Fish and seafood form a part of the daily diet for a great many people. Each region of the world has their own specialities based on available fresh local ingredients, from the paella of Spain to the sushi of Japan. In South East Asia seafood is particularly important and has a very long and rich cultural and culinary history. Any island will clearly have a wider appreciation for fresh seafood and the smallest island state in South East Asia, Singapore, shows this through a wonderful variety and high quality of local seafood dishes in its excellent seafood restaurants.
|
Dining is something of a national obsession in Singapore and forms a large part of the social and cultural scene of this unique island city state. Many South East Asian countries will have their own styles of cuisine which have evolved over time, and in Singapore this combines the multitude of different influences which have come to define the notable Singaporean cultural and ethnic diversity. Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and Malay culinary influences are all very much in evidence as well as incorporating western tastes through the city's colonial period and modern standing as a major world financial and commercial centre.
What this means for the city is some first class restaurants and a wealth of dining environments. Certainly, many of the restaurants will have their own take on seafood dishes. In Chinese restaurants, for example, fish based soup and noodle dishes are common and Yusheng, a raw fish salad, is a favourite dish for Chinese New Year celebrations. Similarly Malay and Indonesian restaurants will serve seafood dishes such as Assam Pedas, and seaweed derived agar dishes. Prawns, shrimps and other shellfish are particularly popular and form the basis for many cross cultural fusion dishes.
Seafood Restaurants offer the best opportunities to sample some of the most famous dishes in the city. Clams, oysters, lobsters, and crabs are ever present and squid is popular too, known in Malay as sotong. A seafood dish synonymous with Singapore is Chilli Crab, in which hard shell mud crabs are stir-fried in a tomato and chilli sauce. There is also a Black Pepper Crab option served in thick gravy with black pepper. Other seafood specialities include barbecued Stingray in sambal seasoning. Served on a banana leaf, this dish is unique to the city. Oysters are also served, either fried or incorporated within an omelette.
The cultural history of dining in Singapore is defined in many ways by so called hawker centres. Derived from street hawkers who would supply their fresh wares direct to the public, hawker centres sought to locate the hawkers in single locations selling from market stalls and have grown to become something of a tourist attraction as well as a source for selecting the finest and cheapest available food. As the city has become more affluent the hawker centres today are as likely to be located within air conditioned food courts and shopping malls as in the busy market squares but the philosophy remains the same; providing an all encompassing culinary experience.
When it comes to seafood, one hawker centre rises above all others and is a must see for any visitor to the city who has culinary passions. Established in 1987 in the East Coast Park, the East Coast Seafood Centre comprises three blocks of excellent seafood restaurants, widely regarded as amongst the best in the city. The centre was renovated in 2005 and is an integral feature within the park, the largest in Singapore. The park also contains a beach, entertainment facilities, and sports activities and is a popular place with families and visitors to the city.
There are of course many other locations in the city, rich in sights and attractions which draw the visitors. Orchard Road within the Central Region is the main centre for shopping and nightlife and some fine restaurants serving exceptional seafood are to be found in this area. Many restaurants within the city are contained within the modern masterpieces in architecture and design which have helped define Singapore and offer wonderful dining environments, whether for a romantic dinner, a business lunch, or a social gathering. The riverside provides the ideal location for many, where the views complement the food for a memorable dining experience.
Such is the enduring love affair with food, the city hosts an annual food festival, held each year from the end of June through July. Culinary workshops help participants take away some of the skills and ideas which have put Singapore on the culinary map. There are also themed celebrations, and weekly events held all over the island. Centre stage is the national dish of chilli crab and other such famed local delicacies. For every other celebration of the sea’s rich bounty there are the Singapore seafood restaurants.
|
|
|
|
