The Urban Wilds 75
I wandered the stalls, leering at the fried oyster omelets, the black pepper crab
meat... the Penang laksa noodles... In the end, I chose... Singapore’s national
dish, Hokkien mee... Draped limply over a chair in a postprandial daze, I
briefly considered a small portion of kaya [an egg-and-custard jam dessert]
(Kandell 2002)Those promoting culinary tourism in Singapore would no doubt be delighted
by this appeal to the senses. It might also be the sort of inscription of place that
John Frow had in mind when he argued that, due to certain entrenched modes
of narrativizing, what the traveller sees is already given, the responses to place
and experience already authorized. Preconceptions sometimes have greater force
than the appearances of the world (Frow 1997, p. 66) and this and other similar
descriptions of ecstasy and excess promote Singapore as a prime site for the
stimulation of the senses through a culinary adventure of exorbitant delight.
Zoos and bird sanctuaries offer perhaps more than any other spaces the tamed
and sanitized experience of nature that a lucrative, urban eco-culture demands. As
territories of feeling and themed spaces for both adults and children, they are prime
locations for eatertainment experiences and a wide range of modes of embodiment,
generated by the combination of the tropical urban sensorium with the consumption
of food. The Singapore Night Safari, a specialized themed space open only between 7
p.m. and midnight to showcase nocturnal animals, offers the Gourmet Safari Express:
This Night Safari dining adventure is the first of its kind in the world where
you can experience fine dining amongst the creatures of the night, all on
board a moving tram. Your experience kicks off with a mocktail and a little
mingling with our animal stars before the captivating tram ride begins. Then,
get ready for a scrumptious 5-course meal served in a candlelit setting that
complements your wildlife encounters across 7 animal kingdoms of the
world. With choices from international to Indian and even vegetarian fare,
the menu caters for diners of every taste and preference... Then, get ready to
cap off your night at our popular Creatures of the Night Show. It’s a moveable
safari adventure feast not to be missed
(Wildlife Reserves Singapore 2014c)The Jurong Bird Park currently offers what are now standard food and wildlife
encounters, combined. Lunch with Parrots is a “Beak Performance at Lunchtime”
promising
When you lunch with parrots, you can expect to be out-talked. You can also
have a great spread of food and a buffet of hearty laughs while our colourful
personalities (and their trainers) demonstrate to you that birds are beauties
with brains. Feast on a sumptuous spread of Asian cuisine or have an a la
carte meal as you marvel at the natural talents of our feathered performers in
a highly interactive 30-minute show
(Wildlife Reserves Singapore 2014a)