Food Fight!!!

I was a KL-lite who had never heard of the hype down south about how singaporean market their food to tourists… until I started working here. Bak kut teh, Hainanese chicken rice, char kuey teow, nasi lemak, roti prata, laksa etc… are branded as “uniquely singapore” cuisine. No wonder our Tourism Minister Datuk Ng Yen Yen was kicking up a fuss.

These kind of food is found throughout South East Asia in different variations but to brand them as “unique” to singapore is… kind of unfair, don’t you think? Now I’m waiting to see what actions our Tourism Ministry would take, for they have always neglected this a big opportunity to market our gastronomical feats to the world.

Singapore, The Food Capital of Asia… screams their tourism website.

I have to admire the Singaporeans, for they really know how to promote their food to unknowing foreigners. However, the discerning would know what really tastes good and what is off the mark.

A post in the Straits Times online discussion board read: “Laksa, nasi lemak, Hainanese chicken rice, chilli crab and bak kut teh – how many Malaysian outlets’ food is as tasty as the ones found in any food court here? Come and taste the originals by Singaporeans”.

Well, I have tasted the ones found in the food courts here – and it’s not just any food court. I frequent the ones in Tiong Bahru (coz I stay there), and also the eateries in Chinatown (coz I work there) and this was what I had to say from a previous post…

Not that everything in SG tastes horrible… well, not as bad as it first tasted when i had to convert my KL tastebuds to SG tastebuds… (haha if there’s ever such a thing!) I found that the key to surviving SG food is to eat only those that are highly recommended, and sometimes even those tried & tested foods need a healthy dose of soy sauce or chilli before they are palatable.

Hey, I don’t mind healthy food but adding a bit more salt won’t kill ya, right?

Out on dinner one day with my KL friend who was also working in Singapore, the topic of food naturally cropped up. He was convinced there was something wrong with his tastebuds. His Singaporean colleagues were raving about this food and that food being absolutely delicious and all, but he actually found it bland compared to KL! So, he had to double confirm with another KL-lite! And yeah, there was nothing wrong with his tastebuds. LOL.

Another friend, who has been working in Singapore for years, insist on eating in expensive singaporean restaurants for it is only there that she can find food on par with hawker stalls in KL. She also avoids roti prata like the plague, for she exclaims that it isn’t as good as malaysian roti canai. Even my colleague who is from JB tasted roti prata and was absolutely disappointed with it. Mind you, these are only KL and JB people, I haven’t even had an opinion from a penangite – with penang being the food paradise of Malaysia.

So, to the patriotic Singaporean who posted in the Straits Times online discussion board, I understand your indignation because Singapore Tourism Board did a fantastic job convincing everybody that Singapore is truly a food haven. I wait to see what the Malaysian Tourism Board would do to the goldmine that is Malaysian Food… just bear in mind that nobody really OWNS the food. We are just promoting it to the world!