So, the visit to Singapore comes to a close. The work was performed, the data was collected and the conclusions, typical of science, is not clear cut or obvious. However, one conclusion is certainly true. Singapore is a country where eating and food is paramount. Singaporeans enjoy such a diverse food culture that it is truly a playground for the gastronomically inclined.
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| Laksa... i can have this morning noon and night |
For the last day of the visit, we visited the ABC Hawker Fare. This establishment is surrounded by high rise apartment buildings and serves alternatively as the local residential canteen/hang out. It was just after noon on a Friday and locals were moving about grazing and chatting and taking their time with their lunch break from whatever they were doing. Compared to Chomp Chomp, this Hawker Fare is significantly larger... though not as purposefully engineered by far. You can't easily hose down ABC as you could Chomp Chomp. ABC would make a lot more of a mess. It is clear from the stalls that were open versus closed that there were certain foods that are popular during lunch and food that are more typically an evening fare. We sat down, and Vanessa and Jenn went off hunting while Andre and i chatted. The hunting party returned full of bounty. Laksa, Wonton Soup Noodles, and Fish Ball Soup.
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| The fish ball soup... mmmm... fish eunchs |
The Laksa has to be one of my most favourite things on this trip out to Singapore. i first had it over lunch at the Biopolis in the form of "Laksa Spaghetti", ie, Laksa, the coconut milk fortified spicy curry soup with a flavor profile that is similar to a Massaman Curry served with spaghetti instead of white Chinese noodles. Today at the ABC Hawker Fare, it was done in the traditional fashion. The light spicy curry soup surrounded the white thin noodle strands with rectangles of fried tofu, a few boiled shrimp (with tail on), bean sprouts, and button mushrooms scattered throughout the bowl. A final flourish of dried leafy herbs (it looked like oregano to me) was sprinkled on one rim of the bowl to finish. The taste of the soup is what i love most. The flavor and fragrance of the curry is very appealing, and on the first sip of the soup, the spiciness begins. It starts at the back of the throat and fills your mouth.
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| Wonton mein |
It is not unpleasant nor intolerable, but a nice, gentle spreading warmth. The noodles actually acts as a neutralizer in a way. The fried tofu, like in many other Asian dishes, acts as a sponge and delivers a concentrated dose of the curried soup along with its dried fried tofu funkiness. It is really a combo of flavors that i can just eat forever. When i got to the bottom of the bowl, i actually had a conversation with myself debating whether or not i should drain the soup by drinking from the rim of the bowl. The soup beat out the chance of dysentery calculations and i drained the bowl. Jenn got the Wonton Soup Noodles and the Fish Ball Soup for herself. The Fish Balls are essentially balls of fish paste (white fish -- no specific type, but generally a typical selection of white fish -- is rendered into paste through a process i don't quite know) cooked up in a clear broth that is then flavoured with a handful of diced green onions. The broth is very light and tastes generally of light chicken stock (which is good, i've had ones that tasted strongly of dirty dishes) with a finishing note of lime. The Fish Balls themselves were lighter and crisper than the ones i grew up with, which are typically more dense and toothsome. All and all, quite a light refreshing bowl. The Wonton Soup Noodles was Jenn's choice of nostalgia, she love Wonton noodles but was rather surprised by the way it is served. The egg noodles are cooked, drained and placed in a bowl. A light soy based sauce is poured over to coat and then slices of roast pork (cha-shu) and lengths of green onions is added on top. The wonton of the Wonton Soup Noodle name is then placed in a separate bowl with accompanying clear broth that is similar to the broth she had in the Fish Ball Soup. Because the noodles are kept separate, their flavors are a lot more intense. i would take the noodles and dip it into the wonton soup in a style similar to the eating of Japanese Soba and that was yet another sensation entirely. It was a most pleasant dish.
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| Peanut and red bean Kacang |
After the hot savoury stuff was consumed, i very happily went to the dessert stall that Vanessa recommended. From the size of the line, i gathered that it was the go to stall for shave ice and other related or unrelated sweets. The order i placed was for the Peanut and Red Bean Kacang (Kacang, pronounced Ka-chung, is the Singapore nomenclature for shave ice, where as in Malay, wikipedia informs me, it is called Air Batu Campur or ABC). What i got was a bowl of icy cold and sweet paradise.
Like all Hawker Fare foods, the price was rock bottom. A bowl of ice with dressing, red beans, ground peanuts, various hidden surprises (see below), that was the size of a baby's head cost me 1.50 Singapore dollars. It is roughly 1.12 USD... a bottle of water costs more than that. The ice is shaved and formed by hand, a red coloured syrup is poured into the center at light speed, condensed milk is drizzled on top and all around, a scattering of surprises (corn kernels, lotus seed, lychee fruit, and a few maraschino cherry halves for good measure) joins a ladle of cooked down sweet red beans and a heaping mound of finely diced peanuts (again, if you have peanut allergies, S. E. Asia or Asia in general is a death trap). The outside temp was in the high 20's (celsius), and this was a treat going down. It is also an exploratory expedition. Because it is piled so high, you want to excavate carefully lest you tumble the mounded topping off and all over the Hawker Fare table where, no matter how strong your immune system is, will contain bugs that will render you unable to leave the confines of your toilet for days to come. So, spoonful by joyful spoonful i carved into the ball of ice, enjoying the bites of sweet syrup made rich and thick by the condense milk. The earthy sweetness of the red beans and the crunch and peanuty peanut powder. The occasional bites of the hidden surprises makes the adventure that much more exciting. The corn, especially, was a very pleasant note of alternate sweetness and texture. i was a very happy man-child.
Later that afternoon was the annual Biopolis Durian Party. Andre was kind enough to invite me and the whole lab was buzzing with excitement for the entire week. Durian is not cheap. i guess, from hearing the discussion around the Durian Party, the cost of Durian, depending on varietal, can be as high as 15-20 Singaporean dollars per kg. Since a modest sized Durian is around 1.5-2 kg, one can see how it is not a cheap fruit. Further more, the Durian is sold in its natural state, that of a rugby ball shaped spiked medieval instrument of torture or combat, and unopened. There is no way to tell how much fruit meat is inside, so every purchase is a gamble.
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| The Durian, opened with the seed and the fruit meat surrounded by the yellow membrane... |
The Durian is also renowned for its smell when ready to eat. It is not that of a corpse as someone once told me, but it is a very strong smell that dances between fermented fruit and very runny bleu cheese. It is quite penetrating and lingering. Even in the outdoor space where the party was held, it was inescapable. When opened (carefully, them spikes really hurt), the durian is quite solidly packed inside with inedible fibrous tissue that, i think, is just designed to protect the fruite. The meat of the Durian, the bits that you eat, surround the seed itself and is covered by a yellow to brown membrane that is thin yet sturdy. The texture of the flesh is that of runny bleu cheese and the flavor (i tried two different varieties) ranges between sharp cheesy (again, bleu) mango like sweet with a peppery finish along with a more intense olfactory smell of slight barnyard/decay mix with concentrated banana like phenolics (first variety, the Mountain King) and subtle sweet with funky savory (sharp cheddar?) notes and a slight distilled spirit (calvados/armagnac) finish along with a milder smell (the second varietal, one i can't remember). It was the texture of the meat that really go to me, even though i love runny bleu cheese, for some reason, the holding of the runny soft and yielding flesh that surrounds the tiny seed is quite a gross-out moment. Then, with that in my head the flavor and texture of the fruit meat hits my mouth. It wasn't horrible, but it was not the most pleasant "oh i simply must do it again and again moment". Now, we have truly experienced all Singapore has to offer 8)
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