Four Days in Singapore: Great Eats

It seems only right to devote an entire blog entry to the food in Singapore. I have not eaten so much in short amount of time since... well, ever!  I got to eat old favorites as well as try many new things, most of which I cannot remember the names of... I was attempting to get some good food pictures too, but usually I was too busy eating said food!  But, here goes...

Thursday dinner:  Hawker Center.  A friend at ICS who lived in Singapore told me about these places, and this is where we started off upon my arrival.  A Hawker Center is like a giant food court- Singapore's alternative to street food, created out of a desire to combine the taste and price of street food with, well, hygiene :)  We had a great dinner, though I can't remember what the food was called. Also got to drink a common juice there- cane juice? Or sugar cane juice?  Maybe someone will be able to correct me on that. 

Hawker Center noodle dish, potato dish, and juice.

On Friday morning Uncle Pong and I were starting our day in Little India, so we got breakfast at a food court there.  I had roti prata- a bread with curry, and something else that was oh-so-good like a crepe with potatoes and onions inside, but I can't remember what it was called :(  Also got to start my day with Indian tea which a friend here in Bangkok had introduced me to.  I love it. Just add it to the list of teas I love: English, Chinese, Burmese, and Indian!  We topped off our breakfast with fried bananas- delicious! 

Starting the day off right!

Fried bananas on the top left next to the spring rolls.

For lunch on Friday we ordered a feast: noodle with chicken soup, egg fried rice, dumplings and oh- what were those other spicy wantons?  The egg fried rice was to die for, and if you're like me you're wondering how something as simple as egg fried rice can be so good.  It can.  The dumplings were also super yummy and very fun to eat.  Uncle Pong taught me how to pick it up with my chopsticks without breaking it, then how to pierce it, drink the juice, then add the ginger and gobble it up. I didn't get any pictures of this feast, but here is a shot of them folding dumplings at the restaurant.

Friday night for dinner the whole family went to a Korean/Japanese barbeque place.  We ordered tons of food- edamame to start and then a whole slew of meats and veggies for the grill. The great thing about doing the barbeque is that everyone is eating and talking and interacting the entire time.  Meat flies on and off the grill under the critical eye of everyone around the table, much to the chagrin of the grill master! 

So, I know the lighting is crazy bad, but I like the way this picture captures the fun and action of the dinner!

Dinner was near the river, so after we ate we walked it off with a pleasant evening stroll.  Of course, we happened upon an ice cream store and a coffee shop, so we had to stop!

The evening stroll- with ice cream and french fries!

Saturday was supposed to start out with a stroll through Chinatown, but we woke up to pouring rain, so opted for a lazy morning and a bite of cereal followed by Dim Sum once the restaurant opened.  The Dim Sum was fantastic! We ordered all my favorites as well as several new things.  I made my first go at one of the bony rib bits and managed that quite well.  I think I tried everything that wasn't white and creamy :) The steamed pork buns were as good as ever and I tried some new shrimp wontons that were awesome.  We also made sure to order the custard tarts, of course :)  I was so stuffed afterward, as usual with Dim Sum, so I was happy to walk around Chinatown a bit after that.  Of course part way through that walk we found a shop with traditional Chinese desserts and had to sit down and try one. At least Aunt Choon and I split the mango and pomelo dessert with shaved ice. I could eat one of those everyday...

Starting in on the Dim Sum

Saturday evening we headed out for dinner again- this time for seafood! We started off with bamboo clams- my first clams! I wasn't sure I was going to like them, which was okay because I had plenty of people around who were willing to take them off my hands if I didn't like the first bite :)  There were some great big prawns too, though sadly they were my chopsticks downfall.  I had to ask for a knife and fork to get the head, tail, and shell off.  We also ordered two big crabs- one with salted egg and the second one of the famous Singapore Chilli Crab.  I wasn't so sure about these crabs I'd seen crawling around at the markets, but after a quick lesson on how to get the meat out, I gave it a try and it was surprisingly good! 

Chilli crab before the attack. The bread on the right is really good for dipping in the sauce!

Sunday after church we had one final family meal at a Northern Indian restaurant, where we ordered such an array of naan, dahl, curry, tandoori, veggies, and rice that I can't even begin to remember it all (except the butter chicken, a family favorite, which disappeared in the blink of an eye).  I ate and ate and ate and ate.  Hours later, back in Bangkok, all I could manage for dinner was a carrot.  The food was so delicious, and I'm sure made even better by the great company. 

Calories don't count on vacation, right? 

Group shot after lunch on Sunday