Eating more of Singapore Part 2 of 2

Food Court Hopping

Eating at a Food Court is something that’s difficult to avoid in Singapore. After all that shopping, sometimes you just want to sit down, put your bags down and eat. Since there are a lot of choices, I usually opt for local food.

I had Roti Prata at a small Indian stall in the HarbourFront Centre. Thin and stretchy, it’s quite fun to eat. Or maybe it’s just me, playing with my food? Anyway, I had a bowl of chicken curry to go with it, lightly spicy, the sauce was great for dipping my roti in. The chicken was a bit difficult to take apart since they served it in large cuts with the bone intact but I managed, somehow, without messing my clothes up. Not one for messy eaters.

We passed through the Ion MRT station a lot so we got to eat at the mall’s Food Opera a couple of times. I’ve tried the Hainanese Chicken from Sergeant Hainan Chicken. It’s flavorful, tender and delicious—hits the spot when you’re craving for Hainanese but if you’re after the best, Tian-tian over at Maxwell Center is still better.

One dish I was missing was Bah Kuh Teh, so when Rabbit had me try her order, I knew I had to get some too. Balestier Bah Kuh Teh had a deep, meaty flavor which contrasted its light texture. The pork ribs were cooked until very tender, making it possible to tug bits off the rib, even when you’re not an expert chopstick user. Served with a bowl of plain white rice, it’s highly satisfying. Definitely something I’d order again.

Magical Turkish Ice Cream

“There’s this interesting Turkish Ice Cream place on Clark Quay,” my friend dementedchris told us. “The guy who sells does magic tricks.” SOLD!

With the promise of yummy ice cream and magic, we set off to find Mr. Turkish Ice Cream. The booth was quite easy to find—he was surrounded by people watching him sell ice cream. There was a short line. It was inevitable because he’d stop and take the time to interact with each buyer.

I tried to grab my ice cream cone numerous times from him. I’d get an empty cone. He’d stick the whole contents of his ice cream bucket on my cone. Lord knows I tried to run away with the gigantor scoop of ice cream but it was too heavy. I got my ice cream, eventually. It was wonderful. You can really taste the pistachios and the texture was very nice and stretchy—probably the reason why he could do those tricks. And honestly, me laughing so much after finally getting my ice cream made it taste even better.

Ginger Beer, we finally meet!

Bickford’s Sarsaparilla and Ginger Beer are Turtle’s discoveries. Hearing him rave about them made me want to try them. When I finally managed to grab a couple of bottles from the nearby Cold Storage, I understood why. The Sarsaparilla reminded me of old style Sarsi Sarsaparilla—before Coca-cola bought Sarsi. It has a distinct, bitter aftertaste and a very herby fragrance, unlike rootbeer which masks everything with sweetness.

The Ginger Beer I also really loved. It was like Ginger Soda. Fruity, lightly carbonated, with a pungent hit of ginger. It’s very refreshing. I wanted to fly some home but the logistics of flying carbonated bottled beverages was something I didn’t want to write out.

Takoyaki to die for

I forgot what it’s called. Yes, I fail as a blogger. But there’s nothing, other than the stall name, that is forgettable about this takoyaki. Search for it outside Ion’s Food Hall—among those Japanese-themed foodstalls. You’ll be rewarded with hot, crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside, totally delicious, unforgettable takoyaki.

I hate to admit this but it trumps Hana’s. Now, I understand why Rabbit and Turtle were just okay with Hana’s takoyaki. Because they regularly eat THIS!

Ah, Singapore. There’s a lot of reasons why I like visiting you. 90% of it is the food. (The rest is split between MUJI, Uniqlo and Ikea.) Whenever I reminisce about the food I’ve eaten and have yet to eat from over there, I’m reminded that the last visit will never truly be the last.

This is the second of two parts. Don’t forget to read the first one too!