Singapore – My First Food Hunt

Malaysia and Singapore are two countries that differ greatly in terms of political ideology and economic policies after separation in 1965. Besides sharing a common history, one cultural component that is inseparable between these two nations is their love of food. Travelers who would come to this region would attest to the fact that both Malaysians and Singaporeans can actually recommend up to five different places for a local street dish and have the tendency to talk about what to have for dinner while having lunch. So, early this month my wife, my parents and I headed down south for a weekend of food, fun and more food. From chic cafes to good old-fashioned hawker joints, here’s a recap of what our digestive system had to endure in Singapore.

FORTY HANDS – Tiong Bahru Estate

Hipsters hate it when people label a historic housing estate gentrified with chic cafes and unique stores as a “hipster neighborhood” but that was the vibe that I got when first arrived at Tiong Bahru. Our first stop for brunch was Forty Hands, where I had the Truffle Mushroom Toastie while Ayumi had the Salmon Hash served in a lovely Straits Chinese bowl. We loved the bread (I think it’s home-made) and I finished off with a cup latte is strong to my liking.

Salmon Hash & Truffle Mushroom Toastie down under 😉 #brunch #saturday #cafe #tiongbahru #singapore #travel #foodporn

A post shared by Danial Ariff (@dansontheroad) on Oct 3, 2014 at 9:57pm PDT

PLAIN VANILLA BAKERY – Tiong Bahru Estate

Just across the street lies Plain Vanilla Bakery which is some sort of heaven where the aroma of cakes, tarts and brownies flow like an endless river. They’re more famous for their cupcakes so I took on the Dark Chocolate Ganache and it’s so good, the taste still lingers on my palate till now. We didn’t try as much as we wanted after lunch at Forty Hands but this is definitely top on the list when we come back to Singapore again.

A post shared by Danial Ariff (@dansontheroad) on Oct 3, 2014 at 11:47pm PDT

ABDHUS SALAM ROJAK – Ayer Rajah Food Center

My dad, who’s also a major foodie, dragged us all the way to West Coast to have what he calls the “Best Singapore Rojak Ever.” True to his words, it was one of the best rojak we had this side of the Causeway. It is similar to the Penang Rojak but for two things – this rojak has tempe (fermented soybean) and paru (cow lung) as part of its 20-odd items while its sauce has more chili than groundnuts but somehow able to maintain its nutty richness that is synonymous with Indian-style rojak.

A post shared by Danial Ariff (@dansontheroad) on Oct 4, 2014 at 3:19am PDT

SINGAPORE ZAM ZAM RESTAURANT – Kampong Glam

We finish off the day at a 100-year old Singaporean institution that serves our kind of comfort food. Zam Zam Restaurant has been serving up the usual mamak fare but its pièce de résistance has to be the deer murtabak. Murtabak is basically pan-fried bread stuffed with meat but they take it up a notch over here by stuffing it with deer which I find savory and meaty enough to pull it off. The one we ate was the “small” version so you can imagine how the “large” one would look like.

A post shared by Danial Ariff (@dansontheroad) on Oct 4, 2014 at 8:15am PDT

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