It's amazing what 5 years could do to a growing metropolis such as Singapore. Compare to the sleepy and stagnant town where I'm living for almost 10 years in Germany , Singapore's progress and development is just astonishing . Everything looks familiar yet new . We spent almost a week here in 2015 and although our favourite spots still linger, new and upscale establishments now stand along with it .
The towering buildings in the commercial district could now rival Hong Kong,
Revamped attractions such as the Garden by the Bay offers scenic stroll by day .
And with its jaw dropping and extravagant light shows, it attracts tourists and locals like moth to flame at night .
Locals and visitors alike still flock in Sentosa . The gondola ride offers a birds eye view of the island. It's like a riot of all things green and growing , silently tussling for space and attention.The island mirrors the rest of the spruced up city .
The changes is not only visible, it's also palpable especially to our wallet. The hotel where we stayed at five years ago, now cost almost twice as much! Since my mother and aunt will be joining us this time , we settled for a more reasonably priced lodging near Clarke Quay, still my favorite hangout at night in SG.
One thing that we did not manage to visit five years ago were the hawker centres. The only thing that seems unchanged and unfazed by the glitz of modern world. Like an old tradition that stubbornly clings to every Singaporean soul . It also warmly welcomes any outsider.
The Old Airport Hawker centre in your typical local eatery. It's open aired and sultry, thanks to SG all year round hot weather, buzzing with people and activity. The smell and sight of all things cooked and eaten gives an impression of orderly chaos. This is the place to be. The old Singapore.
I took 10 euros with me, that's about 15 Singapore dollar, which could get you 1 simple dish in a restaurant or a mere appetiser in more opulent places in the city.
So what can you actually buy with 15 SG Bucks/ 10 Euro /500 Phil. Pesos in this hawker centre? Surprisingly, enough!
These babies are about the size of my fist, freshly baked, it almost burned my tongue! The filling is abundant , meaty and spicy. Not bad.
I found a treasure! Wang Wang Crispy Curry Puff Stall in my favourite so far. I came back for dinner after tasting ONE curry puff and I should have stayed longer and eat my way through all those flavoured puffs! They got tradition curry , sardine, black pepper chicken and yam.
First stop: Curry Puff :SG$: 1,60 /1 EUR / 53 Phil. Pesos.
I ordered black pepper chicken puff and it was sensational! The shelled puff is buttery and flaky, it literally crumbles in my mouth. The filling is juicy and generous with huge chunks of well seasoned meat. It's highly addictive.
Second stop: Black Pepper Puff SG$1,60/ 1 EUR/ 53 Phil. Pesos
FF's been craving for satay so we ordered some from an Indonesian stall for 50 cent a piece. I tasted better ones in Bali but I'm not complaining.
3rd stop : 10 pcs. Beef and Chicken Satay with peanut sauce
5 SG$ / 3,30 EUR /166 PhP
Bought 2 Paus, each the size of a baby's fist and cost about 50 cents a piece. There's variety of filling to choose from.
4th stop: 2 Mini Pau for 1 SG$ / 0,66 EUR/ 33 PhP
Considered as Singapore's national dish. This is Hainanese chicken rice. There's a loooong list of hawker stalls and restaurant to choose from and an equally long discussion of which is the best . There are few joints recommended and praised by big named TV hosts such as Bourdain and Zimmerman. While many locals readily approve of their choices, others disagree thrusting another unheard hole- in- the -wall eatery in the spotlight. I don't want to be in the middle of this debate since I'm no expert and there's a lot more to consider in this simple dish than meets the eye. Way lot more before one can actually proclaim it as good, bad or average. There's the chicken skin, the texture, the flavour, the chili sauce , the rice, the condiments and more. Tackling these issues is as complicated as my Algebra subject in college and I hate math! It also shows how obsessed and how serious Singaporeans are when it comes to their food.
Among many stalls in the old airport, this place sells one of the cheapest chicken rice. For 2.50 dollars, I got a serving of steamed chicken, a bowl of steamy soup, fragrant rice and the usual condiments of chili, sweet soy and ginger sauce. FF wiped the whole thing off in minutes, came back for dinner and ordered it again. That's from somebody who do not like steamed chicken!
5th stop: Hainanese Chicken Rice for 2.50 SG $/1,66 EUR/ 83 PhP
One can not be in Singapore and not eat Durian! Many foreigners , including FF shy away from this fruit because of its pungent smell and less than appetising sticky consistency. Fortunately, Singaporeans are rather creative in masking both and in making this exotic fruit more pleasant to the eyes and palate. My family is crazy about Durian along with probably 80 percents of the Phil. population. I convinced FF to give it a try. He did, and still did not like it. Oh well.
6th stop: Durian Monchi 2 pcs for 3.80 SG$/ 2.50 EUR/ 26 PhP
That's 6 different nibbles and gnaws for 15.5 SG dollars, 10,33 Euro or 515 Phil. Peso. If you want to eat cheap and eat good, look for the nearest hawker centre when you are and Singapore and be prepared for a one of a kind gustatory adventure !
- Old Airport Road Food Centre
- Food Stall
- Address: 19 Old Airport Rd, Singapore 390019
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