My Must-Eats with digital creator Mi Di

You may not follow her, but you would most probably have seen her appear on your feed at some point, whether it’s on TikTok or Instagram. 

Hailing from Shenzhen, China, influencer Mi Di has gained a following locally for her unfiltered and basic (her words, not ours) thoughts on local happenings, trends and most recently, motherhood.

The digital creator, who moved to Singapore more than a decade ago for her studies, doesn’t really have a specific type of content she creates. Simply put, she really just enjoys coming up with ideas for her social channels. 

“My mind is always churning out new ideas,” she tells us excitedly. 

You might also catch a glimpse of Mi Di’s adorable son (endearingly nicknamed Xiao Jojo) from time to time on her channels, as the first-time mother enjoys documenting her son’s growth, and doesn’t want to miss any of his milestones.

Having spent a number of years in Singapore, we catch up with Mi Di on her local must-eats and what she does when she misses a taste of home: 

1. What dish reminds you of your childhood — and where did you get it? 

Mian Pi (面皮). It’s similar to the kway teow we have in Singapore, but comes with a unique chilli sauce that makes it magic. 

There’s this place called Qin Ji Rou Gamo — I always think of home whenever I pop by and eat there.

I really love their cold noodles skin dish (S$6.50) and usually order it as part of a set which comes with a rougamo (a Chinese street food resembling a burger) and beverage. As for the rougamo, it’s hard to pick a favourite as I’ve tried them all! But I can understand why the Qin Ji pork rougamo (S$5.80) is their best seller, based on how it looks and tastes.

2. What’s your go-to eatery in Singapore? Why? 

Hands-down, it’ll always be cai fan (economic rice). There are so many choices, and you can make healthier ones. Plus, I just love rice.

I don’t really have a go-to cai fan spot but when it comes to a specific dish, I’m a sucker for cereal fish!

3. When you travel, what’s one Singapore dish you always miss?

Hokkien mee. It’s actually really hard to find similar dishes that come with such a robust prawn soup base. 

My go-to is Geylang Lorong 29 Hokkien Mee — I highly recommend it! I love how there’s a robust flavour from the wok hei and it feels like I can taste the chef’s passion in every bite!

4. What dish or cuisine do you want to try, but have not?

I think I’ve tried almost everything I wanted to, which is great!

But if I had to pick one, it would be Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine (湘香湖南菜). I’ve had it on my makan radar for a while and am really excited to try out their unique dishes.

5. What’s the last thing you ate that impressed you — and where did you have it?

My husband’s home-cooked beef rendang dish that he is great at making. (Editor’s note: Mi Di’s husband also has a TikTok presence, @sgculturedboi, where he shares his musings and recipes.) 

That’s the way to my heart! To be honest, I don’t even know how he makes this — he’ll just lock himself in the kitchen and after an hour, the whole house will smell amazing. 

Since this dish requires some time and effort to prepare, we don’t have it often so it’s quite a luxury whenever he’s in a good mood to cook it.

For more eats in town, check out JJ Lin’s newly-opened Miracle Coffee and Hue Restaurant’s latest tie-up with instant noodles brand Mama.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.  

You can also book a ride to the food places recommended by Mi Di.