Have you ever tried …
Making strange requests at cafes, restaurants, food-fast places, food courts etc. Such as
1. Big Mac without the sesame seed?
2. French fries without the salt?
3. Pizza without the olives?
4. Singapore fried noodles without the chilli?
5. A half burnt steak?
6. Seafood platter without the calamari?
What is your poison?
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FYI, the Singapore Noodle? There is no such thing. It exists only in Melbourne (or Australia i guess). It doesn’t even exist in Singapore. I don’t know how many exasperated Melburnians friends of mine who ended up in Singapore, spent hours looking for it only to come home disappointed.
It just sickens me when westerners coin an asian dish to whatever tickles their pickles. Now Singaporeans will have to spend their whole lives convincing ignorant Australians that Singapore Noodle is really prawn noodles, with a twist.
I don’t see Asian cultures changing western cuisine to suit Asian stereotypes. Foie gras is foie gras, not fattened duck/goose liver. But it’s hell of a common theme here.
I can go on about Asian food bastardization, but i’ll stop.
nothing like a chance to put the slipper into the “white australians” hey adrock?
it sickens you? wow, what a shame.
could it be possible there are other dishes that are called different things in different regions other than asia and australia?
…like chips vs french fries?
does this sicken you too?
Singapore noodles are not restricted to Australia but are also common in Canada and the U.S.
Westerners or white people did not coin the phrase. When was the last time you saw anyone but an Asian cooking at an Asian restaurant. More than likely, immigrants from Singapore, wanting a dish that people would remember and give praise to their type of cooking, coined these dishes. In fact, the Asians as a whole seem to be one of the few cultures who name common dishes after countries, places, and historical things. Ex. General Tzu’s Chicken (A favourite of mine).
P.S. English Muffins are another example of a product name that does not exist in England.
And a French baker will get very confused if you ask him for a french stick.
Apparently the West’s version of Chinese food (dishes like Singapore noodles and sweet and sour pork) is very similar to popular food in Western Europe in the 15th-16th century. Just a bit of trivia there.
I have a fan club!
Every article or comment i leave almost always grates on someone’s nerves. I can’t possibly be that sexy!
:) smile everyone
Singapore noodles is a common invention foreigners make of the Singaporean “fried prawn mee” (so now the Aussies know what to look for when they visit Singapore!). I used to be amused by it too, and often just order it for loops.
Don’t have to worry about the bastardisation of food - it is after all an “invention” or interpretation of a particular dish, perhaps, that the inventor thinks bring out the flavour of a signature dish from a particular country.
Anyhow, I just heard someone ordering “mushroom and minced pork noodles without the mushroom and minced pork” at Chom Chom. Hmmmm.
BTW, I made jokes outta myself before at McDonalds. I asked for Iced Tea to go with my meal and Curry Sauce to go with my nuggets a couple of times.
It’s a Singaporean thing. People who work at Macs, please don’t kill us. It takes awhile to adjust, even if you’ve lived in Melbourne for awhile. Every chance you get back to Singapore and then return to Melbourne, you go through the entire process of having to remember that Iced Tea and Curry Sauce doesn’t exist in McDonalds.
…And that Pizza Hut and KFC aren’t the same thing (stifled laughter)
“Can I order a large hawaiian please… and a two-piece chicken set?”
Other end of the line: “Huh?”
Speaking of which, who actually owns Pizza Hut and KFC in Singapore now? Last i checked, they’re in charge of Taco Bell as well.
Darren - you forgot to mention that little packets of sauces in Singapore are free. Regardless of quantity.
I can’t remember the last time i had my fast food with a dip of any kind. Living in Melbourne does dull your taste buds.
Wait… I had the name of that holding company off the top of my head when I made that comment… What was it now? Hmmm.
Oh yes, “Tri-Con”. Yeah, they’ve had Taco Bell for awhile now. But that in itself is disappearing gradually…
Oh the packets of sauces! Yes, indeed. They’re so free, you can ask for a gazillion packets and bring home the extras. But that’s so disgustingly cheapskate of course… heh heh.
I do like the BBQ sauce from Macs actually. And honestly, IMO at least, Hungry Jacks is so much better than Burger King… I never realised that until I ate a Grilled Chicken Burger from BK last December - the first thought that came into my mind was “Oh my gosh, this is awful.”