Just as Singapore is a melting pot of many cultures, so is its cuisine. While you can readily find western-style dishes throughout the nation, what’s the point of an international trip if you don’t sample new foods? Explore Singapore’s great eating with one of Coco’s Escorts. Here is a guide.
Singapore’s population includes many people from China, Malaysia and India, so your best bet is to sample the foods of these countries in particular. Each of these offer ample vegetarian and meat-flavored dishes. Your best bet is to start with Peranakan or Nonya dishes which sprang from all three of cultures. Naturally, it is based on seafood, the most notable being crab. If you feel particularly adventurous, try chili crab (usually loaded with a spicy chili sauce). Be aware that you are supposed to eat it with your hands, so expect to get messy.
Another alternative is Laksa, a noodle soup with a coconut curry broth and topped with seafood. This is a delicious soup that is probably the best known menu item in Singapore.
Of the three cuisines in Singapore, Malaysian foods are generally the spiciest. If you like spicy food, you will enjoy Mee rebus, an egg noodle dish or rending, a spicy dry stew of meat and coconut curry paste. For breakfast, try Nasi lemak: rice cooked in coconut milk with peanuts, cucumbers and chili.
Chinese foods in Singapore are generally like those served in the Fujian and Guangdong provinces. Many so-called Chinese dishes are actually more Malaysian in their use of spices but not all of them. Try Bak kut the, a pork-rib soup that comes in a variety of forms, all of them worth tasting. Also be sure to try Char kway teow, fried noodles and meat, fish or vegetables in a brown sauce. This is the cheapest and tastiest dish available in Singapore.
While India has the smallest presence in Singapore, it has had a big impact on Singapore’s eating habits. Try fish head curry, but be prepared: it’s spicy (though the Chinese variety is milder). Roti prata is Indian-style flat bread dipped in curry. It can be served in many ways: plain, with eggs, meat, fish or even with chocolate or ice cream.
Can’t decide? Then have some Rojak, which in Malaysian means “a mixture of everything”. Even here there are variations. The Indian version has fried flour bits, cucumber, tofu and sweet/spicy sauces while the Chinese version has pineapple, turnips, cucumbers, fried bean curd, shrimp paste, sugar and peanuts. Either type is excellent, filling and nutritious.
While there are countless restaurants in Singapore that specialize in these cuisines, the best bargain and the most fun is to sample a variety of foods at one of the many hawker centres throughout Singapore. Prices are especially cheap the further out you get from the city centre. Locals know hat the best hawker centres are in the residential areas, not in the tourist areas. If you are on a budget but want to eat in a restaurant, visit a buffet, which also allows you to sample various cuisines in one meal.
Eating is an important part of life everywhere. In Singapore, it’s the national pastime. Enhance your visit by sampling the many new flavors available in Singapore. Find out more about Coco’s Social Escorts.
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