In anticipation of Singapore Day in New York's Central Park, we'll be posting descriptions of the country's signature street food, which is sold there in hawker centers. First up, we give you ... Bak kut teh: Pork bones, herbs, and other ingredients are simmered to make a big pot of stock. The result is a delightful light peppery soup with a subtle flavor of Chinese herbs. Served with deep-fried you char kueh (dough fritters) as condiments to add extra texture. As you are finishing the last drop of the soup, you can see whole garlic cloves and lots of crushed peppercorns left behind. Photograph by Indradi Soemardjan...
Continue reading »
According to the late, great Johnny Apple, Singapore has the best street food in the world. I salivated after reading Johnny's piece about it in the New York Times: But Singapore already has gastronomic attractions aplenty. Start with its unmatched street food — chili crabs and chicken rice, laksa and satay and fish head curry — served in hundreds of hawkers’ stalls. Fast, cheap and delicious, its hygiene is certified by the ever-vigilant Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. (K. F. Seetoh’s exhaustive guidebook, Makansutra, will lead you to the top practitioners.) Sounds good, don't you think? Sadly, I knew I wasn't headed to Singapore any time soon, so I had given up hope of trying what sounded like...
Continue reading »
