Culinary Democracy: Exploring Singapore’s Food Roots

Singapore’s many museums and government sites stand as monuments for its distinctively multicultural underpinnings. However, the small republic’s food culture shows just how much of a successful melting pot Singapore truly is. Over the centuries, groups from China, the Malay Peninsula and India took full advantage of this commercial hub, as did seafaring traders from Portugal, The Netherlands and British Crown. Although war and internal conflict shook the region to its core in the 20^th century, Singapore ultimately became an independent republic in 1965. And with that, its multiculturalism has been a selling point for both international commerce and tourists wanting a (literal) taste of the good life.

Peranakan Store Tasting, Singapore. Photo: Elyse Glickman

A nice start-of-trip place to get a local perspective of Singapore’s culinary patchwork is Kim Choo Kueh Chiang, a shop specializing in handmade traditional clothing, jewelry, home decor items and other souvenirs crafted by Peranakan Chinese, who trace their roots to groups coexisting on the Malay Peninsula and the surrounding islands within the Straits of Malacca. A “curated store tour” (which runs $10 per person) features a tasting of several traditional snacks including “nine-layer cake” candy, nyonya rice dumplings, otak (a fish cake bound with tapioca) and blue pea flower tea. Owner Edmond Wong provides insight into the more complex foods you may be introducing your kids to at the hawker markets and elsewhere.

Singapore Chinatown Wet Market. Photo: Elyse Glickman

Once kids (and some grown-ups) acclimate to the region’s basic foods and flavors, they will be ready to take on the treasure hunt that comes with a visit to “food halls,” “food streets” and “hawker centers,” where they can observe what Singaporeans their age eat. While these oases are open at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and most items sell for less than $10 (some under $5), the sheer volume of possibilities can be overwhelming.

A good first step when approaching a hawker center for the first time is to pass over booths selling Western dishes (though it is reassuring to know there are options for the fussier eater in your crowd). Next, walk the aisles and take note of what looks and smells good. Find a table, “chope” it (put a napkin or newspaper on top) to “reserve” it, buy what strikes your fancy, and bring it to the table to share and discuss. What makes certain stalls special is the strong possibility their recipes have been in the owners’ families for generations. While the Michelin stars may impress some hardcore foodies, what is a driving motivator for many stall operators is keeping a certain family food tradition alive for future generations.

Singapore KEK Entry. Photo: Elyse Glickman

Newton Food Centre will be a familiar site as it appeared in early scenes of the hit film Crazy Rich Asians. Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, meanwhile, is clean and manicured. Worldly travelers, however, will find Maxwell Food Hall a perfect fit thanks to its simple layout, organization and variety of offerings. These include hokkien mee (rice noodles cooked with egg, pork, prawns and squid), carrot cake (rice-based comfort food that never saw an actual carrot in its preparation) and char kway teow (reminiscent to chow mein with vegetables and chicken or pork).

There are also numerous sit-down options in exploring Singapore’s culinary patchwork. Kampong Glam, the Muslim/Arab enclave, and Little India neighborhoods are awash in casual cafés specializing in vegetarian, halal and even Turkish fare. The Coconut Club, in the Ann Siang Hill neighborhood, specializes in nasi lemak, a staple in the Malay-Singapore diet elevated by French Culinary Institute-trained chef/owner Lee Eng Su, who credits his mother for encouraging him to pursue his restaurateur career. His signature dish is a mini-buffet on a plate — fried chicken surrounded by coconut rice, a fried egg and other fragrant starches and vegetables (a pescatarian variation is also available).

Coconut Club, Singapore. Photo: Elyse Glickman

Other Singaporean family institutions include Jumbo’s, renowned for its Hainanese/Cantonese-influenced crab, fish and chicken specialties; and third-generation family-owned Kang Eng Kee Seafood, serving crowd-pleasing Hainanese-Chinese share plates such as black pepper chili crab, coffee pork ribs, cereal-coated prawns, prawn rolls and moonlight mai-fun noodles. Families with teens or kids with more adventurous taste buds may want to check out Folklore, featuring spicy dishes with a Eurasian-Peranakan pedigree.