Freestyle Blog: Off the Eaten Path

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Off the Eaten Path

New Freestyle recruit, Shirlene Campbell Ritchie shares her thoughts on what she misses most about sunny Singapore!

Wanting to make the best of the sunshine last week, we had some friends round for tea in the garden. Like me, Su Lin is a Singaporean married to an Englishman. And, as Singaporeans do, we started talking about the things we miss most – at the top of the list was food! My husband says that when Brits gather, they seem to talk about nothing but the weather, but when Singaporeans are together, they can’t stop talking about food – and Singapore has the most amazing variety of food so we have lots to talk about!

Culinary adventurers will be aware that

Singapore

just hosted the World Street Food Congress. This is a little ironic since Singapore doesn't have street food - the Republic took street food off its streets some 20 years ago due health and safety concerns! The traders (hawkers in Singapore parlance) were moved to purpose-built, hygienic markets (hawker centres) – and wherever you are, there will be a hawker centre within a few minutes’ walk. They open for long hours - frequently from dawn to midnight - since Singaporeans are fond of eating any and all meals out.

Singapore

’s hawker centres have truly evolved into a national institution. The rest of the

Hearty Prawn Noodles

world has taken note: The Telegraph has a rundown of Singapore’s Best Hawker Centres, while writers in the The New York Times frequently cite them as the best place to savour

Singapore

's three great cuisines - Chinese, Malay and Indian.

No one in Singapore takes a sandwich to work. Lunch is a vital part of the working day, and at any food court, you’ll see bosses, factory workers and OAPs all queuing together for deliciously buttery chicken rice, spicy fish-head curry or and meltingly good lamb briyani, next to schoolchildren and taxi drivers. As KF Seetoh, a former photojournalist who now publishes the exhaustive Makansutra guides to street foods in Southeast Asia, says, “Food is the greatest democratic institution in Singapore. There is truly no bland food and no bad restaurants.”

Singapore

’s street food is all about quality, affordability and choice - it's not just for the cool kids or in crowd. No Delhi-Belly either!

I’ve often wondered if we can make Singapore’s model work here. Could we make our lunch breaks more exciting? Could we go beyond sandwiches and burgers to enjoying the delights of steaming bowls of chicken curry or moist and delicious Wonton noodles at reasonable prices?

It’s always fun to go to Old Market Square when there is a fair on and enjoy some genuine street food – whether it’s the German stall selling bratwurst at Christmas, or beef satay on one of the world food days. We do it as a treat. Do you know of any street food gems here in Nottingham that you’d like to tell us about?

Now that sounds like some food for thought.