If you are planning to visit Singapore in the near future, you must be warned that this small Southeat country, which you might think has nothing to offer, you would be very wrong.
I first visited this little wonder of Asia two years ago and I have to admit that I had no intentions of going there. I had not heard much about the country, other than it was very expensive, just as Japan. Things for me had changed over the first year, while living and working in China and I had met a wonderful Singaporean girl that later became my girlfriend and would invite me to her country.
I arrived in Singapore for the first time in February 2016, over the Chinese New Year holiday and was impressed for it’s organization and cleanliness, something that I had not seen much during my time in China and other countries I had been in Southeast Asia. Right after stepping from the airplane, and once I had settled at an Airbnb, I discovered that the country delighted in two things: night life and food. I am talking not only a few dishes typical of each country, but a huge variety of local food infused with flavors I had never tasted in my life.
The fist night for me had been the Roti Prata, typical from India, along with fish curry sauce, an instant love for me. During my two week stay in Singapore, I had also delighted myself with the typical spicy, fish and shrimp infused flavors that made all the dishes taste great. I had also visited a few homes, where I had enjoyed the holidays traditional Hot Pot, where I had walked out so full, I could barely walk.
There was not a dull day for me while staying in this Asian country. The people of Singapore definitely had a passion for their food. The place to find all the varieties are without a doubt, the food markets found almost in every area of the country, even by the beach called Hawker Centers. At these places, you can find dozens of small restaurants varying from seafood, vegetarian and even Halal options to choose from. You can also enjoy a cold cane juice freshly squeezed in front of you, a cold beer or delight yourself with their amazing variety of desserts. Also in almost every neighborhood you can find a smaller version of these Hawkers, known as coffee shops, where you will find a few restaurants offering a smaller variety, but equally delicious options all for very good prices, such as a Roti Prata for as low as one Singaporean Dollar.
Visiting Singapore had also been a cultural experience for me. I had quickly also learned that many of the descendants of the population of Singapore consisted in Chinese, Malay and Indian, each one of these cultures contributing to the huge variety of food and flavors, surely each one of them to please and delight anyone visiting the country.
When you visit Singapore, you will be stunned by it’s beauty, its cleanliness , strict rules (beware that you can get a fine for chewing gum on the streets, which its sale is banned in the country, along with a huge list of things) architecture and great places to visit, but if you really want to experience how the locals eat and enjoy their food (or maybe you are traveling on a small budget) stay away from the malls (although the air conditioning in them is great) and get out to a local Hawker Center near you.
