Comments on: The Lost Food Paradise http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/ Foodie Paradise - A Singapore food blog with an occasional musing about my lack of cooking ability, weight swings, my travels, or basically anything that catches my attention. Please note that all the ratings here are all based on my personal preferences. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:02:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Sanz http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-239 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:10:53 +0100 http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-239 Haha, I don't decry profits. I just say that profits flow where the consumers want, except that the consumers are not discerning enough in terms of their choices. That's the basic tenets of the market, the basic supply and demand principle. I'm a true blue economist who supports the market all the way, except when it comes to moderating externalities. =P Globalisation brings about more choices, but it also destroy other things in the process. Food used to be a specialisation, but now it's a mass production. You have more variety now, but at the expense of quality. It really depends on which school of thought you support more with regards to globalisation. And yes, I'm also one of those people who'll always go for the shortest queue during the lunch hour. Cooking session? Ey...I don't trust your cooking. Haha, I won't mind if you trust my cooking. ;) Haha, I don’t decry profits. I just say that profits flow where the consumers want, except that the consumers are not discerning enough in terms of their choices. That’s the basic tenets of the market, the basic supply and demand principle. I’m a true blue economist who supports the market all the way, except when it comes to moderating externalities. =P

Globalisation brings about more choices, but it also destroy other things in the process. Food used to be a specialisation, but now it’s a mass production. You have more variety now, but at the expense of quality. It really depends on which school of thought you support more with regards to globalisation.

And yes, I’m also one of those people who’ll always go for the shortest queue during the lunch hour.

Cooking session? Ey…I don’t trust your cooking. Haha, I won’t mind if you trust my cooking. ;)

]]> by: Agagooga http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-237 Mon, 21 Aug 2006 20:19:43 +0100 http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-237 Malaysians have higher standards. Actually South East Asians in general have higher standards, and also Taiwanese, HKers etc Partially it's compensation for the variety. You go to Penang - after a few days all the food is the same already. Advantages from specialisation - but I don't want to keep eating the same thing! Franchising - as you point out. And Singaporeans aren't as demanding as, say, our dear Malaysian neighbors. How can you, as a trained Economist, decry profit? Tsk. But we all know textbook theories don't play out. What to do? It's what the market wants (which would be good except they're not discerning). But I disagree with globalisation. Globalisation should mean consumers have more choice, get wider exposure etc. Singaporeans go overseas and find the food elsewhere is better, so they know ours sucks. I don't see why globalisation is bad - hello! Maybe people are too busy, so they just eat where they can instead of always where it's good. Malaysian friend says that it's because of hygiene standards - hawkers cannot express their culinary skills freely. I'm skeptical about this - clean food cannot be good meh? Sweat and cockroaches makes food taste good ah? Maybe it stresses them out a bit having to comply to rules, but otherwise? My pet theory is the theory of relativity - if the place stinks, the food tastes better. Hell, my sister says she prefers eating in unsanitary conditions, squatting by the drain etc. Eh want to cook or not? I need to save money after Europe. Haha. Btw, I'm not sure about your assertion about US food standards. They eat more fast food now, but the other places are still good what. At least that's what I found when I went there. All the food I had was good (maybe familiarity breeds contempt lah! You should see if Taiwanese food bloggers complain also. I would but can't read Chinese) Malaysians have higher standards. Actually South East Asians in general have higher standards, and also Taiwanese, HKers etc

Partially it’s compensation for the variety. You go to Penang - after a few days all the food is the same already. Advantages from specialisation - but I don’t want to keep eating the same thing!

Franchising - as you point out. And Singaporeans aren’t as demanding as, say, our dear Malaysian neighbors.

How can you, as a trained Economist, decry profit? Tsk. But we all know textbook theories don’t play out. What to do? It’s what the market wants (which would be good except they’re not discerning). But I disagree with globalisation. Globalisation should mean consumers have more choice, get wider exposure etc. Singaporeans go overseas and find the food elsewhere is better, so they know ours sucks. I don’t see why globalisation is bad - hello!

Maybe people are too busy, so they just eat where they can instead of always where it’s good.

Malaysian friend says that it’s because of hygiene standards - hawkers cannot express their culinary skills freely. I’m skeptical about this - clean food cannot be good meh? Sweat and cockroaches makes food taste good ah? Maybe it stresses them out a bit having to comply to rules, but otherwise? My pet theory is the theory of relativity - if the place stinks, the food tastes better. Hell, my sister says she prefers eating in unsanitary conditions, squatting by the drain etc.

Eh want to cook or not? I need to save money after Europe. Haha.

Btw, I’m not sure about your assertion about US food standards. They eat more fast food now, but the other places are still good what. At least that’s what I found when I went there. All the food I had was good (maybe familiarity breeds contempt lah! You should see if Taiwanese food bloggers complain also. I would but can’t read Chinese)

]]> by: ivan http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-236 Sun, 20 Aug 2006 23:10:12 +0100 http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-236 You've got a point. Very few people eat mindfully anymore. It is up to us few to educate our co-workers and friends about taste. Oh yes, recently had these, which I think were great: http://food.recentrunes.com/?p=1273 http://food.recentrunes.com/?p=1213 You’ve got a point. Very few people eat mindfully anymore. It is up to us few to educate our co-workers and friends about taste.

Oh yes, recently had these, which I think were great:

http://food.recentrunes.com/?p=1273

http://food.recentrunes.com/?p=1213

]]> by: Sanz http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-232 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 22:43:35 +0100 http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-232 Hi, thanks for ur comment. Definitely, the same stalls are shown over and over again on national tv. And usually there's a 50% chance that the food from these stalls aren't as fantastic as they 're being featured. It's also true that some of the best stalls are the ones that are not featured in the media, or some of those that have been featured a really long time ago but haven't been in the media for a while. Hi, thanks for ur comment. Definitely, the same stalls are shown over and over again on national tv. And usually there’s a 50% chance that the food from these stalls aren’t as fantastic as they ‘re being featured.

It’s also true that some of the best stalls are the ones that are not featured in the media, or some of those that have been featured a really long time ago but haven’t been in the media for a while.

]]> by: Greeny http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-229 Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:07:53 +0100 http://foodieparadise.blogsome.com/2006/08/13/the-lost-food-paradise/#comment-229 True, but alot of the problem is the local media too. The same tv shows promote or go to the same hawker stalls. The newspapers go on and on about certain businessmen that are using food to make money. The media here in Singapore encourages profit over quality. I'm a Japanese -American expat here, and from Hawaii. Let me tell you that profits and the $$$ aren't boasted or featured in many food reviews. Its' always about the quality of food first, it's sort of a secret/ or not very cool to announce that you're making so much money that more branches are in the cards next year etc... Everyone usually assumes the quality goes down, and alot of food shops, cafes, mom and pop shops rather change the name of their new location than use the same one that made them famous. The poor quality food usually comes from the ones that's talked about and full of tourists like those Shaved Iced shops in the North Shore of Oahu (Matsumoto's) Syrup water with sugar, and no flavours - but in bright glowing colors! When I eat at hawker stalls, I find that the ones that aren't featured in the New Paper or even the forums, but have big lines or a nice crowd with the food gone by 3:00pm the best. True, but alot of the problem is the local media too. The same tv shows promote or go to the same hawker stalls. The newspapers go on and on about certain businessmen that are using food to make money. The media here in Singapore encourages profit over quality.

I’m a Japanese -American expat here, and from Hawaii. Let me tell you that profits and the $$$ aren’t boasted or featured in many food reviews. Its’ always about the quality of food first, it’s sort of a secret/ or not very cool to announce that you’re making so much money that more branches are in the cards next year etc…

Everyone usually assumes the quality goes down, and alot of food shops, cafes, mom and pop shops rather change the name of their new location than use the same one that made them famous. The poor quality food usually comes from the ones that’s talked about and full of tourists like those Shaved Iced shops in the North Shore of Oahu (Matsumoto’s) Syrup water with sugar, and no flavours - but in bright glowing colors!

When I eat at hawker stalls, I find that the ones that aren’t featured in the New Paper or even the forums, but have big lines or a nice crowd with the food gone by 3:00pm the best.

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