I believe the best way to experience a country is to sample/taste/eat their local cuisine. Singapore does have alot of offer in the Makan (eating) business.
For cheap(er) food consumption, one must savor eating at a hawker center. Every community tends to have its own hawker center areas. They are usually found in the void decks (the lower portion of the condominiums, near the elevators) of public housing establishments popularly known as HDBs. Most of them have a few tables and seats. There are a wide variety of shops selling different food choices depending on your taste buds. Most dishes are complete meals. You can either order rice toppings, noodles (with or without soups), viands (ulam) and desserts. You have the choice of 'dining in' which means you consume it there in the open area sans aircon or 'packet' which means food to go (nicely wrapped in styrofoam boxes with condiments in plastic bag). We usually order Pepper Crab (Singapore is famous for its Chili Crab but it is too spicy for our taste buds!) from the hawker and have a feast munching on it in the comforts of our home.
Valuable Tip # 1: Most eateries like hawker centers and food courts in Singapore don't offer tissues/napkins. So make sure you bring your own tissue paper to wipe away the grease from your oily lips! :D
Naturally, there are an assortment of eateries found in the malls. I notice that their food courts are now called "Food Republic". They also offer a wide variety of cuisine, this time in a cooler air conditioned setting. They tend to cost more but still quite affordable.
Valuable Tip # 2: In hawkers and food courts, you order your drinks separately from a shop/stall which sells only beverages. But they do provide straws so no need to bring your own straw. :D
Our family has been known to patronize mainly three restaurants in Singapore. Places we keep frequenting because we can't get enough of their food:
(1) Seoul Garden is an eat all you can buffet resto where you cook your own food. On the table, there is a round hot plate where you grill different kinds of meat (shrimps, poultry, lamb, beef, pork) and in the middle there is a soup pot filled with stock to boil veggies etc. The thing is you pay first before you are led to your table then you can practically stay there the whole day and eat eat and eat till you burst. :D
(2) Crystal Jade Restaurant serves an extensive menu of authentic Hong Kong Style Tim Sum, BBQ items, congee, noodle & Cantonese dishes. They have branched out into fine, specialty and casual dining, family restaurant and a confectionary. We patronize the Crystal Jade Kitchen which is their casual dining fare.
(3) For local fare we hop over to Cuppage Terrace. This strip of restaurants in the Somerset portion of Orchard Road has vastly improved after it was fully renovated. A tantalizing array of 15 al fresco outlets, including restaurants, bars and spas, is now open. It offers more late-night options for office workers and tourists alike. The area is open from from 11am till late. We ate at the Cross Straits Restaurant for our Christmas dinner. We ordered Chicken Satay, Drunken Prawns, Char Kway Teow, Soft Celled Crabs and Oyster Omelette. Food was delicious!
For cheap(er) food consumption, one must savor eating at a hawker center. Every community tends to have its own hawker center areas. They are usually found in the void decks (the lower portion of the condominiums, near the elevators) of public housing establishments popularly known as HDBs. Most of them have a few tables and seats. There are a wide variety of shops selling different food choices depending on your taste buds. Most dishes are complete meals. You can either order rice toppings, noodles (with or without soups), viands (ulam) and desserts. You have the choice of 'dining in' which means you consume it there in the open area sans aircon or 'packet' which means food to go (nicely wrapped in styrofoam boxes with condiments in plastic bag). We usually order Pepper Crab (Singapore is famous for its Chili Crab but it is too spicy for our taste buds!) from the hawker and have a feast munching on it in the comforts of our home.
Valuable Tip # 1: Most eateries like hawker centers and food courts in Singapore don't offer tissues/napkins. So make sure you bring your own tissue paper to wipe away the grease from your oily lips! :D
Naturally, there are an assortment of eateries found in the malls. I notice that their food courts are now called "Food Republic". They also offer a wide variety of cuisine, this time in a cooler air conditioned setting. They tend to cost more but still quite affordable.
Valuable Tip # 2: In hawkers and food courts, you order your drinks separately from a shop/stall which sells only beverages. But they do provide straws so no need to bring your own straw. :D
Our family has been known to patronize mainly three restaurants in Singapore. Places we keep frequenting because we can't get enough of their food:
(1) Seoul Garden is an eat all you can buffet resto where you cook your own food. On the table, there is a round hot plate where you grill different kinds of meat (shrimps, poultry, lamb, beef, pork) and in the middle there is a soup pot filled with stock to boil veggies etc. The thing is you pay first before you are led to your table then you can practically stay there the whole day and eat eat and eat till you burst. :D
(2) Crystal Jade Restaurant serves an extensive menu of authentic Hong Kong Style Tim Sum, BBQ items, congee, noodle & Cantonese dishes. They have branched out into fine, specialty and casual dining, family restaurant and a confectionary. We patronize the Crystal Jade Kitchen which is their casual dining fare.
(3) For local fare we hop over to Cuppage Terrace. This strip of restaurants in the Somerset portion of Orchard Road has vastly improved after it was fully renovated. A tantalizing array of 15 al fresco outlets, including restaurants, bars and spas, is now open. It offers more late-night options for office workers and tourists alike. The area is open from from 11am till late. We ate at the Cross Straits Restaurant for our Christmas dinner. We ordered Chicken Satay, Drunken Prawns, Char Kway Teow, Soft Celled Crabs and Oyster Omelette. Food was delicious!
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