Explore Food From Other Cultures In Singapore’s Ethnic Enclaves

Lifestyle
16 Oct 2023
7 months ago
SilverStreak Editorial Team

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In Singapore’s early days as a developing entrepot, its colonial masters saw fit to divvy up the island into subdivisions dedicated to each ethnicity, figuring that it’d make us neat, orderly and easier to rule.

As a side effect, these ethnic enclaves of Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India developed into rich, cultural hotspots.

Head to any of these today, and you’ll be treated to a vibrant tapestry of authentic eats that best represent each ethnic enclave – or, head off the beaten track, and nosh on eateries that don’t really seem to belong.

What better way to sample Singapore’s melting pot of interethnic delights, especially now that we’re long independent and no longer need to adhere to segregated town planning?

Chinatown

1. Kamal’s Restaurant

Between the Chinese temples, rowdy zi char restaurants and hipster bars of Chinatown in the heart of the city, you’ll find Kamal’s Restaurant dishing out Indian-Muslim delights since the 1960s.

They are most famous for their signature fried chicken biryani with a side of tangy achar, though you can also buy chicken or mutton dum biryani on selected days.

Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with a plate of crispy prata or mee goreng, alongside a cup of frothy teh halia (ginger tea).

Kamal’s Restaurant
Location: 7 Stanley Street, Singapore 068726
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri, 7am – 6pm; Sat, 7am – 5pm
Tel: +65 6221 7677
Website: https://kamal7.com/

2. Kreta Lembu

People’s Park Centre isn’t exactly the first place we’d think of nasi padang, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Kreta Lembu, hidden away on the third floor of the grungy shopping centre.

Apart from a full roster of nasi padang favourites like rendang, curried vegetables and crispy fried chicken, you can also opt for nasi lemak if you’re in for brekkie.

Kreta Lembu
Location: 101 Upper Cross Street, People’s Park Centre, #03-48, Singapore 058357
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri, 7am – 6pm; Sat, 7am – 5pm
Tel: +65 9295 0904
Website: https://www.facebook.com/kretalembuu/

3. Co Ba Quan

Beef pho, crispy banh mi sarnies and rice paper-wrapped spring rolls await at Co Ba Quan, a cosy Vietnamese-owned eatery situated in the middle of Chinatown.

The Chinese, after all, had a major influence on the country’s cuisine, especially in the use of ingredients like noodles and tofu, along with techniques like stir-frying.

Try to spot other Chinese influences in the street food favourites and homey dishes sold at Co Ba Quan when you visit!

Co Ba Quan
Location: 21 Smith Street, Singapore 058936
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am – 9pm
Tel: +65 8126 9418
Website: https://www.facebook.com/cobaquan21/

Little India

1. Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant

Swee Choon Tim Sum is a well-established dim sum restaurant that opens till late in the fringes of Little India.

Although it’s since expanded with multiple quick-service outlets around the island, you can still head to the original coffeeshop HQ for a casual dim sum supper all the way till 4am.

Must-orders include their well-liked liu sha bao (golden custard buns), siew mai, pork ribs and chicken feet.

Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant
Location: 183/185/187/189/191/193 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208882
Opening Hours: Wed – Mon, 7am – 4am
Tel: +65 6225 7788
Website: https://www.sweechoon.com/

2. Fu Zhou Poh Hwa Oyster Cake

Just opposite of Swee Choon is the two-storey Berseh Food Centre, where you’ll find plenty of hard-to-find hawker dishes like pig trotter and shark meat aspic, as well as deep-fried oyster cakes – sometimes referred to as UFOs for their circular, mound-like shape – stuffed with oysters, minced meat and veggies.

One is never enough of these moreish snacks, especially once you get to dipping with the fiery chilli dip it’s served with. They tend to sell out ahead of closing time, so it’d be best to drop them a call before making a trip down.

Fu Zhou Poh Hwa Oyster Cake
Location: 166 Jalan Besar, Berseh Food Centre, #02-34, Singapore 208877
Opening Hours: Wed – Mon, 10:30am – 6pm
Tel: +65 8112 5286
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057617463289

3. Fo You Yuan

Fo You Yuan has been dishing out oriental vegetarian dishes since 1984 in the Little India area.

They recently moved into brand new digs at Desker Road, where they continue to recreate the flavours of Singaporean Chinese grub while minimising their use of mock meats, preferring instead to focus on actual fruit and vegetables.

Expect everything from shark’s fin soup (using bamboo pith) to roasted chicken rice (tofu skin).

Fo You Yuan
Location: 103 Desker Road, Singapore 209625
Opening Hours: Wed – Mon, 10:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 9pm
Tel: +65 6744 8009
Website: https://foyouyuan.com.sg/

Kampong Glam

1. Blanco Court Prawn Mee

Bypass the hipster bars and Instagram-friendly murals of Kampong Glam, and make a beeline to Blanco Court Prawn Mee, tucked in an unassuming shophouse space on Beach Road.

Even if you can’t spot it, head for the heady fragrance of simmering prawn heads and pork ribs.

That broth, after all, has carried the family-run eatery since its establishment in 1928, surviving four generations and close to 100 years of development.

Get your bowl of noodles with jumbo prawns, tender pork ribs and ngoh hiang fritters for a hearty and satisfying lunch.

Blanco Court Prawn Mee
Location: 243 Beach Road, Singapore 189754
Opening Hours: Wed – Mon, 7:30am – 4pm
Tel: +65 6396 8464
Website: https://www.facebook.com/BlancoCourtPrawnMee/

2. Tai One Wei

Fancy some home-style Taiwanese grub in the heart of Kampong Glam? Head to Tai One Wei, which offers up zi char-esque sharing dishes in lieu of the usual street food snacks common in most Taiwanese chains around Singapore.

This includes three cup squid, crispy fried oysters, deep-fried milkfish belly, braised pig’s intestines, stir-fried veggies and sweet, snappy Taiwanese sausages.

Don’t forget to get a bowl of luscious lu rou fan (braised pork rice) while you’re at it.

Tai One Wei
Location: 751 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198719
Opening Hours: Daily, noon – 10pm
Tel: +65 6970 0405
Website: https://www.facebook.com/taionewei/

3. Sushi Airways

Sushi Airways offers, well, sushi, sashimi and other Japanese fare – including ‘flying’ soba, cleverly propped up using a hidden stand – at a retro aircraft-themed space on the corner of busy Baghdad Street.

There are both omakase and a la carte dining options, but be forewarned – this is the priciest entry on our list, costing around $100 per person by our estimation.

Some part of that price tag goes to their seafood, said to be air-flown from Japan four times a week. Another part, of course, goes to the novelty of dining in an airport-themed eatery.

Still, worth considering for an off-beat celebration.

Sushi Airways
Location: 20a Baghdad Street, Singapore 199659
Opening Hours: Sun – Thu, 11:45am – 2:30pm, 5:45pm – 9:45pm; Fri & Sat, 11:45am – 2:30pm, 5:45pm – 10pm
Tel: +65 6291 1151
Website: https://sushiairways.com/

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Tags: culture, foodie, heritage

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