Singapore Series: Little India

Little India is quite a substantial neighborhood in Singapore, where, yes, you guessed it, Singaporiean Indians live.

This particular stretch of streets in a complete opposite to orderly, manicured streets of the city itself.  Little India is so colorful, vibrant, fragrant and bustling with all sorts of people.

Of course, there are tourists, but mainly it's shopkeepers, tailors, that set their sewing machines right on the pavement outside the clothing shops, fruit sellers, fresh flower garland vendors, sari-clad ladies out for grocery shopping. 

It's a moving, breathing, talking and gawking mass, so full of Eastern spirit and sensibilities, something that is not so apparent in Westernized Singapore.

Here is what we saw in Little India:

Fresh Flower Garlands for Temples

One is not to smell them - their fragrance is an offering to gods of the temple

Tex-Mex

Wrong kind of Indian

One of major temples

Mosque

To be continued...

Singapore Series: Die, die, must try!

Back at the beginning of November we had a short holiday and decided to explore Far East with kids.
I've never been to that part of the world and was really looking forward to explore Singapore.
Needless to say, we all fell in love.

To me, any trip should be treated not only as a sightseeing outing but as a culinary adventure as well.  Singapore provides just that.  We didn't go to any fancy restaurants, but frequented street food stalls instead - they are called Hawker Centers because in olden times food vendors use to hustle or hawk you to try their offerings.
Nowadays they do not hawk anyone, but instead operate in sort of covered market facilities under strict municipal supervision.

3 major cultures and cuisines inhabit Singapore - Chinese, Malay and Indian, resulting in mouthwatering gastronomical paradise.

Here's my "Die, die, must try!" of Singers:


1. Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center (Mostly Straits Chinese Cuisine)

Satay Vendor

Not as easily excitable Satay Vendor

 2. Maxwell Street Hawker Center (Chinese Cuisine)

Dumplings Soup and #19 (I can't pronounce it, but it was DELISH)

All the food is made in front of your eyes - dumplings are filled, noodles are boiled, vegs are chopped

This is where the soup, dumplings and #19 were made!

3. Fruit Stalls in "Little India" 'hood

Alfonso Mangoes (not allowed to export to US)

4.  Teh Tarik /Tarik Tea - Singaporean Chai Tea Latte (lots of spices, lots of sugar, lots of milk)


If you want your Teh Tarik to go, you pay a little extra and get this ingenious contraption.  No spills.

5.  Cool Pearl Milk Tea on a humid day in Little China


Chocolate Tapioca (hence "pearl") on the bottom of cold milk tea. Refreshing.


6.  Dry Sweet Little Curiosities Sold Everywhere

Press Salted Jujube? Grape Prunes?

To be continued...