Singapore Food and Local Delights

Singapore Food and Local Delights

If you’re a foodie and have experience with the exciting tastes that Asian cuisines have to offer, the annual Singapore Food Festival is a must-visit. The grand event is held for a whole month, normally from the end of June to the end of July, and is hosted by the Singapore Tourism Board. True to its reputation as a hub of diverse Asian cuisines, Singapore’s biggest food event has something for everyone and is celebrated all over the island.

No journey in Singapore is complete without tasting some of the best local delights and foods that this country has to offer. Instead of just writing a normal article about Singapore food and local delights and rattle of some of the local restaurants and their local foods, I shall give you our signature local foods and some of the favorites – some of the best our local culinary skills has to offer. The list starts and ends with the familiar for anyone that is local and will bring great memories of good tasting food.

Satay is small bite-sized pieces of chicken, mutton, and beef steeped in a sweet piquant preserve. These chunky pieces of mouth-watering meat are skewered on giant toothpicks and fanned over a large flame. Side dishes include cut cucumbers, rice dumplings, onions and a peanut sauce.

Roti Prata This dish is like a fried croissant or pancake, originating from South India. The pancake is fried on a hot, oily griddle until it’s cooked, and marked with brown spots, then served with curry gravy. Prata is a popular choice for breakfast and supper.

Chilli Crab Singapore’s unofficial “national dish” and a favorite at seafood restaurants!
It has a sauce that is drawn from the strengths of great chillies, the freshest eggs, tomatoes and other hers and ingredients. It can be eaten on its own, scooping great dollops of chilli or soaked in bread for a spicy serving.

Laksa Laksa is an exciting concoction of noodles made from flour in a curry like gravy made of spices, herbs, dried shrimp, coconut milk and chilli. It is served with slices of fishcakes, prawns, and cockles. What began as a spicy peanut based gravy evolved into today’s version, the combination of Chinese, Malay and mostly Peranakan influences.

Nasi Lemak is a breakfast concoction of the Peranakan and some say are the threshold of the Malays in Singapore. Coconut rice served with anchovies, fresh fried frish, special sambal and egg plus cucumber combo, it is a signature kampong dish that you cannot miss.

So there is a list of some of the best and greatest food that we can offer. Although this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many more you can eat and choose from. Just walk along the local streets and pop into anyone of the coffee shops you find – you will be sure to find a local savoury hit!

Food for Travellers in Singapore

Chinese

The Chinese have made a considerable contribution in making Singapore a Mecca for food lovers. The food is not just spicy, but symbolic too. Noodles are associated with long age, oysters with luck and fish with prosperity. Travellers can try all sorts of Chinese food here, right from the delectable dim sum, roasted meats, Char kway teow to the most famous ones such as Bak chor mee, noodles with minced pork, Chwee cheong fun, and Hainanese chicken rice. While you experiment all these, don’t forget to try the Chinese favourites such as the bak kut the, fish head curry or rojak and chilli crab.

Malay

The Malays are not many in comparison to the Chinese, but they were once the original inhabitants. Their cuisine can be easily differentiated from the large quantities of spices they use in their culinary dishes. They are also known for using herbs such as ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, curry leaves, shrimp paste and chillies. You will find a hard-boiled egg, lime and slightly spicy and sweet gravy in Mee rebus. The Mee soto is a chicken soup which constitutes chicken breast and egg noodles. Malay breakfast is the Nasi Lemak. Its simplest forms include cooked rice in light coconut milk, peanuts, cucumber and a dash of chilli.

Peranakan

The Peranakan food also consists of aromatic herbs and spices such as chillies, lemongrass, shrimp and tamarind paste. Use of coconut milk is also common with them. Their style is basically a blend of the Malay and the Chinese. If you feel like trying something of the Peranakan, do not forget to try the Laksa or laksa lemak, the most notable Singaporean dish. Others include Chilli crab, Kaya, made from egg and coconut, Popiah, and Mee siam, noodles made of rice flour served in a sweet-sour soup.

Indian

If you go as per the percentage of the population, Indians cover the smallest portion. However, that does not limit the food options. In fact, you will be spoilt for the variety of Indian delicacies you get there – both north and south Indian food is found in abundance. Little India is a great location to approach for authentic and delicious Indian food. You will get everything here – dosa, idli, lentil-rice cakes, sambar, naan, tandoori chicken, and several curries.

The hawker centres or open-air restaurants brim with a range of cuisine cooked in varied ways to satisfy the biggest gourmet lovers. They are a great and affordable way to cater to Indian, Chinese, Malay or any other dishes in demand. And if you wish to sample some exotic delights then food festivals such as the World Gourmet Summit in April and Singapore Food Festival in July every year is what you should be heading for.

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