World Street Food Congress Jamboree Feast 2013



When we travel to any country, one of the best ways to experience local culture is to head straight for the streetfood. Delicious, cheap and good. What could be better than that? 


From now to 9th June, food lovers now have the opportunity to enjoy streetfood from more than 10 cities at the World Street Food Congress, the first event in the world which allows public and industry players to gain more insights to the rich, vibrant street food culture.

Besides the food dialogue sessions and masterclasses, the highlight of the congress is none other than the World Street Food Jamboree, where the best street food masters are specially flown into Singapore to present their signature dishes.


Priced at $28, each ticket is inclusive of $20 food coupons to purchase the food at the Jamboree event. 

With the average cost of the dish at $8-$9, choosing what to have can be a tricky issue, especially if you do not want to leave the place feeling hungry. Of course, the easiest and fastest way is to purchase additional ticket coupons if they ran out.


After strolling one round, there were just too many food that I want to try. But first I zoomed to LA GUERRERENSE from Mexico for its signature Seafood Tostada. Voted as one of the "101 best places to eat in the World" in Newsweek and recommended by renowned chef, Anthony Bourdain, the item simply cannot afford to be missed. 


The assembly process goes like this: The deep fried corn chips were topped with juicy crab ceviche, next layered with fresh seafood (scallop, squid and crab meat), then drizzled with their various secret spicy sauces made by this smiling lady cum owner, Sabina Bandera Gonzalez (pic below). Lastly, a slice of avocado freshly scraped from the fruit tops the dish.



Mdm Sabina Bandera Gonzalez and her sunny smile

Despite the hefty price tag of $10, I did not regret because the flavours were punchy with a spicy kick. Sour, crunchy, creamy, chewy......everything simply exploded in the mouth. Besides the crab ceviche version, I tried the crab mayonaise salad on tostados which was equally good, with an extra sweetness from corn. A dish that truly lived up to its name. This is a MUST-TRY.


Just remember to ask for the spiciest level.  No fork. No spoon. Things got messy when eaten with hands but sometimes, street food is best savoured this way. Who cares if bits and pieces are dropped on the floor?



I love kuehs and thus had to try the Indonesian Kue Pancong (savoury) and Kue Pukis (sweet). Made from rice flour coconut batter, the Kue Pancong takes quite a bit of time to make in order to achieve a crispy texture (due to the dessicated coconut bits) and soft interior.


Instead of calling it savoury, it tasted more like a plain pancake topped with sugar. Some bites were tangy and so I wondered if fermentation was involved in the batter just like Indian's Thosai. For the sweet Kue Pukis, it was very fragrant, soft and somewhat similar to the Chinese sweet egg sponge cake, but denser. For $4, one gets a piece of each. Portion was small but it did satisfy my sweet tooth.

I heard there was a delicious chendol from this Big Nyonya Cafe and ordered one. 



Opened by a famous personality, Datuk Kenny Chan, this Malacca stall also sells Nasi Ulam--a Nyona dish of steamed rise mixed with coconut, Spanish Mackeral, prawns and sambal belacan.


Under the hot weather during my visit, the icy chendol ($4) provided temporary relief. Some found it not very aromatic but I liked the sweetness from the gula melaka and coconut milk. The green chendol bits and red beans were not many and slightly undercooked though.


Some people might tend to skip the Singapore stalls since they are available outside the event. But knowing that chances of travelling all the way to Bedok for the Heaven's Curry signature Putum Mayyam and Appam are slim, I had to try one at least and it was another memorable dish.


One thing about streetfood is that one should just forget about calories and leave diet to another day. I think my Appam with Butter ($5.50) would not have tasted as fragrant as it was if the Indian man did not toss half slab of butter into the half-cooked batter. It was instant love for the crispy edges as I plucked them off with the grated coconut and orange sugar.

Not Tau Sar Piah but Litti : a traditional Bihar food from India made of wheat flour, gram flour, garlic, onion, spices, rolled into a ball and then baked over charcoal. At Stall Shahi Litti Chokha

Due to limited stomach space, I did not manage to try everything at the event. However, I realised that $20 (or perhaps slightly more) can be substantial for an average person to enjoy a full meal. If one plans well, it would be equivalent to a four or five-set course meal, inclusive of desserts.

Vietnam's Chuoi Nuong(sticky banana rice) : a coconut-water infused glutinous ice wrapped around banana filling in banana leaves, toasted till crisp outside with a molten creamy banana lava inside. Topped with Sweet Coconut Milk and Sesame seeds. Pure Bliss for Banana Lovers! 

So if most people now are willing to pay $20 for one pasta, it would be unfair to complain for an $8 mee siam, isn't it? I guess I am guilty of the streetfood prejudice sometimes. But nonetheless, this event is highly recommended and I suggest you to grab some friends along to share the great food!

Visit and "like" the  facebook at: www.facebook.com/dairyandcream to view full pictures of all stalls with detailed description.

World Streetfood Jamboree Feast 2013

F1 Pit Building & Paddock (Nearest MRT: Promenade Station)

1 Republic Boulevard

Now to 9th June, 11am-10pm

One-day tickets ($28) can be bought on site

More info : http://www.wsfcongress.com/