Singapore American • February 2015
T h e A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n o f S i n g a p o r e ’s
www.aasingapore.com
MCI (P) 178/01/2015
Since 1958
February 2015
Throw, Scream, Eat: The Low Down on Lo Hei
SINGAPORE WRITERS SCENE
By Kevin F. Cox, Culinary Explorer
I
recently spent nearly five years in Singapore writing about countless things to see and do. With the island’s rich tapestry of history and culture, there’s always something to say and to find a topic one need only to, well, go outside. Holidays like this month’s Chinese New Year offer a host of topics. A strange thing happens when you wander down unfamiliar streets or into buildings that you’ve passed so many times: you discover riches all around you. You smirk with wonderment and scratch your
to the ground, squatting at a well-bolted table in the shadow of an HDB, lost in the blaze of Singapore’s greatest treasure: street food. And I wanted to write about every bite. I roamed every heartland neighborhood to the bewildered gaze of locals. I had become That Guy, the crazy ang moh with the camera, looking for the passion and story beneath each glowing wok and of the cooks and characters who made the magic happen. I ate everything without hesitation and captured it in words
a goat is not a promise of prosperity (just a barnyard animal) and mandarin oranges are not passed around with a smile and the casual slip of a red envelope. But in Singapore, the Lunar New Year is a time for celebration of things to come; of casting upon friends and loved ones wishes of prosperity and good luck for the year ahead. And Singaporeans don’t bring it in gently; think bright lights and jacked-up prices on everything for a week to, y’know, kickstart said prosperity. But the most
head in surprise at the fascinating people and places and things. And you fall in love with Singapore all over again and have to write about it. No wonder this paper is devoting an entire issue to the writing scene in Singapore. For me that love affair centered around one thing: food. From haute cuisine to hawker fare, food was everywhere, tickling my nose and beckoning me to float away on a waft of freshly baked bread or crisp roasted pork. In my case, I craved not the delicate clink of fine china and crystal but the flash and fire of a red hot wok; the sizzle and pop of noodles and chiles and meat and fish. I needed to be low
and images for all to taste. The deeper I plunged into this unadorned world of amazing street food, the more I had to say and the more people wanted to hear. And then I left, as if sucked through a vacuum back to a familiar place where I no longer fit. But I didn’t want to let my Singapore writing go. I didn’t just eat the food; I digested the culture, and I wanted to keep writing about it. Today, 9000 miles away, I still write about Singapore, but to a whole new audience because here, Singapore is exotic and unknown. Take Chinese New Year. Here in the States, it’s just a blip in the news. Here
raucous display of the New Year festivities? Throwing food. Not just any food, mind you, but a specific dish, known as Yu Sheng, or “raw fish” and used in the traditional Lo Hei celebration to ensure new year abundance. Now that’s something to write about. Perhaps dating back to ancient China, the contemporary version of Lo Hei was created in1964 in Singapore's very own Lai Wah Restaurant by chef and culinary king Than Mui Kai. His dream was to recapture the ancient Chinese tradition of sharing raw fish to bring luck and wealth in the Lunar New Year, but with a flick of the hand he added a
Photo: Brian Sizemore
Singapore Writers Scene 1, 9-15
Travel
16-19
Arts & Culture
23-25
American Association CRCE & Business Community News Singapore Writers Scene
2-3 4 5-8 9-15
Travel
16-19
Health & Wellness
21-22
Arts & Culture
23-25
Sports
26
What's Happening
27
Member Discounts
27
Continued on page 14
American Association of Singapore Strategic Partners