Progress is good, but make room in your belly for tradition

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But skyscrapers and shiny attractions do not make New York or London or Tokyo exciting. The quirks in these cities do, whether it is street-cart food in New York or its venerable steak houses; jellied eels and salt beef sandwiches in London and those bustling markets; tiny six-seat sushi-ya in Tokyo and back alley soba stands where you slurp and go.

Traditional food feeds our soul, reminding us of where we come from, who we are, and why we eat what we eat.

Everywhere, food businesses are putting flavours traditional to Singapore in their food. They know it can help boost sales. Curiosity alone will draw customers, suckers like me.

Why would people want to visit Singapore?....What we have to offer, though, is very soulful food....Without traditional food, Singapore's food scene would be generic. This city would just be a pit stop on the way to someplace more fabulous.

You "champion" traditional food because it is usually cheap and accessible.

Fuddy-duddy folks will be the first to sneer at what they think is the lack of authenticity. But authenticity means nothing if an entire genre of food is wiped out because it has become irrelevant.

What is clear, however, is that food cannot stay static. It has to change with the times, with people's circumstances, preoccupations and preferences.

Qn: 'Traditions are no longer relevant.' To what extent is this true in your society?