Although a mere red dot on the world map, Singapore is a hotpot of Asian delicacies. With a wide variety of foods from Chinese, Malay, and Indian cuisines, along with other Asian and Western influences, what is “uniquely Singapore” today is a historic mix of various backgrounds – a culinary representation of its cultural diversity.
Despite the country’s humid weather, chilli is a defining feature of the local cuisine. Known for its “hawker culture”, Singapore has many hawker centers and kopitiams, which house different food, drink, and dessert stalls in a shared dining space. Local hawkers also competed with Gordon Ramsay in the 2013 Hawker Heroes cook-off, winning the Michelin star chef in two out of three dishes. In this multi-ethnic society, food is a common ground that brings people of different backgrounds together. Let’s round-up Singapore’s most popular 7 dishes.
1. Hainanese Chicken Rice
Starting off with one of the dishes that won the cook-off against Gordon Ramsay, this is a local favorite featuring sliced chicken on fragrant jasmine rice. It has two variations: silky, steamed or roasted chicken, which has a thin, crispy skin. Served with cucumber, soup, and its own recipe of chili sauce, chicken rice is a simple yet classic dish.
2. Laksa
The second dish that won the cook-off is laksa, a noodle soup dish. Its rich, spicy broth is cooked with herbs and coconut milk and boasts a bold red color. For spice lovers, sambal belachan (chili paste) can also be mixed in for extra punch. This flavorful dish is popularly served with sliced chicken, fish cakes, tau pok (tofu puffs), and cockles.
3. Chili Crab
The final dish that competed, but lost, in the cook-off against Ramsay is chili crab, a sharing portion of whole crab served in a mildly spicy gravy. There is an element of challenge in shelling the crab, but the sweet taste of soft crab meat in savory chili makes it worth it. “Man tou” (crispy fried buns) dipped into the sauce make a great accompaniment to this dish.
4. Kaya Toast
Start your day at a kopitiam (traditional coffee shop) and order a delicious kaya toast. This dish might seem simple at first but it’s a well-loved Singapore food. It basically consists of sweet kaya (pandan-flavored coconut jam) and a slice of butter that are sandwiched between toasted slices of bread. Typically, this is dipped in a mixture of soft-boiled eggs, pepper, and dark or light soy sauce. There are also variations on this breakfast staple such as round buns, a baguette, or even crackers instead of the usual sliced bread. Other coffee shops, like Good Morning Nanyang Cafe, puts their own unique spin with the addition of caramelized orange peel.
5. Char Kway Teow
In Hokkien (a Chinese dialect), char means stir-fried while kway teow refers to a kind of flat rice noodles. Put together, it gives a popular hawker food: a savory noodle dish with a smoky flavor. Common ingredients such as Chinese sausage, fishcake, prawns, and cockles add a sweetness to the dish, while sambal chili and bits of crispy fried pork lard on the side make for an added salty crunch.
6. Oyster Omelette
Often sold alongside hokkien mee, oyster omelette is a savory companion to the popular noodle dish. Plump oysters are fried with eggs and batter to give a gooey-textured omelette with crispy edges. Each bite bursts with the fresh taste of the oysters and the salty, wok-fried smokiness of the egg.
7. Tau Huay
Tau huay refers to a soft tofu dish popular in many Asian countries. It’s a dish of Chinese origin also referred to as douhua, tofu pudding, or bean curd. Depending on where it’s from, it exists in varying forms though the Singaporean dish is usually served with a clear sweet syrup with or without toppings like gingko nuts or red beans. It can be served hot or cold with different syrups and varying levels of sweetness. Bean curd is a popular Singaporean breakfast dish that’s often enjoyed with Portuguese egg tarts and/or youtiao (fried dough sticks).
