It's in Singapore.
Many people may not agree. No, actually, many people WILL not agree.
But let me tell you why I consider Singapore THE food capital of the world.
Simply put, you can find almost anything in Singapore. AND it is of a good enough standard.
Ok maybe you can't get THE best Japanese food, or THE best French cuisine, or THE best Penang Char Kway Teow.
But let me tell you.
When you go to Japan, you will NOT be able to find ANY Char Kway Teow.
When you go France, you will not be able to find Char Kway Teow.
When you go to anywhere in Europe or US or wherever, you will have a hard time finding good enough food of ANY other country.
Have you been to Japan to stay for a long enough time?
Like 1 month? You will get bored of ramen, udon, sushi, sashimi.
Most folks just go over for a short time so they get all happy and excited about Japanese food and say Singapore can't compare.
Have you been to US or UK for a long enough time?
Well, you'll understand that you better get used to bread and fish and chips. You aren't going to easily find good and cheap food of any other cuisine.
Same as in Malaysia. Sure, there are probably better individual outlets. But if you look around Malaysia, can you find the whole range of food in Singapore to a similar standard?
Although I think KL is doing quite well...
NO... I truly believe, like all other things, Singapore has the right balance of quality, price, and availability of ALL foods of all cultures.
Yes. It's not the best of the individual types. But even when you go to other countries, do you always eat the best restaurants there? Probably not. You eat what's fair enough, not the best, not the worst.
In Singapore, you can find almost any kind of food to a very high standard. Not even just average standards. Singaporeans are fussy with their food and they wouldn't go to outlets with mediocre food. Singapore food outlets hold a very high standard even compared against the cuisine's original country.
Compared against price, the proximity of the food, there's really nothing to compare.
Go along Orchard road, or any Capitalmall. You can find almost any food from any regular country.
If you can get bored of food in Singapore, meaning, "Oh man, I don't know what to eat."
Then when you go elsewhere, it's probably worse. If you go as a tourist, of course you would want to try the new restaurant in the country. But stay there for a month and you'll probably understand. The variety of food in Singapore is truly unmatched in almost any country. (I think KL comes in a close second.)
In closing. Yes Singapore might not have the best food for any particular cuisine.
But if you compare price, availability, and quality. It's really hard to beat.
If you want to get cheap eats in Japan, Europe, US, at a proper restaurant, be prepared to pay.
Cheapest eats in Japan are 500yen, and that's $8 for a bowl of noodles seated on a stool around a counter.
You can get any type of food in a close area in Singapore, just look at any Capitalmall.
In other countries, you will have a hard time finding other cuisines, and even if you do, there's a high chance that it will cost you.
The food quality here is not shabby at all. It's not the best, but generally, the food served is better than many other places.
So if you put these together, price, availability and quality.
Singapore IS truly the food capital of the world.
If you don't think so, then probably you haven't been to other countries and stayed as a local for a significant period of time.
OR
You have gotten so used to the convenience and price and quality that you're taking it for granted.
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