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For the street food lover, Singapore’s hawker centers are one of the great wonders of the world. Visit any one of these sprawling, semi-outdoor pavilions, and you might find 100 of the most delicious food stalls you’ve ever encountered, all lined up in a row — curry puff specialist next to bak kut teh vendor next to fourth-generation laksa maker next to Michelin-recommended chicken rice stand. Even splurging wildly, you can feed a family of four for less than $20.
Sadly, the Bay Area has never had anything remotely close to a true Singaporean-style hawker center. But for one day this weekend, a group of homesick Singaporeans will aim to create the next best thing — a hawker center–style food court that brings several of the Bay Area’s top Singaporean chefs together for a day-long bonanza of laksa, char kway teow and kaya toast.
That’s the vision, anyway, for the first ever Singapore Festival, which will be held this Sunday, Sept. 21, at the San Mateo County Event Center, in celebration of Singapore’s 60th year of independence.
The brainchild of Singapore Connect, a social club for Bay Area Singaporeans, the festival will feature a slate of performances by Singaporean musicians (including Linying, Cheryl K and the rapper Yung Raja) and stand-up comics, a crafts marketplace, and large-scale models of Singaporean landmarks like the Merlion and the Supertrees…