The food: Chili Crab

Where to find it: Newton Circus, Singapore

-:-

Singaporean literature declares eating a national pastime and food as a national obsession. This city state could not have been a better first stop along my seven-week tour of Southeast Asia.¹

Local Singaporeans would label you as a nut if you committed two atrocities:

1) Brought in drugs like marijuana into this virgin city. Seriously, when the government says “no drugs,” they mean it.

2) Neglected to sample Singaporean street food at one of its many hawker centers.

In a public effort to wrangle up and organize the abundance of street food sellers in Singapore, the government created the highly efficient hawker center. Just like Singapore itself, you’ll find Chinese and Malay mixed with French and Indian in these foodie marketplaces. Diversity only begins to describe the circus of flavors that Singapore can orchestrate². And the chili crab dish you see here epitomizes that mix. The crab is steamed Chinese-style, and its smothered in tangy chili sauce Texas-style. If you want to send your taste buds on a worldwide trip where you’ll get the most locations for your money, then Singapore’s hawker centers are your best bet.

¹ As of right now, I’m in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
² Hence, this might be why they call this particular hawker center Newton Circus.