Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
26
in Singapore. It was banned by the Singa-
pore go vernment, as it had been filmed
secretly, capturing the city 's seedy under-
belly. The film is based on a (curr ently
out-of-print) novel by Paul Theroux of the
same name. B en G azarra plays the title
character, who is a pimp in 1970s S inga-
pore. In 2008, the film was finally emoved
from the black list.
Nick Leeson 's autobiographical wor k
Rogue Trader
was made into a movie of the
same name in 1999 starring E
While S ingapore has a small fledgling
local film industr y, one dir ector has
received top honors at film festivals around
the world for his ex cellent homegr own
Singapore films. Director Eric Khoo's most
recent project
My Magic
(2008) was nom-
inated for the G olden P alm at the 61st
Cannes F ilm F estival, wher e the film 's
screening prompted a 15-minute standing
ovation.
wan
McGregor.
4
EATING AND DRINKING IN SINGAPORE
Singaporeans pride themselv es in their
local cuisine, many times trav eling to far
corners of the island just to seek out the
perfect wonton or the most succulent chili
crab. The tr ue local eating experience is
the open-air hawker center , wher e tiny
cooking stalls are operated by families who
hand secret recipes down through genera-
tions—the best stalls can attract long lines
daily. Choose fr om traditional Chinese,
Malay, and I ndian fav orites under one
roof. A meal at a hawker center is undoubt-
edly one of the truest Singaporean encoun-
ters.
Excellent cuisine from around the world
can also be found in restaurants that range
from moderately priced cafes and small
venues to veritable palaces of gastronomy.
Connoisseurs may be inter ested to
visit S ingapore either in A pril, during
the
World G ourmet S ummit
(www .
worldgourmetsummit.com), or in J uly,
during the
Singapore F ood F estival
(www.singaporefoodfestival.com).
CHINESE CUISINE
The large Chinese population in S inga-
pore makes this ob viously the most com-
mon type of food you'll find, and by right,
any good description of S ingaporean food
should begin with the most prevalent Chi-
nese regional styles. Many Chinese restau-
rants in the West ar e lumped into one
category—Chinese—with only mild
acknowledgment of Sichuan and dim sum.
But China 's a big place, and its siz
2
e is
Tips
How to Handle Your Asian Meal
You'll notice that not all Asians use chopsticks. The Chinese, Japanese, Koreans,
and Vietnamese use them, while the Thais, Malays, and Indians do not (except for
some noodle dishes). How can you tell who uses what? If your rice is served in a
bowl, use chopsticks. If it's served on a flat plate, use a combination fork and
spoon (the spoon is the actual eating utensil, the fork used only to push the food
around).
Southern Indians and Malays also eat with their hands. If you choose to try
this traditional style of eating, make sure to wash your hands before and after
your meal, and use only your right hand for the task.
