6 Overseas Dishes To Try At RWS Street Eats, Including Penang’s Lobster Nasi Lemak

You can read, watch shows and go on exploration trips to learn about the culture of a region, but one of the best ways to do so, in our book, is to indulge in its local street food. Makan your way across Asia from May 3 to 12 at RWS Street Eats 2019, without having to hop onto a plane. Held at Resorts World Sentosa’s Malaysian Food Street — a collection of Malaysia’s most famous hawkers in one food court space — the annual gastronomic extravaganza is back for its third year to serve up the best eats from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan for 10 days. The cherry on top? It’s free to enter. You just have to pay for your food or snag the early bird promo available until May 2, which gives you three tasting dishes from $12, plus goodies from Tupperware or Win2 snacks.

With more than 20 street food stalls from the region at the event. Singapore’s own Kway Guan Huat Joo Chiat Hokkien Popiah will be serving up, well, popiah, celebrated for its fresh, home-made ingredients from its skin to its chilli paste. Another highlight: Top Chef Vietnam 2014 finalist chef Cam Thien Long, who drew crowds the past two years at RWS Street Eats, will be back to tantalise with his signature Beef Noodle Pho.

Also look out for the following six famous street food brands coming from across Asia.

When it comes to street food, Taiwan boasts some of the world’s best. Representing Taichung is Mee Lang, who’ll be serving up piping hot bowls of Dan Zai Noodles ($8.50), egg noodles in a rich yet clear prawn and pork-based soup that’s simmered for hours, and served with prawns and a dollop of braised minced meat and ’shrooms. Fun fact: The dish was created over a century ago and gets its name from the thick bamboo poles (or dan zai in Mandarin) used by hawkers back in the day to carry their wares.

Wanna treat yo’self? Live it up with a decadent plate of Lobster Nasi Lemak ($28) by the third-generation hawkers at Projek Nasi Lemak, who're drawing crowds back in Penang with it’s ‘millennialised’ version of the typically simple breakfast food. Wild Malaysian leng heh (spiny lobster) is baked with cheese and served on a rattan tray lined with a banana leaf, accompanied with coconut rice dyed a pretty blue with butterfly pea flowers, ikan bilis, peanuts, pickled cucumber, a fried egg and sambal. If you prefer to keep your meal modest, you can have your nasi lemak with chicken, fish, prawns or giant squid instead — but why would you?

If you love fan choy (steamed sticky rice topped with meat from Singaporean pau shops), you’ll love its souped-up Taiwanese cousin, Bamboo Sticky Rice ($5) — think braised pork belly, pickled cucumber and pork floss layered on top of glutinous rice, then cooked in a mould to give it its signature cylindrical shape. Bringing it to RWS Street Eats 2019 is San Wei Qiao, a go-to spot in Taiwan for traditional Taiwanese bites since its establishment in 1966.

This 40-year-old family business has been attracting constant crowds with its hearty plates of Thai Kha Moo ($8.50), or braised pork leg with rice. What makes Zong Khamoo’s recipe unique is its addition of Chinese five-spice to give the pork trotter an extra touch of aromatics (the usual recipe typically calls for just oyster sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar), as well as the “secret gravy” that drenches the meat, rice and a braised egg. Grab a bite to see if you can figure out what’s in that secret sauce.

Here’s a tongue-twister for you: Mama Tom Yum Noodle is bringing its yummy Thai Tom Yum Mama Noodles ($9) to RWS Street Eats 2019. The noodle dish is a staple in Thailand and is traditionally made with instant noodles, colloquially called Mama noodles. The folks at Mama Tom Yum Noodle take the modest dish to new heights with a Tom Yum Goong broth that’s the perfect blend of sour and spicy, and by using springy handmade noodles instead of the instant stuff. It’s also topped with an assortment of seafood.

Back for its second year at RWS Street Eats is chef Faizal Admodirdjo, who helms the kitchen at Waroeng Kita Ayam Penyet in Jakarta, serving his famously fiery Ayam Penyet ($8.50). Originating from East Java, ayam penyet (or ‘smashed chicken’ in Javanese) features chicken marinated in herbs and spices before it’s deep-fried and pounded for a softer texture. Be sure to load up on the accompanying spicy belado sauce — a piquant blend of chilli, garlic, shallot, tomato and lime — for a satisfying burn.

Stuffed? Work up an appetite for round two at the many attractions in Resorts World Sentosa. It’s fun for you, your family and friends — plus your wallet, thanks to the online deals exclusive to Singaporeans. Check out our picks below.

Just don’t ride the epic Battlestar Galatica: HUMAN VS. CYLON™​​​​​​​ on a full stomach.

*Valid for single-use visit on Sun – Thur, excluding gazetted public holidays & months of June & Dec. Terms & conditions apply.

Have a splashing good time with the fam.

*Off-peak price applies from Mon-Thur, excluding public holidays. Peak price of $32 applies from Fri-Sun & public holidays. Terms & conditions apply.

Discover the wonders of marine life.

*Off-peak price applies from Mon-Thur, excluding public holidays. Peak price of $36 applies from Fri-Sun & public holidays. Terms & conditions apply.

Whether it's your appetite or sense of adventure that needs feeding whatever time of day — Resorts World Sentosa has you covered. Experience it yourself.

RWS Street Eats is on from May 3 – 12 at Malaysian Food Street, Waterfront, L1 Resorts World Sentosa. Grab the early bird special offers (from $12 for three tasting dishes) online at www.rwsentosa.com/streeteats or ticketing booths in RWS.

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