Singapore: New York in Twenty Years | Singapore, restaurant, food, marketplace | Tony sets out to find the real Singapore, with its multicultural restaurants and food markets. He samples prescription food dishes, explores the Geyland... | By No Reservations | Drinking tea. Things to know about Singapore. It's hot. It's very very hot. It's an ultra modern, ultra convenient city with a absolute minimum of social problems. They figured out everything here, okay? No traffic, no litter, no drug problem, no violent crime. I mean, it's a kind of a benevolent coup neo totalitarian thing going on here. I'm an old-time lefty and yet, I'm ashamed to say this. I kind of like it here. Okay, so Singapore is clean, orderly, and tightly regulated. But the society is anything but homogenous. There's three distinctive ethnic groups. Chinese, Malay, and Indian that co-exist harmoniously while maintaining their own customs, religions, and cuisine. It all makes for a pretty heady brew. So where to start? Chinese sounds good. This is Imperial Herbal Restaurant in Singapore. As you know in much of Asia, the line between food and medicine can get pretty slim even permeable and this is a really good example of that. Gonna give myself a little doctor check up here. Couple of dishes recommended and eat a really good meal. It's a fairly as you will see wacky menu but good. At Imperial Herbal, you get more than just general sauce chicken and some wontons. This is Chinese food holistic style. Resident Chinese medicine expert, Doctor Lee Levion Singh will not only assess the balance of your yin and yang, he'll also help you figure out what appetizer you should choose. I'm just hoping that my menu selection doesn't involve the words painful swelling and itching. Are you Tony? Everything's fine. Let's try it. Well, at least I can expect an honest assessment. Your time? The campus. Hi He says, the yin and yang is not balanced. Your yang is more sort of a dark color. A dark colored yang. I don't know if I like the sound of that. I have been a little dizzy just for a little bit, maybe two, three times a day. Two, three, two to three times a day. Yeah. This is not going well at all. I'm tired looking. My yang's all whacked out. At this rate, I'll be enjoying my meal in a zip-front bag. What would you recommend I have tonight? Is it try not to eat too much spicy fried food because your body is too heat up. So, ginseng and also more vegged. A prescription for good health. I feel my yang straightening up already. Thank you. He's having the ginseng with fresh water fish soup that Tony need to to build up his stamina and energy. My friend in town told me that when I come to this restaurant, well he said that the last time I was here he had some special fish soup and he was unbelievably windy that I think is he put in for 3 days. A little gin a little boiled fish, some lychee nuts, it's great. And really what's three days of flatulence for achieving inner balance. Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, they're whipping up the next dish. Fresh lily bulb and braised cod fish and a fermented rice wine sauce. A fermental rice wine is one kind of wines that make the fish taste delicious. Try It is delicious. Taste like cherry. So far, they're batting a thousand but I'm still looking for that unique item that rises to the occasion. Oh, no. Here we go. Deer penis wine. I haven't had this. Is this something I should be drinking? Yeah, you can have the Superman wine. Yeah. It's called the Deer Penis wine. And also help you for circulation and also boost our energy. Oh, then definitely I'll have a glass. Thank you. It was not part of my prescription. Superman wine, an energy booster. I've had, you know, two out of three parts of the three-piece unit. I think it's time, don't you? What, what's that floating around in there? What happens if it works? I mean do you wrap a table cloth around your waist you know when you walk out of the restaurant I feel something maybe it's fear Good to the last drop. Why you drink so fast? Slowly, next time. Do you want to know? Sure. Getting another glass. She looked worried which she said, you want another glass? I said, yes. Yes. This is one of the how special is the cold egg white scallop. Another house specialty. Egg whites and dried scallops on a nest of shredded potato. It's good for circulation and it'll give my complexion that fresh scrub noxema girl look I've always wanted. Oh, that's delicious. So, an hour from now, I'll have clear skin, clean lungs, and I'll be farting like nobody's business. Life is glamorous on the road. I think maybe one more dish, what would you recommend? You want a deer tendon? Have you tried a deer tendon? Deer tender is good for you. Like masa. Oh good. That sounds terrific. I've been on my feet for 28 years. I'm ready. I'm coming. Thank you. Oh yeah. Some deer tendon with fresh Chinese yam to strengthen the legs. I guess I won't have to hit the StairMaster tomorrow. Not that I ever hit it. Dear Chinese. Beautiful. That's good and and texture is not disturbing. It's like listen, it's really easy to sneer at this stuff and god knows I love an opportunity for a few penis jokes but honestly, I do feel my yang getting brighter, my complexion clearing up. I feel well like Superman. Last night's meal at Imperial Herbalist almost made a believer out of me. I do feel balanced, at peace, energized, and there's only a slight tailwind. So what else does this kooky hypermodern metropolis have to offer? Like I said before, Singapore is a modern city in the most western sense of the world and like any modern city, it's well represented in the consumer culture department. Everybody seems to be shopping all the time. It seems like a consumer paradise. We're just stock upon stock upon stock of ultra modern buildings selling Prada and Versace and Gucci and Tiffany and Starbucks. Tell you this, by shopping through designer labels, this place is for you. But fortunately, Singapore is not all about brand names and chains. Case in point, the Gillang Sarai section. Home to the island's Malay community. If you're looking to avoid the air-conditioned oppression of the downtown Uber malls, look no further than the Gillang Sarai market. The Malaysian market is surprisingly enough where Malaysians go to shop. It's bursting with good stuff. Just look. My local guide Safia knows this place like the back of her hand. She runs me like a rented mule through a near item by item tour of the joint. The curry powder we can keep. Yeah. Right. The curry for chicken, curry for mutton, and curry for free. This is actually a shrimp taste. So this is what we call down. Oh yes, I've tasted this, yes. Alright. Onward we go, hurdling through the market, item after item, description after description. Lemon lemon grass. Lemon grass. This is called it's a rice flour. This is actually for breakfast. Yeah, speaking of breakfast, what time is it? How long is this gauntlet been going on? I'm just hungry. This is a jackfruit, the young jackfruit. So hungry. This is a Wait a minute. Wait a minute. What's that? It's ota ota. It's mixed fishes, coconut, chili, and onion and put it into the coconut leaf and then barbecue. Okay. Brothers. Delicious. Careful. I think the ravenous glint in my eye was making Sapia a little nervous. But what could I do? The last thing I had to eat was a hunk of deer tendon 15 hours ago. Well, that was delightful but it's not just about the food at Galang Sarai. It's also about the fashion. What hot trends are burning up the Malay fashion scene this year you ask. Let's check it out. Right, I think Tony will like it this and it looks so airy, baggy and comfortable when you are relaxing at home at your balcony. Yeah, this is something like how are you? Okay, before I wind up with some sort of a thing, I think maybe some lunch is in order. Should I go for? Yo, let's eat. Let's eat a lot. A lot. So, let's hit a traditional Malaysian restaurant that Sapia says is the real deal. It's a home cookie. Good. I like that kind. Home cooking. That's what the specialty of this restaurant. You know, I'm not sure if it's the florescent lighting, the cafeteria-style trays or the steam table offerings which have always been a well a sign of bad things to come. For whatever the reason the words home cooking aren't suddenly leaping to mind here. There's a certain prepared in bulk quality to the lineup. We should've eaten at the market. Feeling unprepared to negotiate the selections. I fall back and let Sapia make the calls. Cuz I understand it's over where you get some barbecue fish, some pickles, some oxtail soup, and some other stuff. But you know I might have spoken too soon. We bring the stuff outside and it looks pretty good. She's assembled a mammoth spread for me consisting of barbecue fish and an onion and chili sauce. Beef rendang and Malaysian beef stew cooked with spices and coconut milk. Fried salt fish, beef liver with fried chilies, oxtail soup, and stewed unripened jackfruit. Okay, so am I can mean like six. The food is astonishingly good but you know, I think sapi is somewhat taken aback by my Jethro Bodin-like eating technique. You you use the four fingers together. Yeah. Right hand only. Yeah, right hand. Top down for lefties. My favorite so far, I love this. Delicious. And that fish is sensational too. Mmm. You almost can do it. Yeah. Especially we do this in the kitchen all the time. With your food okay so Sapi around me like Prince Butterbean in the third race at Belmont but my god did she make the call on a really fine Malaysian meal good meal worth waiting for hmm You know after that Mammoth Malaysian feast with Sapia I should probably be walking back to my hotel but why exert myself when one of the most modern and efficient subway systems in the world is at my disposal oh this place is like totally automated Oh, this is so James Bond. Come on. When do you think my train will arrive? Oh, exactly 2 minutes. Clean fast efficient on time New York City Subway could definitely take a page from Singapore's book this is mass transit while Singapore's future may be define by its ultra modern technology it's still the traditional ethnic enclaves that give this city state it's unique flavor and the market is a great example of this it's filled with hawker stands or food vendors who specialize in one particular item so anyway I'm in little India right now near the market I'm meeting my old friend Chroni and associate Holango. Johnny B. How are you? Good to see you. Good to see you again man. Welcome to little India. You going to show me around? I'm going to show you around. I know we're going to eat well. We're going to check out some birds man. Some birds. Let's check out some birds, alright? We we going to eat them or what? These are special birds. They going to tell you a fortune, alright? I'm not sure if I want to know my future. The birds going to pull out a car. He's going to say your fortune, alright? Outstanding. Alright. Looks like a very intelligent bird. Come on, Tony. Let's pick number 20 out. He's gone back in again. Tony, this is beautiful, man. What? This is goddess Lutchmi. She's the goddess of wealth. Right. Wealth. Money is coming your way. So, no matter what happens, I'm taking them. The money is yours. The money is yours. Alright. Sure. Lucky goddesses, obscene wealth. Not too bad. Yeah. So, what other good things are coming my way. Ooh. You're going to develop a terrible skin ranch, Tony. Stretching already. It's all be rich but itchy. Itchy rich. I'll take it. Fortune knows just the thing to help us celebrate my impending wealth. Buttery delicious Indian pastry called Prada. It's almost our answer to the croissant. It taste very good with leftover curry from the previous night and ah it's my one of my favourite dishes. Anything that smells as good I am eating. But first perhaps a glass of traditional Indian stretch tea. To cleanse our palates. What he is saying is stretch tea. When I was young my mum used to serve me hot coffee or tea. I used to complain that's very hot. I can't drink it. So what she would do is she get another cup. She start pouring the tea up in it cools and aerates it, you know. You also add a lot of foam. You add flavor, becomes a good brew. It taste great but even better than that, there are no animal genitals involved. At the Prada stand, they're whipping up what a Lango calls the supreme Prada or Prada stuffed with egg, minced lamb, and onion. Everything gets wrapped up and after a couple of minutes on the griddle, it's ready to eat. That's awesome. You're you're hooking me up man. You are really looking out for me. Cheers. Oh yeah, this product is sensational but it's nothing compared to what this maniac is lined up for me next. So, I've hit all three parts of the Singapore ethnic triad and had some really amazing food at each one but Olango tells me that I have not experienced Singapore until I've consulted the master himself, chef, TV food show host, and author of the definitive guide to restaurants and hawkers stands in Singapore, Mister KF Sito. We're stepping out with Sito to Singapore's Red Light District to check out his pick to the ultimate Singapore food experience. Singwat eating house. First of all, what's special about this place? Uh okay, this Italy is the most expensive restaurant in Singapore. Make no bones about it. Simply because he serves some of the freshest seafood around and his signature is his crab beehoon. Crab bijoon. Crab bihoon which you going to be stuffing at your face later. Right. I think that covers pretty much the whole menu. Alright, so the whole menu may be a bit ambitious. The first offering of fresh steamed scallops smothered in garlic and black bean sauce definitely makes you believe anything is possible. Oh yeah. Oh, the smell coming off of there is. You smell it? Yeah. Wipe all over the chopstick thing. When the scallop is saying, I eat meat. Look at that. Come on. Yeah. Little sauce. Oh, man. Oh, come to mama. Oh, I think the disturbingly animal like grown say it all. But you know what? This isn't even the tip of the iceberg. That is a beautiful thing. Oh yes, I remember these guys. Fresh steamed gong gong. Well, may not seem so special but get a load of this. A honey chili dipping sauce that'll have you drooling like the proverbial Pavlovian dog. This guy takes half a day to prepare this. He's got honey, chili, scallions, onions. And too much of a good thing is good for you. Words of wisdom Words of wisdom. It's always fun when you hook up with an enthusiastic local who eats for a living. You know get together, compare notes, commiserate, try to one up each other. Like me Sito is a driven half TV guy, half foodie with plenty to say on the subject. How often do you eat? Like if you go out to eat. Breakfast, a bit of brunch, lunch and you do a bit of tea and then dinner and then supper. Supper is BIG in Singapore. Food is really twenty-four hours. Wake cup at any time of the day or night. Think of any food, somebody is selling it. I know you've eaten jelly grass. I know you've eaten donkey butt. Donkey butt scorpions. And you had scorpions? Yeah. Have you had a Denny's grand slam breakfast? I'm afraid, dawg. You know what I love? When you have a big crab, a female and you cook the head upside down and you got that soupy fat and roll just the fat you take a piece of bread and run that fat around on it. They'll be eating that later. We could do this all night man. God died. One of the downside of our job is that we eat too much. To you, it's fun but we can be potential big business to the health doctors. You're not frogs. I remember you're not into frog. No. Oh man, he's got a memory like a steel trap. It's the French thing, you know, the frogs like this. I cook and they taste like fish tank to me. You got that little syrupy stuff at the bottom? Not good. Now, I know what you're thinking. Tony, you're a chef at a French restaurant. Isn't it like illegal for you to not like frog's legs? In a word, no. But Sito hasn't steered me wrong yet. And chef Danny Lee's preparation steamed to perfection with loads of fresh minced garlic gives me even more reason to suspend my amphibian aversion. Uh this frogs steamed frogs if this would turn your life around. There's something very suggestive about this dish. I mean we were just talking about you know Russell Andrews on the beach kind of see the legs? Yeah oh that's going to hurt. I'm usually indifferent on frog. I know this is going to be good. No no no. Live on program. From there It's hot. It's hot lunchy. No problem. Yeah, it is great. Before I was indifferent, eat it when it's hotter. That is some King Hell frog. He's been ordained. Alright, so I never thought I'd say it. Those were some damn tasty frogs. Sido has picked the winner yet again. Finish it Anthony. It's got your name on it. My meal with Sito and Alango ain't over yet. Chef Danny Lee has more than a few surprises up his sleeve including this one. A rare and extremely expensive fresh spotted grouper. Steamed with ginger and green onions and served with the chef's famous mystery sauce with soy. If this number doesn't get you going, you better check your pulse. Oh, the spotted grouper. Okay, so show me exactly what is the absolute best part. Absolutely best part. The Cantonese love the meat here, the cradles, the stomach, you know. I'm in heaven. Oh, it's so tender. I'm leaving you with the other cheek. He's speaking gibberish now. Unbelievable. Look at me, I've been reduced to a primitive almost federal level by this meal and who's to blame for this wonderfully deranged state I'm in, this man. Head chef and owner Danny Lee. A guy who at first glance looks like he should be trying to help with Bushwood Country Club of its gopher problem. But don't be fooled. Danny and his semi-clad crew of kitchen mercenaries are flirting with genius. Need more proof? Check this out. Steamed tiger prawns on a bed of minced garlic with scallion garnish, fresh stingray steamed with ginger and green onions served with a generous helping of soy and garlic broth and finally an entree that is both ingenious and outrageous. The restaurant's signature dish, crab beef root. A savage blend of Danny's secret garlic broth, rice vermicelli, fresh chili pepper and Sri Lankan crabs the size of your head. And the results well where does one begin? Man look at that. Look at that. This is where he goes Brazil. Look at this bro. Oh. This dish is invented right here in this restaurant close to 15 years ago by Danny. Man look at this man. Look at this. That's massive. That's a big crab. See it's about half the size of my face. Wow. Oh yeah. That's hardcore. I'm home papa. I'm home. Duncan with a bit of chili in there. And send it home. And this is the this is the part of the program where I I just lapsed into sort of a a trance like steak. This is this is it. The PSD resistance. This is the single best dish I've had. If if there's nothing better than this I'd be pretty happy with that. Just speak on my language sir. We've reached the mountain top. Touchdown has been achieved. So beneath the shiny single