An Island City-State
BEING A CREATURE OF UNCONDITIONAL habit and unable to accommodate even the slightest change in his personal itinerary, Phileas was persuaded in Singapore to temper his inflexibility to fit an adventurous twist and turn of his journey. Not that anyone would ever suggest that Fogg was becoming a devil-may-care kind of guy. Still, when the lovely Aouda, (a.k.a, the widow of the Rajah of Bunbelcund) whom he had rescued from the Rajah’s funeral pyre, expressed a desire to see a bit more of Singapore, he actually agreed. It was clear he finally had found someone other than himself he desired to please. And so, miracle of miracles, he used the interval before The Rangoon sailed on to Hong Kong to take Aouda out for a bit of quality sightseeing. Could Cupid’s arrow have lodged in Fogg’s carpetbag?
Jules Verne notes that Phileas “took little notice of what he saw” as he and Aouda toured Singapore. I, for one, find that hard to fathom since I had a completely different response. I found this island a sensational place to visit.
Today, if you blink, immaculate Singapore will have changed, grown and become even more successful. Because of its high energy profile, the island is a hub for commerce and technology, but part two of its story is Singapore has some of the best food in Asia.
Geographically, like Manhattan and perhaps, Alcatraz in the old days, Singapore is an island universe unto itself. It’s also the smallest nation in Southeast Asia. Singaporeans call their home Singa Pura or Lion City. (I’ve lobbied long and hard for a change to Lyons City but so far I’ve been rudely rebuffed.).
When Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles dropped anchor in Singa Pura, back in 1819, all he found were a few scattered fishing villages and a very apprehensive group of fisherman. How could he have known that his surname would someday become synonymous with first, a great bar and then a huge hotel chain? He was under the impression that he was an explorer, not an entrepreneur.
Stamford Raffles was the first to see the potential in this feisty little island, which much later would become the republic of Singapore. Today, it thrives as a major port, an oil-refining hub and as a major financial center. Although Singapore must import much of what it needs for its day-to-day existence, it handily pays for this as it grows people, skyscrapers and its industrial reputation. Singapore’s less favorable face comes from the government’s obsessive need to control every aspect of the people’s quality of life. Its ever-vigilant government keeps Singapore on a super tight leash—the city is one of the most tightly-supervised locales of Asia.
Law and Order is more than just a TV series on the island. If you’re foolhardy enough to drop a candy wrapper on the streets of Singapore, you’ll be gifted with a hefty summons. Jaywalking is completely out of the question and will earn you a stiff fine or worse, a striped suit. You may huff and puff about personal freedoms etc. but the result of this authoritarian way of life is that Singapore is one of the world’s cleanest and safest cities. Though its residents might take a somewhat different view, I never, in my wanderings throughout the city, felt that I was in a “police state.” As a New Yorker used to a subway system where a common diversion is watching rats foraging on the train tracks, and where trash is part of the urban scene, I can feel only astonishment at Singapore’s spotless streetscape.
Often called “instant Asia,” Singapore is a blend of contrasting cultures, sights and sensibilities. There’s a sizable Chinatown, a Little India, an extensive Arab Street as well as a flourishing Indonesian neighborhood. Added to all of these diverse ethnic influences is its unique Nonya community, where Chinese and Malay populations blend.
You might say that Singapore’s national cuisine is Variety. At almost any hour of the day or night, you can have dim sum, snake soup, Rangoon curry or a comforting bowl of couscous. And in the unlikely event that you’re not hungry, you can always go shopping for batiks, temple carvings, made-to-measure clothes, Chinese scrolls or really cheap electronics.
A statue of Stamford Raffles endures in the new Singapore.
Orchird Road is the place for serious shoppers in Singapore. Both sides are lined with multi-level shopping malls and boutiques. I myself have spent many happy hours there, in search of the perfect silk jacket or the most colorful batiks. If you suffer from insomnia then head for the Thieves Markets (not a place to buy thieves but a heaven-on-earth for world-class bargainers). It’s open until the wee hours. The Thieves Market is also famous for its street food dished out 24/7. There’s no doubt about it, Singapore gives new meaning to the word diversity. In the lingua franca of the times, you could say this small island really rocks.
It’s true that some of the best food in Asia can be found in Singapore’s countless restaurants but, on the other hand, some of the best food on the island isn’t found inside at all.
Alfresco dining in Singapore has been raised to an art form. Government licensed and government inspected (not a common practice in Asia) food stalls called “hawker centres” are everywhere. Given its overpowering need to control everything, even the island’s snacks, the government decided to give the food hawkers permanent locations and watch them, you guessed it, like a hawk. Not to be confused with the snack stalls and sidewalk grills that are found on the streets of India and China, and are sometimes of questionable provenance, the stalls at the hawker centers are mini-kitchens turning out first class fare.
Diners stroll around and watch the cooks at work before making their final choices. When you finally make your selections, the waiter of your stall will deliver dinner to your numbered table. Language is not a problem; every waiter has a bit of menu-English so you can just sit back and wait for your goodies to arrive. At night, the centers are lit with colored lights; it’s as if you’re attending a never ending festival.
Between the outdoor food extravaganzas and the indoor elegance of its restaurants, it has always been a pleasure to Singapore for my supper.
Chili Crabs – Singapore’s star specialty
THE PALM BEACH PARKING LOT – #37
The meal that I remember with the most delight when I think of Singapore wasn’t eaten in a restaurant and it wasn’t eaten at a hawker centre, it was devoured in a parking lot. Yes, that’s what I said, a parking lot. Now, I should explain that the Palm Beach parking lot is about as far from Le Cirque as you can get. I’m not even sure that the parking lot is still there, since the last time I visited Singapore things were being demolished as quickly as they were being erected.
Located on East Coast Road, the Palm Beach parking lot accommodated both people and cars. The section of the lot where I had this unforgettable meal was a scene of utter mass confusion. Crowds of impatient diners waited for tables and waiters rushed back and forth, balancing enough plates to work for Ringling Brothers. Children and pets played under the rickety wooden tables and all the while everyone was trying to get everyone else’s attention—but rarely succeeding.
If you find my (or your own) Palm Beach parking lot, you’ll need to pull up a worn wooden stool, and ignore dirty dishes or icky spots on the table. The next order of business will be to flag down a waiter. This might take a certain amount of perseverance in the art of eye contact. When you finally attain your goal, order as many drinks as you think you’ll need to complete your meal and a large order of Chili Crabs. The crabs are first sautéed lightly so that they remain tender and moist, heaped high on a plate and then covered with a blistering chili sauce. A thick slab of fried bread helps to savor the very last drop of spectacular sauce. Because you may never see your waiter again, except when he drops off the bill, it might be wise to add prawns in black bean sauce and the sweet and sour fish to your order, just in case.
You may ask why I’m suggesting you seek out a place that seems to resemble a war zone rather than a setting for dinner. The reason is really simple. By the time you leave your Palm Beach parking lot, you and whatever you’re wearing will have experienced the best Chili Crab in all of Singapore if not the world.
THE PALM BEACH/ EAST COAST ROAD OR ASK A LOCAL FOR THE BEST CHILI CRABS/ TEL: DON’T BE SILLY!
Cheap!
RAFFLES HOTEL/ THE LONG BAR/
THE RAFFLES GRILL – #38 & #39
Raffles Hotel, was named for, you guessed it, Stamford Raffles, the founder of the city of Singapore. When I think of Raffles it always conjures up visions of handsome men in tropical whites, beautiful women in diaphanous chiffons, lots of bamboo furniture, palms swaying in the breeze, the whirring of ceiling fans and, most of all, intrigue.
Raffles, built in 1887 in a very proper British colonial style, operated in very British colonial manner: no Asians were allowed inside. Amazing but true. No native Singaporean was permitted to cross its threshold as a guest until the 1930s. However, Raffles brought a kind of glamour to Singapore that only Noel Coward could have imagined.
So many legends have grown up around the Raffles through the years that the hotel has achieved its own folklore. One of the more outrageous legends is of a crazed tiger that escaped from a passing circus and was finally cornered and shot in the Raffles’ billiard room. However, what is not a legend, just a sad truth, is the hotel’s fate during World War II. On the eve of the Japanese invasion, many of the people who loved the Raffles gathered there for one last waltz. They knew that the enemy was getting closer and their lives would change drastically. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, Raffles was little more than a place to billet troops. Worse, by the end of the occupation, the hotel served as a holding center for Japanese prisoners of war.
THE LONG BAR AT RAFFLES HOTEL
Almost as famous as the hotel itself, Raffles’ Long Bar always has attracted a renowned following from all over the world. On the very day it opened, it became the place to be in Singapore. Somerset Maugham was addicted to the Raffles’ bar and could be seen during the ’20s in his white linen suit, regaling all around him.
Rudyard Kipling, Noel Coward, Jean Harlow and Madonna have ordered the Long Bar’s most famous concoction, the Singapore Sling. The drink is a lethal combination of everything with the possible exception of battery acid. It was created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915, give or take. A great secret has been made of the ingredients. The original list was lost during World War II, the current one is kept locked in a safe. How “show biz” is that!
The Long Bar’s decor plays right into its mystique. Done in the style of a ‘20s Malayan plantation, its ceiling soars to an impressive height. The room is filled with towering banana plants, palms of all varieties, wicker furniture and burnished wood. Whenever I’ve stopped at the Long Bar for a you-know-what, I always feel like a character right out of a ‘30s movie. The Long Bar is its own time machine. Where is Humphrey Bogart when you need him?
THE LONG BAR/RAFFLES HOTEL / 1 BEACH ROAD
TEL: 6412-1816
Moderate
RAFFLES GRILL
Truth be told, the Grill, revamped in the ’90s, is not quite as atmospheric as the rest of Raffles. Starched white table cloths and high back chairs, not swaying palms, signal to some the formality that accompanies fine food. I must say that my dinner of Chili Crabs in the Palm Beach parking lot was as serious a meal as I’ve had anywhere, but the Grill Room wants your complete attention. And it deserves it because its menu more than makes up for any missing ambience. Though exotic is not a word that comes to mind here, tempting does.
Everything that would be found in most grill rooms, such as roast beef and rack of lamb, is laid out on the trolley. A carving pro lovingly slices your selection to order, solo or in combination. What isn’t usually found in a restaurant dedicated to prime cuts is Suckling Pig, which was lacquered to a deep mahogany before it appeared on my plate. This little piggy was a stunner and not to be missed. A “degustation” or tasting menu gives the chef a chance to trot out all his favorites and hope that they become yours as well. If you shock easily I would advise you not to look at the right side of the menu without taking a Xanax first.
THE GRILL ROOM/ TEL: 6412-1816
Expensive and Beyond
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A slightly less top-secret recipe
• 2 ounces (8 parts) Gin
• 1 ounce (4 parts) cherry brandy
• ¼ ounce (1 part) Cointreau
• ¼ ounce (1 part) Bénédictine
• ½ ounce (2 parts) Grenadine
• 4 ounces (16 parts) Pineapple juice
• 1 ½ ounces (6 parts) Fresh lemon juice
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• Pinapple for garnish
• Maraschino cherry for garnish
Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into Poco Grande glass. Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherry.
Photo by Chang’r
An authentic Singapore
Sling in its authentic place
THE GRILL ROOM’S MILIEU
The best thing to do after dinner at the Raffles Grill is to have an after dinner liqueur or an espresso along with a large helping of atmosphere in the Raffles’ lush tropical courtyard. Just watching the passing parade stroll under those colonial arches in the gardens is to imagine what the Raffles Hotel must have really been like when Somerset Maugham, white linen suit and all, was seated at the next table.
LAU PA SAT HAWKER CENTRE – #40
Lau Pa Sat, almost always packed with both hungry locals and tourists, is the oldest and one of the livelier hawker centres on the island. It’s a perfect place for lunch when you visit the nearby Singapore Handicrafts Centre.
“Lau Pa” means “Old Market,” and its central umbrella is a graceful Victorian octagon. Unlike most of the other centres, much of its seating is indoors. Lau Pa Sat was designated a national monument in the ‘70s.
LAU PA SAT’S MILIEU
After lunch or dinner wander over to the Singapore Handicraft Centre. It’s not far from Lau Pa. There are always demonstrations to watch, if not batik design then in weaving or leather craft. Be forewarned, the demos exist to prime the pump for a purchase or two.
Courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board
Food stalls line the octogon’s edges and offer seemingly endless choices. Each vendor specializes in one or a few. Possible selections include pork Satay perfumed with coriander and cumin, crisp onion pancakes. vegetable crepes, crunchy Indian chicken deep fried to a golden crunch then doused with a fiery chili sauce and Chinese barbequed meats rubbed with spices and chilies. You’ll also see baskets of quivering crustaceans waiting to be part of what seems to be Singapore’s national dish, Chili Crab. Chili sauce is to Singapore what ketchup is to Coney Island.
If you decide against beer or Diet Coke, you can order a spectacularly sweet libation found everywhere on the island. It’s known as fresh lychee juice. I can’t really describe how they go about juicing a lychee but the result is pure heaven.
LAU PA SAT FOOD CENTRE/ CORNER OF BOON TAT STREET/ OPEN DAILY FROM NOON TO 10P.M.
Inexpensive
CHEN FU JI SING’S SENSATION – #41
Astonishing but true is the average Singaporean’s unending devotion to that universal of all Asian side dishes: fried rice. Who knew? Mind you, this is not quite the same fried rice that most westerners stopped ordering once they’d passed their seventh birthdays. Singapore cooks have raised the profile of this simple dish to a mini art-form. One of the better places to sample phenomenonal fried rice is Chen Fu Ji, founded by the Chen sisters over 50 years ago. There are several different branches but my favorite is known as Chen Fu Ji Sing’s Sensation.
Sing’s Sensation overlooks the Singapore River and has floor-to-ceiling windows to capture the view. The menu here is seriously devoted to making Chen’s pampered kernels into five-star generals. The fried rice that Chen’s serves is either crowned with a halo of fresh crabmeat or sautéed tiger prawns or smoked duck. The most popular dish of all, especially with the regulars, is Imperial Fried Rice which features sautéed crabmeat and stir-fried eggs.
CHEN FUJI’S MILIEU
Take the waterfront walk opposite Chen Fu Ji’s, to see Singapore’s wonderfully multicultural society in action. And it doesn’t matter how late the hour—remember this is Singapore, everybody’s watching everybody else.
Chen Fu Ji also has its own take on fusion cuisine. A cook carefully molds warm fried rice into a cake and then couples it with ice cream. I’d say that it’s a triumph of yin versus yang. I know the combination sounds a bit schizophrenic but it has become the “Chubby Hubby” (Ben and Jerry take note) of Singapore.
CHEN FU JI SING’S SENSATION
30 MERCHANT ROAD/ RIVERSIDE POINT/ TEL:
653-301-66
Inexpensive
BLU
BLU, under chef, Kevin Cherkas, is considered one of the elegant newer dining spots in Singapore. Perched on the 24th floor of the Shangri-La hotel, it has accents by none other than Phillip Starke. Having schlepped his star studded Michelin reputation all the way from Spain, France and Kuala Lampur, Kevin is certainly stirring up foodies. It’s only a matter of time before he adds another twinkler to his belt at his newest outpost.
BLU/ 22 ORANGE GROVE ROAD/ SHANGRI-LA
HOTEL/ TEL # 6737-3644
INDOCHINE WATERFRONT
A recent entry serving Vietnamese cuisine has charmed much of the island’s population. The dishes served echo Vietnam’s colonial past. True to its name, it has lovely views of the water.
INDOCHINE WATERFRONT/ 1 EMPRESS PLACE/ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS MUSEUM/ TEL: 65-6339-1720
