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The Street Delights Of Delhi And Mumbai
By KF Seetoh

I made one of those eat, meat and greed trips to India recently and among all the iconic stalls and dishes I subjected myself to, I specifically looked out for flavours that I wished were available here. Due to historical migration patterns, Singapore inherited a large colony of the South Indian diaspora which resulted in soulful and endearing southern Indian snacks of our own. We love our roti pratas (they call them parathas), chapatis and dosas (Indian pancakes and breads) which come with many chutneys and dips. The overwhelming majority of Indians in India are vegetarians, though I suspect the minority chose to spend time with a meat-lover like me. The cuisines are predominantly vegetarian but there is also a good range of meat dishes to tempt the carnivores.

Resurrecting Putu Mayam
By KF Seetoh

Change is permanent. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. We mentioned some time back in a story that griped about how putu mayam – that bee hoon string hopper dish of Indian/Sri Lanka origins, has gone to the robots, hurned out in food factories. We do not have folks making this once old breakfast favourite anymore. Sigh. Then, history was to be rewritten.

Our Hawker Centres- A UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Icon
By KF Seetoh

A blessed and delicious 2012 to all of you and I think, now, more so than ever, is a good time to digest this fodder for thought. Think about this, all the prerequisites are there, and within our community, it is a cultural icon that touches our fuzzy and warm hearts. To those who love their local chow and poetry, you can joke that it also warms the cockles of your heart. So why should we not place our distinct local food culture as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural icon.

Like Being “Caressed By God”
By KF Seetoh

Halfway through devouring his chicken rice meal, he said it felt like he was being “caressed by God.” If he was some high profile food reviewer or TV show personality, that would merely be colourful prose, the type that would be considered very quotable and entertaining. But he is Claus Meyer, the owner of Noma restaurant in Denmark, listed as the number one restaurant by the respectable S. Pellegrino list of top eateries in the world. That same list also recognises two Singapore restaurants - Iggy’s and Andre. Claus runs Noma with his partner and executive chef Rene Redzepi.

Heavenly Thoughts Of Hoy Tord
By KF Seetoh

I’ve never been impressed by the Hoy Tord (mussel, oyster or seafood fried omelette pancakes) in Thailand. The
many such street stalls that line the popular night markets in seaside towns like Hua Hin have consistently failed
me. Most are sad and oily, and the rest, pathetic and mushy. I rather our local Or Luak (oyster omelette), which has
very similar Teochew culinary heritage. They look impressive and very enticing, like how toy shops place the latest
gizmos at a child’s eye level to entice them. It is colourful, had a self-demo function, attractive and it’s easy to grab
one on the go.

For Coffee In Hainan – It’s Nanyang Style
By Sheere Ng

Returning locals and visitors to Huiwen in Wenchang, Hainan province, will drop off at a Y-shaped junction in the town centre and head straight to 南洋园, literally translated as Nanyang Garden, just 10 metres away.

Dying For His $200k Satay Beehoon Recipe
By KF Seetoh

He was christened a Makansutra Hawker Legend in 2005 and these awards aren’t up for grabs
every year. We have not given out this street food accolades since. Legends in any form, don’t grow
on trees and fruit. But Mr Ng Siaw Meng , sells satay beehoon, a southeast Asian Silk Road dish of
sorts that made its journey from Indonesia, through China and evolved to this version in Singapore
that is unique to this nation.

Dishing Out Dignity In A Food Court
By Melanie Lee

It’s 10.30am at Techview canteen in Ubi. It seems like any other industrial food court at this time of
the day – the hawkers are peeling and chopping their ingredients, or laying out cutlery and
condiments at their counters.

BreadTalk Group Revives The Old Thye Moh Chan Pastries
By Catherine Ling

For 70 years, Thye Moh Chan has served exquisitely handcrafted Teochew baked goods like tau sar piah to a
loyal following. Business was good, but with no successors and owners getting on in age, it looked like the
end of the road for the brand. But then George Quek of the BreadTalk Group intervened. He would not let
this old icon fade into history.

Bananas in my Backyard
By Sheere Ng