Jaime LeeConnecting with friends and family over hearty meals is one of Singaporeans’ favourite pastimes. If there’s one thing that we’ve longed for, it would definitely be the moments spent with loved ones over drool-inducing dishes at our go-to eateries. To paint you a better picture, here are the top Singapore food choices that we missed during the circuit breaker!
1. McDonald’s
Image credit: McDonald’s Singapore Official Instagram Page
Who didn’t miss dining beneath the golden arches? We all felt a collective heartache when McDonald’s announced that it would be temporarily closing until the end of the circuit breaker, although we understood that they had the best interests of the public at heart.
We missed everything about this fast-food giant, from its savoury favourites to its sweet treats! It felt as if we had lost our trusty supper companion, and we could only daydream about dipping its McNuggets into its signature curry sauce. Moreover, breakfast didn’t feel the same without fluffy Hotcakes drizzled in maple syrup.
It must have been heart-wrenching to explain to your kids and younger siblings that they wouldn’t be able to enjoy their Happy Meal for the time being, but we are thankful that all is back to normal!
2. Korean Barbecue (K-BBQ)
Image credit: Seorae Singapore Official Instagram Page
If you are a K-Drama fan, you would agree that Korean Barbecue, or more affectionately coined K-BBQ, is comfort food! The different cuts of marinated meat are seasoned enough to pack a punch of flavour. We daresay that this is the perfect complement to banchan, also known as Korean side dishes.
How we have missed the sizzling of the strips of meat, which is music to our ears!
3. Hotpot
Image credit: Haidilao Singapore Official Facebook Page
Indulging in a steaming hotpot meal has become one of our favourite activities during get-togethers, a tradition that is no longer reserved only for Chinese New Year. Hotpot buffet restaurants such as Haidilao and Beauty in The Pot offer a plethora of soup base options and ingredients. Furthermore, Shi Li Fang offers soft toys, that you can hug home after dining in, to complete the full hotpot experience. We have sorely missed such warmth during the circuit breaker!
Mookata
Image credit: Siam Square Mookata Official Facebook Page
For those who love barbecue and hotpot, Mookata gives you the best of both worlds! This Thai barbecue steamboat landed in Singapore a couple of years back, and is a hot favourite especially among youngsters. Plain water, or flavoured broth is typically poured into the moat surrounding the skillet. The piping hot broth takes up the essences of the grilled meat juices, which flow down into the moat. The end result is a rich and flavourful broth.
Image credit: Charcoal Thai Official Facebook Page
This irresistible pull of cheese just makes our mouths water! Mookata has been our favourite supper go-to whenever the Mookata cravings hit. We have definitely missed the smoky fragrance of the meat, which can’t quite be replicated anywhere else!
4. Army Stew
Image credit: Yoogane Singapore Official Facebook Page
We know we already covered Korean cuisine earlier, but this is too good not to bring up! Our Army Stew essentials include luncheon meat, tteokbokki, ramyeon, Korean fish cake and more! The dimension of flavour found in an Army Stew is simply irreplaceable.
5. Café food
Image credit: Black Tap Singapore Official Facebook Page
Having conversations about life over brunch at cafés remains as one of our favourite pastimes, and having Insta-worthy food at such an aesthetic space brightens up our day. We surely missed the laidback afternoons, when we whiled away the hours sipping our coffee while quietly working on our laptops or reading our favourite books.
6. Hawker food
It still feels a little surreal that the Kopitiam auntie has reverted to her usual phrase of “having here or dabao?” This is so as eateries have reopened for dine-in during Phase 2, after having been prohibited earlier.
Fun fact: Dabao means takeaway in Singaporean slang!
Not only did we pine for local favourites such as Carrot Cake and Char Kway Teow, but we also missed the clinking of coffee cups and the warmth felt from a hearty meal of hawker food. We never thought enjoying a plate of oh so delicious comfort food at the hawker centre after a morning walk could be such a sentimental experience.
Also read: Singapore to Move to Phase 2 of Its Reopening
Thankfully, not only are we reunited with our dearest bubble tea, we can finally satisfy our food cravings! This has been worth the wait, and one of the greatest takeaways from this circuit breaker would have to be how to appreciate the little things in life more.
