Yes, I know. I'm a culinary student trained in the arts of American and French cuisine and it's weird that I don't enjoy fine cuisine. I like my $10 prawn noodles at Zion Road Hawker Centre more than the $170 four-course meal I had at Jean-Georges, New York.
So what's all the fuss about eating at a 1/2/3 star Michelin restaurant and paying hundreds of dollars for food that's supposedly constructed by celebrity chefs and consumed by the upperclass when you can have a hot, hearty meal at less than 10% of that price?
Maybe it's just me. I like to explore the culture of the country through its street food. Fine dining restaurants just strip all of that away. Commercialised and standardised.
Hearing from my friends in the industry, there have been plentiful cases whereby chefs lose their way after they've gained fame. As a potential chef, I'd honestly rather work with a famous street hawker than with a michelin-star chef, as hawkers tend to practice humility and have a strong sense of camaraderie. Those are good virtues i'd like have.
Anyway, today is my first day of volunteering at The World Street Food Congress organized by Makan Sutra, and I loved it! Helping out at an Louisianan and Vietnamese street hawker stall, I noticed a difference in working attitudes. I'm not staying it in case I leave you guys a wrong impression, but both are good in their own ways.
Here are some pics to liven up this wordy piece:
