Napkins are like Hen's Teeth

Food is a very important part of Singapore life.  Take me for example.  I like to cook and always have, but here in Singapore we eat dinner out 3 to 5 times a week.  It's just the thing to do.  You don't have to spend a lot of money to have some really good food and who really wants to cook after a full day of work or play?

But here's the thing.  If you go to a "take away" restaurant such as a hawker center or a food court, napkins are either non-existent or carefully portioned out at one per customer.

Jeff and his Cuban cigar

I learned this on my first trip to Singapore in 2010 with my boss Jeff.  We went to Jumbo Seafood on the East Coast for chili crab, a Singaporean specialty.  We sat under cover outside in the heat and humidity and tore apart the crab piece by piece and slurped up the sauce.  It was a messy experience to say the least, but boy was it good (and memorable).  The thing is we were covered with sauce and each of us had precisely ONE wet nap, and a small one at that.  If this had been in the US we would have had a roll of paper towels (think of eating ribs or peeling shrimp).  We asked for more and each got EXACTLY one more.  We both got the hint, did the best we could at the restaurant, and headed back to our hotel to get cleaned up (after a Cuban cigar of course).

So fast-forward to 2017 and we are living in Singapore and making sure you have napkins or tissues is one of those things you check before going out, just as you check to see if you are going to need an umbrella. 

So here are the options:

1 -- Carry a tissue packet with you.  This is the most reliable.  Julie carries them in her purse and I carry one in my briefcase.  Tissues are basically napkins at a hawker center.

Lau Pa Sat

Amoy Food Center

2 -- In the Central Business District (CBD) as you get close to a hawker center at for lunch (mine are either Amoy or Lau Pa Sat) you may be able to get a "promotional pack" with advertisement on them, passed out by you people during lunch hour.  A much better experience than being flicked a card for a strip joint in Las Vegas.

3 -- Keep a collection of napkins at your (or a co-worker’s) desk for those hawker center lunches.  And how do you build this collection you may ask?  STARBUCKS!  Unlike McDonald's and other QSRs who hand out napkins one by one on a meal by meal basis, Starbucks has a dispenser full of them by the sugar and cream.  Anytime you see them, grab a stack.

4 -- When all else fails before you order your food (and after you chope a table--more on that in a future post) look for the Auntie or Uncle selling tissue pack S$1.00 each.  They are always around.