Gerald Ng
I was reminded of my own overseas dining experiences after reading about a Filipino family paying an excess of SGD 1000 for seafood dinner in Boat Quay. That bill for four was significantly higher than the market rate and caused a huge uproar when the story was picked up by several media outlets. Fortunately for the family, the Singapore Tourism Board stepped in to reimburse them.
Had the Filipino family been more alert, they would have noticed several red flags before they entered the restaurant. The boat quay stretch is lined with seafood restaurants that are almost always empty despite the constant presence of incessant touts. Touts are generally a turnoff for me as it usually means the place is primarily focused on tourists. There are exceptions to the rule, but the quality of the food is usually subpar with above average prices.
Tourist traps are a plague that exist in every country. I had a similar experience once when I asked for dining advice from a taxi driver in Bangkok. The driver brought me to an isolated restaurant, where he helped himself to a buffet for drivers. After a seafood meal where nothing tasted even remotely good, my travelling companions and I were greeted with a scary bill that costs about USD 60 per person. Since then, I have pledged never to get advice from taxi drivers.
Find the right people to ask!
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Whenever I am alone in a new country, I will ditch the dining options suggested by western-based sites like Lonelyplanet. These sites will find you places swarmed with tourists with nary a local in sight. Instead, the best way to find a good place to dine when you are alone is to ask a group of locals where they think the best place for a specific dish is. This will inevitably stir up a debate among the locals, and they will eventually come to a consensus of a shortlist of where to go to. If you are too shy to approach strangers, fret not, as the abundance of blogs and review sites have provided a reading list of feedback for you to sieve through if you prefer.
Do your research beforehand
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As an avid foodie (a term that I can’t stand), my holidays revolve around where I eat at. It irks me to no end when I experience an unsatisfactory dining experience while overseas. To make sure that does not happen, I tend to find a list of potential dining places in each of the popular districts. That way, regardless of where I am at that chosen time, I will know where I will be going to. It also provides you the flexibility to roam freely and still find quality food wherever you are!
The last resort
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If all else fails, find the nearest reputable mall or hotel and eat there. Don’t expect too much but at least you can rest assured that you will not be ripped off.
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