Before this trip, I had never known, or even imagined that Singapore was such delight for a foodie. In the last couple of days over here, I have been surprised and intrigued by the smorgasbord of tastes, a melange of flavours and a delightful potpourri of anything culinary....
But actually it's hardly surprising...
Singapore is right in the midst of the Equator with a climate conducive for any kind of spice. Further, with its development as a centre of trade, commerce and finance, it has become a melting pot of various people. Walk on any street of Singapore - you'll find Chinese, Malays, South Indians, Punjabis, Bangladeshis, Arabs, Africans and Europeans. Alongwith the influx of immigrants, come their culinary traditions and overtime, a cuisine has evolved which is so distinct, so unique to Singapore!
Roaming around Chinatown, I was happy to show Neeti this South East Asian delicacy, the durian.
The durian has inspired the architecture of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay...
Despite its strong odour, I really loved and devoured the fruit!
Lip-smacking Xiang Wei bak-kwa, Neeti chose to give this a miss....
I spent a good 20 minutes here sample the sweet strips of pork, which is so unique to the ethnic Chinese
Fragrance, a ubiquitous brand in Singapore was founded by a lady, Wong Tan. Fragrance started as a small stall selling bak-kwa using her unique recipes. Today they make bak-kwa from exotic meats like crocodile...
Next, I proudly led Neeti into Ya Kun Kaya Toast for some tea, coffee and some tit-bits to fill our tummies that were rumbling after a long walk...
I secretly wanted Neeti to try Kaya toast with soft boiled eggs... and she did try it
We shared two Kaya toasts and some soft boiled eggs with soya sauce...
While I stuck to the timeless favourite kopi-c, Neeti chose teh-c - black tea with a dash of condensed milk, which she didn't really like....
But she enjoyed Kaya toasts with eggs! That delighted me...
Ya Kun Kaya Toast was founded in 1926 by a 15 year-old Hainanese immigrant, Loi Ah Koon, who came in on board an old Chinese junk. He came in with just one small black suitcase but with lots of dreams and hopes and ambitions....
Those dreams came true, you can feel that at Ya Kun Kaya Toast...
He worked as a coffee-stall assistant, then started off on his own - he setup a stall selling coffee, crackers and toast at Telok Ayer Basin.
After his marriage, his wife helped him in his business. She suggested cutting each slice of bread into half and combining the toast with her homemade kaya, which created their signature kaya toast.
Ya Kun grew in popularity and was registered as a brand. It set up shop across the island starting with Lau Pa Sat market and has since grown in size expanding beyond the borders of Singapore....
And I now hear Ya Kun is headed to India!!!! Yay!!!!
Whatever your poison, Ya Kun is a place to relax a bit and grab a bite...
This poem aptly described me... I would boast back home that I had kaya toast...
And yes, I didn't forget to buy a bottle of kaya before I left... I certainly didn't mind paying SGD4.80 for it!!!!
Now I'll have kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs back home in Mumbai.... I certainly will be carrying the lip-smacking memories, of the delectable food I am having in Singapore, back home with me!
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