Ready your appetite for the 10-day Singapore Food Festival, which officially kicked off last Friday. If you need some ideas on where to start, go on a foodie adventure at Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Feast along Chinatown Food Street and have a taste of now-rare, traditional dishes like Hainanese chicken rice balls and Hakka abacus seeds. Feasting aside, here are some handy survival strategies to make the most of your gastronomical crusade.
#1 – Dress casually
Don’t expect plush surrounds and air-conditioning along Chinatown Food Street. Keep things light and skip the umbrellas if you like – the sheltered alfresco space helps keep out the sun and the rain.
#2 – Bring a friend, or two, or three.
There are more than 20 uncommon Chinese dialect dishes to be had at the festival, and heading there in a group means you can order more to share. Even if you haven’t got power in numbers, fret not: the festival runs till 20 July (from 11am to 11pm) so you can come back for more.
#3 – Grab a festival brochure
Stacks of Singapore Food Festival brochures, packed with useful information about ongoing events and the history behind each featured cuisines, are available at every stall. Don’t forget to pick one up to know what you’re putting in your mouth.
#4 – Don’t expect large servings
Well, you pay for what you get. Prices start from as low as $3, so we weren’t too surprised that servings turned out pretty small. On the bright side, you get to sample a variety of dishes without slipping into food coma.
#5 – Belts, optional.
Or be sure you can loosen them on your way out with that much to indulge. We certainly left feeling absolutely stuffed (but thoroughly sated) after our long lunch. TGIF indeed.
For more information about Singapore Food Festival, check out their website. Bon appetit!