According to Anthony Bourdain, Changi Airport’s secret staff canteens have the best airport food

We’ve all heard TV host/food connoisseur Anthony Bourdain express his disgust for airplane food — which is quite a big deal, coming from the man who’s spent years travelling across the globe to try all kinds of weird and wonderful cuisines. But in a recent interview with The New York Times, the host of CNN‘s Parts Unknown — who lives out more than 200 days on the road each year — revealed that he’s “tragically familiar with the offerings at just about every airport in the world.”

And his favorite?

“Probably Changi Airport in Singapore has the best food; it has a hawker center for the employees that’s open to the public,” Bourdain divulged.

If you’re not entirely sure what he’s talking about, he’s actually referring to our airport’s secret staff canteens. Tucked away in Terminals 1 and 2, the hidden gems are nowhere near as glamorous as the rest of the airport, but they serve up affordable grub that — according to Bourdain — is worth hunting down if you’ve never attempted to.

But it seems like both canteens have been/will be taken over and revamped by Kopitiam, so expect a slight price hike for your dose of dishes like roti prata and chicken rice.