Let’s face it — we all hate forced, insincere small talk because it’s impersonal and has no real purpose but to fill awkward silence. Singaporean small talk, on the other hand, is a bit different from the norm. While Americans are pretending to be enthused by tomorrow’s forecast, the chatter here frequently revolves around food — the country’s national obsession.

It’s fairly common to ask a complete stranger about his or her dinner plans, recommend a local joint or ramble about your favorite childhood dish while commuting to work or school. No matter one’s budget, nationality or creed, food is the one unifying cultural thread that brings everyone in this country together harmoniously. The mere utterance of grub is an almost guaranteed way to grab any Singaporean’s attention.

And can you really blame Singaporeans for constantly yammering about food? According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, there are more than 2,000 eateries in this country — a country roughly larger than the city of Syracuse.

This place truly has every type of cuisine you can imagine in practically every nook and cranny. On one street you might find an old woman selling dumplings, around the corner you spot a local dessert stand and two shops down there may very well be a bustling, Western cafe or perhaps a fast food stall. The options can be rather overwhelming to newcomers.

Surprisingly, restaurants and chains are the least popular type of eatery in Singapore, although business is at an all-time high, especially among the younger generation. McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Wendy’s and Subway can be found at any mall in this country, with the addition of regional delights, such as KFC’s new Curry Rice Bucket. But customers beware — restaurant food is going to cost you a pretty penny.

Next we have food courts, where most Singaporeans get their daily chow on. Also commonly found in malls, these places are the closest you’ll ever get to heaven on earth, even though they are all rather similar. In reality, the biggest difference is the size. I have been to several with as few as 10 food stalls and others with more than 30. But quality is certainly held over quantity when it comes to these food courts, and there is always that one stall that is a total knockout.

Finally, there are the hawker centres — gigantic, outdoor food courts that are filled with grill smoke, have no air conditioning and little place to sit or stand. You hear all about these before you arrive, but once you get here you realize they’re completely overrated. Hawkers share many features with the food courts: no napkins, waiting in queue — what we call a line — for eternity, claiming your table by simply laying down your things, and, of course, they cost almost nothing.

The biggest difference is that you place your order at a stall and they bring the food to your table. It’s a restaurant in a food court, so to speak. Most neighborhoods have their own hawker centre, which acts almost like a community center with a ton of fried foods.

My biggest complaint with the food thus far has to be the lack of pure vegetarian cuisine. As a vegetarian for almost eight years, this breaks my heart. Singapore is all for catering to religious dietary guidelines, specifically Muslims. In fact, you can find stalls that proclaim “no pork, no lard” anywhere. Vegetarian stalls, however, are quite the rarity. Of course, you may track down a single vegetarian dish at a meat-serving stall, but it’s best to ask about the ingredients first. Most of the time, I just get stuck eating Indian food and for this, I can’t complain.

Next time you’re waiting for the bus to class, go ahead and randomly ask that girl beside you what she had for lunch. You may both be surprised.

Zachary Gipson is a senior majoring in economics and linguistics. He is striving to fit in with the fast-paced locals of Singapore. To chat about life abroad, shoot him an email at ztgipson@syr.edu.

 

Published on January 27, 2015 at 12:01 am