TNP introduces our Hawker Guide
During the passionate post-Bib Gourmand hawker stall debates, I was on the verge of a meltdown.
Then, someone stated calmly: "Why do we care what a foreign food guide noted for high cuisine have to say about our food?"
That resonated with me.
I suspect Bib Gourmand - a list Michelin Guide Singapore released last week of places serving good food at cheap fixed prices - is aimed at tourists.
While I think it'll be thrilling, it is unrealistic to expect middle-aged Europeans to head to the Tampines Round Market just to eat kway chap.
More will be said when the inaugural Michelin Guide Singapore, which will reveal which restaurants get their stars, is launched today at an awards ceremony.
This is the one some people have been waiting for.
The prestige of being anointed by the Michelin folks is dizzying. Expectations - and inevitably disappointments - are high.
But again, will it be able to come up with a list that reflects Singapore taste, especially in hawker food?
Which is why The New Paper has decided to come up with its own tongue-in-cheek version - the a list for hawker stalls - ahead of today's posh awards ceremony.
Our list consists of 10 hawker dishes that we love (even culling the list to 10 resulted in heated debate), after stalking the websites of popular, credible local food bloggers and aggregating their recommended picks.
We've also included roti prata, nasi lemak and bak chor mee in the mix, which were glaringly omitted from Bib Gourmand.
Still, not everyone is pleased - even the people whose websites we consulted, like Makansutra, ieatishootipost, HungryGoWhere, Burpple, Miss Tam Chiak, SethLui and SoShiok.
POPULAR
Food guru K.F. Seetoh, who contributes the weekly Makansutra column in The New Paper on Sunday, said of our list: "These are the more popular ones often found online. I've tried them all. Some have lost the sparkle long ago. There are so many more deserving ones."
Seth Lui of SethLui.com said our list contains the dishes locals love, but may be too obscure for foreigners.
He added: "The selection is pretty well-known as the best in their category, so it's nothing new to locals."
I think we just have to accept that when it comes to food (and public transport), we will all have an opinion.
What's yours after reading our list?
Share your views with Wee Teck at weeteck@sph.com.sg
I suspect Bib Gourmand - a list Michelin Guide Singapore released last week of places serving good food at cheap fixed prices - is aimed at tourists.
- Food writer Yeoh Wee Teck
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