By Robert Danhi, CHE, CCE, CEC, CCP, Contributing Editor
In Singapore, foodies are not just a group of folks from the more-affluent parts of the population. Every socioeconomic level within this small city-state, which comprises only 246 square miles—and is home to over 100,000 registered hawker food stalls—has a keen interest in food. This provides a platform for one of the most-dynamic, multiethnic and pervasive food cultures around. We can look to Singapore for more than just what is delicious—we can learn how to improve our food quality, increase foodservice turnaround and get ideas on how to create collective eating arenas for food.
A cultural stir-fry
Instead of the frequent melting-pot analogy, I prefer to look at Singapore as a stir-fry of cultures. Each ethnic group retains its identity, and in their cuisines, they simultaneously come together to form a synergistic blend of flavors.
More than 70% of the population is Chinese, mostly of Southern Chinese descent, and their dialects are sometimes used to label the various styles of food, restaurants and dishes—nowhere else have I seen this. For instance, Hakka pork belly with taro (thick wafers of pork belly simmered in a spiced, black-vinegar sauce), Hokkien mee (fat wheat noodles slathered in a thick, pork-crackling soy gravy), and Hainanese chicken rice (poached chicken, aromatic rice and chili-ginger sauce) all hail from groups that speak each respective language. Two other major cultural groups are the indigenous Malays and Indian, mostly from Southern India, each at about 10% of the population. The remaining inhabitants are made up of immigrants from around Asia. These major ethnic groups can be found peppered across Singapore, yet there are ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Kampong Glam (the Malay-dense community) and Little India.
Chinatown is one of the only places you can still eat on the street—literally. In the evening, the street is closed to traffic, and the tables come out. Chinese cuisine can be found all around the island: Fine-dining restaurants, casual eateries and stalls within the hawker centers churn out authentic Chinese cuisine from all around China.
