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Checking in to the Sheraton in downtown Singapore. You may remember Straits Kitchen from Anthony Bourdain. He loved it. So did I. Station after station of international cuisines cooked by chefs trained solely in that cuisine. It shows in the flavor and quality. Ketchup may be the most popular condiment in America, but when you’re in Asia, you’ll never even think of Ketchup – there’s just too much that’s that much better. I’ve eaten Indian from around the world cooked by chef’s renowned as wide and can tell you that this stacks up with the best. A sampler from the “Singapore” section. Beautiful design, a bustling dining room, and truly remarkable food. A few blocks away, I find a pastry shop. Now this is the way to display donuts! Do you remember this guy from Anthony Bourdain No Reservations? Chicken-rice is the most important dish in Singapore and this is the best place to get it. Now maybe you remember the guy I was photographed with? The “Hawker” centers are THE place to dine in Singapore and Maxwell is the best. In Maxwell, this is the best guy to visit – as you can see by his line and the absence of lines at the competitors. While you can have a gourmet meal for just a few bucks, you do have to pay to go to the bathroom at many (most) restaurants in Singapore. Keep lots of small change. Oh, oh, oh – I would kill for an oyster omelet right now. Keep in mind the prices from the previous slide are in Singapore Dollars, not US. So this is about $2 and worth $20 You can get a wide selection of chicken necks here (if you so desire) You absolutely have to have Tulang when you go to Singapore. Bourdain recommends only one place (and I loved it) Another thing I would kill for – ice cold Thai coconuts. When it’s 100 degrees outside, an ice cold coconut tastes like heaven. And when you’re done with the frosty juice, they cut out the meat for you to enjoy easily. This photo from China Town (of Singapore). Yes, it is as hot (hotter) than it looks. Where does all the “jerky” come from? Southeast Asia – where else? Any of you single ladies looking for a man? I got his number for you – he’s HUGE in Singapore! Tulang. It’s “bone soup”. Mutton. You slurp the meaty goodness out of the bone with a straw. $This photo taken at around 2AM at a Hawker center. They don’t close until around 3AM. There are 100+ stalls of amazing food – each a world-class specialist in one dish served for a fraction of its worth.$ Displays are kept fresh no matter the time of day or night. Every hawker center stall has a salesman that explains why his food is the best. Divide the prices by 4 or 5 to get USD conversion. Even after you have selected plates and plates of food, others show off their finest to encourage another sale. At these prices, how could you refuse? With the quality, why would you regardless of price? Another coconut. Not Thai. Still good – especially with spicy food and beer – but don’t judge coconut until you’ve had an ice cold Thai coconut. This is the “after” picture of the crab I picked. And for breakfast? Try Prawn Crackers. The whole thing is edible (and delicious) The Dorian is often called “the King of Fruit”. These on the ground have reached the largest size (that I’ve seen) Dozens of people die each year harvesting the Dorian fruit. They must be handled with care (and stink so bad you cannot take them on the subway or in to a hotel) The aroma of freshly roasted coffee wafts through the streets Dorian fruit being prepared for “to go” orders. While it stinks to high-heaven, it tastes like a banana and a fig mated – which is actually a great flavor! “Chicken-rice” is the national dish of Singapore. Some good, some fantastic, and some just unworldly. Lazy, tired and unenthusiastic service can be found anywhere in the world; even in Singapore. “The Clinic” was widely regarded as a culinary pioneer in Singapore just a few years ago (another Bourdain pick). Turns out the ‘infirmary’ concept of The Clinic doesn’t work in a society averse to the failures of human health and condition. The Clinic’s menu was once long and filled with over-the-top innovations in the genre of “molecular gastronomy”. Now the menu at “The Clinic” is reduced to baskets of fried finger foods (pork belly shown here) Stumbled upon a very cool Moroccan lounge in this district of Singapore. These swings always intrigue and pull me in. Singapore looks quite different than many think. It’s as Western as you will find of any Asian country. Even the fast-food restaurants here are hip and cool. Yes, when in Singapore – regardless of how “touristy” I looked – chose to have a Singapore Sling. And boy was it good! Back to the Moroccan concept, I opt for Hookah and notice the crowds aren’t so different and foreign as you might expect them to be in Singapore. Just check out this couple – only discomfort is my snapping photos. Lamps of the Middle East always captivate me. Look how beautiful. Back at the hotel, someone got quite a gift. Singapore isn’t a horse-n-buggy kind of town. And then it was time to go to Thailand. All the signs were there (see my slideshows of Thailand next) Of all of the cities I’ve visited (and at the time of this posting that total is 450), no other city in the world strikes me as being more of a “foodie” town than Singapore. In fact, on this same trip I flew with one suitcase through stops with glaciers, with deserts, with tropical rainforests, and with skyscrapers that are world-renowned. Paris was even on the list of stops for this suitcase. No other city came close in comparison to Singapore as being as centered-in or revolving-around food as Singapore. If you love food, perhaps the best city in the world for you to visit is Singapore.

Tags: Aaron Allen, Singapore travel, Travel

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 5:25 am and is filed under Travels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.