Joanna James
Despite being little more than half the size of Hong Kong, Singapore is world-renowned for its delicious and diverse culinary offerings any seasoned foodie will be happy to indulge in. Food is an obsession in Singapore and forms a crucial part of this city state’s national identity. Here are the top dishes to sample during your time there.
Indulge in the flavours of a traditional Singaporean breakfast with the delectable Kaya Toast. This iconic dish features two slices of toast or charcoal-grilled bread generously slathered with a delightful combination of butter and kaya - a unique jam made with sugar, eggs, and coconut. Believed to have originated from Hainanese immigrants, Kaya Toast was traditionally found in Singapore's authentic coffee shops. To complete the experience, this dish is served alongside soft-boiled eggs seasoned with white pepper and dark soy sauce, accompanied by a steaming cup of tea or coffee.
Discover the Chinese-inspired delight of Tau Huay, also known as bean curd, douhua, or tofu pudding. This Singaporean dish showcases soft tofu served either hot or cold, accompanied by a variety of syrup options with varying levels of sweetness. Tantalizing toppings such as red beans or ginkgo nuts add both flavour and nutrition to this popular breakfast choice. For a truly satisfying meal, Tau Huay is often enjoyed alongside crispy fried dough sticks or delectable Portuguese egg tarts, creating a harmonious blend of textures and flavors.
A popular dish of skewered and seasoned grilled meat served with generous servings of peanut sauce, satay or sate is an immensely popular Singaporean dish. Satay consists of different types of meat of mutton, pork, chicken, or beef skewered on bamboo sticks which are grilled over a wood or charcoal fire. Satay is believed to have originated from Indonesia and can be found anywhere from Singapore hawker centres, and street food carts to proper sit-down restaurants in hotels such as Travelodge Harbourfront which offer many a Singapore hotel promotion.
Chilli crab is synonymous with Singapore today and is a vital part of the country’s local food culture, and is considered to be one of the most important dishes of Singaporean cuisine. This particular dish is prepared by stir-frying crabs (usually mud crabs) in a thick chilli and a tomato-based sauce. After which an egg is added to make the sauce thicker and richer. Despite its iconic name, chilli crabs are not spicy at all instead its enticingly sweet and tangy with just the right hint of spiciness. Ideally, the crab is best enjoyed with fried mantou bread or steamed rice.
A Malaysian/ Singaporean – sambal stingray is a delicious earthy barbecued stingray dish served with a spicy sambal paste! It’s a quite popular hawker food which is wrapped and cooked in fresh banana leaves. Preparation includes cooking the firm stingray meat in a delicious sambal paste made out of shallots, Indian walnuts, and a plethora of various species. The mixture is then spread generously all over the stingray flesh, left to marinate for an hour or so, wrapped in banana leaves and then charcoal grilled.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
