Cheap Food But Stellar Quality!
Greetings!
It has already been three weeks, and I can’t believe that my time abroad is approaching to halfway point! Luckily, I have not had an allergic reaction yet and am officially comfortable with navigating my way through Singapore. The only thing I have yet to figure out is which side of the pathway I am supposed to be on when walking because literally everybody just does their own thing, and it reminds me of Times Square during rush hour.
There are many traditional foods here in Singapore due to the diversity in culture. However, the three foods that I have seen the most are hainanese chicken rice, durians, and kaya toast. Hainanese chicken rice is exactly what it sounds like except that there are a bunch of Asian spices added to make it tasty. Durians are the national fruit of Singapore and are known for their strong aroma which has turned away some of my friends from eating it. However, the best time to eat them is approaching so one of my coworkers has promised to take me soon. Lastly, kaya toast is a very popular breakfast dish where bread is covered with a coconut paste. It is usually served with soft boiled eggs which is a liquid egg mixture. Although I am on a vegetarian diet and have some allergies, I have not felt restricted in my ability to try out the local foods.
In Singapore, most people tend to eat out for meals. Scattered across the city-state are hawker centers which are essentially food courts. This is where most people go for their meals because you get a lot of food for a small price. I was able to get a full plate of vegetable fried rice with an egg for 2.90 SGD which is just over $2 USD. The food structure is the same in the United States and people usually eat at the same times a typical American would eat. Food isn’t celebrated, but the wide variety of food available is showcased at every hawker center, mall, and plaza. My favorite food has definitely been a vegetarian Chinese noodles dish with soy meat and vegetables. I got it at a popular hawker center in Chinatown, and I definitely plan to go back there soon!
I look forward to trying more of the local food during the remainder of my stay!
Vegetarian Chinese Noodles with Soy Meat
Really want to try the Hainanese chicken rice! Look forward the update about food lol.
Some of my co-workers suggested me to try durians, but I haven’t got a chance to. I cannot believe how you can get food for that price! The cheapest one that I got in Hong Kong was about 35 HKD, which is around $4.48 USD. As Hong Kong-style french toast is one of my favorites, I also want to try kaya toast!
I am stunned you got all the food on that plate for $2! I am an intern in Sydney and everything is much more expensive which is why I rarely eat out. Let me know how you like the Durian. I have tried a Durian in Hawaii and while the smell was off-putting, it was really good. It is both savory, sweet, and full of vitamins.
Hello Sanjeev. I am glad to hear you have not consumed any nutty products so far in your adventures. I am also experiencing walking problems here in Australia, especially because the sidewalk blocks are not equal lengths so it is hard to keep the 2 steps: 1 block ratio. Did you try chicken for the first time here because last time I checked you only ate Beyond Burgers. Miss ya lots.
Wow! A meal for $2 of that size is such an amazing bargain. It reminds me of the time I visited Poland for a week, where the exchange rate of Zloty to USD made it easy to get a nice meal for pretty cheap. Its great that you haven’t accidentally eaten something that would give you an allergic reaction, since being in a new environment may make it difficult to know exactly what’s in food. Singapore sounds great!