'This looks filthy in the best way': Korean YouTuber Doobydobap gives hawker centre food tour and tips, netizens impressed
PHOTO: Screengrab/YouTube/Doobydobap
PUBLISHED ONJuly 11, 2023 8:22 AMByAmierul RashidIf you're travelling to Singapore (and did your research), you'd know that food is an integral part of our culture.
Dishes that pop up in those early Google searches might perhaps include the iconic chicken rice or chilli crab.
But South Korea-based YouTuber Tina Choi, who goes by Doobydobap, made the brave attempt to dive deeper into Singaporean cuisine during her visit to the country.
In an hour-long YouTube video posted last Friday (July 7), Tina headed to a number of hawker centres and tried out dishes that some tourists may not have even heard of.
Not your average tourist meal
"It's a little bit hectic here."
Those were the exact words from Tina as she attempted to navigate Tekka Centre in Little India.
And while others might be overwhelmed by the hawker centre located on level one, the 25-year-old YouTuber came up with a plan.
She was going to look for stalls with fresh food, a queue full of locals and an owner that looks "a little bit annoyed".
These should be useful tips for any traveller heading to a hawker centre for the first time.
Tina opted for masala thosai and puri as her first meal from Tekka Centre, and it did not take long for her to give both dishes two thumbs up.
"Messy but absolutely delicious," she said while dunking a piece of thosai into the lentil dhal.
The accompanying sambar and coconut chutney can be a hit-or-miss for some but not Tina.
After a few bites of her puri, she mentioned: "I want to move here. I really do."
Tina was sold on Singaporean cuisine and she hadn't even tried mee goreng, the dish she'd later admit to be her "favourite bite".
Funnily enough, she was originally turned off by how red the dish was.
"But then, so many people were ordering it so I'm gonna try it myself," she said. After that first bite, all scepticism vanished.
Halfway through devouring her meal, she exclaimed how this mee goreng "gives [her] life". Not a bad way to end a meal.
More conventional food recommendations
Heap Seng Leong coffee shop in Lavender was where she got a taste of the quintessential Singaporean breakfast — kaya toast, half-boiled eggs and kopi.
With beans roasted in butter, local kopi isn't brewed in the same manner as most Western brews.
This had Tina feeling apprehensive but she admitted that it actually "works incredibly well" after taking a few sips of her kopi.
Her immediate reaction to the eggs and toast was to swear aloud.
The cultured review did eventually come with Tina exclaiming how it was "one of the most perfect bites" she's ever had.
She added: "This looks filthy in the best way possible."
During her stay in Singapore, Tina indulged in some hawker hopping and seemed to enjoy much of the food she tried, be it century egg congee at Old Airport Road Food Centre or Hainanese chicken rice at Maxwell Food Centre.
In the comments section, local netizens were impressed by how much work Tina puts into learning Singapore's food culture.
A netizen who identifies as Indian mentioned how proud they felt to see Indian food be loved by others.
They added: "Seeing her eat masala dosa with [her] hands showed how much she respects our culture."
Fans of Tina won't be too surprised by how in-depth she went in experiencing Singapore's food culture.
On her YouTube channel, she explained how food is the medium she uses to tell stories and connect with people.
Apart from doing YouTube videos, Tina is also a recipe developer and food scientist.
If you're a foodie looking for a collection of recipes to try, Tina might have something that'll tickle your fancy.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0LvbAdgX6I[/embed]
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.