Singapore's out and about eats

Everyone I know travels in a different way. Some like to fly by the seat of their pants and take each day as it comes. Others like to plan every minute of every day. For Jeremy and I, we like to undertake a bit of research on what the locals recommend, and then we set out on our adventures each day. 

When it comes to eating, we follow the same process for the most part. There's definitely some places that we highlight our intent to eat at, but other times we use our eyes and noses to decide - or we go where the people go. As Anthony Bourdain says, in Singapore you know where is good because of the lines. They love their food in this country and it's often easy to recognise what is worthy of your attention. 

While I didn't get to try everything I wanted to on this holiday due to some of the markets and shops being closed for renovations, here are some of the meals I experienced when out and about. 

Bayang Balinese Cuisine

In the hub of tourist hot spot Clarke Quay sits this Indonesian restaurant which is authentic in its meals, but offers a more opulent experience than your standard street fare. 

The food offerings are exciting and different to Indonesian places in Perth. There's individual and share plates, and though there's definitely a couple things we want to try, we settle on sharing a barbeque platter between the two of us.

It's whole fish basted in a special sweet sauce that has been grilled slowly over charcoal, garlic coated prawns, chicken satay, flame roasted chicken and grilled squid. From memory it's around the S$60 mark. 

Each bit of meat is cooked to perfection and is absolutely bursting with flavour. It's earthy but fresh and has a lightness to each bite even though its actually quite a lot of food. 

We each order a different rice to accompany our meal. Jeremy's drawn to the saffron coconut rice which is vibrantly yellow in colour and has some dried onions and garlic sprinkled on top. It's really flavoursome and exciting.

I opt for the plain steamed white rice, which comes out wrapped in leaf and has infused some of the flavours. It's fluffy and hot and takes to accompanying the barbeque meats perfectly. Especially when paired with some of the condiments automatically delivered to our table with our food. It's a great chilli offering!

The Connoisseur Concerto

Though often when in Singapore you might find yourself chasing ice kaching or chendol, there is actually a really great "western" style dessert movement taking the country by storm.

The Connoisseur Concerto is a chain restaurant that serves western food but attracts hoards of people who come in for a drink and dessert. After Jeremy and I stumbled in their one night after an exhaustive number of hours exploring, I could see the appeal.

Jeremy's dessert is the Cappucino Cheesecake Dream, which is a light cheesecake that has a row of piped cream, handmade chocolate garnish, double chocolate icecream and cocoa streusel. It's really tasty and not overly sweet - and looks amazing!

My dessert of choice is the beautifully presented Zestiny. It's lime parfait studded with raspberries and light-as-air lemon meringue on top. It comes with a nice slick of raspberry sauce and some sweet and crispy meringue matchsticks.

For those who know me, they'll know I have an unnatural affinity for peanuts in food or drink. Believe me I try to hide it because it is slightly strange, but it seems Singaporeans celebrate this food item as much as I do (hooray!). This little cafe has a milkshake known as the Berry Nutty. It's this incredibly smooth drink made up of blended fresh strawberries and crunchy peanuts. Somehow it actually tastes like both - and as strange as the combination might seem, it tastes incredible. Definitely one of the best drinks I've had to date!

Jeremy's Oreo Milkshake it frothy and decadent - and tastes exactly like eating an Oreo. It's pretty delicious stuff :)


Food Republic at Vivo City

I can't remember what the store is called which is a massive pain for blogging purposes, but if you're in Singapore and at Vivo City, it's the front dumpling house on the top floor near the Sentosa Express. It's a cute little shack that serves up dumplings, steamed buns with various fillings and other delicious snack foods worth picking at if you're between meals.

Jeremy gets a steamed bun that has lettuce and braised pork with a dark soy sauce broth poured over the top. It's different to your standard steamed bun, but it tastes great. A wondrous combination of both savoury and sweet; and the meat is cooked to such a tender point that it falls apart with each bite.

We also share a plate of the Char Sui Steamed Buns. The breading is soft and fluffy without being sticky. The filling is sweet and full of sauce. It's the kind of dish that fills you up beyond dinnertime and perfect for any mid-meal growls. It's crazy just how different these can taste compared to the dim sum style buns in Perth.

Arab Street

Right behind the Sultan's Mosque and off Haji Lane, is a short street of tiny little eating spots that cater to tourists and locals. The prices are very cheap; and the offerings range throughout the various Muslim countries for the people that flock to this part of Singapore.

Jeremy and I find ourselves at one small cafe on a corner, opting to share a plate of Beef Rendang to ease away the stifling heat (however that works).

The beef is room temperature which I find a little surprising, but it's cooked just right and punches you in the face with its flavour. The egg is a glorious sunny yellow from being fried and placed strategically over the rice. Alongside is cooling slices of cucumber, sambal sauce and anchovies. From memory I think this cost us around S$5. Cheap and delicious.

We mop up each bite with the accompaniment of paratha. It's flaky, moorish and has just the right amount of saltiness. I love these Indian flatbreads and can eat them plain with a giant smile on my face each and every time.


Mos Burger

If you haven't heard of Mos Burger, you are missing out. This little Japanese fast food chain is widespread throughout the better socioeconomic countries in Asia, and has a bit of a cult following with my friends and I.

The flavours are clean and delicious; but there's a lack of oiliness and heaviness that accompanies other fast food chains. It's just somehow so Japanese but so western at the same time. I love it a bit too much and I don't even know why really.

The Potato Croquettes here are better than fries - they're a decent size, cheap and crunchy. The inside is starchy and filling; the outside crispy and emits a satisfying crunch with each bite. Jeremy's Mos Burger is flavoursome and seasoned to a tee. The fillings and sauces are simple, but work like a perfectly oiled unit. Everything compliments everything else.

For my choice, I've gone for the Fish Burger which you can actually get in lettuce instead of a bun if you desire. It's mayonnaise, cheese, fresh crisp iceberg lettuce and a really enjoyable fish patty. This wins for me in the fast food stakes. Everytime. Anytime.


Senor Taco

In Clarke Quay and at other locations around Singapore is Senor Taco. It's a little eatery that specialises in Mexican food and drink. It's loud, has a party atmosphere and has food that is actually really impressive.

We get a taco sampler of both chicken and pork soft tacos. They're corn based and lovely in their thinness. The meat is tender and carved off a rotisserie; the herbs and white onion adding to the texture and flavour profile. A squeeze of lime and you're ready to devour these delicious little snacks. It's a nice, cheap way to enjoy some actually reasonably traditional Mexican fare.

The Ion Food Court

Downstairs at Singapore's giant shopping mall The Ion, is a huge food court that boasts all kinds of cuisines to choose from. Out of all the shops we ate at on our holiday, this was definitely up there with one of my favourite meals.

We find a stall that specialises in kuay teow, carrot cake and oyster omelettes. It smells absolutely incredible and so we can't get past ordering the latter two for us to share.

The Fried Carrot Cake is something I eat alot at home and this is up there with the best. It's flash fried in the pan and the white radish is soft but has some bite to it. There's a great smattering of spring onions and the complimentary chilli sauces that come with are the ideal flavour enhancement for each mouthful. The large serving is indeed large!

 The Fried Oyster Omelette takes a bit longer to be cooked, but it is worth the wait. This is traditional Taiwanese street fare right here and when I tell my mum about it when we get back to Perth, she reminisces over eating this as a younger child in Taiwan.

It's crunchy and full of so many interesting textures and tastes that you have to continue making your way through. The oysters, which I'm so used to usually eating raw, develop a lovely smokiness and blend but standout at the same time with the other ingredients.

Everyone says that Singapore is the place to go for good food. And after a week of amazing eats (not all pictured), I can see why. It's a country that is the gift that keeps on giving. Meal after meal after meal.