Random Eats, Singapore

When The Boy and I weren't busy gorging ourselves at Singapore's amazing Hakwer Centers we were busy...snacking!

Singapore is a HOT HOT and really humid place. We couldn't walk 5 meters without stopping somewhere for a drink - especially if that somewhere had an overhead ceiling fan. The Boy drank more beer on this trip than I've seen him drink in the whole time we've been together. I stuck to lemon juice or sugarcane juice when my beloved Soursop wasn't to be found.

On our first morning out and about I noticed the smell of something slightly...whiffy, but a bit sweet.  Ah ha I thought that HAS got to be Durian, and you know what? It was. We had stumbled upon a stall selling Durian Pancakes. Now I know there are a lot of people out there who love Durian and a lot of them read this blog (you might not want to read this next paragraph or so if you're one of those people...okay? just so we remain friends). I can confirm after this horrendous experience that I am not, nor shall I ever be, one of these Durian loving people. EVER EVER EVER!!!!

This has, without a doubt, got be the worst thing I have ever tasted in my life.  EVER! Worse than boiled Brussel Sprouts! There's a reason Durian banned in so many public places people - it's terrible.  The first bite was OK as I mainly got just pancake. I was feeling brave after this initial bite so took a HUGE bite - OMG. The taste gave me an instant headache and I felt totally nauseous. The sight of two tubby Westerns gagging and trying to wipe their tongues clean whilst desperately searching for anything ANYTHING to take the taste of death out of their mouths has got to be an amusing sight for a Durian lover.

Why is there no fine for brining Durian onto the train? Do they just push you out of the moving train as punishment?

So how about we move on to the BEST thing I ate during my entire trip - Kaya Toast.  If Durian is the spawn of the Devil then Kaya Toast is manna from heaven.  I'm kicking myself though that I didn't try it until our last night in Singers. I was so desperate for more than I gorged myself at the airport at the only Kaya Toast stall I could find. Looking at this picture makes me sad...sad that the Kaya Toast is in Singapore and I'm in stupid Sydney.

I have to tell you people that I was pretty happy with a discovered Soursop juice IN A CAN! I wonder if we can get this at home? Surely they have it in Cabramatta, right?  Not sure what this orange jelly/cake/dessert thing is called.  There was a bit of a Lost in Translation moment when ordering this as we were quite taken with the green cake, but eventually found it was DURIAN flavoured - talk about a close call.

Fellow blogger Citrus and Candy has such a fondness for Bak Kwa (Pork Jerky) that she makes her own at home and that convinced me to give it a whirl whilst we were in Singapore.  I have to say it's pretty bloody good. We bought a small bag of the round jerky which called "Golden Coins". The "coin" is quite thick, unlike the paper-thin Nobby's jerky I'm addicted to (and it is not as "dry"), and is also quite charred.  The jerky is slightly oily and really quite sticky with a sweet flavour as honey is one of the ingredients.

Oh Singapore, I miss you already!