Bossy Flossie
Why is rivalry an indisputable element of human nature? To be human is to want to compete against others. There are all sorts of rivalries but none are so exciting – yet conflicting – as national rivalries! Australia vs New Zealand, England vs Scotland, Singapore vs Hong Kong, Italy vs France… Japan vs Korea!
I have never devoured chicken so tender and soft before discovering Hawker Chan’s humble soya sauce chicken rice and noodle stall in Chinatown. As a general rule, the hawker stall with the longest queue typically has the best food and this principle has served me well living in Singapore. That was how I discovered Hawker Chan. As is my usual Saturday morning tradition, I was browsing the Chinatown Food Complex looking for some lunchtime inspiration. I still hadn’t had my morning coffee and I carried a slight headache after a few too many wines the night before. I was also very, very hungry.
In my quest to find the best dim sum breakfast in Singapore, I had to give the dumplings and roasted meat at Red Star Restaurant a try. Red Star serves Cantonese-style dim sum and Chinese dishes and is located at the top of a HDB block of flats near River Valley. It also has an excellent reputation amongst locals. When I first went there one Saturday morning I observed only Chinese patrons and not a European face in sight. There was also a very long queue for a table and these signs made me feel sure it was going to be a fantastic meal. Unfortunately it did not quite live up to my expectation.