Singaporean and Malaysian food - differences ?

[jhm]

I came across this:

http://www.singaporeaninlondon.com/2...staurants.html

Over here, I lumped Malaysian and Singaporean restaurants together. "Argh... no!" the food puritans may protest. While there are inherent differences between the two cuisines, nasi lemak chilli (salty for Malaysian and sweet for Singaporean) is a case in point, there are way more similarities.

I always assumed that Singaporean food = Malaysian food but obviously not! Having had a very quick Google, I can't find anything more ... so can people tell me what are the differences ?

Can you eat something in a hawker centre / street stall in Malaysia or Singapore and know which country you're in ?

[cplh]

I came across this:

http://www.singaporeaninlondon.com/2...staurants.html



I always assumed that Singaporean food = Malaysian food but obviously not! Having had a very quick Google, I can't find anything more ... so can people tell me what are the differences ?

Can you eat something in a hawker centre / street stall in Malaysia or Singapore and know which country you're in ?

there are many dishes which are superficially similar eg chicken rice, nasi lemak etc but regional differences abound! For example, roti prata (S) is roti canai (M); wonton noodles come with an (awful) tomatoey sauce in S but are bathed in a fragrant dark sauce in M; laksa in S is what most in M would call curry mee etc etc.

there are also regional specialities eg asam laksa in Penang, klang mee in KL and bak chor mee in Singapore and Thai influences are moer apparent in the north.

many would also claim that street food is tastier the further north you go (all the way to Bangkok in my opinion)

[Kyo]

I'm glad that the second reply to this thread already points out that there are actually three types of cuisine when comparing Singaporean and Malaysian:

1) Penang food
2) Malaysian food
3) Singaporean food

...ranked in order of excellence, of course

E.g. Yes, I can tell you the difference between Penang chicken rice, Newton chicken rice and PJ chicken rice... even, to a lesser extent, Ipoh chicken rice...

[RHG]

In sydney, the term singapore noodle tends to something i remember and have a bit of disagreement.

The singapore palate tends to be milder compared to the malaysian palate.

[cplh]

I'm glad that the second reply to this thread already points out that there are actually three types of cuisine when comparing Singaporean and Malaysian:

1) Penang food
2) Malaysian food
3) Singaporean food

...ranked in order of excellence, of course

E.g. Yes, I can tell you the difference between Penang chicken rice, Newton chicken rice and PJ chicken rice... even, to a lesser extent, Ipoh chicken rice...

To go into more detail, one has to appreciate that Malaysia and Singapore have 4 distinct local culinary traditions (in alphabetical order to avoid charges of bias) Chinese, Indian, Malay and Nonya / Peranakan. There have their own regional differences (eg Chinese dialect groups, North / South Indian, Hindu / Muslim Indian, Malay regions (Johor / Minangkabau / Kelantanese) - even Nonya cuisine differs from the Thai inflected Penang style to the more Malay Malacca and Singaporean styles.

Singapore's Chinese cuisine have more of a Hokkien and Teochew influence compared to the Cantonese predominance of KL and Ipoh. The predominance of Chinese may also explain why the food is generally less spicy in Singapore but personally I think that the major differences in quality stem from economic and societal changes - many Penang hawkers have a tradition of hand made excellence whilst Singaporeans may have to resort to factory supplied ingredients......then there is the environment : somehow seafood tastes better when its landed from the fishing boat and eaten in a restaurant in the middle of a mangrove swamp near Port Dickson; chendol is sweeter and more refreshing when slurped on a busy alley off Penang Rd; beansprouts crunchier in Ipoh Old Town; petai sambal more pungent when eaten in an airy kampong house.........

When i was a student in the UK, we occasionally frequented "Singaporean / Malaysian restaurants" where a jumble of familiar foods would be available but it was never quite satisfying since the chefs could never master all the variety. Its even worse when there was an attempt to render the dishes more "English".

So, my recommendation to the OP is to come out East and just taste the difference!

[jhm]

Wow, thank you for the detailed replies! I'll never look at a "Malaysian/Singaporean" restaurant in the same way again! (I do like "Singapore noodles" though...)

[Guy Betsy]

Wow, thank you for the detailed replies! I'll never look at a "Malaysian/Singaporean" restaurant in the same way again! (I do like "Singapore noodles" though...)

"Singapore noodles" served in restaurants are just .. not even that. The closest thing to a real "Singapore noodle" dish is Char Kway Teow!

But below is the best that Penang can offer !! Don't attempt any so-called Penang food anywhere except in Penang!


http://www.worldisround.com/articles/198215/


http://diehardowl.wordpress.com/

[Kyo]

'Singapore noodles' are an overseas-concocted travesty, although I know some people have taken a fondness to that MSG-laced curry powder 'dish'...

[jhm]

'Singapore noodles' are an overseas-concocted travesty, although I know some people have taken a fondness to that MSG-laced curry powder 'dish'...

Me! I know it's not authentic but it tastes good! I wish I could get it in Singapore!

[SQtraveller]

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