The Underground Cooks of Singapore’s Prisons – Gastro Obscura

Prison Cake
The Underground Cooks of Singapore's Prisons (Atlas Obscura)

In the 1970s and 80s, when the guards stepped away, the pots and flames came out.

Shrimp sambal, reconstituted milk, and fried noodles bubble away in a pot, filling the air with the aroma of laksa, Singapore’s beloved noodle soup. For the cooks working in careful silence, the smell is a reminder of life outside of the prison they are stuck in, and it is hard-won: To make the dish, one…

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