PRAWN NOODLE: A favorite dish for half a century [Photo by Pauline D.Loh/Shanghai Star]

ORIGINAL DURIAN PUFFS, GOODWOOD PARK HOTEL

Before the craze hit China, Singaporeans were having their very own durian fixes with Goodwood Park Hotel’s famous durian mousse cake and later, the choux pastry puffs. These creations changed the landscape for durian aficionados. They no longer had to wait for the seasonal fruits to appear at roadside stalls, and they could rightly and properly enjoy the pungent fruit in a five-star hotel setting, accompanied by a delicate cup of tea, little finger daintily raised. Goodwood Park’s pastry counter also offers D24 and Mountain Cat ice creams, top quality varieties of the king of fruit.

Goodwood Park Hotel, 22, Scotts Road, round the corner from Newton Circus and Orchard Road.

There are too many hawker favorites to list here, but there are just two more I have to share with you.

You must try the Fish Ball Soup in Singapore. These snowy white ping-pong ball-sized fishballs are nothing like the flaccid versions in China.

Singaporean fishballs are bouncy, crunchy, and sweet. Every bite is a tactile delight, and the soup that comes with it is flavored with deep-fried garlic and shallots. Singapore also has its own version of Wanton Noodles, but while the Hong Kong version is served in soup, we like our noodles spicy and tossed in, surprise, chili sauce. We also add a little vinegar, both to add a spike to the flavor and also to neutralize the alkali used in the noodles. Thin slices of cha shao pork, lots of green vegetables and a few wanton dumplings complete the hawker center staple.