Edited by: Anushka Bidani
This summer, after an exhilarating first year at college, I decided to completely relax and detox from social and academic commitments to enjoy some ‘me time’ in my three month long summer break. After a month, my wish was semi fulfilled (partly ruined by having fallen prey to dengue). This is when completely out of the blue, a trip to Singapore was planned! This my third trip to Singapore, the first being in 2004, second in 2011 and now in 2019. The most exciting element being, a cousins-only trip and my first international trip without either of my parents. We planned a short 5 days trip to Singapore, where our uncle resides so accommodation was taken care of and all that was left to do, was to plan out and have the time of our lives. Here’s a vegetarian’s guide to Asian food!
Singaporean specialities
Kaya toast is a popular delicacy in Singapore and Malaysia. It is a treat to your taste buds and a special favourite of those with a sweet tooth. Kaya looks like your local jam but green coloured however its rich and unique flavour is a sure straight way to win your heart. Bubble tea, an asian drink traditionally made with tapioca bubbles and milk tea is something I have enjoyed earlier and hence knew I’d love to have again. In India, the authentic bubble tea flavours are not available so it was fun experimenting with different flavours to figure out which suited me the most.
Vietnamese Cuisine
I had never had Vietnamese cuisine so I was quite skeptical to try it at first. I was pleasantly surprised that there were vegetarian options available and my food palate was fulfilling. I tried ‘Banh Cuon’, they look like spring rolls but are actually steamed rice rolls. Another thing was ‘Banh Mi’, they are baguette sandwiches filled with greens, your typical choice of fillings and a patty.
Japanese Cuisine
Funnily enough having grown up watching Japanese cartoons on television, I have always been very fascinated by Japanese culture. I always ended up hearing that I won’t find any vegetarian food, whenever I expressed my fascination to others. However, I was once again pleasantly surprised when I was able to enjoy this cuisine. We had the traditional ramen. The twist is, that I had it with egg but it may be possible to make it vegetarian as well. It was very filling and delicious.
Thai Cuisine
Having enjoyed this cuisine on multiple occasions, my purpose was to find good quality Thai food. We had Thai twice in our short trip, as my cousins are big fans of this cuisine. I had spicy green papaya salad which can be a bit too spicy for some. Pad Thai, is the standard favourite international Thai dish, which comes with either thin or flat wheat noodles and incredible flavours topped with peanuts and chilli powder. My absolute favourite is green curry and rice which sends you to cloud nine with its fragrance itself and is the perfect blend of flavour and texture.
Overall this trip has been an absolute delight to my taste buds. I have always loved western food and never really appreciated Asian cuisine as much. It is highly underrated and incredibly delicious and these dishes are a must try for all!