In my end of China, foreign food can be split, mostly, into two categories: western and non-Chinese Asian. Predominately, the Asian varieties tend to be dominated by Japanese, Indian, Thai, and Korean. In Tier-2 or Tier-3 cities like Changzhou, you might find Singaporean, Malaysian, or Vietnamese. Singaporean and Malaysian in hadn't even tried before leaving the US for China back in 2014. These places are few and fleeting, and once you find a place you like, it seems to last a year or so before the vanish completely. My city is currently without a good Malaysian place, and Singapore hasn't been adequately for a few years until recently.
Located on the fourth floor of Xinbei Wanda place, the joint has the uninspired English name of "Singapore Restaurant." Yet, it does have some of the things one would expect with a establishment with that moniker.
The laksa noodles were really nice,
As were the fish and beef curry. And then, there was this revelation.
Hainan Chicken. I have had it once before, and was thoroughly unimpressed. I think that it was at a hole in the wall place run by Chinese people who thoroughly didn't understand Singaporean food. The chicken, back then, was served in a puddle of soy sauce. There was something else I was missing out on, back then.
Dipping sauces! I think Out of the three available, I liked the orange one best. It tasted sort-of similar to American buffalo wing sauce.
That's not to say I disliked the others, and sometimes having all three at the same time is certainly fun, too.
Having never actually been to Singapore, I can't vouch for the authenticity of the dishes pictured here. I merely loved eating them. However, a Singaporean expat in our foreign community tried the place out and vouched for it. That just made me realize that, someday, if I make it to Singapore, I will eat like a slob.
It's indeed not easy to vouch for the authenticity of restaurants serving foreign food, if one hasn't been to said country yet. I had the same when I tasted Mexican and Sichuan food, but nevertheless the food was appetizing.
When you like something, you like it. And while you wish you knew if it were authentic or not, some people can feel irate when a food nerd wants to berate you over what you like. As an Italian-American, I have long had to make peace over this when it comes to pizza.
I agree and hahaha I watched what I said when I was in Italy when it came to their food 😅. Luckily, I enjoyed everything I tried.
The color of the laksa looks close enough and the chicken rice don't seem way off but not everyone is a fan. I eat chicken rice but it's something I rotate in and never something I frequent choose to eat regularly.
Aha! There be "the Chinese factor." There was no rice, just poached chicken meant to be dipped into a sauce before eating. But, I did like the clean taste of the chicken, and I did like the sauces.
I never eat food from Singapore, it's nice that you share your experience, from the first look I might like the chicken and the beef curry coz I love curry recipes so much!
Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia some of the most unsung heroes of Asian cuisine