Singapore's TidbiTs

Literally "boiled noodles", a delicious dish that can be found in many hawker centres , mee rebus is a popular and tasty Malay culinary creation. It is a simple yet satisfyingly filling dish of the common yellow Hokkien noodles and sweet-spicy flavourful gravy garnished with boiled egg, beansprouts, Chinese celery, green chilli, and fried shallot. A squeeze of fresh calamansi adds tang and brightens up the dish. Mee rebus Mee is a Hokkien word for 'noodles' and rebus is a Malay word for 'boiled', thus we can see how different cultures complement and influence each other.The most crucial element in mee rebus is the gravy, which the soul of this deceptively simple dish. Traditionally, it is made from a stock base of dried shrimp, tau cheo (fermented soy bean), fresh herbs and spices, which is thickened with mashed sweet potato, thus giving rise to umami flavour. However, different vendors have put their own unique spin on the traditional recipe. Some hawker c...

Many associated Little India with Mustafa Centre, the huge 24-hour department store that sells almost anything. Yes, they practically sell everything including electronics, jewellery, shoes and fresh produce. And we all know of someone who would dash to Mustafa Centre to get that last-minute travel luggage. Other than Mustafa Centre, another well-known landmark in Little India is without doubt Tekka Centre or Market and the Arcade. Although not part of the original Raffles Town or Jackson Plan, like the ethnic areas of Kampong Glam and Chinatown , the well-preserved Little India in Singapore evolved through trade-related activities and remain a magnet of all things that represent the Indian culture and heritage of Singapore. The area was developed around agriculture and cattle trading in the 19th century. Common traditional trades include garland-making, goldsmithing, and fortune-telling. Indian goldsmiths are prominent, as gold jewelry is culturally significant. Walk along Serangoon ...

Museums and heritage centres offer wealth of information about the history, tradition and culture of the country and its people. There are many artefacts on display for the public to appreciate what the country has gone through in the past and offer glimpse of hope for the future. For the arts museums or galleries, they offer arts lovers and the public in general venues to appreciate and understand arts, however abstract and modern they may be. Most museums are free, at least for the locals. And for tourists too on certain days such as during public holidays or on Fridays. However, there are exceptions like the Changi Museum , which is free for all visitors, locals and foreign. There is a separate post dedicated to Changi Museum . While most museums are free (entry fees apply for foreign visitors except Changi Museum and few others), if you end up eating at the many upscale restaurants and cafes dotting some museums, your outing can be an expensive affair. However, the setting of the r...

Popiah or spring roll. It can be the whitish wet version or the brownish fried ones. These spring rolls are popular local delicacies. The ingredients can include but not limited to eggs, prawns, turnip, carrots, peanuts, lettuce, parsley, garlic, bean sprout, sweet sauce, chilli paste (the quantity of chilli paste depends on the spiciness that you want it to be) that are wrapped in popiah skin which is paper thin wheat flour to hold all or some of these ingredients! Many people think it is the skin that makes or break a popiah. And the filling need to be well-drained before being tightly rolled or wrapped. The popiah still need to be moist but not soggy. Some vendors will add a dash of crushed peanut bits to make it crispy. Kway Guan Huat Popiah at Joo Chiat You can get popiah at most hawker or food centres . The popiah can be the deep fried version or the wet types. You can get a wet type spring roll as shown below for about $2 at Qi Ji. The ones containing prawns will be slightly mo...