh (Pork Rib Soup) at Balestier, the famous famous fish head curry and round it all off with local desserts from some of the local food centres in the area.done dome awesome foodie shopping of local and global ingredients, utensils, some of those fabulous teas etc.

I have had the ultimate in gasronomic tactile extravaganzas by sticking MY claws into both the famous Singapore Chilli crab & the Black Ppepper crab, visited the Peranakan Museum and savoured a traditional Tea ceremony at Tea Chapter, the largest tea house in Singapore.I have watched Heinz Beck cook and it is not over yet! Still to come are culinary Masterclasses with Le Cordon Bleu chefs, an Evening with Surreal Gourmet Bob Blumer

and I will am blogging about it daily from Singapore right here on this blog so come get a virtual look at one of the most exciting parts of being a food writer! Eating at some of the finest tables in the world!

Whenever I do a foodie discovery of any place, I insist on visiting the local markets. There is an energy in a market that is very addictive, not to mention that it offers a great chance to get a close look at all sorts of ingredients.

Here in Singapore these are called wet markets. That is not to say that they are dirty, dingy or stinky as the name alludes. In fact walk in past the fressh fish and meats and all towards the vegetables section and you will be assailed with the aromas of herbs, vegetables and even flowers....

Any market is a powerful place to be! I went to a Malay wet market. the jam packed, stalls, narrow walkways, people bargaining in a singsong foreign language being wonderstruck by all sorts of new fruit and vegetables and sea creatures, Kaffir limes, black nuts used in making malay chicken curry, cuttlefish, fish heads. We grabbed a snack of Curry puffs, jack fruit and sweet potato fritters from a Goreng Pisang stall on our way out.

Norwegian Seafood Brunch featuring Champagne Devaux

This morning I attended the first of the events that are part of my World Gourmet Summit (WGS) Schedule, an international gastronomic extravaganza jointly organised by Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd (PKH) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). THis is an annual epicurean festival that showcases the intricate craftsmanship of prestigious chefs and also an exposition of internationally acclaimed wineries. Encompassing a series of dazzling events such as vintner dinners, celebrity dinners and masterclasses, the World Gourmet Summit is a gastronomic extravaganza!

I attended the Norwegian Seafood Brunch featuring Champagne Devaux, a delectable spread of the tastiest catch from the Norwegian seas interpreted by some of Singapores finest chefs. I thought is was a brilliant concept like giving an arist a theme and letting him interpret it in his own signature style. After sampling at least 50 of the 100+ small bites on offer, I went around asking the chefs I liked for recies. I expect these tomorrw and will hopefully have them online by the morning after. Till then I shall sign out, since I start early tomorrow morning for another fabulous day of eating!

Straihts Kitchen - The place to find all of Singaporean food under one roof

Dinner that night was at Straits Kitchen, one the finest restaurants in Singapore. Located in the Grand Hyatt, Singapore the restaurant is inspired by Singapore and serves the best of local cuisine in a contemporary 'market place' setting. The buffet offers an endless array of local flavours from the halal-certified Chinese, Malay and Indian theatre-kitchens including Singapore Laksa, Nasi Goreng, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Roti Paratha with Chicken Curry. Straits Kitchen celebrates everything that is delicious about Singapore food under one roof. If you have just one meal in Singapore, I would recomend you make it at Straits Kitchen because all of Singporean cuisine is on the plate here!

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 6.30 am to 12.00 midnight.

Fish Head Curry Singapore

After the singular notes of pepper we headed to the Banana Leaf restaurant in Little India for a taste of Fish Head Curry. Fish head curry is a dish that was born of Chinese and Indian origins in which the head of an Ikan Merah or Red fish (red snapper) slow cooked in a stew like thick curry enriched with an assortment of vegetables like okra and brinjals, flavoured with the tangy notes of tamarind. Fish head curry in its orange gravy is usually eaten with rice, bread and papadams. We also had Pepper mutton fry, Prawn masalla and Chicken curry. What was charming to see was that at 4 in the afternoon when we droped in there was a full house. And it wasn't just Indians, chinese, Malay and even American people were savouring their Fish head curry!

Bak Kut Teh - Pork Rib soup Singapore style

Next on the menu was Bak Kut Teh or Pork Rib Tea Soup at the Ng Ah Sio Pork Rib Soup restaurant located in a nondescript shophouse on Rangoon Road. Bak Kut Teh is a classic Singaporean dish that is immensely popular with the local population. Bak Kut Teh takes its name from the tradition of the dish being served with hot Chinese tea (Bak Kut means pork ribs and Teh means tea in Hokkien) The dish comprising pork ribs slow cooked with aromatic herbs and pepper, eaten with rice and soya sauce spiked with chilli. Hot an peppery, it was so addictive that I had a hard time not asking for a second helping! The idea is to allow the broth to work its way down your throat and feel the oomph! Then bite into the succulent ribs. Sip on some of the citrusy Xiao Yue Gang Chinese tea you can brew yourself, using hot water from a charcoal-heated kettle conveniently available at your table to wash everything down.

Crazy about Curry Puffs

On my last trip to Singapore, my cousin once brought home a freshly fried Curry puff. It was absolutely delicious! The Curry Puff is a snack of Malay origin. A small pie, that looks exactly like what many communities in India make a sweet verion of, called Gujia/Ghughra or Karanji etc. Only the Curry Puff is savoury, stuffed with a filling of curried chicken, shrimp or potatoes, and deep fried. We had to grab a couple of these spicy treats at the food court. However they were not a good as the one I had that first time at the Sri Lankan store on the orner of Dorset rd. I am going to see if I can go find it before I leave.