From the Pitch to the Plate: A Singaporean Foodie Face‑off
Why Singaporean Street Food Is an Impossible Puzzle
Ask any local in Singapore whether chicken rice is served with teriyaki or hoisin sauce and you’ll get the kind of eye‑roll that can make a match a little less awkward. Thankfully, our two Palace lads – Jake O’Brien and Scott Banks – rolled up their sleeves for a cheeky challenge that would let them dish out a score some other way.
Setting the Scene: A Friendly, but Fairly Gap‑filled Game
Late July 15 saw Crystal Palace play Liverpool in a Standard Chartered Singapore Trophy friendly. The Blues fell 0‑2, but the players had a chance to earn a trophy of a different kind – a “Singapore Side Dish Shoot‑out” in which they had to guess the secret ingredients in classic hawker dishes.
Round One: Classic Chicken Rice
- Chicken – the obvious hero
- Rice – the fluffy sidekick
- Cucumber slices – the green garnish
- Soy sauce – a splash of umami (Jake nails it)
- Ginger – a kick of zing (Scott celebrates)
- Salt – Jake’s second‑guess (Turns out it counts)
- Hoisin sauce and Teriyaki sauce – the players dodge the right one (and a mass of “nope”)
- Chilli – the stealth superstar they keep missing
Scott takes the win on the first plate, while Jake’s line‑up leaves a few gaps that leave him standing in a slightly sticky zone.
Round Two: The Lobster Laksa Extravaganza
Picture a laksa, but with lobster, fresh noodles, and a special pastry mash pulled straight from JW Marriott’s kitchen. The challengers again have to name the trick‑sy concoction.
- Lobster – the main star (Scott absolutely loves it)
- Chilli – the fiery note
- Noodles – the comforting base
- Egg – for that silky texture
- Garlic – the aromatic punch
- Milk – the mystery. Jake swears it’s soy, but the correct answer is coconut.
- Salt – another duplicate, but not the needed final pinch
- Tofu (Tau Pok) and Beansprouts – the secret finishing touches (Scott nails them)
Once again, the Johnsons are edgeless, and Scott’s memory of the dish gives him the top score.
The Sweet, Sticky Penalty
Jake’s loss came with a side‑order: He’s to buy the winner lunch. Of course, the “exchange rate” clause brings a comic twist – a pint of beer costs 10 pounds (S$16.73), sending a swooping gas and a slick laugh from Scott.
In the end, the Blues may have lost on the field, but they won a new boast in their pocket: “We can name every wonder if we put our minds to it” – this time, in Singaporean flavours, not golfing tips.
