‘Oh Wow, That Is Strong’: Brits Intrigued by Singapore Classic Snacks Like Mamee Monster and White Rabbit Candy

Hands up if you remember your first bite of a Mamee Monster or curry puff.

There’s no real shame should you not have a recollection of that specific moment. Chances are that these local snacks were introduced to many at quite a tender age.

But if you’re keen on reliving that experience, you can do so vicariously through a couple of British folks, Godrey Mercado and Sepideh Zolfaghari (or as she calls herself, Sepi).

The duo were introduced to some childhood snacks by Singaporeans Adria Tham and Alison Tan on a Buzzfeed UK video that was published on National Day (Aug 9).

One Bite Is All It Takes

“I’ve actually never tried anything from Singapore,” Godfrey declared at the start of the video.

His first taste of our food would come in the form of a curry puff, and it obviously has to be from the hugely popular snack chain Old Chang Kee.

Godfrey seemed sold on the snack upon finding out that the filling contained chicken curry, potatoes and an egg.

His compatriot Sepi was equally as intrigued, mentioning how “fragrant” the curry puff was.

After one bite, it was clear that Old Chang Kee’s curry puff was a winner.

Godfrey insisted on finishing it all as he didn’t know when he is going to get the chance to eat it again while Sepi took the chance to pick up some Singlish from Alison.

Sepi confidently exclaimed how shiok eating this curry puff was, which got a nod of approval from her Singaporean friend.

Old Chang Kee actually operates overseas as well and the British duo will be glad to hear that it has outlets in the UK, both in central London.

Adria relayed this news to Godfrey and after confirming the name of the shop, he was certain that he’ll head down for more delicious curry puffs.

Time for Some Sweets

When it comes to the White Rabbit candy, most of us can guess what the uninitiated would ask.

It seems like the two Singaporeans were very aware and shared that they would eat the candy in its entirety, paper wrapping and all. 

After getting over the initial hurdle of how odd that may be, Godfrey and Sepi actually enjoyed this candy. “It’s basically like condensed milk in a sweet form,” Godfrey said.

“Wah, you know what this would be good [with],” commented Sepi before Alison giggled and claimed the former sounded quite Singaporean for a split second.

Not Vibing With Mamee Monster

This might be a childhood favourite for us, but Godfrey and Sepi didn’t get off to a great start as they accidentally snorted the BBQ seasoning up their noses. 

That didn’t seem to bother Sepi much as she was soon happily shaking the Mamee Monster packet to evenly distribute the seasoning.

“This already feels so moreish. I could eat 10 [packets] of this at one go.”

We hear you, Sepi. 

However, Godfrey was more subdued in his review, claiming that he felt the need to cook the snack given how identical it is to an instant noodle.

That Smell Though

Things got bad to worse for Godfrey as he looked terrified when Adria brought out another local classic — dried fish fillet. To be fair, this snack is a bit of a hit-and-miss even among Singaporeans. 

Both had a quick whiff before tasting the snack, which might not have been a wise decision in hindsight.

“Oh wow, that is strong,” Sepi said.

Even Alison wasn’t keen on the punchy smell of this snack. Surprisingly, Godfrey and Sepi’s opinions changed after having a few bites. 

Sepi said she liked it after taking the first bite. For Godfrey, he called it “addictive” — a far cry from the fear he experienced when he first saw it.

Throughout the video, Sepi and Godfrey also got the chance to introduce UK snacks to their Singapore buddies — from Flying Saucers to Monster Munch.

But there was no beating a steak bake from British bakery chain Greggs. Both Singaporean women were in awe of the “thick” and “glorious” beef gravy filling before giving it a try.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any Greggs outlets in Singapore for now so watching them wolf it all down will have to do.

This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.