PUBLISHED October 2nd, 2014 04:00 pm | UPDATED May 19th, 2017 03:58 pm
When we Singaporeans are away from home, we’re often asked what we miss about Singapore. And the usual answer is, our local food, because it just doesn’t taste the same at pseudo-Singaporean restaurants elsewhere in the world. After posing the same question to the rest of the team at City Nomads, we took the opportunity to hit up our favourite hawkers with this themed food trail, complemented with ice-cold cans of Coca-Cola all round to beat the heat.
Unsurprisingly, all of us chose different dishes, which made for an excellent feast. Here’s how things went down:
Alex – BBQ Chicken Wings
Technically, our fun and fearless leader isn’t Singaporean but the five years he’s spent here, coupled with his passion for local food, means he’s now navigating hawker centres like a pro. This sweet-and- savory chicken dish he picked is universally loved. No other meat in Singapore compares in tenderness and juiciness, and the hours of marinating involved before hitting the grill is testament to the dedication of Singaporean hawkers – finger-lickin’ good!
Emily – Hokkien Mee
The newest member of the team, Junior Editor Emily has her stomach set on Hokkien Mee. Succulent prawns and perfectly cooked squid rings with noodles heavily flavoured with wok hei and stock, plus a good artisanal chili on the side? Pining for this dish miles away is practically a given, considering she salivates with a mere whiff of the smokey fragrance.
Wenna – Nasi Padang
Only the truest of Singaporeans will yearn for Nasi Padang – a dish with Indonesian roots that’s now part of our local food repertoire – and our lovely Editorial Assistant Wenna is one of them. And we can see why – it’s the probably the best amalgamation of Malay food in Singapore. Think ayam goreng, bergedel (potato patty), rendang, sayur lodeh (veggies in coconut milk gravy), and sambal bellman.
Brandon – Bak Chor Mee
Probably the biggest foodie in the house, it’s not surprising that Brandon (also known as Mr. Nomnom to you) picked the one of our favourite comfort foods in Singapore. The rather unique combination of vinegar laced sauce, chewy noodles, lightly blanched porked slices and liver topped with braised mushrooms that comes so well together makes it a uniquely Singaporean dish you’ll definitely miss.
Nithia – Mee Siam
Featuring thin rice vermicelli swimming in a spicy, sweet-sour, light gravy of rempah spice paste, tamarind and taucheo (salted soy bean), its no wonder that Mee Siam has a special spot in Nithia’s – aka Ms. Culture Vulture – heart. Topped with shredded omelette, scallions, bean sprouts, and chives, this is one vegetarian-friendly taste profile Singaporeans will feel the loss of overseas.
It was a long, satisfying day spent pleasing our tummies, and we were mighty pleased with how well Coke went with all the dishes we tried. So check out Coca-Cola on Twitter at @cokesg to find out more about #cokewithfood!
This article is brought to you in partnership with Coca-Cola®.
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