Since 1958 Singapore American • February 2016
AM ERICAN AS S O CIATION O F S INGAP O RE February 2016
www.aasingapore.com American Association.....2-3 Member Discounts..............3 CRCE & Business............. 4-5 Community News.............6-7 Living in Singapore.............8 Travel..........................10-11 Things We Love.........13-18 Health & Wellness.......19-21 Food & Dining.............22-25
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The Ease of Doing Business in Singapore
The All-Important College Tour
Cool Wellness Treatments You May Not Know About
What Makes Singapore Special to Us?
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MCI (P) 185/03/2015
Love That Singapore Food By Shailesh Paul “So, when is the rainy season in Singapore?” I asked my Singaporean friends. “Well, that’s pretty straight forward. It’s 2pm!” came the prompt response. Moving on to Singapore cuisine, I asked “Tell me about Singapore’s cuisine. What is real Singaporean food?” Nine delightful years later, the journey of discovery to answer that question is still in scrumptious progress. You see, Singapore doesn’t really have one unique identifiable cuisine. Much as Singapore’s culture is an amazing amalgam of its languages, origins and ethnicities, its cuisine is a robust rojak of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Indonesian and Western influences. Sometimes co-existing and often colluding to create flavors that are uniquely Singaporean. And as Singapore continues to build on its identity and become more international and diverse, thankfully, so does its cuisine.
If you’re haven’t completely immersed yourself in Singapore’s cuisine as yet but feel like you’re done with the chicken rice, crab curry and the laksa, here are a few glimpses into Singapore’s various culinary treasures and some tips on where to enjoy them! Let’s start with Chinese cuisine, perhaps the one cuisine that’s had the most influence on Singapore food. There’s a wide palette of Chinese restaurants from which to choose: some more authentic in their menus and some that have completely localized their cuisine, adding more spices and herbs and even the occasional Malay or Indonesian ingredient (such as sambal). A good place to start your Chinese restaurant discovery is Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao. At their outlets (Great World City, Ngee Ann City or Holland Avenue), you’ll find a delicious spread of primarily Southern Chinese cuisine with a smattering of specialties from other areas, such as
Shanghai. Do try their eponymous xiao long bao, pork and soup stuffed steamed dumplings served with ginger juliennes in vinegar. There’s a technique to eating these delicately crafted pouches of flavor: place a dumpling on your spoon, gingerly (pardon the pun) dipping in vinegar, puncturing the skin just enough to slurp out the soup, then gobbling up the rest in one steamy mouthful. Enjoy! While the Taiwanese Din Tai Fung is probably the more celebrated restaurant for this type of cuisine (and absolutely worth the visit), this one might provide you an equally enjoyable experience without the crowds. Don’t stop at noodles and dim sum. Go and experience the wide range of Chinese you can get in Singapore, ranging from easy coffee shop fare to elaborate banquet style cuisine. The local coffee shops such as Coffee & Toast are excellent places to Continued on Page 24
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