Tuesday 8 October 2013

Food for Thought


Hi there, how have you been ?  I have been away quite awhile hoping to post my drawing but it is still not completely done yet. Nonchalance sets in and I seem like I'm less driven to get it done fast. What if your livelihood depended on it, then it will be a different matter altogether. Then again I don't want to rush it but I did picked up some new things along the way to add to the picture. So be patient . . that's what I tell myself and don't beat yourself up for nothing. Did you read about my son's post on his trip to Germany ? I was happy for him to be bless with such an opportunity to go there to experience the European culture and beautiful streetscape.

When he was there, I was wondering whether there are any reasonably priced food easily available at the malls or roadside and he said there is no such thing as food courts. While he was there, he did go for their renowned Pork Knuckle though.

 
Over here food is easily available at Hawker Centers, Food Courts 24/7. So you don't have to worry when you go hungry. With a car, you can go anywhere and anytime to satisfy your craving for certain food. We don't have to tip or pay extra surcharge at these places but most of all we must be willing to stand in queue to order and self serve especially if a food stall is popular. Waiting time could be up to half an hour or more when there are lots of customers standing in line.

I have fond memories of Scotts Picnic, the first food court set up in the now defunct Scotts Shopping Centre in 1985. Hawker food reasonably affordable eaten in aircon comfort. It soon caught on with other shopping centres across Singpore spawning more food courts at the convenience of the shoppers. They came up with a theme decor to set themselves apart from other food courts giving the diners better dining experience.

Quite recently I went back to City Square Mall to suss out their newly renovated food court. With Chinatown Smith Street under a timely makeover, coming here make one feel the al fresco dining in a food street of yesteryear with the shophouse facade fronting each stall.










Old Jars Of  Dried Herbs & Spices

This Pernanakan Shophouse theme reminded me of the old roadside stalls along Bugis Street, Hylam Street and Chinatown thirty years back or so. Nostalgia fills the air, of course minus the discomfort of eating at dirty makeshift roadside stalls in the 1970s or 80s I guess. Another similar experience was at Resorts World Sentosa - Malaysian Food Street which opened last year. We, Singaporeans love to eat and there is a wide array of different cuisine to choose from, It can be difficult to determine which is best suited to be our national dish. Bye for now. Eat what you like but eat moderately. That's a good advice for those who could not resist everything they see.