EATING with LOCALS in SINGAPORE - a Foodie's Paradise or a 'Fine' Country?

Singapore Food, Life, Culture and Society - We explore all these by talking to the amazing local people in the foodie paradise of Singapore. See the hawker centres, restaurants, noodle shops and dessert spots that Singaporeans love.
First stop after taking the bus from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore - Golden Mile Hawker centre for Kaya Toast & Hainanese Curry Rice.
Next meet Maggie and her family at Local Delights (stall 02-55 at Berseh Food Centre.) Maggie's mom can no longer run the family Hokkein Mee Hawker business so Maggie is one of the dwindling numbers of the younger generation carrying on the hawker stall cooking tradition.
Da Lian Traditional Noodles is next on the list - 216G Syed Alwi Rd. Amelia and the staff there show us how they make some old school Singapore favourites like Satay Bee Hoon, Laksa, and minced pork mee.
We enjoy lunch with some new Singaporean friends, Petra and Ivan.
Petra and Ivan treated us to Ah Chew Desserts (#01 1 Liang Seah Street 10/11 Liang Seah Place) where we try some Singapore desserts that are like nothing we've ever tried before!
You have to try Chili Crab in Singapore! We went to No Signboard Seafood (414 Geylang Rd) to enjoy this classic favourite from Singapore.
We found La Belle Epoque (63 Boat Quay) by lucky accident along the historic Singapore River and enjoyed some European fusion before checking out the Singapore River Bum Boat Cruise.
Then come meet our friends at the amazing J's Bistro at 45 Syed Alwi for some modern takes on classic flavours of Singapore. Mention that you saw them here for a free escargot satay when you visit!
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[@PureDetour]

What is it about people in Singapore? We found them to be so open to talk to us, as foreigners, about their food, their city and their culture. Why do you think that some cultures are more open than others to share about themselves? So curious as to what theories you all have about this. 🇸🇬

[@willieho4386]

I believe it’s pride. When you are proud of something, I think it’s human nature to wanna share

[@endi4654]

I also feel that Singaporeans don't overtly express themselves.. Meaning we don't get over-friendly like our neighbours do which can be misconstrued as arrogance. But it's just an innate nature that we do respect personal space. I do believe that generally, we're kind and helpful. When you seek help, people will really help you. One who can't speak English is perhaps a senior Singapore citizen who didn't get a chance for an education or a young person who is a foreigner working here. Otherwise, most are bilingual with Singlish as a third language. Many are well-travelled, and depending on what they experience, will tend to compare what's good elsewhere wishing they're adopted here. Whilst some are appreciative of all things good, others can be very critical and loves to complain. Perhaps, this balance makes Singapore the way it is - a country that runs like a well-oiled machine that creaks on rare occasions as it has no other choice but to keep moving forward amidst its giant counterparts. This is very much embodied in our national anthem "Onward Singapore" - one which stays relevant to this day and perhaps a hundred years more.

[@PureDetour]

@@willieho4386 I can see this. There is certainly a lot for the people here to be proud of!

[@PureDetour]

@@endi4654 Interesting comment. You're right though, we weren't approached a lot in Singapore like we have been in many countries, but when we did try to engage with the locals, they were very open and warm. And yes, it helps that it is very easy, for us, as English speakers to communicate. I've never heard the anthem before! Going to google it now, thanks for the comment!

[@ji1511]

@@endi4654 Well said. I think we are generally friendly but guarded. N that's a good thing. 😊

[@livetill7136]

Cheers from Singapore. Unlike most vloggers that highlights only about the food and places, u presented a documentary style of thoughtful conversations with ordinary people. I must say that, however, the last conversation at the bistro, their replies about the wealth of the nation, the working hours etc are merely their perceptions. If u can interview different walks of people, u will find very different answers. Finally, I decide to subscribe to your channel bcoz I want to say, I like the respectful way u deal with people. Most of all, the way you peeled crab meat for your wife, that's so typical of "Singaporean" men, at least before marriage. Lol 😂

[@PureDetour]

Hi! Thanks so much for the really nice comment. We were only in Singapore for a short time so of course couldn't interview every kind of person, but we feel like we met some lovely people and hope to visit again someday soon to meet more amazing Singaporeans. And yes, you're right, there are always dozens of perspectives of the same thing so it's interesting to hear as many as you can. And that's so funny about the crab, thank goodness Geoff is still peeling crab for me after almost 15 years together 🤣

[@hikingout2988]

😂 I am still peeling crabs

[@PureDetour]

@@hikingout2988 Your wife is a very lucky woman, hahaha. I hope she gives you sips of beer too 🤣

[@dellafone]

Great video! You took the effort to know the common man on the street, their dreams, aspirations and goals. It was heartful and wholesome. The last segment on why Singapore is so affluent; the economy is very diverse and open. The thriving industries range from banking/finance, logistics/shipping, petrochemicals/refinery, legal/arbitration, but most importantly, GIC and Temasek are the investment arms of the Singaporean government that manage a bulk of our reserves to provide stable and sustainable long term growth which then contributes back to the country's coffers.

[@PureDetour]

Hi Paul! So glad you liked the video, thanks so much for sharing with us, we worked hard on it. And thanks for the insight about the economy. Singapore is such an interesting place and very unique in the world I think so it's so fascinating to learn about it.

[@jeanniechew1293]

Welcome to Singapore! This is the Best video I have seen. Well done! Hope both of you enjoy your holidays here. God bless.

[@PureDetour]

Wow, that's a nice compliment, thanks so much! We worked hard on the video to showcase how interesting we found Singapore to be. And yes, we thoroughly enjoyed our time, and probably gained a few pounds, lol

[@mercy2me1]

You guys really compliment one another & I can see a real father & mother’s heart on the both of you.❤

[@PureDetour]

Thanks Charles, that's very sweet of you. When we're having a good time in a video I think it really shows, doesn't it?

[@aaaduccs6667]

This is the first video I’ve ever watched of u guys and I love it! The way u guys edit and do the voiceover, I love the fact that u guys put in effort to research about Singapore and the places that u went to! 💗💗I’m definitely sticking around for more!

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much. This format we tried with this video is a bit new to us, we were so impressed with Singapore we wanted to tell a more in depth story. We enjoyed making it so we are trying more similar things upcoming. Can't wait to hear what you think!

[@oeric8252]

Singapore is a small nation country with zero resources - all imported inclusive of water, thus making the country cost of living expensive. We only have 1 resource ie. People, so we need to work harder than others to survive and substain. The Singapore economy is mainly driven by exports in electronics manufacturing and machinery, financial services, tourism and the world's busiest cargo seaport. Singapore car is super expensive as the government need to limit the no. of vehicles on road to prevent conjunction in such tiny country, thus public transport here are very efficient and cost effective. Recommend to check out Chinatown Complex Food Centre that houses around 260 stalls.

[@PureDetour]

It makes sense as a way to limit auto congestion and pollution. It was just so shocking to us coming from a place where cars cost a fraction of that. It's also very apparent that the people of Singapore are it's greatest resource. And what interesting, friendly people too! We were so lucky to have had the chance to get to know some of the locals.

[@simplyme3306]

Welcome to Singapore! This is a totally refreshing video format from a foreigner! Great background and research presented on top of local food. It's like an infotainment video nicely done! Glad that the 2 locals brought you to try some local/asian sweet desserts (some hawker stalls sell some of those as well) as most foreigners would miss that.

[@PureDetour]

Hi! Thanks so much for the nice comment! We're so glad that Petra and Ivan brought us to that dessert place too! We would never have tried that on our own and it was an amazing experience. And they are such a lovely young couple, we were lucky that they hung out with us two old people for the day 🤣

[@DeadDrunk1]

I have to say this has been one of the better reactions to Singapore food and culture. Well done!

[@PureDetour]

That's a really nice comment for someone named DeadDrunk. I'd expect you to be a bit more belligerent with a name like that, lol. I too am a happy drunk as well! Nice to meet a kindred spirit. Thanks so much!

[@GlowofLife]

This is one of the best video! Good mix of food and interaction with people here. Thanks for visiting us!

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much for watching! We had such a good time filming & eating and meeting the people here. It's really a unique place that you live in

[@dawnho7744]

Hey there. My first time watching your video and I'm a Singaporean. First of all, thank you so much for featuring Singapore. I think what sets your video apart from other KZbinrs when you showcased my country is that you interviewed people by asking them about their views. That's the thing. You don't paint the country as what was portrayed in the movie 'Crazy Rich Asians'. Once again. thank you. Do come again! 😄

[@PureDetour]

Hi Dawn! Its comments like this that keep us going, thank you so much. We loved Singapore and the people were so kind to us there. And no, it's not all Crazy Rich Asians (even though I did really like that movie, lol) We just try to show a place how we see it, and in Singapore we met so many kind and genuine people, who were happy to share their really cool culture and amazing cuisine with us. How lucky for us. Thanks so much for watching and for the really nice comment 🙏❤

[@EYBearBear]

Local Singaporean here. The views expressed here are fair and balance. Great video!

[@PureDetour]

Thanks! Thats so nice to hear that a local feels that way, I appreciate you letting us know. We put a long of thought into presenting it truthfully as we saw it.

[@gavinke773]

was not expecting such a well informed video, amazing video guys! i really hope this channel gets the credit you deserve. Glad you guys enjoyed Singapore keep up the good work guys!!

[@PureDetour]

So lovely of you to say this, thanks so much. 🙏❤️

[@theWatchowskiBrosNowSis]

You guys are great this is the 1st time come across foreigner foodie tours at Golden Mile Food Center that’s the same spot I go for my fix of milk tea & kaya toast. Also nobody did the Hainanese Curry Rice but you guys👍

[@PureDetour]

Hey Desmond! We really liked Golden mile. That Hainanese curry rice was so so delicious, we still talk about it, lol. Thanks so much for the nice comment!

[@Ben_L_world]

What is amazing watching your channel is the fact that other than very well taken video clips, your commentary is just plain professional! Makes me wonder if you both had been broadcasters or MCs in your previous professional life! The voice-over was so great I thought initially that this is a professionally filmed documentary!!

[@PureDetour]

Oh Wow Ben. This comment means so much to us! If you go back and watch out first videos from over a year ago, you'll know that neither of us had ANY experience in any of this. Geoff was in construction and I was in operations in an office and the videos started out REALLY rough. We have worked really hard to slowly get better at this KZbin thing and this Singapore video is one of our favourites so far. It's been fun for us to learn new skills to learn how to better tell a story and we're hoping to continually improve as we go. Thanks so much for the nice comment, absolutely made our day 🙏💙

[@simroysten7963]

Gee Wiz you are making everybody's mouth water. What a feast. I won't blame you both for wanting to stay long term.

[@PureDetour]

Seriously, the food was so spectacular and reasonably priced. And so much variety, you could stay for months and not eat the same thing twice.

[@jeffchew152]

Always make my day watching foreigners enjoying our local eats. Hawker foods are definitely THE Eighth wonder for the world...

[@PureDetour]

So glad you enjoyed watching. Singaporeans certainly are lucky to have such a variety of delicious foods so easily accessible. It really is deserving of the Unesco cultural designation, it's really something to experience!

[@sngjoolian]

Amazing, we were there yesterday. Your introduction was good. Enjoy your stay here

[@PureDetour]

So glad you liked the intro, we worked hard on this one. Really wanted to showcase what an interesting place Singapore is!

[@cybergod77]

Good to see you guys enjoying our local food, sights and sounds + interacting w/ the locals

[@PureDetour]

Thanks Gilbert! We were very happy to visit, we enjoyed our stay very much and the food and the friendly locals may have been our favourite part!

[@christine8203]

Great video - very well produced content-wise and you’ve kind of captured the spirit of Singapore: food and celebration of life and friendship in food! Thank you!

[@PureDetour]

Wow, this is a really nice comment, thank you so much! We did our best to do exactly as you said, capture the spirit of such an amazing place and it's wonderful people. Thanks so much for watching & for the encouraging comment! 🙏❤️

[@xeenslayer]

You guys really did your homework on sg! Great video!

[@PureDetour]

Thanks! We found it so interesting and loved the people and food so much. A really nice place, we enjoyed our time in Singapore so much

[@sngjoolian]

Already 'Like' and ' Subcribe' Loved the noodles which were long not cut into short pieces

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much for liking and subscribing! We love all noodles, regardless of length 🤣

[@jhf4930]

You guys really know where to find our local good food :)

[@PureDetour]

So glad to hear you say that! We did a lot of research and wanted to try a variety of foods. We had heard that Singapore is a great food city and we certainly didn't leave disappointed! Hope we can visit again one day soon 🙏

[@abolition1889]

Your videos reflect the amount of effort you put in, just to let you know that it shows 🙏🏻

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much Ivan. This is our longest video yet, there were so many interesting people, facts & food that this one was very special to us. So glad you liked it. ❤️

[@patricksoo2432]

Love to see both of you like our country very much…. You did the right thing to explore Hawker Food ❤

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much, we had such a nice time in Singapore and yes, the food was amazing! Singapore has a very well deserved reputation as a food destination

[@medmuckersmedia3185]

Very well researched and produced video. The ironical question of "where does the all the prosperity come from?" had them rolling their eyes. The answer is the wealth is held by only the top quartile of Singaporeans. A large middle class that is mildly wealthy, and a small minority of relatively poor. SG has a strong manufacturing economy, 3rd largest oil and gas refinery, even though not a single drop of crude oil is drilled, a thriving trading port, and a banking sector that is commonly known as the Switzerland of the East. The only resource is the human knowledge capital.

[@PureDetour]

That's a very nice compliment about the video, thanks so much. Such an interesting place with amazing people. Really fascinating economic & social systems resulted in a place like no other in the world.

[@telomeke3157]

The question "Where does all that prosperity come from?" is at timestamp 38:57

[@caineteyable]

Well-produced video..... you make me hungry

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much! I get hungry just thinking about it too.

[@Jane_L127]

Wowzers the opening words of introduction were so professionally done. Summarized what Singapore is accurately in a concise way together with the short snippets of people and places/buildings 💫

[@PureDetour]

Thanks Jane! We didn't have much time in Singapore, so could only make 1 video, so we wanted to try to make it a different style. It was something new for us so glad you think it worked.

[@liteo57]

The taste buds of Singaporeans have evolved over the years. Back in the days, people ate mainly local foods prepared by the 4 major ethnic groups, but over time as Singaporeans became wealthier and travelled, their taste buds were exposed to different foods & cuisine from around the world. That coupled with the arrival of foreigners, new restaurants opened to serve foods from their native countries. Now with easy access to foods from elsewhere locally, one won't need to travel anymore. But the one thing that's a certainty is that Singaporeans always miss inexpensive local foods whenever they're overseas.

[@PureDetour]

Yes, that is no surprise, I think that everywhere in the world, the taste in food has grown more international as the world gets 'smaller' in many ways and ideas and cuisines travel with people. But I agree, the hawker food is excellent taste and quality for very little cost, you certainly don't get that everywhere!

[@SweeSun1]

Great video… well edited and informative. You guys are natural and engaging. Looking forward to more videos!

[@PureDetour]

Wow, that is such a nice complement! We still feel awkward on camera so it's nice to hear you say it's natural. Hope to hear from you on future videos!

[@sudheshkumar732]

Thank you for visiting Singapore. I loved watching your video. I trust you will enjoy your stay here and enjoy our hawker food.

[@PureDetour]

Thanks for watching. We loved our time in Singapore and we think that our genuine enjoyment of the place came out in the video. We had to leave Singapore because we were getting to fat 🤣❤️🙏 But we hope to come back soon!

[@jon8697]

Prosperity came from people. Singapore r hardworking. Every singaporean have a roof, high ownership of home.

[@PureDetour]

This is true. I know that the people work very hard. But I think that there are very many hardworking people in less prosperous nations. Do you think that that is the difference?

[@jon8697]

@@PureDetour maybe the only differences is that the Singaporean especially the chinese love money 😂 that makes them work harder. And becoz SG is only a city state without any natural resources. What works well here does not equally do well in other countries.

[@anchored555]

@@PureDetour There are hard working people everywhere. But it doesn’t always translate into prosperity for the nation. I think the biggest factor is good governance. That can make a big difference in the quality of life and living standards in any country. We in Singapore are very blessed to have enjoyed exceptionally capable political leadership and good governance since we became independent in 1965. Otherwise, SG would likely have remained a third world backwater no one is interested in visiting, much less making videos about.😜

[@pineapplepetcorneats]

So happy to see you guys check out our local food!! That's our favourite pastime and there are so many good options around! and Ah Chew Desserts is one of my favourite places to go!!!

[@PureDetour]

We were so lucky that Petra and Ivan took us to Ah Chew, we would never have found it on our own and the desserts were delicious and like nothing we've ever had before. Eating is our favourite pastime too, so we certainly had something in common with the Singaporeans 🤣 Maybe that's why we got along so well there 🤣

[@pineapplepetcorneats]

@@PureDetour hahaha YESSS Hope you guys eat your way right through!

[@conned]

Go to Cherki and Atlas bar. Thank you for choosing Singapore n kind words . Stay safe n most welcome to come back!

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much for the recommendations! We really enjoyed our time in Singapore and hope to visit again soon

[@bonjer]

Chanced upon your SG and Msia videos and they are very well researched. Food to try the next time you come over to SG: sambal stingray, frog porridge. Have a great and safe journey wherever you go next!

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much for the nice comment and for the recommendations! we've never eaten either of those things!

[@yapkiat9845]

Hi guys ,I'm first time watching your video n I must say it is really good n well documented. Your research into Singapore really shows in this video that how well you guys prepared. Love the vibes n conversations you had with the locals. In Singapore food is considered as the ice breaker for most ppl who really enjoy eating n exploring new places n sharing it among the community. We have many foods shows on TV about where n how to make better food. Yet you guys can really blend in well with the locals. At first I thought you guys are PRs working in Singapore cos the way you pronounce the local foods are so well n accurate. Thanks for the wonderful video n I sincerely hope you guys will come back one day n I hope to bring you around for more good food brings you closer to the heartland of Singapore. Lastly eat well n exercise well to stay healthy.

[@PureDetour]

Wow, Thank you so much, this compliment means a lot to us. We put a lot of work into this video and are so glad you liked it. We were so happy with the food in Singapore, but even more, the people were so hospitable and welcoming and eager to share their food and culture with us. We were lucky to have met such lovely Singaporeans, we feel like they are the ones who make this video enjoyable. We hope to come back one day soon too! If we do, follow us on insta or FB and when we come back we usually tell our followers so that we can meet for delicious food!

[@kwpf]

Office workers work 5 days a week in Singapore. The F&B sector have longer working days and hours.

[@PureDetour]

Yes, we're being told that by multiple people now, thanks for clarifying! And yes, F&B workers work really long hours, don't they?

[@simplyme3306]

It actually depends on the industry. I know that people in certain service industry, construction, logistics works 5.5, 6 or alternate 6 days work week. A lot of us would also put in extra hours beyond the indicated 5 days.

[@PureDetour]

@@simplyme3306 Yes, that makes sense. I think that's similar to what we see back home in Canada too.

[@simplyme3306]

Pure Detour yeah unless the rest of Singapore shuts down on Saturdays and Sundays certain industries just have to operate 😂 like what you guys mentioned Singapore having the busiest port in the world...largest oil refinery etc. People in these sectors would have longer hours.

[@mlvp]

This is interesting to watch as a local, hope the video gets chanced by the algorithm!

[@mlvp]

And I guess, in my opinion, why many do not mind the extensive network of CCTV implementation across the city is that our government is not known to be corrupt, which in turn is exudes a sense of trustworthiness to many citizens here.

[@PureDetour]

thanks so much!

[@PureDetour]

It's a rare thing that a people trust their government and low government corruption is so beneficial to a nation. Good leadership is so important for things like this. I'm so curious as to how though, what methods do you think the government and society use to ensure that corruption is minimal?

[@mlvp]

@@PureDetour My reply to your question seems to be filtered out under "Held for review" in KZbin Studio > Comments because it contained links to news articles.

[@cadiliouslight6835]

@pure Detour If you compare to restaurants, hawker centre, cafe and coffee shops is the cheapest eating drinking places in Singapore.

[@PureDetour]

Yes, we were very surprised about how affordable the hawker food is, especially because many other things in Singapore are expensive. And it was such high quality for the price!

[@azharidris7092]

kaya is classified as a coconut curd.. comes in two difference version.. one flavoured with Pandan ''green Kaya'' and the other plain brown sugar base.. its basically coconut milk.. sugar.. pandan extract and thicken with eggs.. as they do with lemon curd..

[@PureDetour]

Thanks for letting us know, we've never seen it made, so appreciate the insight. We do know it's delicious and have been eating a lot of it! 🤤

[@LinksRoyal]

oh! that hawker you were at Beresh Food center ! on the upper floor at one of the corners just beside the sign Berseh is a very popular coffee place for Coffee ( Kopi and kaya bun with egg ) ! Really recommend you to check that out! Warm welcome to SG from a SG local! also please try Mince meat noodle ( Most hawker have this at the fishball noodle stall with Extra Chili and Vinegar! if you enjoy Japanese shopping you can check out Don Don Ki ( they have multiple outlets in Singapore ) Or the more expensive version Medi-Ya at the mall beside Pan Pacific Hotel!

[@PureDetour]

Awesome, thanks so much for the recommendation. Those noodles sound so good! We tried a mince chili mee, is that what you mean? We're so new to this food and loving it so much, it's so hard to choose what to try next. There's only so much we can eat in one day 🤣

[@summerapple7062]

Try prawn noodle, ngoh Hiang (both at Beach Road Prawn Noodle House), rojak (both Chinese & Indian version), Hokkien Oyster omelette (Or Luak), Indian Soup Kambing, Indian Prata. Check out Makan Harry blog where he recommended some of our local delights and places where you can get it. Go to places where the local eat.

[@PureDetour]

Oooh, we tried rojak after we filmed this, so delicious. I think it's in next week's video! But many of these things I've not tried. I'll check out your recommended dishes and blog. Thanks!

[@LinksRoyal]

@Pure Detour I have not heard it called that might be different ? Another reccomened one is *Song Fa bak Ku Teh* it's a peper pork meat soup that you have with rice ! They have a number of outlets around singapore!

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much!

[@keffinsg]

Thank you for your lovely video. I particularly enjoyed the nuance and depth that you cover, quite unusual for travel/food videos. Looking forward to seeing your other videos. Cheers :)

[@PureDetour]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely comment

[@jasonchua9112]

As a correction, most industries are on a 5 day work week

[@impopquiz]

SGreans love to “hunt” for hawker food staples and brand them exceptional across the island bcoz not every stall serves them the same. Some are better than others. Golden Mile is one of the best in terms of good food varieties. In terms of dying hawker culture, I don’t think it will die out but there will be changes with the new generation for the type of food they will serve. Called it food gentrification. There’s also pepper crab which is the spicier version. U need to get the hang of it, cracking and peeling the shell off. Patience is required for this dish. 😂 In terms of security, low crimes doesn’t mean no crimes so one still needs to be aware of the surroundings. Also, we don’t usually care about the cams bcoz people generally don’t “misbehave”. You can do what u want, just don’t get caught. 😅 There r govt agencies and non-profit helping the lower income families so that also create a safe environment for its people and prevents any major crimes on the streets. On that note, you won’t normally see any homeless people too. As for the fines, sg govt knows where it hurts the most if u commit some of the offenses. Effective over time though. 😂

[@PureDetour]

Oh, we love spicy, we should have tried the pepper crab, but where we come from , chili is spicier than pepper, lol. Our mistake. And yes, patience is certainly required, don't start if you're too hungry 🤣 As for the hawkers, yes, I can see that there will be an evolution of sorts soon, and probably prices raises, but also rightfully so. It will certainly be different.

[@kwk9470]

Both of you are food appreciators, if there is such a word. Good photography. Thank you for the video. Have a great time.

[@PureDetour]

Food appreciators, yes we're definitely that! Eating is probably our favourite part of travel. Thanks so much for watching & for the nice comment!

[@horse2run]

Great video content. Love your presentation, keep on doing your good work.😀

[@PureDetour]

That's so nice, thanks so much!

[@alfredpekl654]

I appreciate how you love our food 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@PureDetour]

And we appreciate how well the Singaporeans fed us 🤣 thanks for watching!

[@ji1511]

Great video. Well researched n interesting. I love that u both are pretty adventurous in taste too. As a sporean now in tokyo... I m looking forward to eating all that u did....when back. Love that u both ate at the hawker centres n even made the time to speak with them. I truly respect the time n effort these hawkers put it but yet charging generally reasonable prices. Compare that with eating out in Australia or Tokyo...u wont get these prices, variety nor diversity. There is also the other end of the spectrum should u prefer. But at a different cost, ambience and taste. Btw, western food like griller chicken, cutlets with sides of veg or chipe are also commonly found in hawker centers. They are very good too. In Spore,, we are so lucky to have good food everywhere, it all depends on yr budget. Great that u met 2 Singaporean ambassadors.... 😊 Welcome n Enjoy yr stay. *Office workers usually work a 5day workweek.

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much! I imagine you must miss all the food so I'm happy we could bring it to you second hand. And yes, it's the variety of cuisines, styles, budgets and ambience that make it truly a food paradise here! And yes, we are very grateful to have met such lovely people here!

[@kuatiogui]

in the 2nd hawker centre, u ate the hokkien mee... what u want to do is to eat the hokkien mee at the first hawker centre (golden mile). that one is to die for.

[@austinkhor]

U guys are so smart, yes try the local food around and you will be surprised.

[@PureDetour]

No point travelling all over the world only to eat the same thing you would eat at home! Eating is our favourite part of travelling! If you could go anywhere in the world to eat the food, where would you go? I bet a lot of people might say Singapore, it's famous for that. 🙏❤️

[@wjj7488]

Many food stalls in hawker centres do not operate long hours as some offer breakfast food and the others some more of dinner /supper food .

[@PureDetour]

Yes we had noticed that after hanging out for a while. Some are focused on different times of day.

[@jen5138]

One of my fave hokkien mee in Sg is from another stall in the Golden Mile hawker centre. It's called Hainan friend hokkien mee. It's v popular among locals n it used to be located beside a famous chickem rice stall too though I'm not sure if that is still the case after they renovated.

[@PureDetour]

@Jen Thanks for the tip! It's a tasty dish, isn't it?

[@alsonlim70]

Hokkien prawn noodles is my favourite. Yummy.

[@PureDetour]

Delicious, right?

[@ahsoontan1219]

Great, you can assimilate the environment with ease, which you can dig deep into culture of this country

[@PureDetour]

Hi! I'm glad we made it look easy 🤣 we did put a lot of work into trying to find out as much as we could to give a small slice of the culture here. So glad you enjoyed!

[@Sgscouser]

The third floor of the the golden mile hawker Centre is called the army's market which sell all things military before ecommerce.

[@PureDetour]

Oh, yes I think I read that after we visited so we didn't go check it out. Too bad, I'm sure that's interesting. Thanks for watching!

[@endi4654]

I think the question posed to the last group of people, I believe are F&B owners? They do not represent the viewpoint of all Singaporeans. Additionally, there's multitudes of jobs in Singapore from various fields such as Engineering, Pharmaceuticals, Finance, Banking, manufacturing etc and each and every one of them has different work patterns. So it's very hard to give a clear answer as this country is economically diverse.

[@PureDetour]

Hi. That’s fair. Of course everyone has a different perspective and we couldn’t speak to everyone. Only presenting the small slice of life that we were able to discover in our short time there. You could spend a lifetime gathering different stories and every one would be different

[@endi4654]

@@PureDetour yup.. And these guys in F&B work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Whereas people who work in MNCs also have different work benefits. Generally if I start working for a local MNC, I get 14 day of work leave, and my friend who work for Australian MNC get 21 days of work leave.. So it's a matter of choice for the local workforce 😂 this is one thing I find pretty unique to Singapore

[@NEAAFFAIRS]

Office workers don't do 6 days a week. 5 days a week is the norm. 8 hours a day but most do overtime. 73% of Singapore GDP is by services. The rest are mainly manufacturing in usually high tech sector and petroleum. There is a petroleum refinery here. It's the largest ExxonMobil refinery globally.

[@PureDetour]

So interesting that refinery is in Singapore. I had no idea!

[@NEAAFFAIRS]

@PureDetour because we are at the crossroads of shipping, the petroleum comes here to be refined. It's done with zero pollution. Top 8 refinery in terms of output globally

[@PureDetour]

Wow, I'm so happy when viewers share this additional facts and context with us. Fascinating the things you learn.

[@jondesker5883]

This is a great video but there is still so much of yummy food you need to try in SG.

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much Jon! I know, everywhere we go, even if we stay a few months, there is always so much more to see and eat. There’s never enough time to try it all!

[@jodamamung6393]

7:42 my favorite ever hokien prawn Mee...eat with sambal...perfect...

[@PureDetour]

That stall is your favourite? Or the dish? And yes, we love the sambal too, mmmmm

[@jodamamung6393]

The dish...😀😀

[@leekimpoh9942]

One of the best videos I have seen about Singapore food by a foreigner. Your effort is commendable. Well done.

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much for your nice comment, we appreciate it and are glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@lailian1054]

Nay, we work 5day week in office, sat n sun are off days.

[@jen5138]

I was wondering that too. Since when was it 6 days for office jobs? Anyhow..

[@PureDetour]

Oh, we would have no idea, thanks for clarifying. Do you have an office job in Singapore? What do you do? And for the 5 days, are those days long hours?

[@lailian1054]

Official hours are usually 9am to 5pm, with an hour of lunch in between. Some companies start at 830am. Some lucky people can knock off on time, but typically we work 10hours and even more for some, depending on the nature of work.

[@simplyme3306]

@@jen5138 It is true for certain industries though. My friend works in DHL with alternate Saturdays (half day?) work week. Some people in air con servicing/construction (those "traditional" companies are 6 days too.

[@NEAAFFAIRS]

The police cameras are not used to monitor and catch criminals live. It's used to solve crime after the fact. So privacy isn't a real concern. (Similar to how police use cams to trace the Boston marathon attack) They do use it for crowd control and traffic. E.g accidents on highway where they dispatch the police, tow truck. It got so safe that my kids take public transport all by themselves when they were 8

[@PureDetour]

It's so good to be in a country safe enough where children have some independence. It's they way we grew up and it's good for children.

[@Sgscouser]

Singapore is so insanely safe that someone has tried to reserve a hawker Centre seat using their iPhone.

[@NEAAFFAIRS]

@@PureDetour at the same time, when we travel with them overseas, we have to teach them situation awareness and street smartness. e.g. no dilly dally getting in the car or out

[@kwchen1058]

If you fly SIA, the flight attendants are mostly locals. Once they are done with their jobs, if you engage them they are more than happy to share where’s best place to go for the items you want and things you should do depending on how many days you spend there. So many tourists simply didn’t spend enough time.

[@PureDetour]

What a fun suggestion. I always ask taxi drivers but never thought to ask flight attendants. We took a bus to Singapore from Malaysia, but I’ll keep this in mind for next fight!

[@engchiahsim1744]

Welcome to Singapore

[@PureDetour]

Thank you so much!

[@coollibra5643]

Hawkers in Singapore normally works more than 10,12 or more hours a day. The time spent in going to markets buying and then prearaing their food, broth/curries, ingredients, condiments are very often not accounted in their hours of work. Also a lot of hawkers work 7 days a week with only Chinese New Year public holidays being their only off days in a year. Pls take note !!!

[@PureDetour]

Yes, that's right, all of the prep work and purchasing must be very time consuming. You seem to know a lot about the hawker business. I'm curious, why do you think that prices of food are so low compared to other things in Singapore? It seems to me that these hawkers work very long and hard hours for little pay. Do you think that the public would support a price raise to better compensate them for their hard work?

[@shan2lu]

@@PureDetour Hawker Centres owned by government have cheap rental, hence the lower food prices.

[@calvyncraven1141]

@@PureDetour and even though with low prices, the owners can afford to own homes, raise a family and send their kids to college and it actually pays better then mid level office workers. Furthermore many of their employees are Malaysians. Everyday 400k cross the cause way to work in Singapore. Even if they earn SGD2-3k, its a huge sum if spent in Malaysia.

[@PureDetour]

Oh wow, I had no idea that so many Malaysians work in Singapore but live in Malaysia, that's so interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@shan2lu]

@@PureDetour because Singapore dollar is 3X Malaysian Ringgit. Earning S$1,000 is equivalent to MYR 3,000

[@bensgoodeats1493]

A MUST TRY at Golden Mile food centre is at B1-35 chicken rice . One of the best in my opinion .

[@PureDetour]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@ADLfb]

As a Singaporean, I am grateful and super happy for the "no sale of chewing gum" and anti littering laws. I hate those days when chewing gum was stucked to every where. The American media made a big issue out of this in the 70s, 80s as a freedom issue and I think they were so ignorant and arrogant. I rather have the freedom : 1. of sitting or walking anywhere without having chewing gums stuck to my clothes. 2. Walking almost everywhere without my safety being threatened.

[@PureDetour]

I understand your point, and do appreciate the safety of Singapore. It is so nice to hear young women say that they feel like they can walk alone at night, unharassed. And I also appreciate that littering is awful, we have to live together in a society, and we should all do our part to keep it beautiful and sanitary for everyone. As for the chewing gum, in all of the countries that I've been, or at home, where chewing gum is common, I've never had an issue with chewing gum stuck anywhere. If it is properly disposed of, like anything else, it isn't an issue. Though yes, the American media tends to make a mountain out of a molehill for many issues and does a great job of ignoring the issues in their own home.

[@imsodonewithlife69]

@@PureDetour im guessing that the "ive never had an issue with chewing gum stuck anywhere" is because Singapore is way smaller than the US or other countries so its more noticeable?

[@PureDetour]

@@imsodonewithlife69 Hmmmm, I'm not sure that is the case. Of course, as a country, Singapore is much more densely populated than many places. But we've visited (or lived in ) cities just as densely populated. For example, Barcelona is much more dense than Singapore, but no gum problems. I think that years ago, things like littering, throwing gum, smoking, etc were more socially acceptable everywhere, but things have changed and it's rare to see gum or litter thrown around. Throughout places like Bangkok, Cairo, Marrakech, New York, Paris, Istanbul, London. I've maybe had gum on the bottom of my shoe only a handful of times in my life. And never on my hand or hair.

[@gulayguthre9939]

I lived in Singapore for 6 years and I'm in American go to the restaurants and you'll see why it's called expensive get out of the food courts and the number one dish in Singapore is Chile crab

[@PureDetour]

Ah, yes, we did eat in some restaurants and it's not cheap, similar to American prices, yes? But the hawker food is amazing and so affordable! We loved the Chili crab, have you tried the one we ate in the video?

[@ip3vk]

These chefs don't really know much about the economic success of Singapore but cooking are their forte.

[@suayhughes8103]

Singapore is beautiful country.

[@PureDetour]

Hi Suay! It is a very nice place with wonderful people and food. We'd love to go back to explore more one day

[@johnlzr]

Actually, manufacturing forms a quarter of Singapore's GDP, and the Singapore government ensures that manufacturing is at least 20% of the country's GDP and is the economy's largest sector. Singapore manufactures high-end electronics, chemicals, biomedical sciences, aerospace, etc. Outside of manufacturing, financial services, tech are also significant industries in Singapore.

[@PureDetour]

Thanks for the info, I don't really know much about it so appreciate your thoughtful input. I'ts very interesting and smart to focus on these particular industries for manufacturing as they are high value added, high ticket items requiring a skilled workforce. I'm not suprised.

[@ivancen5020]

I don't think there's facial recognition though, so it's unlike China where they can find out exactly who goes where when. The footage is only used when there is a crime, and that's when they have to actively look for the particular face so it's not very automated.

[@PureDetour]

Ah, I see. So if there is a crime, they will publish the photos publicly to try to catch the perpetrator? They have to do it the old fashion way?

[@bbmars1128]

@@PureDetour Yes, it is unlike those in China. FYI, last year, the Home Affair minister apologised to the people during a parliamentary session (published in the press too) informing that the police had actually used our covid Trace Together apps to trace and crack a criminal case. The Trace Together apps was suppose to be used only for covid purposes, such as entry requirement to places and showing our vaccination status. It was a breached in data privacy by the police.

[@PureDetour]

@@bbmars1128 So Interesting. It's good that they owned up to such a breach and apologized for it. How did the breach come to people's attention?

[@bbmars1128]

@@PureDetour I have no idea, I only found out while watching news on TV

[@ivancen5020]

@@PureDetour yes, it is done the old fashioned way, which is why some quick footed criminals have managed to take flights out of the country the same day the crime is commited. The police have procedures internally to do checks and balances but there are unfortunate lapses due to acute manpower shortage and apparently the best talents were sent to focus on commercial crimes (which is a rising trend here), hence the usual petty crimes get less focus due to their statistical insignificance.

[@erictansweebeng5498]

Checkout Greg's big eats. youtube.com/@GregoryLeow

[@AvengeBasketball]

That's alot of sambal for your Hokkien Mee sir lol. For me i just leave it at the sides and add some if i want some extra flavor.

[@PureDetour]

Hahah, Geoff loves things spicy so he really enjoys the sambal! 😋

[@kayellai5278]

From Malaysia to Singapore on food. Singapore has some unique food of their own. Comparison on the same food would be good from a foreigner. Kaya + Butter toast is a common food in Malaysia and Singapore. Verdict between two countries? I think half-boiled egg is a creation in these countries. You don't find it anywhere in the world. Toast Box from Singapore is making appearance in Malaysia too.

[@PureDetour]

This is a really interesting idea. To compare the same items between two countries. I feel like if we did that there certainly would be tons of arguments in the comments 🤣

[@kayellai5278]

@@PureDetour Taste is subjective for locals and foreigners alike. I love satay but most foreigners find it too sweet. There is no right or wrong on your verdict. The arguments start when one country want to claim ownership or creator of that food. That is not my concern, I consume whichever that taste the best. Kaya + Butter toast is definitely not from Indonesia that I am very sure.

[@thelioktjwanmoses8760]

At least 👀 seeing things from ground level, not high level , or low level 👍

[@PureDetour]

We did our best to present it as we saw it, we had so much fun and met so many cool people. We hope to come back some day soon

[@archdraong]

A bit on the last segment on working in Singapore, generally I think they're speaking more from the perspective of F&B. If you're talking about other industries like tech where am working now, it's generally 5 days a week and 7 hours excluding 1 hour of lunch break. And most tech generally have more or less flexible break time so you can minus off around 30 mins to an hour off there as well. Well, generally those working in tech are earning much more and are not covered by Part IV of the Employment Act. Generally it's the higher your position and your salary, the more time is required and "sacrificed". Generally if you're earning less than SGD2,600 for non manual labour jobs or SGD4,500 for manual labour jobs, you are covered by Part 4 of the Employment Act which stipulates that you can only work 44 hours a week for normal hours of work excluding overtime. If the nature of the work requires continuous work for up to 8 hours, by law breaks must be provided for meals. The breaks should be at least 45 minutes long. Not sure about their positions, but if the restaurant guys in the video are employees and are working over 44 hours, either it's legal as they are earning over the covered salary amount, or...well you know, it's illegal and either they do not know the law or they're not reporting it, or that the hours they mentioned includes overtime as well. I used to work in hotel industry as well and that's shift work with around 5 days/ week, 8hours/day for some hotels, or 6 days/week, 7hours/day for others. But of course being in hospitality there's a manpower crutch due to a lack of locals being interested in the industry thus overtime is common pre-covid.

[@PureDetour]

Thanks for all of the context, I used to work in HR back in Canada so employment laws in different parts of the world are very interesting to me. Thanks for sharing!

[@trackyou3047]

Love your video :-)

[@PureDetour]

Thanks so much! 🙏 ☺️

[@PradeepRaajkumar1981]

Please Try South Indian -Kerala & Tamilnadu veg tiffin and Banana leaf meal - Veg & Non veg.. Individual diners & Little INDIA Long Beach Singapore Chilli crab and pepper crab

[@PureDetour]

Thanks for the recommendations! We've actually had some of the best Indian food ever in this region!

[@PradeepRaajkumar1981]

@@PureDetour Ok great.. Westerners stick to Hindi, Bread and Butter chicken- Punjabi or Gujarati cuisine as INDIAN Food..I assume you would have had the same... I had the same issue of understanding in the US and AUSTRALIA.

[@PureDetour]

@@PradeepRaajkumar1981 We did try the Banana leaf meal in Kuala Lumpur and loved it. and we have had the chance to try some of the Southern India cuisines that you mentioned. And yes, you're right about Indian food in the West. Often the menus all look the same and show only a very small sub-set of Indian cuisine. For a country with such a large and varied food culture, it's a shame that it has all been lumped into one generic 'Indian food' box in the west. We look forward to learning more as we go. Geoff has been to India in the past, and we hope one day to be able to spend some time there exploring the diverse cultures and foods!

[@jon8697]

We have a good government. Simple as that.

[@PureDetour]

Ah, yes. Good management of people and resources. This may be the better answer I think. It’s a big job to manage millions of people and an entire international economy. Smart leadership is key and unfortunately lacking in many places.

[@MontMichel3754]

Lee Kuan Yew the first PM of Singapore was a nation builder

[@1yanfei]

Yes lucky you!

[@ganhaithong2097]

U can dip bun or bread with the chilli crabs sauce. Delicious 😋🥘 🍞

[@PureDetour]

Yes, dipping mantou in the sauce is delicious!

[@bensgoodeats1493]

Where Singapore prosperity comes from ? From trade of course. Singapore enjoys a trade surplus of USD30 billion yearly (not all Singaporeans are aware of this ). And we invest our money well.

[@PureDetour]

What are the main trade commodities? And yes, good management seems to contrribute a lot

[@bensgoodeats1493]

@@PureDetour Machinery , petrochemicals (although we have no oil) . Manufacturing we have semiconductors, biotechnology/biomedical engineering , precision engineering .

[@PureDetour]

All good industries with high profits and create good jobs. Very smart choices from the industrialists and government

[@bensgoodeats1493]

@@PureDetour Singapore owe a lot of its success to one man , Philip Yeo . He was former chairman of the Economic Development Board of Singapore and created many good jobs for Singapore . He started our biotech industry from nothing. The petrochemical industry was started by reclaiming land from the sea to make Jurong Island . He was a amazing man who dared to dream the impossible!

[@sang-suangam9772]

black glutinous rice, with coconut ... try it cold :-)

[@PureDetour]

that sounds amazing, thanks for the recommendation!

[@ftrmtng8045]

In sg , theres one sure way to force compliance .. FINE. It works like magic. See .. it works on foreigners as well .. hehe.

[@PureDetour]

hahaha, we didn't want a fine!

[@ftrmtng8045]

@@PureDetour Hehe .. sg gov is v good at running this ctry bec they understand human nature !! We , the citizens , fall in line .. like good children.

[@ashmarsim]

Singapore makes money in a lot of ways, there are a lot of youtube videos that can explain this better but here are some of them: Financial hub, defense, trade, tourism to name a few.

[@lpericteo]

Peoples who come to Singapore and just eat only hotel foods or in restaurants are wasting their visit here.😂😅😮

[@PureDetour]

Agreed!

[@leewn2319]

It’s call Hainanese Curry Rice becos it’s usually sold by Hainanese that cooks great curries.

[@PureDetour]

Ah, thanks so much for letting us know! We were so taken aback by how simple and delicious that dish was!

[@sammanis9148]

Didn't I say before that Spore is inexpensive if you know where to eat n buy n travel.on.public transport. A bowl of freshly prepared hot prawn noodle soup for less than S$5.

[@PureDetour]

Yes, before we arrived we had heard that Singapore is very expensive, so I guess we thought that all of our purchases would be priced high. So we were very pleasantly surprised at the value provided for food in particular. Good quality, delicious food for very low prices. It's a foodie paradise indeed!

[@weiang820]

Food in Singapore is so cheap because a lot of hawkers are relying on their stalls as a livelihood rather than a business. It is providing work for a lot of people as much as cheap food for the people.

[@jonathanlee5520]

WOT ? U folks did not dip your KayaButter Toast into ½-Boiled Eggs with Black Sauce *?* U missed breakfast heaven, sadly ! 😳😥 There... There....... . . 😚

[@PureDetour]

🤣 We did try that! Several times, both in Singapore & Malaysia. Thanks for the consolation though, glad we didn't miss it, we just didn't film it....we were too busy stuffing our faces, lol 😉

[@chris2507]

Kaya is actually made using Pandan Leaves

[@PureDetour]

I know that there can be pandan in kaya, but the base is coconut milk eggs and sugar, flavoured with pandan. I've been told this by many many local in both Singapore and Malaysia

[@whattypeofx7750]

OMG SUZY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HEREE???!!

[@PureDetour]

🤣🤣🤣 We love Suzy so much!

[@contactkelvinsim]

You see breaded pork chop in Hainanese curry because Hainanese immigrants were known to work as cooks for the British during the Colonial era... hence the western influence in the curry. So nope... you'll not find this dish in Hainan China.

[@PureDetour]

Thanks for the context Kelvin! That makes a lot of sense. I appreciate when local viewers are so helpful in helping us further understand ❤️🙏

[@ganhaithong2097]

U can find Chinese food, malay food, Indian food, Japanese food, korean food included western food here. They all delicious, our local food here are cheap n delicious 😋 🍲 🍜🍝🍛should try them all ✨ 😂

[@PureDetour]

You would need to spend a lot of time to try them all! We were in Singapore almost a week and I feel like it would take years to try everything!

[@pringlessourcream9527]

Changing habits through fines which are more effective than encouragements. People will find it painful to part with their 🤑

[@PureDetour]

It certainly does provide some extra motivation to follow the rules, doesn't it? Or else you'll see your $$$ following out of your wallet 💸💸😂

[@MontMichel3754]

Ohhhh durian is not everybody’s taste it’s for a very localised taste buds 😮

[@PureDetour]

It's very....different. We're willing to try anything at least once and we've tried durian several times now. Different varieties and in different dishes, and we like it much more than we thought we might.

[@skaka8800]

🤤🤤 🙋🇸🇬

[@PureDetour]

hahahah. We were drooling a lot too. We may have had to edit the drool out of the video 🤣

[@kayflip2233]

I'm surprised you didn't have high expectations for "curry rice" - that's like literally the foundation for the best cuisines in the world (Indian, Thai, Sri Lankan, Malaysian, Japanese, Jamaican, Trini, Singaporean etc). The world would be screwed without rice or curry.

[@PureDetour]

Yes, we love curries from all over the world (when done well.) But I've also had some pretty bland and tasteless curries too and the colouring of this dish lead me to think it may not be to my taste. I'm so glad I was wrong about this one, we loved this dish! And yes, the world is certainly a better place because curry and rice are in it 🤣

[@jonathanlee5520]

'Tis mostly 5-day week, 8hrs / day, if I must spew

[@bensgoodeats1493]

Yeah cars are expensive but that is a want and not a necessity . Our train and bus is enough to get around . Our food, public transport , taxi fares are way cheaper than most European cities , Australia and even Japan. Nobody really gets fine often . Personal income tax is one of the lowest . Foreigners with average salary will not come here to work if it is so expensive that they cannot save money . Remember these foreigners still need to pay rent .

[@PureDetour]

That makes sense, and yes we did see that transportation and food were very reasonably priced.