My one visit to Singapore had its downside. Everyone who'd been there had raved about its street food. But while I had a great food fest there — wining and dining in style — there was no time to try out the food that was being offered on the streets. Another time, I told myself. I haven't been to Singapore since then, but like the mountain and Mohammed, Singapore dropped by in Delhi last week. I had been invited to the Eros Hotel (managed by Hilton) in Nehru Place, New Delhi, to try out the fare at the Singapore Hawkers' Food Festival that was being held there. I am afraid the festival is over, but I have to tell you about it. One, because the food was delicious, and two, so that the next time the festival is held, you'll be able to make the most of it.
Street food in Southeast Asia is mostly non-vegetarian, so it's really a fish and meat lover's delight. But because a great many Indians like vegetarian food, the festival included all kinds of veggie stir fries and noodles. But I, of course, feasted on crabs, prawns and pork. It was quite an exciting festival. The food was being cooked in small stalls that had been set up in a large open area. We sat on a long verandah, enjoying the pleasant breeze that surprised Delhi midweek. The food was being supervised by two chefs from Singapore, Chef Kelvin and Chef Azmi. I had a look around the stalls, and then sat down to savour one dish after another.
The ikan bakar, a seafood grill featuring a prawn and sting ray, was delicious. Very lightly grilled, it highlighted the sweet taste of the seafood. Then there was a Singaporean chilli crab, which was sweet, sour and mildly hot. What I enjoyed the most was the Hainanese rice platter with barbecued meats. The tray had a bowl of rice, some broth to mix with the rice, different kinds of dips, and wonderfully barbecued pork, chicken and duck. One of the dips, a sweet chilli one, went especially well with the meats and the rice.
The festival was really a wonderful showcasing of the street food of the region. There was everything on offer, including oysters. I had a delightful omelette stuffed with oysters, which had been left to steam inside the folds of the egg. I ate some cha kuoy teow — flat rice noodles stir fried with a hillock of prawns — and chicken satay with a peanut sauce. The meal ended with a savoury carrot cake, a kind of an omelette cooked with carrots. But I finally said no, having eaten so much that I felt I couldn't take in another morsel. And certainly not something that had carrots in them!
I love our street food, with all our kababs, kachoris and chaat-papris. But I think the Singaporeans give us a run for our money. The assimilation of different kinds of cultures has led to a plethora of delicious dishes. That is why we should keep our doors open. You'll never know who'll bring in what!
