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Cooking yourself in Singapore

If you are tired of dining out or in or your bank account starts to protest you can always cook yourself. You can buy your food at any number of supermarkets; there are several big and smaller chains around from ‘cheap with basics’ to ‘less cheap but whatever you want’. Then there are the local markets and specialty shops too ….

Not surprising there is a number of supermarkets that cater to the expat community offering imported articles from Europe and the States giving you the idea you´re home (till you convert the price). There are also smaller specialized shops around in the Tanglin area and around Sixth Avenue for instance.

Let´s give you a brief rundown;

The 2 main chains are Fairprice from the National Trade Unions Congress (NTUC, you will see that acronym a lot in Singapore) and Cold Storage. Both have shops varying in size from corner shops to huge stores. Both have all necessities but generalized Fairprice has somewhat lesser choices and is a bit cheaper. Cold Storage offers a wide range, particularly in expat areas, including many cheeses, sausages, wines etc.

Besides these there is Giant which is at the lower end of the spectrum in terms of price, choice and service. There are Jason’s and The Marketplace which are at the higher end of that same spectrum. There are also the convenience chains such as 7-11, cheers and Spar etc. for your forgotten beer and cookies.

In the past few years there has also been an increase in more expensive “European” specialty shops from German bread shops to Swiss butchers. At several of these you can order full meals.

The local ‘wet markets’ offer fresh produce from fruits to fish. Their number seems to be dwindling a bit but they are still there and definitely offer attractive pricing.

If you like your food then take a look around, talk to your new friends and explore. After all, food is the topic to start a conversation here.