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Baby Kai Lan with oyster sauce. I have never seen baby Kai Lan anywhere in the U.S. and we used to eat it for lunch with rice almost every day. Except Friday. That was Laksa day.
Also Beef Hor Fun, the best was in Geylang. Haven't found the perfect recipe for that yet, though I've tried.
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limster
Jun 10, 2007 12:35 PM
Roti prata, curry mee, hainanese chicken rice, satay, the occasional rendang have been decent in the US. Everything else I crave.
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re: hungryann
boogiebaby
Jun 11, 2007 12:32 PM
Yeo's sells a very good Kaya that's made in Malaysia is in pretty good. It comes in a can and is about $2.50 for the large can. Get a loaf of white bread from an asian market (the heavy, soft asian style kind) and you can make your own kaya toast at home.
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boogiebaby
Jun 10, 2007 12:36 AM
There are 4 foods I miss from Singapore/Malaysia: wantan mee, Murtabak, Roti Prata and vadas from Anadabhavan's on Serangoon Road.
The wantan mee there is diffrent than the HongKong style available here in So. CA. (believe me, I've tried -- it was actually one of my pregnancy cravings a while back and I tried a dozen different ones). It's got chillis and kecap manis and other things in it that give it that unique Singaporean taste. Murtabak, I actually prefer the Malaysian style over Singaporean. Roti Prata, I like it with dal instead of curry. The vadas at Anandabhavans are amazing -- we've actually bought them a day before, frozen them, and brought them back to the US before! Customs lets them through since there is no meat or fresh produce involved.
I make Murtabak at home, but I can't spin the dough like the mamak guys can! I also have to make smaller ones to fit on my 16" griddle, but I just can't replicate that wantan mee! Everytime I go, everyone knows that I have to stop at a food stall to get my wantan fix. :)
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re: boogiebaby
My wife yearns for wonton "noodle" in KL as you do your wonton mi in Singapore. As you mentioned, this is something that she just hasn't found here or been able to duplicate - who knows what kind of magic is spun into the soup pot before it is brought out for all to enjoy. Her favorite is from a guy who has been selling it since she could remember from a little stainless steel cart in a wet market from her old neighborhood. She says the guy has to be making a mint. When he rolls out his cart, people line up right away for his wonton noodle. He also knows alot of his regulars so well that just a simple exchange of greetings and small talk between him and his patrons goes on while he prepares their individual "custom" orders that are wrought to his memory. This guy is a tradition in this market, a touchstone to a simpler time in this now-bussling city...
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The otak otak in Singapore and Malaysia seems to have an unmatched fishy flavor. I try it everywhere here and have yet to experience anything that comes close. Maybe it's the type of fish used here, or different style. I believe they primarily use Kingfish there.
Hainanese chicken and rice is more available in Singapore than Starbucks coffee is over here. Most of it is pretty good, while some places have a strong enough rep to draw people from all parts of the island, and even businessmen being chauffeured in Euro-cruisers. You will have alot of access to this succulent dish - get as much of it as you can as you won't easily find any great renditions of it over here.
Fruits and fruit juices are pretty exotic over there - rambutan, starfruit, longan, and mangosteen are plentiful there, but durian, "King of fruits," is somewhat of a novelty to most who have never been to SE Asia before. While you can get most of the above-mentioned fruits here, they just aren't the same, especially the durian. I personally don't care for it, but most locals would give up their first-born for a shot at the real thing over here.
Hokkien noodles are another dish that seems to be available only in Singapore - at least the Singaporean version. No thick dark soy sauce, the seasoning in general is different, and a larger proportion of seafood is used.
I did mention earlier that chilli crab is very popular there. I would think that it is probably more popular than black pepper crab is. This seems to be the crab dish that alot of expats from Singapore yearn for.
It's all good your first time over there. You will be amazed at how eating is almost like recreation to the average Singaporean. Food and shopping, shopping and food. That will be the rythym of your stay there...
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re: bulavinaka
i miss hainanese chicken rice and nasi lemak, those are great staples
i actually like chili crab better than black pepper crab, but they're both really good
south indian food is great in singapore b/c they have so many tamil migrant workers who spend like 6 months at a time in singapore and repatriate money to india
singaporean style food is good although i find alot of their chinese food from other regions to be not so good (cantonese, other mainland etc), which is kind of weird b/c obviously many / most singaporeans are ethnically southern chinese mainly cantonese, chiu chow, hakka etc. But, generally the food is great in singapore
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The Indian food is very unique in Singapore. Everything is served on a Banana Leaf instead of a plate. There is also a Malaysian dish similar to a stuffed Roti that was really good. I had it at a restaurant near the blue Mosque.
I'll put it this way, I couldn't think of anything I didn't like in Singapore. One interesting note is that they have Coffee Bean and Tea Leafs in a bunch of places in Singapore. Someone told me the owners were from Singapore? Not sure if that is true.
The other cool thing about Singapore is the food in the airport is fantastic. Most restaurants in Asian airports (except HK) have weak food. The Ho Chi Minh airport is one of the most disappointing. When my flights have been delayed, I catch a taxi to a Pho house near the airport. Vietnamese food is so good, but I would never eat at the airport.
