The Singaporean government has a love/hate relationship with this fruit. On one hand, it loves the fruit as such it makes a national icon out of this fruit. Take a look at the picture below and you’ll understand what I mean. Arguably, this iconic building is better known as “the durian” rather than “the esplanade” (I have no idea to spell it correctly and this is my fifth year in Singapore [Eds. note: it's correct ] ).

On the other hand, it “hates” it as such it forbids the fruit to be carried in the train, bus or taxi. You can always try to hide the fruit with your unique creativity, but I don’t think you can hide the odour =) Oh ya, the penalty varies, but it’s perhaps similar to buy 100 more durians. Here’s the sign to watch out.

Now, I hope I can convince you that it is worthwhile to eat “this king of fruits”, the follow up question you may have is where to get it. The answer is it’s everywhere !!! You can just call the cab and tell the driver: “Uncle, durian”. They’ll all know. But, there is one favorite place I often go because of the price and the nuance. The place is called Geylang and I show it here. The stall looks like a market place and the fruit is priced at 10 SGD for three. Three durians is really a lot of fruit.

A last word: this fruit is high in cholesterol, so you have been warned. A traditional way to reduce the hazards (the cholesterol as well as the strong odour to some extent) is to pour water into the empty shell of the fruit after the pulp has been consumed and drink it. Or you can eat it alongside mangostee (nicknamed the Queen of fruits), which is considered to have a cooling effect to your body.

Last but not least, enjoy the conference and don’t forget the durian.

]]> http://wing.comp.nus.edu.sg/sigir-blog/2008/07/19/extreme-durian/feed/ 2 http://wing.comp.nus.edu.sg/sigir-blog/2008/07/08/singapore-walks/ http://wing.comp.nus.edu.sg/sigir-blog/2008/07/08/singapore-walks/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:58:53 +0000 Yee Fan http://wing.comp.nus.edu.sg/blog/?p=28 It is interesting to note that there is a company set up to perform walking tours in Singapore in not so touristy places. It appears to me that the places mentioned in their tour itineraries seem to be good places to consider. Personally, I do not really recommend paying the fee to join their tours, but the decision is entirely up to you.

The Opening Celebration, from 4-6 July, is a review of
Singapore’s hawkers of the 50s and 60s with over 40 stalls for you to enjoy!

In the second weekend of July (12-13 July), we would have the heritage food trail:

@Chinatown: cuisines of different Chinese dialects
@Malay Heritage Centre at Kampong Glam: local meals
@Little India: vegetarian food fair.

Near to our conference period, we would have:

18-20 July: Uniquely Singapore seafood event. Enjoy the famous Singapore Chilli Crab
on the warm shore of East Coast Beach.

26-27 July: Barbecue at Sentosa with live music. Enjoy the dishes you like in the relaxed ambience at Sentosa with music…something to be remembered!

Many other food events with no less fun such as food challenge, Chef’s Secrets
take place everyday around Singapore during this month. And I am sure
they would give you the best food for thought of the Sigir

What’s more? Bring along your passport to Singapore Visitors’Centers to get Singapore
Sampler vouchers, which would entitle you to a free sampling of any three local
delights.

So what are you waiting for? Singapore’s best dishes are waiting for you!

For more details, please visit the Singapore Food Festival website at:
http://www.singaporefoodfestival.com

While the rest of the visitors may be having their cafe latte at Starbucks, you can be local and enjoy a fine cup of coffee “kopi” or tea “teh”, along with a local snack. Kopi comes in three standard flavors – plain “kopi” that comes with evaporated milk and sugar, “kopi C” that comes with condensed milk and sugar or “kopi kosong” which is black coffee. The same three options exist for tea “teh” too. I prefer a “teh C” myself. Tea and coffee are often brewed identically alongside each other in large kettles that feature a sock-like filter. At certain Indian or Malay restaurants or drink stalls you can also order “teh tarik” (pulled tea) which is mixed by pouring the tea between pots, or “teh halia” (ginger tea), great when your feeling a bit under the weather.

Milo and to a lesser extent Ovaltine (both cocoa drink powders) are also staples in drinks in SG and the nearby region. You can try having an iced Milo or a Dinosaur, the latter which is the Iced Milo with extra powder on the top for making Milo sugar bombs in your drink.

Need a snack to go with that drink? How about a local snack: soft boiled eggs with a side of kaya toast. Actually perhaps it is the toast with a side of eggs; I never did figure it out. Kaya is a greenish spread that an infused flavor of pandan leaves, which adds a bit of tang to the flavor. Many enjoy the eggs with a dash of soy sauce.

There are many food stands here, gathered into “food courts” (air conditioned centers or hawker centers: open air plazas. What we’re after here is the hawker center. Why hawkers? Well, they are called hawker centers, named after the hawkers (callers) who used to go around the neighborhood crying out to advertise the food that they had to offer (”get your fresh fishball noodles here!!”). In more recent times these mobile food vendors were legislated and localized to a specific food stall for inspection purposes, among other things. Each center consists usually of about 15-50 stalls (although usually many fewer will be actually open) offering various Chinese, Indian, Muslim and occasionally other foods, such as Japanese, vegetarian or Italian. Within each plaza there is always a central stand serving drinks (thus you buy your beverages at a different stall), which sometimes doubles as a fresh fruit stand (because many of the beverages are freshly squeezed/pulped fruit juices). There are many variants of Chinese food that I didn’t recognize here when I first arrived in SG and for the most part I have been ordering what I can pronounce reasonably ok (it’s easier to use English and you probably sound less like you’re trying hard if you do). Also, family is a big thing here. There are practically no single people eating at these plazas, unlike the food courts of the US. Mostly families or friends or couples going out. The price of food at these hawker stands is also very cheap. Your average dinner at the food plazas will be around 6 SGD (4 USD), although our local school’s canteen, you might be hard pressed to spend more than 4 dollars for a regular meal. Eating times vary a bit from other global metropolises, where it is always possible to get a meal 24 hours a day. That can be done easily in Singapore too, but just in certain areas (ask me!). I find the hawker food good to eat and sometimes have a hard time in justifying the difference in cost to eat at an actual restaurant (the cost is about 15-20 SGD or much more), since the hawker food is already quite good for my taste.

Hawker food comes in many different varieties but there are some simple rules to remember about eating out:

- Bring tissues. Those small packs of tissue are essential for the traveller in Asia. If you don’t have one by the time you are at a hawker center, buy one from the drink stand (there’s always one open), or borrow one from your friend who came along and was better prepared than you

- Make sure to reserve a seat. One of the customs here is to “reserve” a seat at a table. Send your friends to buy their food first and then when they return it’s your turn. You did bring someone to eat with, didn’t you? Yes, it does waste valuable table space, seeing as many people in a hawker center are there just to reserve a space. But when in Rome…

- “Self-service” In the US, this means you pump your own petrol. But in Singapore, it means that you have to get the food after it’s cooked and return to your seat. If there’s no such sign, you can let the stall owner have their helper deliver it to your table (yes, that’s what the table number is for).

- “$2 $3 $5″: Don’t let someone fool you into thinking these are different prices for locals, expats and tourists. Nah, it’s for the portion size you might want to eat. Many dishes can be made with more ingredients to make a richer plate of food. You can tell the stall owner how much money you wish your food to cost. Typically, a higher price corresponds to more meat/veggies and not carbo, so it’s not quite the same as upsizing your McMeal.

- So are you ready? Listen to what locals tell their hawkers when ordering. If you can pick out the meaning, you’ll hear the dialogue being negotiated in a semi-fixed order. Usually, people tell the hawker what dish they want, followed by the dollar amount, whether they want chili or not, and specify *exactly* how they want it cooked (Burger King’s got nothing on this.) Other details follow: whether they want it “packet” (to go) or to “makan” (eat here, “makan” is eat/food in Malay) and where they are sitting (if it is to be delivered to your table).

Good luck and go forth and practice!