Wild Rocket @ Singapore **

Crabmeat Linguine with Chilli Tomato Cream

The reason why I try to avoid travel guidebooks is same reason that Gisela Williams’ New York Times article on “Singapore Culinary Melting Pot” fails to furnish the answers we all look to such resources to deliver: “What kind of RGF can I eat in this place and where can I get some?”

Any traveller who took the aforementioned article seriously might make the mistake of concluding that Singaporeans of sound mind might actually be willing to make the significant trek up Mount Emily to for Mod Sin (modern Singaporean) dishes like Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab with Mantou and Laksa Linguine with Quail Egg and Tiger Prawns.  

Indeed, what disturbs me the most about the NYT piece is Williams’ mention that she “made a point of waiting until after [her] trip to contact K. F. Seetoh, the acknowledged rajah of the local food guidebook series, Makansutra.” If someone has access to such a resource then by thunder why not take advantage !?! I am all for the idea of journalistic integrity, but not when it comes at the cost of quality. As I have mentioned in the past, the people who actually live in the city are the absolute best resource when it comes to up-to-date information about the food scene. In response to an inquiry about Wild Rocket, any self-respecting Singaporean would have said, “Eh, why you pay twenty dollar for pasta taste like laksa? You give me twenty dollar, I take you makan best laksa in whole of Singapore. We got some cash left over we buy Tiger Beer. Okay or not?” 

And the model Singaporean certainly has a point: the incongruity of conbining ingredients like pesto and laksa leaf mirrors that of white tablecloths at a backpacker’s hotel- it all just doesn’t make very much sense. As fond of fine dining as I am, I would seldom seek Singaporean-inspired food in a place where the real thing is readily available, affordable, and basically blows the competition out of the water. 

Although it is certainly an interesting experiment, I’d be genuinely shocked if Wild Rocket managed to maintain a toehold in Singapore’s dynamic and 100% populist restaurant scene until the next time I’m home for the holidays.   

Details: Mount Emily Hotel, 10A Upper Wilkie Road, Singapore‎ (+6563399448)‎