5 amazing local dishes in Singapore - The most recognized meals

Bak kut teh translates to "meat bone tea" or in more acceptable terms, "pork ribs soup". The origin story of bak kut teh is rather interesting, much like the dish itself. During the times when Singapore was not the flourishing upscale country that it is today, a beggar had come to a pork noodle store begging for food. Although the store owner wanted to help the beggar, he was poor himself and could not do much. Therefore, he had boiled some of the leftover pork bones and added whatever the spices he had left in his store. Among these spices were pepper and star anise, which turned the soup a colour similar to that of tea. Remember that if the foodie in you is already hankering for a taste of these marvellous dishes, the best accommodation option is to book a hotel near Clarke Quay MRT Singapore. Strolling distance to popular restaurants is Park Hotel Clarke Quay along with many other accommodation options.

If you are to visit any place with food in Singapore, be it at a fine dining restaurant or at a street food market, if you are to even glance at menus, one thing you are sure to see is wanton mee. Although the origins of the dish can be traced to Hong Kong, the dish is now an integral part of Singaporean culture. Unlike other forms of wanton noodles, the Singaporean version is rather dry and has a light sprinkling of a sweet sauce. It is customary to have slices of pork or pork dumplings accompanying the wanton mee. The dumplings are either fried or are soup dumplings.

You may have had plenty of carrot cake in the Western world. But the Singaporean fried carrot cake cannot be any further from the Western carrot cake. This is made of radish, radish flour, and eggs. The radish is what gives the colour and texture to the dish, and is also where the name of the dish is derived from (radish is assumed to resemble white carrots). There are many versions of the cake. One is the "black" cake, where molasses is added to give the colour. Another variant has the cake fried on an egg to give it a crust and an added layer of crispiness.

Laksa is one of the popular dishes across Southeast Asia, being born out of Chinese and Malay influence. The variant found in Singapore is the curry laksa. It uses vermicelli, beancurd puffs, coconut milk, shrimp, and slices of fish. Some places use both shrimp and cockles, while some others opt not to use them. You can notice a significant difference in the prices when shrimp and cockles are used and when it is not. Among the different varieties of curry laksa, Singapore is popular for its Katong laksa.

A popular dish among the tourists, the oyster omelette is a fast-seller in hawker stalls. It is usually found in any place that sells fried carrot cake, as the process of cooking is rather similar. The distinct taste and texture of the omelette come from potato starch which is mixed with the egg when frying. Some versions of the omelette do not use potato but are priced higher. The omelette is usually had with a vinegar chilli syrup in Singapore.