JI XIANG

"Sometimes the best food is right in front of you"

A reckless late-night roam through the Jonker Street market almost took my life, spinning from crammed alleyways with locals and tourists rabid in discovery, me sick of trinkets and street food that delivers bouts of food poisoning, I weaved my way through slow walking imbeciles and took shelter in a Family Mart to buy a 100 Plus and press it hard against my veins. 

The way back to the hotel was a lonely walk, having survived the menace of tourist attractions. I delved into the depths of my psyche to manage a stagger and walked past a brightly lit restaurant full of chomping mouths.

I took a blind risk, flattered by the owner's smile and the sight of families crammed around tables stuffing their faces with tasty treats.  I asked the lady to prepare some dishes and waited outside as the mosquitos found new rivers of blood to drain from my pale skin. 

The food came wrapped in plastic boxes and I transported myself in a daze to my hotel room where I ate until my senses were restored. The food was a delightful play of textures and temperatures, flavours whizzing around my mouth, causing me to let out secret gasps of contentment. 

Sometimes the secrets to the kingdom are right before your eyes, more often than not they are far from the madding crowd.

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG  and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.