Ten dishes and ten drinks to taste in Singapore. What not to miss during a trip to Singapore and where to find the typical dishes, read the post.
Singapore it is the crossroads between Eastern and Western culture. This aspect is found in all the faces of this eclectic city: in architecture, art, urban fabric, shopping ... and gastronomy, of course! In fact, Singaporean cuisine develops in a series of dishes that come from the Malay, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, Japanese culinary traditions, but also from Western influences (deriving especially from the British and Portuguese colonial period). With the post, we set out to explore Singapore's unmissable cuisine.
The smells of Singapore cuisine
A stroll through Singapore will expose you to dozens and dozens of different smells: the fragrant one of coffee typical, the pungent one of durian (so pungent that it is forbidden to introduce this fruit in public transport!), that of fried fish, pandan jams, chicken and fish cooked in rich and tasty sauces. It will be practically impossible not to want to taste at least one of these particular dishes, and the best places to do it are the hawker centers.
It is a sort of large covered markets in which dozens and dozens of stands that sell freshly prepared typical food gather. Here, where both locals and tourists usually eat their meals, a dish can cost just as much 3-5 $. There are tons of them all over the city, but the most popular are Lau Pa Sat, Tiong Bahru, Maxwell Road, Bukit Timah, Old Airport Road and Chomp Chomp.
The unmissable dishes of Singapore cuisine
There is truly an infinity of typical dishes in Singapore, perhaps also because this city-state considers typical food and cuisine as one of the most important elements for the construction of its identity. In this list you will find just some of the dishes, products and drinks to try during a stay in Singapore.
1. Chilli Crab
One of the most popular dishes in Singapore and Malaysia, invented in the mid-50s. The whole crab it is stir-fried and cooked with a thick tomato and chili sauce, which is not very spicy. It is not easy to enjoy this dish without getting your hands dirty and beyond (usually the waiters provide customers with large gags so as not to stain their clothes), but it is absolutely worth it! Try them in one of the many restaurants overlooking the river a Clarke quay (the most famous is Jumbo Seafood).
2. Laksa
Laksa is one of the most popular dishes of the so-called nonya cooking, that is typical of some Chinese communities present in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Southeast Asia in general. It is a very consistent and lightly soup spicy made with rice noodles, chicken and shrimp or fish. It can be prepared with coconut milk or with tamarind juice. There are many types of Laksa based on the preparation and the ingredients contained, and they are all to try! One of the most popular versions in Singapore is that a curry base.
3. Hainanese Chicken Rice
Considered one of the national dishes of Singapore, this dish is made up of exactly the two ingredients that make up its name: rice and chicken. The chicken is boiled and, in the resulting broth, the rice along with garlic and ginger. The preparation method is carried out accurately to obtain a dish rich in taste despite the simplicity of the ingredients, and follows that typical of the cuisine of the Hainan province in southern China, from which the dish takes its name.
4. Roti Prata
Very popular in Malaysia and Singapore (especially in the Little India area), Roti Prata is nothing more than a kind of pancake or soft flatbread cooked on a grill. In Singapore, it is usually served alongside curry, meat, fish and vegetable dishes, but other usual ingredients are cheese, mushrooms, eggs, or chocolate, banana and red beans for a sweet version.
5. Popiah
Originating from the Chinese province of Fujian, these details rolls they are widespread in Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand. They are similar to the much more famous spring rolls, but the thin dough that forms the roll is prepared with wheat flour and is not fried. The filling is usually made from mixed vegetables, omelette, tofu or dried fruit, and Popiahs are often served alongside a sweet and sour sauce.
6. Kaya Toast
Let's move on to dessert? Kaya Toast is part of the breakfast or the typical Singapore snack, and consist of two thick slices of buttered bread spread with kaya, a sort of jam prepared with coconut milk, eggs, sugar and a mixture of pandan leaves (a typical plant of Southeast Asia). To be enjoyed warm with one of the typical coffees!
7. Pandan cake
Speaking of pandan, the cake made from this vegetable originates in Malaysia and Indonesia, but is also very popular in Singapore. It is a kind of soft sponge cake with a bright green color (caused by the chlorophyll in pandan leaves), perfect for a special snack!
8. Durian
I think a trip to any Southeast Asian country is not complete without tasting durian. On this incredible fruit there would be many things to say, even if there are two characteristics that make it very famous: its external appearance, that of a sort of dark green ball covered with many, large thorns (the name durian derives from the Malay and means own thorny fruit), and its unmistakable smell, so pungent and penetrating that many can't even get close to it. In fact, if you manage to overcome this obstacle, the taste of durian - the king of fruits - is absolutely not bad. And the thing that amazes the most is the consistency of the fruit inside, which looks a lot like that of a custard!
There are several types of durian: usually, the more expensive ones also have a less pungent smell and a more pleasant taste. You will find them everywhere in Singapore, they are really worth a try. Durian-flavored ice cream, on the other hand… well, let's say I don't recommend it!
9. Singaporean coffee
In Singapore, the coffee tradition it is deeply felt and has remained as it is over time, despite the great growth of the city and the numerous external cultural influences. The kopitiam culture (a word that could be translated as "cafeteria") was born in the eighteenth century and, today, consists of various types of coffee that differ, in general, for the presence or absence of sugar, milk or condensed milk. One of the historic cafes is the Killiney Kopitiam, a short walk from Orchard Road, the shopping street.
10. Singapore Sling
How to forget about the nightlife in Singapore? If you want to spend a special evening sipping a good cocktail, one of the places not to be missed is the Long Bar, the historic bar within the equally historic Raffles Hotel, one of the most famous symbols of British colonization in Singapore. This is where, in 1915, Long Bar bartender Ngiam Tong Boon invented this fresh gin-based cocktail, triple sec, pineapple and lime juice. Sitting inside the Long Bar and ordering a Singapore Sling (classic or in its many versions) will be a bit like going back in time!
