I have a habit of recommending the same places to different people.
Sometimes I catch myself doing it and wonder if I should find somewhere new to suggest. Surely there are thousands of restaurants and cafés in Singapore, yet I keep returning to the same handful of names whenever someone asks where they should eat.
I think I finally understand why.
When I tell someone about a place I love, I am not only recommending the food. I am remembering the first time I discovered it, who I was with, what we ordered, and how I felt walking out afterwards. A recommendation is often a small piece of our own experience disguised as advice.
I have sent friends photos of dishes with messages like, “You need to try this.” I have told colleagues about a stall they would probably walk straight past. I have even found myself describing exactly what someone should order, as if I secretly work there.
And there is something oddly satisfying about watching someone enjoy a place because I introduced them to it.
Maybe that is why we can become so enthusiastic about food recommendations. We are not simply saying, “This tastes good.” We are saying, “I found something I think you would enjoy too.”
I also like hearing what happens afterwards. Sometimes a friend loves the place as much as I do. Sometimes they prefer something completely different. Occasionally, they return without me and then recommend their own favourite dish back to me.
That is when a recommendation becomes something more interesting. It becomes a conversation.
I have discovered plenty of places because someone else insisted I try them. Some became favourites, others were simply one-time experiences. Either way, I am grateful they were shared with me.
Good food is enjoyable on its own, but discovering it together gives us another reason to talk about it.
Maybe that is why I keep recommending places I love. I am not trying to convince everyone to have the same taste as me. I just like giving people another place to go, another meal to try, and maybe another story to bring back.
And when you need a new place to recommend, just know there are always more corners to explore through Town Eats SG, where one food discovery can easily lead to another.
