Singaporean Staples?

One of my duties while John was visiting SE Asia was to get him to try durian-the king of fruits. The only thing that everyone agrees on is that the smell of the fruit is strong. Whether it's a foul, putrid stench or a sweet, delicious aroma is where opinions mostly differ. To be honest, John's reaction was really boring. Maybe it was I who had follied by building it up too much so as to ensure an anticlimactic finish. He ate a few pieces but neither conceded to hate it nor love it as most people do, either spitting it out, vomiting or rubbing it all over their bodies in delight accordingly (I've never actually seen anyone do that last one... but the first two- yes!), and while he didn't hate it, he only wanted to eat a few pieces- not a whole one to himself. Actually, maybe not unexpectedly, his reaction was pretty much the same as mine. I never spat it out like some do and ate a few pieces the first time I tried it but didn't want more. Then every other time I tried it I enjoyed it more and more until now I love it and even crave it at times.Don't let his reluctant look fool you, John didn't hate the durian!


Despite the rumors that consuming durian and alcohol together will result in sure death we decided to risk it and try one of what is surely Singapore's most ordered drinks (by tourists): the Singapore Sling. And what other place to have it than the supposed location of it's origin- the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel where some also claim the last tiger in Singapore was shot dead.
Raffles Hotel at night
John and the the Singapore Slings. The recipe now served at Raffles is acknowledged to differ from the original recipe which didn't include grenadine, pineapple and citrus juice but the exact recipe is either unknown or debated. What is agreed on is that the drink at it's core is a Gin based drink. (not surprisingly since Singapore was a British Colony after all)

We survived the Durian and Singapore Slings though the price of the drinks nearly killed us- over $51SGD for the two drinks!
Okay, in seriousness, the Singapore Sling is not a staple for the average Singaporean and neither is durian- some Singaporean don't even like durian or alcohol, but for many, they are both undeniably enjoyable to consume...just not at the same time though!!

Another debatable Singaporean Staple though a food enjoyed by many is Chili Crab. Whether it's a staple or whether it's an official, unofficial or just a famous Singaporean dish, many people will recommend you try it while visiting...so of course I felt obligated to take John to try. Many places serve this dish, along with other types of crab like butter, pepper or garlic crab, and everyone has their favorite restaurant. We decided to have it at a place with outdoor seating along the Singapore River and had both chili and pepper crabs along with a few other seafood dishes. Maybe it's not the best place for either dish but the location is hard to beat, with the skyscrapers of Singapore's central business district rising up just along the river walkway in the background.I think he liked it, he said something like it was like the Asian version of ribs (comparing to U.S. bar-b-que style ribs)... uh, kind of- both are messy for sure but even so John would not accept a plastic bib to protect my shirt he was wearing*. I still think it's a lot of work to eat these crabs but actually it is pretty good. John liked the pepper crab more... in retrospect this is kind of surprising since he said he doesn't really like spicy food so much... (something that became really (painfully) obvious and a source of immense humor when I convinced him to try a Thai green chili with dinner a few days later in Bangkok... I think he seriously cried after eating it. Not nice since I had accidentally ate one about ten minutes before and it was way too much for me. Generally they can be anywhere from about 6 to 40 times hotter than a Jalapeño pepper which might be more familiar to you)

Of course Singapore has a lot more to offer than these "staples" and the time with John here really passed quickly. I think he was able to get a pretty good idea about what Singapore has to offer as I tried to show him around different parts of the island to get a range of experiences. John also did a lot during the days and took what sound like some good tours of different neighborhoods. I think I'll have to go check them out too.

*That's right, I found John wearing one of my shirts when we met for dinner that night. Hmm... I did offer though since all the other clothes he brought on the trip were some type of synthetic polyester sports blend. I guess it does make sense for travel in such a hot and humid region.