Food is a global phenomenon. It builds bridges and fills gaps between cultures but in some bizarre cases it even leads to wars. History has lived through many wars where food has been the bone of contention. It may sound stupid but it’s true.
The famous ‘Pig War’ of 1859 between the British and American forces stationed at the San Juan islands is a befitting example. It might have been this very reason why Neil Gaiman gave the famous quote in Good Omens, “Civilisation is two meals and 24-hours away from barbarism.” Whatever be the history revolving around food, a piping hot bowl of the humble soup will always be comforting to the soul.
In terms of cuisine and savoury dishes there are many places to discover and devour around the world.
The top three cities of the world to experience food are Paris, Singapore and London. Here’s why:
Paris
Paris, the City of Lights is the enchanting capital of France. The history of the French cuisine is rooted in medieval times. From the onset of the French revolution to the time when the aristocrats fled France, the culinary arena of France grew from the peasant way of living to fine dining.
It was Auguste Escoffier who gave French haute cuisine its definite structure and flavour. Much like the intricacies of an English theatre there were different parts associated to French fine dining and each part was played by a Chef. Cold dishes were handled by a Garde manger, the Entremettier took care of the sauces and veggies, a Rotisseur overlooked the preparation of roasts and grills and a Patissier handled the pastries and deserts.
With such a detailed history of cuisine and food, it won’t be wrong to term France as the culinary capital of the world. There’s no dearth of good places to eat in Paris. The crispy notes of a freshly baked bread or baguette hums straight on the heartstrings. The best place to nibble off on the French baguette is the Gilles Levaslot, Le Grenier a Pain or Au Levain d’Antan in Res des Abbesses. Dig into the succulent pieces of flavoursome Duck Confit at La Fontaine de Mars at Saint Dominique or Le Petit Canard at Henry Monnier.
For the pastry lovers the whiff of crispy croissant from a French Bakery spells magic and for the sweet toothed kind soufflé is the buzzword. Le Soufflé at Mont Thabor and Le Recamier at Recamier are the best places to get your dose of these light clouds of sinful sweetness dusted with a little snowfall of sugar.
Singapore
Influenced by a diverse cultural bonhomie, Singapore is effervescent with a rich tradition where food rules. Rice, noodles and Seafood are juxtaposed with a multifaceted cuisine influence that spells Asian, Malay, Chinese and European as its essence. The street food scene in Singapore is fresh and offers a nonchalant way of enjoying its culinary delights.
The best foods in Singapore are undoubtedly the traditional ones like the Fried Carrot Cake stalls at Kensington Park, the softly steamed Dim Sums at Jalan Besar, Sims Ave and Chinatown, or the Oyster Omelette at Serangoon. The Kaya toast is a Singaporean breakfast staple. The best places to grab a bite are Killiney Road, East Coast road, Hong Lim Green Community Centre and the Far East Square. For a more savoury experience, try a bowlful of Laksa and Chilli Crabs. The Queensway Shopping Centre, East Coast Road and Jalan Berseh offer a great fair of Laksa. Geylang, East Coast Parkway, Casuarina are the best places to hunt down a hot bowl of Chilli Crab.