Singapore
Much like Seoul, when it comes to cities at the cusp of modernization, Singapore is certainly up there among the best. With a rich diversity emphasized by the range of ethnic groups living together, the street food scene in this bustling metropolis is unlike any other place in the world. After a brief introduction showing this up close and in person, we begin with a look at our first chef, Aisha Hashim. After leaving her family’s Putu Piring shop to pursue her dream of becoming a pastry chef, things looked bright for her future. Unfortunately, back home Aisha’s parents ran into trouble with the shop, forcing her to return home and help. Realizing her life long purpose, she returned to the shop more determined than ever to help turn things around. Growing up as an orphan after World War II, Master Tang learnt how to make his famous Wanton Noodles. After years of perfecting his recipe, at 85 years old Master Tang’s noodles are unrivaled in Singapore. After catching up on his past, we skip across to KEK Seafood who are renowned for making some of the best Chili Crab in the region. Of course, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the family and after many years of stubbornly holding onto the secret recipe, the patriarch of the family eventually handed over his wok and expertise to his kids. The final portion of the episode offers a closer look at one of Singapore’s signature comfort foods – chicken rice. Uniting people from all different walks of life, chicken rice has long been classified as one of the signature dishes of the region. Niven Long’s version is one of the stand-outs too and through him we see this first hand before closing out the episode. Much like the previous episodes in this series, Street Food continues its blend of presenting beautiful dishes with the storied history of these regions. Singapore has long been one of my bucket-list cities to visit and this episode certainly whets the appetite to go sooner rather than later. The beautiful high rise apartments and gorgeous architecture make it such an aesthetically pleasing city, which is reinforced here through its amazing street food scene. While there are better episodes in this series, Singapore remains one of my favourites, with a great look at its culinary scene.
