Chili crab can be Singapore’s most well-known dish. However, the country’s two hundred-plus hawker stalls and infinite eating places offer a treasure trove of lesser-acknowledged Singapore specialties. During my current trip to the Lion City, I went on a Next-Gen Hawker Tour with Wok ‘n’ Stroll to see what the city’s young chefs are dishing out.
We met our guide, Simon, at five p.m. It is on the Amoy Street Food Centre within the Central Business District. With dozens of stalls to pick out from within the —-story area, we were satisfied Simon knew the great spot to slurp noodles.
Our first forestall was A Noodle Story, using Ben Tham and Gwern Khoo. Both had been chefs in excessive-give-up restaurants till they decided to emerge as “hawkerpreneurs” and start their stall, which has acquired Michelin’s Bib Gourmand designation for specialties, including Hong Kong egg noodles in Japanese-fashion ramen with sous vide beef. Customers began to trickle in right as the stall opened at 5:30 p.m.; locals understand A Noodle Story serves the handiest 200 bowls consistent with day.
After our hawker middle revel, we walked down one of Singapore’s fascinating streets to another Bib Gourmand spot, the Coconut Club. This popular haunt is owned by Lee Eng Su, who focuses on nasi lemak, a rice dish made from coconut milk and a pandan leaf, with hen, egg, sardines, peanuts, and chili served at the facet. He perfected the national dish of Malaysia by using coconut sourced from Malaysia for the rice, anchovies fried sparkling, farm-raised chicken, and a sunny-side-up egg.
Simon informed us the proper manner to eat this dish is to enjoy every ingredient one after the other or blend the chili in with the fragrant rice. For dessert, we had cendol: shaved ice crowned with pink beans, coconut milk, rice jelly, and palm sugar.
Our stomachs were complete, and we shuffled to our closing prevent Chinatown Complex. We tried our most adventurous dish at Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap.
The small stall has been around since 1983, with the proprietor Melvin, previously a mechanic, taking up after his father handed away. He wakes up each day at 5 a.m. To start the duck and kway chap: flat noodle rolls with broth served with a facet of pig liver, glutinous rice balls, and radish. Melvin’s rendition of this traditional Singaporean dish earned him a visit from Anthony Bourdain.
We had been nearly bursting after our bowl of duck and kway chap. Still, before we parted methods with Simon, he shared the names of a few of his favorite restaurants and hawkers, and we fortuitously observed his recommendations over the following few days.
