Darren Lim feels Singapore pasar malams have lost 'local flavour'
The actor also said tourists would want to see something 'uniquely Singapore' when they visited.
For those who were fortunate enough to check out a pasar malam (Malay term for night market) in previous decades, these hold a special place in our hearts.
The familiar scent of fried food, the aroma of tutu kuehs, the vendors hawking their products loudly and carnival games - the experience unites people from all walks of life in the heartlands.
So it’s unsurprising that local actor Darren Lim has an opinion about the way pasar malams have changed in recent years.
While filming for variety show Pasar Malam Stars earlier this month, the 50-year-old spoke to Lianhe Zaobao about his pasar malam memories.
“My parents were busy and it was difficult to bring the kids out to play. So whenever there’s a pasar malam, I’ll get my mum to bring me there,” he recounted.
Sounds familiar? We guess not. For many locals, the pasar malam was a way to get out and bond with our family.
But pasar malams now are different though, he pointed out.
“The night markets now have a lot of foreign food - like Taiwanese snacks and Arab kebabs. It feels like its lost a little ‘local flavour’ and is different from my childhood memories.”
Lim even told AsiaOne that he was “a little disappointed” and that “tourists want to see something uniquely Singapore when they visit a pasar malam”.
For the episode that Lim, and wife Evelyn Tan, were participating in - alongside celebrity couple Jeffrey Xu and Felicia Chin - the theme was “sweet love”.
In accordance with the theme, the couple decided on selling heart-shaped kaya toast (coated with eggs and deep fried) and a red ruby drink.
While the latter might not be exactly a local drink, Tan (a former Mediacorp actress) did add some water chestnut to her recipe.
According to Lim, his kaya toast garnered great reviews.
It might not be that much of a stretch, though, considering that he can cook. Lim runs a yacht rental business and personally cooks for his passengers.
He also previously hosted the Mediacorp variety show A Night Under The Stars, where he invited celebrities and their kids out for outdoor activities, which saw them camping and cooking.
Pasar Malam Stars is slated to premiere on Channel 8 in January 2024.
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