A writer and photographer explains why he can’t get enough of Singapore’s Hainanese Western food. By Faris Mustafa
On my first trip to Singapore, I was introduced to Hainanese Western food in one of the country’s numerous ‘hawker centres,’ or open-air food courts. Being British, I was struck by the familiarity of dishes like ‘chicken merry land’: a hearty portion of fried chicken, fried banana, fried egg, fried bacon, fried potatoes, and baked beans. This cuisine emerged at the turn of the 20th century, when immigrants from the Chinese island of Hainan arrived in British-occupied Singapore, taking jobs as cooks in military canteens, hotels, and wealthy European households. By the 1930s, many were opening their own restaurants and kopitiams (coffee shops), adopting cooking styles from those Western kitchens. Today, a dish like Hainanese pork chop is considered as Singaporean as chilli crab. When I moved to the city-state last year, I explored this culinary subculture with cameras in tow, documenting the people and places keeping this tradition alive.
Getting There
Most Indian airports have direct non-stop flights to Changi Airport in Singapore.
Eat Hainanese Western Food in Singapore
British Hainan
Entrées INR 817–INR 2,302; 75 Carpmael Rd.
Colbar
Entrées INR 223–INR 1,708; 9A Whitchurch Rd.
Western Barbeque
Entrées INR 371–INR 594; Old Airport Road Food Centre, No. 01-53, 51 Old Airport Rd.
Wow Wow West Genuine
Entrées INR 148–INR 668; ABC Brickworks, No. 01-133, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah.
Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue
Entrées INR 445–INR 1,188; Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St.
Related: Hawker Centres In Singapore Earn A Spot On UNESCO’s Intangible Culture List
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