Holiday Foodsteps: Newton Circus Food Centre, Singapore

There were times when it felt like I was seeing Singapore for the first time in my life - the Singapore of my childhood is a blur of shopping malls and colouring pens now, and I seem to have absolutely no recollection of the food. So when we were taken to Newton Circus, I had no idea what was in store for us and was quite surprised to find ourselves at a busy food court with row after row of stalls selling seafood-anything. 


You know you're in a touristy spot when every table has a friendly warning stuck on it. 

Since chilli crab is one of those much-talked-about Singaporean dishes, we thought that it would only be right to order some to share. While fresh, the chilli crab we had here tasted, unfortunately, a lot more like sweet and sour (or maybe just sweet) crab.

The dangerously addictive deep fried mantou that was a sidekick to the chilli crab. With their crisp exteriors and soft middles, and dipped into the sticky sweet-sour gravy, they helped ease the disappointment of the chilli crab a little.


Oh how I love a good grilled stingray - and I must say, this very pleasantly surprised me. The marinade (and of course, the freshness of the fish) can make or break this simple grilled dish and I've come across many a version that missed the mark. The sambal on this had a nice zing to it, not too spicy, but with just enough punch to have kept my chopsticks reaching back for more and more. 


To feel like we were having a balanced meal, kangkung belacan, which we found to be quite nicely done.

When I was recounting my Singapore experience to dad, he was surprised that I had no memories of Newton Circus at all -  I'd visited it more than once as a child, one of those places that has remained a part of the city despite all the changes that Singapore has seen through the years. It felt touristy, for sure, what with all the stalls offering the same food and with menus that looked almost identical even in layout (not to mention the warning stickers on each table!)- but I suppose, it's one of those touristy rite-of-passage type things that completes the whole holiday experience.

The next time I'm in Singapore, I'm going to be on the lookout for some real chilli crab, though.

Holiday Foodsteps: Seng Huat's Bak Chor Mee

"I just need ONE thing - Bak Chor Mee," so declared the other travel buddy. 

We were told that bak chor mee is quite the staple in Singapore, and can be found in every food court. We wanted something a bit more authentic, though, so we set off on Sunday morning (yes, before the dessert-lunch) in search of the all-important bak chor mee. Having done a quick search on the web the night before (gotta love free wifi), we'd identified a fairly popular spot for the noodles opposite Bugis Junction and when you're a tourist, anything with directions that simply say "opposite (insert major landmark here)" is gold. 

Seng Huat Eating House
492 North Bridge Road (Opposite Bugis Jn)
Singapore 188737
Opened 24 hours

 

It was, in fact, incredibly easy to find - that definitely wins it some extra brownie points. Ordering is as simple as specifying the type of noodles you want and whether or not you'd like your noodles spicy.

 

It amused me that I'd never really had a bowl of bak chor mee before, not that I remember anyway. We each decided on the non-spicy variety, opting for tomato sauce instead of chilli. I can see why it's a national favourite - springy noodles, delicately flavoured minced pork, that distinct flavour of Chinese mushrooms, wrapped up nicely by the slightly tangy and oh-so-appetising vinegar-based gravy. Washed down with a cup of cold white coffee, and you've got yourself a winning breakfast. 

Seng Huat also serves up fishball noodles, and while we didn't try any of their fishball dishes, I think it's safe to say that I'd pick the bak chor mee any day. The one thing that has left me perplexed though, is why, with all the similarities between Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine, we'd never come across bak chor mee in Malaysia. 

Or have I just been looking in all the wrong places? 

 

Holiday Foodsteps: Honeymoon Dessert, Bugis Junction

"That's my favourite dessert place! I tried some desserts when I was in Hong Kong!"
One of my travel buddies is rarely excited about anything, so this spoke volumes. 

We'd spotted Honeymoon Dessert pretty early into our excursion to the Bugis area. Bugis Junction was still sleepy then, with the shutters of most shops (including this particular one) still down. We spent most of the morning wandering around Bugis, watching the area come alive bit by bit. It was noon by the time we found ourselves back in Bugis Junction, ready to settle down to lunch.

Yes, being on holiday gives you an excuse to have dessert for lunch - not dessert WITH lunch but JUST dessert for lunch.

We were disappointed to find that the outlet wasn't open yet but as I had my nose was pressed up against the glass, desperately trying to peer into the restaurant for any indication of opening times, a young lady strolled past, heading straight for the door - we were Honeymoon Dessert's very first customers for the day.

Honeymoon Dessert

#01-70, 200 Victoria Street

Bugis Junction, 

Singapore (188021)

From the traditional end of the scale - double boiled papaya and snow fungus. A little something to make you feel like you're home.

The menu is extensive - the hot and cold, the traditional and the more innovative. Choosing is difficult, and while my travel buddies seemed to have been able to make their choices pretty quickly, I was stumped.


Tofu pudding with mango, one of the many tofu pudding combinations available.




What one orders when one cannot decide - red bean and grass jelly, topped with green tea ice cream. They managed to create something out of all my favourite Asian dessert elements (perhaps the only thing missing is something soy-based). It was quite a triumph of a combination - everything from the lovely green tea ice cream to the not-too-sweet red bean.

Hong Kong style dessert outlets like these have become quite the rage nowadays (much to might delight), though I've never had this red bean, grass jelly, green tea ice cream concoction in Kuala Lumpur yet. Am open to recommendations!