
19 Nov 2018
Spotted: World leaders chowing down cheap eats in Singapore
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sure had a busy schedule when he was in Singapore for the ASEAN Summit last week. In between the many meetings, he found time to visit Fort Canning to pay his respects to his great-great-great-great grandmother - turns out she’s the daughter of William Farquhar, the first British Resident and Commandant of Singapore – and was also seen making a juice run at Adam Road Food Centre early Friday morning (pictured, centre).
Needless to say the charismatic leader caused quite a stir at the hawker centre when he turned up to grab some lime juice and selfies with locals. Trudeau isn’t the only foreign dignitary to check out humble eateries during their visits to the Little Red Dot. Read on to see where the VIPs have been spotted.
Photo: Instagram/@icecreammilktea

19 Nov 2018
Joko Widodo
Where: Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut
For a taste of home, Indonesian president Joko Widodo, who was also in town for the ASEAN Summit, made a stop at fried duck joint Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut at Lucky Plaza for lunch and even invited some passers-by to join him.
Photos: Twitter/Jokowi, Kantor Staf Presiden

19 Nov 2018
Aung San Suu Kyi
Where: Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre
Ghim Moh Market is one of the most popular hawker centres in Singapore so it’s no surprise that Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan chose to buy Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi breakfast there in 2016. On the menu were laksa, carrot cake (black and white), chwee kueh, tau huay, and putu mayam – all favourites there. But where’s the famous Guan Kee char kway teow?
Photo: TODAY

19 Nov 2018
Rodrigo Duterte
Where: The Coconut Club
Instead of taking Rodrigo Duterte to one of the high SES restaurants, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted the Philippine President to a nasi lemak lunch at The Coconut Club at the hipster enclave of Ann Siang Hill in 2016. And because no meal is complete without dessert, they finished off with some chendol, also a favourite at the eatery, and fruit in the form of D13 and Mao Shan Wang durians. With so much to eat, it’s no wonder Mr Duterte needs his power naps.
Photo: Facebook/Lee Hsien Loong, The Coconut Club

19 Nov 2018
Joe Biden
Where: Adam Road Food Centre
Did Mr Trudeau exchange notes with former US Vice President Joe Biden before his trip? Mr Biden also swung by Adam Road Food Centre for some lime juice from drinks stall Taj Mahal when he visited in 2013.
Photo: AFP

19 Nov 2018
Narendra Modi
Where: Komala Villa
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Singapore in 2015, PM Lee and Mr Modi shared a hearty supper at no-frills vegetarian restaurant Komala Vilas at Little India, where they enjoyed thosai, idli (rices cakes) and vadai (fritters), and later checked out the Deepavali light-up.
Photo: Twitter/Narendra Modi

19 Nov 2018
Najib Razak
Where: My Briyani House
Indian food was also the order of the day during one of former Malaysian PM Najib Razak's state visits to Singapore in 2014. PM Lee hosted Mr Najib to a simple meal at My Briyani House, where they tucked into the restaurant’s signature dishes chicken briyani and fish head curry. Wonder who had the privilege of eating the fish eyeballs?

19 Nov 2018
Sultan of Brunei
Where: Adam Road Food Centre
Selera Rasa may be a humble stall in Adam Road Food Centre but its fragrant nasi lemak is fit for a king. A fan of the dish for almost two decades, the Sultan of Brunei reportedly dabaos it (by the dozen packs!) whenever he’s in town
Photo: Shaowei Ho via burpple

19 Nov 2018
Bonus: PM Lee
Where: Redhill Food Centre
PM Lee is a huge fan of Redhill Food Centre, where he has been spotted on several occasions, and was even photographed waiting patiently in line for 30 minutes for fried chicken wings from the popular stall Yan. Though the stall has since relocated to West Coast Market Square and renamed Yon Yan, the queues are just as long. No sighting of PM Lee here yet though.
Photo: Zhihui Lim via burpple
Be the first to comment