“When you look at Singapore’s skyline, which is an icon, you can see the first world country that we are now. What you can’t appreciate is how far we’ve come.

You can’t appreciate the decisions that we had to make, the hurdles we had to cross to get to where we are. It’s like seeing the surface but not understanding the depth,” explains Jason Loe, co-founder of Tribe.

To showcase the economic success that is Singapore, the two-year-old company created a new tour series called Made in Singapore. Stamped with Tribe’s trademark human interest stories, the tour feeds visitors with tales that are both true and accessible and so draw them into Singapore’s own rags-to-riches story.

“You know how they say a picture paints a thousand words? Well, we believe stories make pictures come alive,” says Loe.

“That’s what we do at Tribe. We bring you all the stories that help make sense of the big picture.”

This, then, is the new age of global tourism, where people want more than to be introduced to interesting sights and instead prefer experiences that are authentic and immersive for deeper connections with the destination and its people.

CRAFTING THE STORY

And so, in designing the first in its series of Made in Singapore tours, Tribe let the story take the lead.

“We began with the idea that we wanted to tell Singapore’s economic story because it is the country’s best story and yet no one has ever turned it into something visitors could experience,” said Loe.

From that seed of an idea, the Tribe team plotted the story arc.

“Every story has a beginning, a middle and the end. And we used that to select our destinations because we didn’t want our tour to be just one attraction after another. We wanted it to have a narrative.”

So, the Singapore Maritime Gallery was picked to showcase the country’s beginnings as a successful entrepot. 1872 Clipper Tea was chosen because it epitomizes Singapore business today. To wrap up, something futuristic was included – high-tech, sustainable urban farm, Citizen Farm Penjara.

1872 Team Clipper Company Tea Tasting

STORIES THAT MAKE THE PAST COME ALIVE

Once the storyline was mapped out, Tribe fills in the details to make the experience relatable and real.

“When you tell someone about a new place, you don’t give them the bare facts – how big it is, when it was built, who built it. You tell what you thought of it, how it wowed you, nuggets of facts that make the place interesting to you.

This is what Tribe does on a larger scale and in a more deliberate manner.,” says Loe.

Tribe’s Chief (their charming moniker for their guides), Iris Ang, is a master at this. With a crowd of Russian visitors, she teased with this quiz: “Where do you think coffee comes from?”

Out came the usual answers – Columbia, perhaps? Indonesia, since this is about Singapore’s history and Indonesia is a neighbor? The answer? Ethiopia. The connection? Coffee is among the many products that come from around the way to Singapore through its world class port. This port was what allowed the tiny fishing village to thrive in entrepot trade and become a highly-free market economy and one of the most open in the world.

At the Singapore Maritime Gallery where the history of Singapore’s port is given pride of place, Ang lets these stories lead her charge to take a closer look at the facts and figures of Singapore’s achievements.

Iris Ang, Tribe’s super guide and story teller

Like the skillful story teller that she is, she divulges details about the lives of the coolies who literally bore the country on their backs, giving the faded pictures of coolies walking the planks that lead up to mammoth ship a context both rich and meaningful.

“They were the human version of our petrol stations today or the bunkers that fuel the ships now,” explains Ang.

“They were paid to carry baskets of coals on board ships to be used as fuel. Our early port success could be said to be built on the backs of these men.”

Tribe also believes in letting stories build upon one another, which is why when one of the visitors in Ang’s group chipped in with his own stories, she graciously let him take the stage.

“I have been a sailor most of my life. 50 years of experience at sea. In those days, being attacked by pirates was not a myth, it was a reality. I was held at knifepoint by pirates once,” veteran sailor, Lance Fernandes, recounts to an enthralled audience.

“It makes it interactive and inclusive. It also makes each tour unique. Even if the places are the same, the stories aren’t,” says Loe.

At the 1872 Clipper Tea office, one of the brands owned by Singapore’s oldest family businesses, the 140-year-old BP de Silva empire, stories gave visitors a glimpse of how one family represented Singapore’s migrant history and the resourcefulness that has come to mark Singapore.

“Many people know BP de Silva as a jeweller. Some people know us for our F&B or commodities business. But few people know we are a business that wouldn’t have been if it hadn’t been for a sense of family,” explains Micheas Chan, General Manager of 1872 Clipper Tea.

During World War II, Japanese soldiers looted many shops including the one Balage Porolis de Silva set up at High Street. Everyone thought the business was lost. But one sharp manager snuck the company’s valuables into a sack and buried it under a tree in his home. When the war ended, he dug up the treasures and returned it to the de Silvas.

“He could have made off with the fortune but his sense of loyalty was so strong because he was treated like family that he didn’t even want a reward for what he did,” says Chan. “This tradition of treating employees like family has continued to this day.”

With the story fresh on their minds, the visitors were taught the finer art of tea appreciation and how to sniff out good quality tea from the poor.

“1872 Team Clipper Company’s story is that of many Singapore brands’,” says Chan.

“We don’t have tea plantations but we don’t let that stop us. Instead, we buy plantations from Sri Lanka and use Singapore to do what we do best – innovate the taste.”

STORIES THAT ENVISION THE FUTURE

Citizen Farm Penjara

At Citizen Farm Penjara, stories about people link past to the future.

Here, Ang leads with another quiz: “Do you know how small Singapore is?”

To put things into perspective, she offers this answer: “It is 11,106 times smaller than the world’s smallest continent – Australia.”

And with this understanding comes the appreciation of Singapore’s decision to choose technology over farming.

“Almost one in 10 people in Singapore was engaged in farming in the 1970s. But given our land and labour constraints, we had think out of the box.,” says Loe.

“That’s why Singapore pushes so hard for technology. Technology lets us overcome these constraints. Now, that technology has allowed us to return to farming of sort. We have created a new type of farmer.”

The urban farm uses technology to grow food that is then supplied to people, restaurants and hotels. As part of its closed-loop farming system in which ingredients and organic matter are put back into the soil to minimise waste and make farming sustainable, the edible farm trains and hires adults with Down Syndrome.

“This farm is all about people and their future. We want a future where people care for the earth, eat fresher and eat safer, and care for the community,” says Christopher Leow, Urban Farmer at Citizen Farm Penjara.

Christopher espousing the eco uses of black flies at Citizen Farm

Evident throughout the visit was not only the innovations – systems controlled by smartphones, solar power and hydroponics that provide nutrients directly to the plants – but also the human relations that make the farm full of kampung spirit (communal bond).

MAKING OF MASTER STORY-TELLERS

This dedication to stories that distinguishes Tribe experiences does not come easily.

“The stories are the result of continually working with our Chiefs, the guides, and the vendors who contribute their own stories. They all know they are part of the story arc, they know they are empowered to inject their personalities into the experiences,” says Loe.

Because the tours are regularly refined and enhanced, no two experiences are alike nor can it be replicated.

“Each experience has our special Tribe DNA. You can go to the same place, but you will never get the same Tribe experience,” says Loe.

Thankfully, there are a lot more Made in Singapore experiences in the works.

“We are planning several more editions of the Made in Singapore story because the country’s economic miracle is so rich and multi-faceted, it requires more than one chapter,” says Loe.

Stay tuned, then, for more soul revealed in the glitzy story of Singapore’s success.

MEET THE TEAM THAT BUILDS FUN INTO YOUR CORPORATE EVENTS

Be honest, until you were tasked to organise them, you had never found team-building activities, family days, corporate events or orientations much fun. But now you’re in charge, you want to make yours the talk of the town or, at least, the buzz in the office.

Well, your compatriots in company events – those in Marketing or HR – have a well-kept secret that we’re going to share with you. They didn’t go it alone. And (good news), you don’t have to either.

A curious eye for local curios

One of the toughest things about any company event is that it has to be different from the one before, yet continue to engage and delight.

“They don’t want another trip to a local attraction or theme park,” says Jason Loe, Chief of Chiefs (Tribe’s charming moniker for the guides) at Tribe Tours.

“Our clients tell us that adventure team games are trite and even those once-novel cooking classes have become overdone.”

On an island as small as this, can there really be anything that new anymore?  

That’s where Tribe’s unique ability to find the exciting in the everyday comes in. Take its Wet Market Tour. We don’t think much of wet markets. We don’t even consider them particularly necessary anymore, not when we can shop at supermarkets. Yet, in Tribe’s artful hands, this visage of local life becomes a delightful chance for cultural immersion.

“This tour is a total sensory experience. You can see, touch and smell the local ingredients that are used in some of the most beloved Singapore dishes. You can soak in the atmosphere and sounds of the ladies doing their marketing the old-fashioned way – the haggling, the raw energy – it’s quite exciting,” says Cheong Yoke Chun, the Chief in charge of this tour.

So passionate is Yoke about the tour, she takes it upon herself to ensure you get the full experience. Don’t be surprised when she whips out a cooler and treats you to her own concoction – homemade lemongrass drink – after the wet market tour.

“After looking at and smelling the fresh produce, it’s nice to taste them as well,” smiles Yoke.

That’s the other thing about Tribe tours. There’s always food.

“Food is such an integral part of Singapore culture. We learn so much from the tastes of the country,” says Yoke.

So, its Housing History Tour ends with a visit to not one but two actual HBD homes and bowls of local desserts made by the homeowners themselves.

“This tour is great for orientation for foreign hires or foreign visitors who want an authentic Singapore experience. You get to talk to the homeowners, find out trivia like why you can’t keep cats as pets in HDB flats and see that what looks like boring uniformity on the outside can be a study in contrast when you see how the homeowners decorate their homes differently.”

That’s what sets Tribe apart from the hoi polloi – that ability to take all the sights, sounds, smells, feel and taste of Singapore that we take for granted and turn them into insightful escapades.

“We excel in gems of knowledge and fun facts,” says Jason.

Tribe’s skill in taking the mundane and infusing it with amazement comes to the fore with their Road to Water Independence. You’ll never look at that glass of clean water straight from the tap quite the same after you’ve been on the tour that walks you through the nation’s effort to attain water self-sufficiency.

“At the end of these tours, you don’t just have fun, you discover something about Singapore that goes beneath the surface. It’s educational and entertaining,” says Jason.

The power of insider knowledge

Tribe is able to value-add to many local experiences because of the vast insider knowledge their Chiefs have amassed.

“Our Chiefs are story-tellers, comedians, historians, entertainers, coordinators all rolled into one. They are the reason our guests feel such connection during our tours because they are masters at linking place to people.

Each is so passionate they are continually adding to the experience so that our tours are constantly evolving,” shares Jason.

So, if you expect your event to trump last year’s, you will not be disappointed with Tribe. Its tours are truly one of a kind, like the About Mr Lee Tour. Debuting around the one-year anniversary of the death of the late founding Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in April 2016, this tour is a labour of love that took the team months of scouring literature and walking the ground to piece together.

“About Mr Lee takes you behind the public figure that was Mr Lee to the man he was. It takes you to his childhood home, lets you taste his favourite food, gives you a chance to sit in his seat at the old Parliament House. It’s the chance to walk where he walked.

Along the way, we tell you stories about him as a child, give you insights into how he likes his beer and what it was like growing up in Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore in the 1970s,” enthuses Jason.

All these come from the Chiefs’ research and, more importantly, personal experiences with Mr Lee. Facts you can get from any readings, but stories that show you the humanity behind the politician, these are Tribe trademarks.

Inroads into and connections with little-known experiences and dying trades are also how Tribe is able to take you where few have gone. The Roti and Kopi Factory Tour is one fine example. The trip to a traditional local bakery and a coffee roasting factory is the result of patiently cultivating rapport with these artisan craftsmen.

“We took months persuading the man at the coffee roasting factory to let us take groups in. He was very reluctant. And even when he agreed, he was quite reticent. Now, after working with us for some time, he’s more open to sharing about his trade.

We developed a relationship over time. That’s how we can take you behind-the-scenes where others can’t,” says Jason.

Adding to the flavor of Tribe’s tours are the craftsmen themselves, like the lady who shares her skills at the Popiah Making Tour.

“Instead of talking for craftsmen, we create the space for the guests to engage them. That’s how the tour comes alive. And the popiah auntie, she is quite the character. You have to meet her to find out,” laughs Jason.

Your personal organiser

It’s this personal touch that makes Tribe able to curate experiences just for you. And that’s probably the most challenging of demands when organising any corporate activity – that everybody needs to have fun. Everyone.  

“You have this one activity that has to appeal across ages, genders and personal interests because the people in the office are so different,” says Jason.

“What we do is listen to your needs and customise the event for you. You don’t have to take our regular tours wholesale, you can pick and choose what works for you.”

From the moment they take your first exploratory call to the time they wave good-bye to you, the same Tribe Chief is there.

“Many are surprised when I turn up at the event because they think we specialise – the one who takes the booking is different from the one who runs the tour. But we don’t work like that. From the get go, you get one person taking care of you,” explains Jason.

When confronted with large groups that number into the hundreds, Tribe goes the extra mile to make sure no man is left behind.

“We offer different tours for the big group so people can pick what they like and everyone is happy,” says Jason.

For tours for kids, Tribe is mindful of even the tiniest of details.

“We take into account their short attention span and cut short the explanations to accommodate them. We also make sure they don’t have to walk for long distances because we know they tire more easily. It’s all these things that make the total experience more enjoyable,” says Yoke.

What Tribe’s clients enjoy as well is the flexibility that the Chiefs offers.

“Sometimes, as we go along, someone will mention that they want to try a certain food. We will try to find it within our tour route so they can taste the food. This is only possible because our Chiefs know their tour areas so well. They aren’t afraid to go off script, so to speak,” says Jason.

The beauty of these tours is that it can fit just about any company outing – Family Day, team-building, orientation.

“We take you out of the daily routine and you get to mix with people in your company in a relaxed environment with everything taken care of. There’s learning, there’re stories, there’s plenty of eating. It’s great for bonding. And you come away from it all with a richer experience,” says Jason.

To contact Tribe, call +65 6463 1031 or send an email to hello@tribe-tours.com. Visit our website at www.tribe-tours.com.

And that’s what Tribe, a Singapore start-up that curates local experiences, offers in the latest addition to its bespoke selection of Singapore tours. Made in Singapore is exactly like being taken by the hand by Singapore’s best friend and told, with delicious details, it’s very best stories.

“We wanted something more than just a tour of Singapore’s best attractions. That, anyone can do,” says Jason Loe, co-founder of Tribe. “Instead, we wanted to give people a look at the stories that make Singapore what it is today.”

BEHIND THE SUCCESS

And one of the most important stories is Singapore’s meteoric rise to becoming a phenomenal economic success. In the over 50 years since it was thrust into independence, Singapore has blossomed from a Third World country into a First World nation, often coming up among the top in world rankings.

“There’s so much information about this aspect of Singapore but if you wanted to experience it, there’s nothing,” explains Loe.

“So, we decided to create a tour where people can immerse themselves in some of the facts and discover this aspect of Singapore. We wanted to include those countless did you know moments that couldn’t be captured in a history book but are what makes Singapore’s economic story so colourful.”

BEGINNINGS OF SUCCESS

The Made in Singapore story begins where the city state’s fortunes began – in the waters of Singapore.

“Singapore was successful from the early 19 th century because of entrepot trade. There are few better places to understand the bustle that resulted from its strategic position in those days than at the Singapore Maritime Gallery,” explains Loe.

Sitting at Marina South Pier, the 1,000-square- metre Singapore Maritime Gallery pays tribute to Singapore’s history as a port while chronicling its plans to maintain its award-winning. Recently given a nine-month makeover to the tune of $2 million, it opened just in time for Tribe’s first Made in Singapore tour.

As Tribe’s Chief, Iris Ang, takes her charges through the new space dedicated to Singapore’s past as a trading post in the 14th century, she regales them with nuggets of information. There are tales of why the slips of token given to coolies are soot-covered (the tokens were given to the coolies for each basket of coal hauled on board to fuel the ship to be exchanged for wages) and stories of how the Singapore River was part of the cycle of life then (the river served as both a conduit for goods to be brought into the country as well as a convenient toilet and dump site for garbage). In true Tribe style, each vignette has been painstakingly sourced and compiled by the team.

“We do a lot of work beforehand so that when people look at the artifacts, they hear the stories of the every man that made the history possible,” says Ang.
Lance Fernandes, a veteran sailor who has over 50 years of experience at sea, was among the crowd of 20 or so who was part of Ang’s group. He identified in particular with the stories of the men before him who had also irked out a living from the waters.

“Seeing how the ships used to be fueled, the bumboats and tong kangs (wooden boats used to ferry goods) brought back memories,” says Fernandes.

TASTE OF SUCCESS

The next stop was to a local business.

“The story of Singapore’s port looked at the trade aspect of the Singapore economic story. We wanted the next item on the itinerary to highlight Singapore’s business.

It’s a story that needs to be told because while there are so many made in Singapore businesses, not every one of them is known even within the country,” says Loe.

The search for a uniquely Singapore business was not difficult. Getting them to come on board was.

“We approached more than a dozen Singapore companies to be part of Made in Singapore. And we got turned down by about just as many.

Some didn’t want the tour to interrupt their business. Others were afraid trade secrets would be leaked. Others didn’t see the benefit of being part of the experience,” shrugs Loe.

But Singapore’s oldest family-run business saw the value of telling the country’s economic story. That was how the more than 140-year- old BP de Silva, founded by patriarch Balage Porolis de Silva, became part of the itinerary. Best known for its jewellery business, the de Silva empire extends to F&B and commodities as well. 1872 Clipper Tea is one of its nine brands.

At its office in Bukit Merah, 1872 Clipper Tea’s General Manager, Micheas Chan, hosted the Made in Singapore ensemble. Over steaming cups of local brews, the guests were told how the local team dreams up Singaporean tea flavours which are then developed in the R&D centre in Sri Lanka.
“We have bandung (rose syrup and milk) tea which we came up with while having lunch at the hawker centre nearby. We saw the local drink at one of the stalls and thought: why not? It became part of our National Day selection,” says Chan.

Chan’s team is nothing if not creative. Their concoctions have been as varied as they are imaginative – ice-cream- flavoured teas, confectionary-inspired teas (blueberry cheesecake matcha tea) and local breakfast-infused teas. Kaya (coconut jam) tea wowed the crowd the most.

“I liked it best,” quipped six-year- old Sophia Fernandez who was visiting Singapore from Belize with parents. “It really tastes like the kaya toast I had for breakfast.”

FUTURE OF SUCCESS

If 1872 Clipper Tea highlights the deep roots of Singapore’s business scene, the final Made in Singapore destination is a glimpse into Singapore’s business future. Set just a stone’s throw away from towering HDB (Housing Development Board) flats is urban farm, Citizen Farm Penjara. The sustainable edible farm marries modern technology with natural systems to grow fresh produce for the local community around.

“Once upon a time, Singapore was almost self-sufficient. Today, we are producing only 10 per cent of our own food.

Our hope is to return to those days of old but with new methods. Our agricultural byproducts, for example, are composted and up-cycled into fertilizer. This way, we not only eat fresher and safer, we also reduce our carbon footprint,” says Christopher Leow.

The visitors were impressed by how coffee dredges were used to grow mushroom, waste from fish used to grow kale, and insects bred to consume food waste and, subsequently, fed to the chicken in the farm.
“Citizen Farm was a gem we dug up from talking to our various contacts. They had to be included because they represent a vision of Singapore’s future as a self-sustaining and sustainable nation,” says Loe.

Citizen Farm has already turned some 50 spaces into edible gardens and envisions a future where roofs of buildings, the ground beneath bridges, even offices are used to grow food for the country.
Genevieve Xavier, who was with her family, was especially inspired.

“It makes you look at the space we have quite differently and see the potential that even our own homes can have to produce food for our table,” she says.
In fact, the whole Made in Singapore experience has given the visitors a perspective of the country they never had before.

Genevieve’s husband, Giovanni, who has lived and worked in Seattle and now resides in Belize says, “Compared to where I came from, Singapore doesn’t have many resources or a very long history. But as Made in Singapore has shown, it has managed to take the little it has to create a dynamic story.”
That is exactly Tribe’s intent – to show a side of Singapore previously not known. And there is more to come.

“There are still so many more editions of Made in Singapore we have in mind, more businesses to show, more of Singapore’s economic wonders to explore. This is just the start of the journey,” reveals Loe.

Whether you have recently called Singapore home, or are a regular visitor to Singapore, or even a local, when confronted with where to go to get your Chilli Crab fix, here’s a few top restaurants to keep in mind.

We insist you not veer from too far from these favourites. Take your pick!

• Long Beach Seafood
• No Signboard Seafood
• New Ubin Seafood
• Mellben Seafood
• Roland
• Jumbo Seafood
• Hua Yu Wee
• Palm Beach

You may not publicly read too much about these places because those who already know the place do not want the queue to grow longer.

1. Tim Ho Wan
   Dine on cheapest Michelin-rated dim sum. Chef Tim’s restaurant in Hong Kong is 2-star rated by Michelin in 2010. The menu was limited but patrons are happy eating the few dishes they really excel at. Because the place is not fancy, prices are cheap, starting auspiciously from $3.80

The queue at Tim Ho Wan is v-e-r-y v-e-r-y l-o-n-g. For a whole year since it opened its first Singapore outlet at Plaza Singapura on 9 April 2013, the queue would snake out of the mall’s exit doors.Die-hard fans wore face masks and stood in line braving the worse haze in Singapore’s history. Because guests are allowed in only when everyone in the party is present, you see several elderly folks in wheelchairs waiting in line.
At the time of writing this, I could get a table at 1:30pm if I queued for 20 minutes. Otherwise, use this place as a valid reason to eat at any time of the day, except during regular brunch, lunch or dinner hours. Only a week ago, new items were added – crystal dumpling with truffle sauce, duo skin prawn wonton soup, cheese roll wrapped with minced chicken and tofu with pork floss, the last addition I like the most for its contrasting texture. Your best bet is to stay with their classics of baked bun with BBQ pork (char siew pao), melt in your mouth pan fried turnip cake, steamed egg cake (lighter than a baked cake and more moist). I’m not into liver but the (rice flour) roll stuffed with pig’s liver is popular.

68 Orchard Road #01- 29A Plaza Singapura Tel: (65) 6251 2000 Nearest MRT Station: Dhoby Ghaut.

2. KOH’S GRILL & SUSHI BAR

Affordable omakase dining at his humble restaurant run by Chef Koh, who used to work in top Japanese restaurants in Singapore. It is located on the same floor as Wisma Atria food court but with its own (limited) tables and seats. Long time patrons order off the menu, giving the chef their budget, naming their favourite must-have fish and entrusting the rest all up to him, pretty much omakase dining style. If available, I would opt for kampachi (amber jack), tai (snapper), toro (tuna belly). My all-time fave iwashi (sardines) is hard to get anywhere in Singapore. Majority of the regulars haunt this place for the Shiok! Maki, which is creamy rich with Shiok is a local speak that means utmost satisfying, even orgasmic . To me, the steal item here is the carpaccio of 2 types of fish for only $18.
435 Orchard Road #04-21 Wisma Atria Singapore Tel: +65 9180 3805. Nearest MRT Station: Orchard

3. RIA Ayam Penyet

Don’t miss this one. Especially if you love crispy stuff, sambal chilli and Indonesian food. Lucky plaza has as many as five joints serving ayam penyet, but the one everyone seems to gravitate towards is RIA. It’s the biggest and most famous and the one with the widest variety of other things to order other than ayam penyet. Ayam (chicken) Penyet (to flatten) is a
deep fried chicken dish flattened or smashed with a wooden pestle, drowned in crispy batter bits, served on fragrant rice, sambal chilli and fried beancurd and tempe.

Alternatively, instead of chicken, you may opt for squid (cumi-cumi penyet) or beef (empal penyet) or catfish (lele penyet). The chicken version is the “original” and in biting it’s crispy skin an explosion of flavours. With the owner nowhere to be found, we asked die-hard fans and was told that turmeric, cumin, coriander and the faintest of lemongrass spices goes into what made this dish soooo sedap. It makes my mouth water just writing this!! Sides you absolutely must order include Bakso Sop (meatball soup),

Gado Gado (veggies in peanut sauce). End your meal with dessert like ice chendol or avocado juice.
4. MY FAVOURITE CAFE

Looking past its unsexy shop name and its obscure location (tucked in a corner at the top floor of Lucky Plaza), you will find one of the most underrated must eats selling Yong Tau Foo. Yong Tau Foo which means “stuffed bean curd” is a Chinese soup dish of a smorgasbord of tofu stuffed with a meat paste of fish and pork. Vegetables like bittergourds, ladies fingers, chillies are filled with this stuffing and eating with clear consumme soup accompanied by the crispy fried fritters of bean curd skin to give a contrast of soft texture al dente items with the crispy and crunchy variety. Yong Tau Foo can be eaten dry or soup version. If you’re there with a lunch companion, have one of each and see which you prefer. You can choose to eat this medley of goodies with rice (less common), egg noodle, bee hoon (rice vermicelli) or kuay teow or mixed. Our favourite: kuay teow bee hoon mixed and have it dry. They still serve a side bowl of soup anyways so you get the best of both worlds. What makes this the mother of all Yong Tau Foo stalls? Two items: their deep fried pork meatballs and their black mushrooms. If you don’t believe us, peer into every bowl of patrons there, everybody comes for that. These two items are seriously worth the long wait. This is a firm favourite amongst the locals as well. And the lunch crowd descend upon this joint like locusts. It is not uncommon to see a line of 20 people patiently waiting their turn by 1145 a.m. so my best advice is to be there before 1130 a.m. or during the slower hours of 3 to 5 p.m. Best part of this, the entire meal costs $5 – 6. Downside: Be prepared to share tables and bump elbows with the hungry but appreciative crowd.

My Favourite Cafe 304 Orchard Road #06 – 46/47 Lucky Plaza Operating hours: 8a.m. – 6p.m. (except Sunday). Nearest MRT Station: Orchard

5. GRANDMA’S
If only mom could cook like grandma … This is a haunt simply because of the home cooked tastes. If dining alone, go for the Nasi Buhkari, a good one dish meal with chucks of beef rendang, fried chicken thigh and assam (tamarind) prawns. It is not as common or easily found as nasi lemak. When I’m eating with friends in a group, besides beef rendang and assam prawns, we also order san bei ji (chicken dish cooked with 3 types of wine) and Grandma’s honey chicken and Ngoh Hiang (beancurd skin roll with minced pork and prawn inside). If you are adventurous, try the sambal petai, it is spicy and the bean pods have a bitter edge. Eating petai is good for your kidneys. Then leave room for a sweet finish with chendol (shaved ice with coconut milk, palm coconut sugar syrup, red beans and green jelly), or sago gula melaka as dessert or to quell the spiciness.

290 Orchard Road #B1-42/43 Paragon Singapore 238859. Nearest MRT Station: Orchard

6. Ma Maison
Atkin’s diet available here. Juicy and succulent battered deep-fried pork loin or fillet tonkatsu with refreshing shredded sweet cabbage allows me to sustain the Atkin’s diet. But I do cheat and have rice because this place uses the Kamado Japanese traditional rice cooker. On a promotional or seasonal basis, Ma Maison offers mielle-feuille tonkatsu with cheese or ume shiso. The combination of layers of pork and both ume and shiso is irresistable. The ume and shiso adds citrusy fragrance and cuts through any oiliness. In all honesty, there is none which is surprising for a deep-fried dish.

333A Orchard Road Level 2 Mandarin Gallery Singapore 238897 Nearest Station: Somerset

7. Nam Nam
Comfort food for internationalised Singapore tastebuds. There are few things I crave more than either Japanese ramen or Vietnamese pho. With 3 outlets on Orchard Road, I easily get my fix. The queues are about equally long at any of the three outlets. Even at 11am, the tables are easily all occupied and only counter seats avail. The partial self-service may make you think Nam Nam is a Viet fast food place but its part of the fine dining Les Ami Group. The restaurant’s name is derived from name of Chef Nguyen Quoc Nam. Nam Nam serves Hanoi pho, which is simply garnished with finely chopped spring onions, so don’t ask for mint or basil meant for Saigon-style pho. The robust soup needs none of the 5 bottles of sauces and seasoning on every table. Only on rare occasions, I dissolve a squirt or hoisin sauce and watery sweet chilli sauce in half a spoon of soup before stirring it all into the bowl of noodles. The lunch set is a steal at $9.90 for a piping hot bowl of generous portion of machine-sliced beef and fresh thin rice noodles plus a side dish of tangy and crunchy salad of cucumber, cabbage, carrots, 2 slices of smoked belly pork plus your choice of Vietnamese coffee or tea. The salad side dish is half the size of an ala carte serve selling at $5,90. The guys who hate veggies prefer the previous side dish of Vietnamese spring rolls with a peanut sauce dip but change is good. For a sweet finish, try the vanilla pudding with palm sugar caramel.

68 Orchard Road #01-55 Plaza Singapura Tel: 6837 2252 Nearest MRT Station: Dhoby Ghaut. Other outlets are in the basement of Wheelock Place and Raffles City.

8. PRIMA TASTE KITCHEN
Local Singaporean tastes from flour to revolving restaurant to local classics. No, it isn’t a cousin of the soup kitchen. Several local Singapore eateries have the word ‘kitchen’ in their name but the menu prices are equivalent to cafes or bistros. This place ticks all the boxes for convenience, location, taste and pricing. It is located in Centrepoint (take the basement escalator in the corner from Guardian pharmacy), which was the centre of Orchard Road until the hip action shifted closer to Orchard Station. The location is still central and it is the only one-stop place for sampling several local delights at one go. Food like satay tends to be available only at dinner time but you can have it for lunch here. I recommend the sampler, choose 3 from 5, for under S$10. I would go for the chicken rice, mee siam and laksa. The chicken is simply boiled with ginger and spring onions and chopped up, the skin is smooth and succulent because of alternating dunking in very hot, then very cold water. The rice is flavoured and cooked with some chicken oil and sweet-scenting pandan leaves. Mee Siam is rice vermicelli in a tangy and mildly spicy sauce, garnished with fried bean curd cubes. Laksa is white noodles, like spaghetti, cooked in a light curry broth using laksa chilli paste and smooth coconut milk. Cockles, prawns and shredded chicken and a garnish of slivers of aromatic laksa leaves complete the dish. This is also 1 of 2 places on Orchard Road to eat rojak (salad of cucumber, pineapple, turnip and beancurd skin dressed in black prawn paste), which is available here only as ala carte item. Buy prepared sauces in travel-proof packaging to take home and cook up what you just ate. The selection also includes the sauce for Singapore’s famous chilli crab and pepper crab. Prices range from $4.50 to $7.90 per box. Where: www.primataste.com.sg 176 Orchard Road #01-63/64 The Centrepoint Singapore 238843 Tel: +65 6887 3786 Nearest Station: Somerset

9. SHASHLIK
Old school butler service in a Russian restaurant. This place is an establishment, has been around for four or more decades. While owner chefs are common, owner waiters and waitresses are rare. The senior service staff at Shashlik OWN the restaurant, which they acquired by buying out the former Troika restaurant located in the CBD downtown at Raffles Place. Service is known to be rude; the friendliest was the captain, who was the first to pass away. The rudest owner waiter is still there, has mellowed through the years and gives you a wry smile on good days, if he recognises you as a regular from long time ago. Think of them as the last bastions of Hainanese men, who worked as butlers for the British when Singapore was colonised. They may seem brusque but at least they keep service standards in all other aspects. The food and drinks get trolleyed to my table or is served covered from kitchen to table. Crumbs on the table are swept clean before coffee, tea and dessert is served. I head for Shashlik when I crave borsch served with piping hot bread rolls. Of course there is nothing like homemade garlic bread with the grill lines on the toasts. I also eat at Shashlik when I want Western food in air-conditioning comfort for under S$15, which you can get here as a lunch set everyday except Sundays. I’m happy with the pork chop (with bone), chicken cutlet or fish and chips (Friday’s option) and pay $1 more to have borsch soup as part of the set. Where: 545 Orchard Road Singapore 238882 #06- Far East Shopping Centre Tel : +65 6732 6401 Nearest Station: Orchard

10. MARMALADE PANTRY
Consistent good food and regular haunt for steak and fries and more. You cannot go wrong eating at a place that uses quality ingredients and maintains its standard, keeping its edge, despite the many new dining options invading the Singapore shores in recent years. Prices are reasonable for what you get here, starting from $32. Familiar favourites are roasted pork belly and mashed potatoes and the steak and eggs, well worth allocating your calories quota to. You must save room for the sweets – good Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake or the Sea Salt and Caramel Cheesecake. Run out of ideas for where to eat on weekends? Head to Marmalade for brunch. You can have salads on hot and muggy days or order perennial favourites such as Eggs Benedict, slow-cooked oxtail soup, snapper ragout in a foil packet or steak sandwich. Complete with lemon brulee tart or red velvet cake.

2 Orchard Turn Singapore 238801 #03-22 ION Orchard Tel: +65 6734 2700 Nearest MRT Station: Orchard

Where would desserts like tau suan and ice kachang feature, or little bites like curry puff. What about kuehs like kueh salat and ondeh ondeh? Where are they on Singapore’s die-die-must-eat lists. Surely this oversight and omission is considered a Food List travesty of the highest order. *Gasp*. This would be akin to awards for acting for TV and movies being lumped as one and there were only Oscars and no Emmys?

So here’s recognizing the small bites, or anything that fits in the small plastic bags and bowls. The little guys that get us through 10.30 am. hunger pangs or give us a reason to sneak out at 3.30 pm tea time. We salute you!

CURRY PUFF

♫ Oh curry puff, my curry puff, my dear ol’ friend.
You come in all shapes and sizes, skin types and fillings, but I love em all.
Chicken, beef, mutton and potato, even sardine.
Dunkable in mee siam and rebus, but best on your own.
With a teh in my hand, you’re one crusty friend♫
(clearly losing my marbles making up a song about our beloved curry puff)CHWEE KUEH

Look at the amount of oil on this bad boy. And like all baddies, they come in 3s. So take one, take ’em all!

OYSTER CAKE “UFO”

Affectionately called UFOs (imagining an uncle at a coffeeshop coming up with the name) for its flat and round likeness, oyster cakes have another thing in common: they are seldom spotted and therefore rare. A strong candidate for the Singapore food endangered species, I cannot even count more than two stalls making these. The two that come to mind are 209 Jalan Besar at Da Jie Famous Wanton Mee. The other is Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake at Maxwell Food Centre. Try it before it becomes extinct!

BUTTERFLY BUN

So named because of its shape. Is it the same uncle who came up with the name UFO?

GORENG PISANG

This another fast endangered species as less and less Goreng (means “fried”) Pisang (“banana”) stalls exist today than in the 1980s. Not sure why. Besides the main star (the banana), other great side shows not to miss include the green bean, chempedak and sweet potato versions. Best stalls to try this?

1. Million Stars Goreng Pisang #01-49 Changi Village Market and Food Centre

2. Chi Shuang Shuang #01-51 Blk 51 Old Airport Road Food Centre

3. Boon Pisang Goreng (formerly from Longhouse) #01-18 411 Balestier Market

ANG KU KUEH

Look closely at the pattern and shape of this delicacy. What does it look like? It is molded to resemble a tortoise shell. Reason: Chinese believed that eating these will bring longevity. So this tradition continues today and Ang Ku Kuehs are given out on occasions like a newborn baby’s first month and on birthdays of the elderly.

Today, thankfully for lovers of AKK, you don’t have to wait till these occasions as it is sold all year round.

KUEH TUTU

Photo by Chong Yap

These delightful snacks are as nostalgic as they come for Singaporeans missing a bite from home. Visually, they are pretty. Aroma wise, the whiff of the fragrance of pandan tempts you. And texture and taste wise, magnifique!

KUEH SALAT

Photo by Debbie Teoh. Email: debbteoh@gmail.com
So underrated this fabulous kueh kueh, it’s articles like this one that puts kueh salat on the pedestal it deserves. What is it? It’s glutinous rice topped with a soft eggy kaya and pandan custard goodness. Tip: Do not go for the super unnatural looking green ones. The paler green they are they better they are!

ONDEH-ONDEH

I’ve not met someone who doesn’t love ondeh-ondehs. There are just some foods out there that are universally loved. First, is because these little balls are bite-size and perfect to pop-in-the-mouth. Second, an explosion of gula melaka completes the fun factor. Finally, the combo of soft chewy mochi-like pandan together with coconut and the gula melaka is heavenly. They too come in 3s. But they cannot be considered baddies, can they?

TAO SAR PIAH

Unlike the Laksa wars, or other food battles like chicken rice, bak kut teh and nasi lemak where there is a legitimate battle between five kings, in the world of tao sar piah, there is only ONE king. Loong Fatt. This one is unanimous.

EGG TART 蛋挞 (PRONOUNCED “DAAN-TAAT”)

Silky smooth egg custard goodness on flaky perfect crust. The only way to eat it: Warm. The only place to eat it in Singapore: Tong Heng Confectionery.

JIAN DUI

Actually the regular less puffy ones are more common. These above are hollow inside and found only at dim sum restaurants like Imperial Treasure Restaurant.

MEAN ZHANG KUEH

These poorly taken pics certainly don’t do justice to the MZK at 121 Telok Ayer Street. This easy-to-miss stall was my weekly indulgence when I worked nearby a few years ago. The man there is super nice, super generous with his peanut filling. Best of all, it is super value going for $0.50 and taste like a million bucks! 50c. Damn it. I feel like I’m robbing the nice man each time I buy one.

“OLD SCHOOL MOTORCYCLE” ICE CREAM

On a blazing hot day, these uncles on bikes may as well be superheroes that have come to save mankind. They may as well charge $5. And lifesavers these delightful ice-cream bars. Have it between super thin wafers, colourful bread, in a cup or cone (). If you’ve grown up here, nostalgia + cool ice cream with local flavours + supporting uncles on bikes = TAKE MY $$$ any day.

PULUT HITAM

Photo by Shu Han Lee
Literally it means “black glutinous rice”. And it’s a dessert served warm. For those from the region, this is familiar territory and Pulut Hitam has different variants in Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos and the Philippines. In recent years in Singapore, some of the hip restaurants have elevated this humble dessert and incorporated pulut hitam into ice cream, cake or simply heap vanilla or better yet coconut ice cream on top of it. Most creative use of pulut hitam? As risotto in a fancy restaurant in Seattle! Wonderful!

TAU SUAN

Photo by Chong Yap
Another warm sweet dessert. Eaten with you tiao (fried dough sticks).

TAU HUAY

There are now TWO versions. The evergreen traditional tau huay is simply tofu-soft beancurd served in a sweet syrup. Usually eaten with you tiao or butterfly bun. The new curd on the block (couldn’t resist, I’m sorry) is also silky soft sans the sweet syrup. The difference is in the consistency. The new version is more like a custard pudding. Yet light and less sweet. Don’t make me choose. It’s cruel. Some day you lean more towards one child over another. What?!

BLACK SESAME/ALMOND PASTE AND AH BOLING

Ok I am cramping three desserts here. They’re all different. Ah boling is glutinous rice balls served in ginger soup or peanut soup. Like ondeh ondehs, these balls bursts upon bite with filling that oozes out, so watch where you aim.

ICE KACHANG

Another in the category of who doesn’t love this dessert. Mountain of shaved ice, ladled with colourful syrup, gula melaka, condensed milk. Buried deep in the mountain are treasures like sweet corn, red beans, jelly and attap chee.

PUTU MAYAM

This dish is having a revival of sorts judging by the number of people looking putu mayam. It is really vermicelli-like thin noodles steamed and served with grated coconut and bright orange sugar. Admittedly, this one is tough eating on the move in a plastic bag or in a bowl. But it’s becoming too much of a cult favourite to ignore.

One of my earliest memories as a child of comfort food is the fragrant bowl of Hakka Yong Tau Fu my grandma made in the kitchen. The taste, alongside the accompanying memory is priceless.

In this era of food anxiety and rapidly changing restaurant fads, it is no wonder we feel the need to tuck into foods that remind us of simpler times and homegrown staples. Comfort foods never go out of style.

The Americans have their Grilled Cheese Sandwich, the British crave for Fish and Chips with aromas of vinegar and caramelized batter, and in Hong Kong, thick toast with butter and condensed milk washed down with milk tea (奶茶) never fails. We list down eight of the Best of Singapore’s Comfort Foods.

1 – PRATA

Roti prata literally means flat bread, but more like a savoury slightly crispy pancake eaten a thousand ways. It is eaten with fish curry, mutton curry, sugar, or plain as it is (also known as ‘kosong’ in Malay). With egg, cheese, onion, mutton or beef . There are more ‘exotic’ versions over the last few years that include toppings such as ice-cream, chocolate, banana…the list goes on.

Sequels are never better than the original. And this is true too of prata, but there are always exceptions (Toy Story II, Godfather II). Versions spawned off that are better forms than the original include the plaster (kosong topped with a sunny side up egg) and bomb (condensed milk).

But for the purist, prata is kosong. And eaten with either curry or sugar.

Comfort factor: It’s the go-to food for Singaporeans. The champion of breakfasts.The hangover cure for party-goers. Its wide appeal to ALL Singaporeans is also a winner. But most of all, prata, usually enjoyed with friends after a night of partying or the ever dependable breakfast food, triggers loads of warm fuzzy and happy memories.

2 – KAYA TOAST, HALF-BOILED EGGS AND KOPI

Yes, they come in threes and usually in a set. It’s hard to beat this trio of perfect a combination – sweet and savoury with a cup of traditional coffee amidst a familiar coffee shop (kopitiam) atmosphere. Kaya is made from a recipe comprising coconut milk, sugar, eggs and fragrant pandan.

Comfort factor: From humble beginnings since forever, the kaya toast, along with its counterparts, the half-boiled egg and kopi have won many hearts. Certainly, it is difficult to dislike something so simple and comforting.

3 – WARM SOYBEAN DRINK WITH FRIED DOUGH STICKS

Everyone who’s tried this combo is nodding their heads in agreement. What’s not to love about you tiao? Crispy skin on the outside, feathery airy soft on the inside. And they come in a pair!

Comfort factor: Dunking of course. Did we say how warm soybean milk just transports you to another universe?

4 AH BOLING

Balls. They’re warm, soft and sweet, especially comforting for the emotionally wounded, the homesick, the insomniac. We’re talking about rice balls (in case you think otherwise). Glutinous rice balls that are soft and chewy, cousin of the Japanese mochi. These are stuff dreams are made of, symbolising wholeness and content. Choose from a myriad of different fillings – crushed peanut, red bean, black sesame, or sweet yam in a bowl of ginger or pandan soup.

Comfort factor: Sink your teeth into one of these off-white, slippery pillows of delight. Till then, sweet dreams.

5 – NASI LEMAK

Commonly enjoyed over breakfast but equally delectable any time of the day.Traditionally a Malay classic but is also a hit among the Chinese, Indian and even ang moh communities. There’s something about rice cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with pandan leaves along with the special sambal chilli make nasi lemak a choice option for the young and old.
Comfort factor: A truly remarkable nasi lemak is not to be taken lightly. As Barney from How I Met Your Mother would say – “it is LEGENDARY”.

6 – CARROT CAKE

Herein lies the irony; the truth is out. There is no carrot in carrot cake. The main ingredient of the dish is radish “cake” (steamed rice flour), water, and shredded white daikon. But this is a dish that delights many.

Comfort factor: For this list, the blackened version wins hands-down because nothing beats a savoury dish that is slightly sweet, full of the lovely taste of burnt caramelized sweet sauce held together by eggy goodness.

7 – HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

The first time I ate chicken rice, I was hungry and broke, on the day of my final paper in primary four. Back then I was of course, unaware of its cultural importance and certainly uninitiated in the layered charms of the world of flavours trapped within this heavenly dish. Hailing originally from the island of Hainan, China, the preparation involves the poaching of chicken and rice cooked in fragrant chicken stock. Whether on a rainy day or a sunny afternoon, this dish will make bellies dance.

Comfort factor: The fragrant rice and the wonderful chilli sauce make the difference between a great chicken rice stall and a legendary one.

8 – WALL’S ICE CREAM (OLD SCHOOL STYLE)

Sound triggers memories and the tinkling of a brass bell would bring most of us back to a time when old uncles would pedal their ice cream carts and be immediately surrounded by a throng of school children thrilled to purchase an ice cream before heading home. The vendors prepare ice cream in a very unique,localized fashion unlike any other. Who can forget the colourful, almost tie-dye slabs of bread, or thin wafers as perfect accompaniment to the ice cream?

Comfort factor: At only $1.50, you get ice cream bread wrapped with fun, laughter and nostalgia.