What/Where to EAT?

Living in Singapore, there are many variety of food available due to the diverse community. Our food is affected by the people and the way they change it to accustom to their cultures. For example, the chicken curry is not only well-known amongst Indians, but as well as Chinese. Have you ever noticed that the chinese and indians have both very different cooking styles for the chicken curry? Although they both are very similar, the chinese chicken curry usually uses other methods for thickening the sauce while the indian uses mainly coconut milk. However, they both still taste delicious! Through food, people are able to bond and find similar topics with. It brings people together whether it is by cooking the food or eating them, either way they both build strong relationships with one another.

Being a diverse country, we would try to accommodate to our friends preferences such like their religious food restrictions etc. In school, I have a group of friends that are of different race, meaning that we all would have different taste for food. How would it be possible to accommodate to their different preferences but still be able to dine together? Well, I've decided to come up with a few suggestions so that it would be easier for us to have meals together.

First off,

                                       Hawker Centres

A hawker centre is a place where most Singaporeans dine. It consists of many stalls that sell a variety of food dishes such like local delicacies, Western food or Japanese food. Hawkers can be found nearly everywhere in places like shopping malls, housing areas and schools. It's easily accessible and food available are affordable. It also has a Singaporean feel as you can see many Singaporean cultural norms in places like these. For example, the 'choping' of tables using tissue papers. Although the ambience is not as good as restaurants, many Singaporeans would still prefer to dine here as there are a wide array of food to choose from and because it is affordable.

Being a regular to these places, I've decided to bring my diverse group of friends here to dine due to the convenience and wide variety of food. It also gives us a sense of belonging in this country as we also get to taste and eat the Singaporean food we grow up on.

 Here I will be listing a few dishes I would suggest:


Halal Preference

A plate of Nasi Lemak

Consisting of crispy chicken wings, chargrilled otah, a fried egg and a side of crunchy ikan billis, sambal and cucumber, this plate only costs $4! Although this is a muslim dish, the nasi lemak is also widely popular amongst the different races in Singapore. Many Singaporeans love this particular dish due to it fragrant pandan-infused rice and crispy ikan billis. This plate is not only affordable, it's delicious and also accommodates to the halal eaters. I feel that people should eat this particular dish as it really brings us back to our heritage, it gives us a sense of pride and belonging in the country.

Organic Eaters/Social Enterprise Eatery/Vegetarians

A bowl of Pasta Salad from The Crowded Bowl

This bowl consists of iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, fusilli pasta, deep-fried tau pok skin and dressed with thousand island sauce costs a surprising amount of only $3! Unlike major salad food-chains like Saladworks, The Crowded Bowl is a small startup salad chain that resides in hawker centres. It provides affordable create-you-own salad bowls that costs less than $10 per bowl! Not only that, it gives the organic and vegetarian eaters a different variety of food to choose from everyday.

I chose this dish as I feel that this is something very new to Singaporeans. Because it is new, Singaporeans will have something to talk about. They can bond with one another over food like trying it out together.

Seafood Preference

A bowl of Fish Soup with a Side of White Rice

If you're craving something fishy, no worries, in a hawker centre it is common to find a stall that sells seafood like fish, prawns and squid. In this bowl of fresh fish soup, which consists of a generous amount of sliced white fish, it costs a whopping amount of $7. Although it might be a little pricey for hawker food, it has a very generous portion of fish and is a real value for your money. I feel that you can only taste these kind of flavourful fish soups although it is only a very plain and simple dish.

To summarise, I feel that Hawker Centres will be a great place to bring my diverse group of friends as everyone's preferences can be satisfied. With such different variety of food choices, people are able to share their food around and try different delicacies. This brings them closer together as they get to experience what one another likes. Furthermore, it brings us closer as Singaporeans as we all share a common trait - we love eating delicious food!


Secondly,

                                      Eighteen Chefs

Eighteen chefs is a social enterprise founded by Benny Se Teo with the aim of providing troubled youths and ex-convicts and non-judgemental working environment, which helps them reintegrate back into society. Benny Se Teo is an ex-convict himself, he wanted to help those like him who found it hard to turn over a new leaf. Hence, he started his business alongside two partners.

I chose this place to dine with my friends as they have an affordable student menu with a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Regularly, I will often dine at this restaurant almost once every week, however, I will not suggest coming here to dine everyday as their food prices may be a little costly for the current economy and standard of living. They have many different outlets in places like shopping malls and you will often see a long queue of students like me queuing to eat at their restaurant. 

Vegetarian options available

Their menu also offer vegetarian options and they will even label the dishes that are vegetarian friendly with a vegetable sign beside the name, and the best part is that their dishes are all halal! This is also one of the reasons why I chose to dine here with my friends.

Student meal at SGD6.80

Not only do they have a variety of food options, they also have a "be-your-own-chef" option where you can create your own bowl of cheese baked rice. In this option, they also give students a cheaper alternative that costs SGD6.80 for a whole complete meal with an iced lemon tea and ice cream!

Stringy goodness all in a bite!

I feel that bringing my friends here to dine is unique as it also helps Singapore in many ways, such like helping distraught youths and ex-convicts be reintegrated into the society. It will be beneficial to both Singapore's society, the economy and also of course, our tummies- win-win!










Lastly,

                                   Jinjja Chicken

I would bring my friends to Jinjja Chicken as 1) it's affordable, 2) it's halal, 3)it's authentic korean food and 4) it's Jinjja (really) DELICIOUS! Jinjja Chicken mainly sells authentic korean food but their star of the show is their fried chicken. Although they only have two outlets in Singapore, they are in pretty convenient locations!

To give a brief overview, the SmartLocal (https://www.facebook.com/TheSmartLocal/?hc_ref=SEARCH) visited one of their outlets in Bugis. 

As you can see from the video, a set meal, consisting of 6 chicken wings, french fries and a drink costs less than $10! Furthermore, students get $3 off their set meals! All their food are halal, from their chicken to their Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), so muslim eaters do not have to worry!

Jinjja Chicken is the best place to dine at as it accommodates to everyone. To people who prefer seafood, they also sell seafood mandu (seafood ingredients wrapped into a dumpling). As a see-food person, I absolutely adore this place as they have a wide variety of korean dishes to choose from! For vegetarians, no worries, Korea's got you covered, they also sell Korea's most popular food, Jajangmyeon, or also known as black bean sauce noodles. It is self-explanatory, it's noodles with black bean sauce! Although it's pretty simple, it is pretty delicious!

I feel that this place is the most perfect place to bring a diverse group of friends out to eat as it has a variety of dishes that can accommodate to everyone. They have affordable pricings that will not burn holes in our pockets and will completely fill our tummies! Not only that, I feel that this is also a good way to expose Singaporeans to different cultures through the common love for food. 



So if you're planning on lunch just head down to one of these places! 

1. Hawker Centre
2. Eighteen Chefs
3. Jinjja Chicken

Citations
Nasi Lemak (https://www.burpple.com/mizzy-corner-nasi-lemak)
The Crowded Bowl (https://www.misstamchiak.com/cheap-eats-in-woodlands/)
Seafood Soup (https://www.burpple.com/piao-ji-fish-porridge)
Eighteen Chefs (http://www.eighteenchefs.com)
Jinjja Chicken (www.jinjjachicken.com/)