Seven Wonders of Singapore II - Food

Singapore's Hawker Culture is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. What this means is that you can come to Singapore, stay in the Marina Bay Sands hotel, take pictures of the Rain Vortex at Changi Jewel (at Changi Airport), see the Merlion, wander through Gardens By the Bay, and tick all the boxes of iconic sights of Singapore, but if you have not ate at a hawker centre, you have not really experienced the quintessential Singapore.

If you ask for a recommendation for a hawker centre, invariably, tourists are guided to Maxwell Road Hawker Centre (famous for Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice), Lau Pa Sat (for their Satay and Barbequed Seafood), Newton Hawker Centre, and maybe Old Airport Road Hawker Centre (Char Kway Teow, and other food). 

Of the 4 hawker centres mentioned above, Lau Pa Sat and Newton cater to the tourist trade. You may read that to mean that they are "tourist traps", but this is Singapore. Even our so-called tourist traps have soft teeth. Lau Pa Sat has nice architecture and could offer some nice opportunities for photos/instagram.

Lau Pa Sat (outside view)

Newton Hawker Centre can get really crowded, so be prepared to hunt for a table (all our hawker centres are free-seating and first come first serve). Maxwell and Old Airport Road are well-knowned, and frequented by tourists, but are loved by locals too. 

But, really, almost any hawker centre can have good food. You don't have to choose only these four. That said, there is some advantage to going to a "tourist trap" hawker centre - they know what tourists want, and are used to the questions tourists often ask.

And these hawkers have perfected their art and have even been recognised for the quality and consistency of their food and value for money by Michelin. 

Yeah, but do they taste good? Many Youtube food vloggers have tried the Michelin recommended food (well some of them. There are over 60 stalls recommended by Michelin by now.)

But... what is a "Hawker Centre"? Or a coffee shop for that matter. 

Hawkers started out as itinerant paddlers of cooked food plying the streets of Singapore, trying to earn a living to support their families and raise their children. However, hawkers on the streets created traffic congestion, were not very hygienic and often were a source of food-borne diseases. Over time with laws and enforcement, hawkers moved into coffee shops, or hawker shelters, which later evolved into hawker centres. Food courts in shopping malls also sprung up to feed the insatiable Singaporeans. 

The Spice of Life (Note. Or Warning.)

Singaporeans (most) generally prefer their food to have a bit of a kick so a lot of Singapore food are spicy. So if you can take spicy food, you should be okay. If spiciness is your kryptonite, do make it a point to ask for non-spicy options, or beware the red paste on your plate. And of course some food do not have non-spicy options (like curry). And some (like laksa) come with the option of extra chilli.

This list

It is difficult to shortlist 7 iconic Singapore food. One reason is that some of the food or dishes can be found in neighbouring countries, like Malaysia, Indonesia, and even Hong Kong or Taiwan. And some are, arguably, better in those countries. And of course the question of "What is Singapore Food?" is a difficult question to answer.

One possible answer is, "Singapore food is what Singaporeans like to eat."

The choice of Singapore Food listed here is based on various surveys (Chicken Rice and Chilli Crab are often in first place, Laksa is usually also mentioned). There is probably no unanimous agreement on what the next 4 on the list should be, so these are my picks. When I wrote this. Two months from now, I may have changed my mind.

So here are seven (iconic) Singapore food that you might want to try. 

1) Chicken Rice

Chicken Rice, or Hainanese Chicken Rice is Singapore's National Dish. Or at least one of them. But if you go to Hainan to look for the original Hainanese Chicken Rice, you may find that it is quite basic and not as "enhanced" as the Singapore version of Hainanese Chicken Rice. Let me let the "Bob Ross" of cooking videos, Adam Liaw, explain how Hainanese Chicken Rice is prepared. Or at least how he prepares his version.

If you're a tourist visiting Singapore and you ask anyone for the best Chicken Rice in Singapore, there's a good chance you will be directed to Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Hawker Centre. Like Gordon Ramsay was.

I'm sure Tian Tian deserves all (or some of) the fame it has earned, but it is not the only Chicken Rice stall in Singapore. And I am not so discerning as to say how Tian Tian's Chicken Rice is the best. Perhaps that is the curse of living in Singapore. You grow accustomed to good food, and you don't know how it is good. If you can't make it to Tian Tian, there are quite a few other chain of Chicken Rice restaurants. Wee Nam Kee is my personal favourite. Probably because its outlet is convenient for me (I'm shallow). Other Chicken Rice restaurants include Boon Tong Kee, Loy Kee, and Lee Fun Nam Kee. A simplistic rule of thumb is, if it has "Kee" at the end, it's probably good.

But asking a Singaporean for the best Chicken rice is like asking a football fan which is the best football team. We all have our favourite and we will argue until our throats are hoarse why it is the best, and we will change no minds. 

So here's a list of 10, with criteria for greatness. 

And if you do not like chilli/spicy, the good news is that Chicken Rice comes with chilli sauce separately, and so you can choose not to add it.

I would also mention Chatterbox and Soup Restaurant for restaurant-style dining. This means that you get a restaurant ambiance, but at a price. And one would argue that these are not exactly "street" food, and in the case of Soup Restaurant, not even "Hainanese Chicken Rice". Their "Samsui Chicken" is said to be based on the custom of the Samsui women, who came to Singapore in the early days, and worked as construction workers. Then once a year, they would pool their resources, buy a chicken and have a sumptuous Chinese New Year dinner (while they contemplate their life choices, and their family back in the Samsui region of China (San Sui, meaning "three waters"... I wonder if their ancestral home was in the Three Gorges region. If so, their ancestral homes are now under water.))

Samsui Women having their meals. Probably not Samsui Chicken.

2 Chilli Crab/Pepper Crab/Salted Egg Crab

Here is Mark Weins trying Chilli crab in Singapore:

But while Chilli Crab was invented in Singapore, the more popular version improved on the original by adding egg to the sauce, thickening it. The sauce is a mixed of tomato and chilli and so is sweet and a little spicy (or a lot). The sauce is so nice that diners usually order Mantou (Chinese dinner rolls, steamed or fried), and use it to mop up the sauce. 

However, there are more than one way to enjoy crabs. Those that like it spicy try Black Pepper Crab, and also White Pepper crab. Where's the best Chilli Crab/PepperCrab/Salted Egg Crab? Again take your pick. In Singapore, if you have the best recipe, it's only a matter of time before someone else replicates it, or improves on it. 

If you do not like spicy food, why are you looking at a dish called "Chilli crab"? But if you like crab, you can ask if they have some non-spicy version. Salted egg crab may be non-spicy (maybe. Check if they add chilli flakes). Other possible non-spicy recipe for crabs include Garlic Butter Crab, Oyster Sauce Crab, XO Sauce Crab, BBQ Sauce Crab, Black Bean Sauce Crab, and Crab steamed in Chinese Wine. Again, these may be non-spicy based on my general understanding, but specific restaurants or chef may have tweaked the recipe so do check if the crab you are ordering is non-spicy, or ask for a non-spicy version.

BUT... Singapore is famous for creating Chilli Crab! 

BUT... Singaporeans also LIKE Black/White Pepper Crabs. (Maybe even more than Chili Crab!)

3 Laksa

Laksa has also had some international exposure, and you might be able to get (some sort of) laksa outside of Singapore. But of course, this is part of the world is where it originated from. 

There are different variants of Laksa - the three main variants you might encounter in Singapore is Assam Laksa or Penang Laksa, Sarawak Laksa, and Curry Laksa or Lemak Laksa. Penang Laksa broth is fish (mackerel) based. Sometimes called Assam Laksa (or it may be another variant), assam is tamarind, which provides the broth with the characteristic tartness (or sourness). Sarawak Laksa seems to be chilli or sambal belachan-based, and Curry/Lemak Laksa's base broth is made from prawns, thickened with coconut milk. 

So with so many variants of laksa, it is obvious that laksa is not unique to Singapore, so why is it iconic. Well, the "Singapore" version of laksa that we adopted is (surprisingly not the Johor Laksa, but) the Lemak/ Curry Laksa made with prawn broth and sambal.

328 Katong Laksa, the leading chain of laksa stalls in Singapore, offers lemak laksa made from prawn stock, and with generous amount of coconut milk to thicken the broth. I used to slurp up every last drop of the gravy, but now I restrain myself. 

You may encounter some version touting themselves as "Trishaw Laksa". This is Laksa with short (cut) noodles, so that it is "spoonable" - you can just eat it with a Chinese spoon. This was done for the traditional customers - the trishaw riders - who wanted a meal they could eat with one hand (the other would be holding the bowl), while perched on their trishaw. (328 Katong Laksa also cut the noodles to make it spoonable.)

The noodles of Laksa, is traditionally thick Bee Hoon (rice vermicelli, but spaghetti-thick. Usually rice vermicelli is angel hair (capellini) thin, or thinner).

4 Bak Kut Teh

Like Laksa, Bak Kut Teh also has regional or dialectic variations. Generally, there is the Teochew or peppery version, and Hokkien or herbal version. There is also the Klang (Malaysia) version (which may simply be a sub-variant of the Hokkien version), and the Cantonese version. 

In Singapore the peppery version seems to be more dominant (or more preferred). The standardised Bak Kut Teh now has pork ribs cooked in a garlic and pepper broth, and served with rice, yew tiao (fried dough sticks), peanuts, bean curd variants (bean curd skin, puffed bean curds), salted/preserved vegetables. There are several chains - Song Fa, Founder's, Ng Ah Sio, Legendary, Old Street to name those that come to mind.

Traditionally, bak kut teh would be made with odd bits of pork - the cheaper cuts or the remnants of cuts of pork. However, for restaurants, you have to provide better cuts and standard cuts. So pork ribs, usually.

One personal tip or advice: beer does not go with Bak Kut Teh. But that's my personal feeling about it. And I like beer (One chain offered free beer. Perhaps they too know that they can do that and not lose money!)  But you might disagree.

5 Kaya Toast 

Kaya Toast is the iconic Singapore Breakfast and is usually served as a set with soft-boiled eggs (or half-boiled eggs). The proper way (or the Singaporean way) to eat this is to add dark soya sauce and white pepper to the eggs, stir it all up so the runny yolk and custardy egg-white are mixed, and then you mop up the egg with the toast. And when you run out of toast, you slurp the remaining eggs up. Then wash it all down with coffee. Or tea. 

Oh? There's another way? Oh right. Another way is to soya sauce and pepper the eggs, then slurp the whole yolks and some white, take a gulp of hot coffee, then dunk the toast in your coffee, letting the butter melt into the hot coffee, as you eat the coffee soaked toast contemplatively.

I'm kidding. That's just two ways. You can of course enjoy your kaya toast set anyway you like. 

And, if you're not keen on eggs for whatever reason, just go for the kaya toast. 

And what is kaya? It is a spread made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and frequently in Singapore, pandan leaves. If the kaya is orange or yellow, there is no pandan. If it is green, it has pandan.

Personally, I am not too keen on Kaya. I will eat it, but I find it a little too sweet, so I would prefer to pass on it, usually.

6 Prata (and other Indian breads)

Another breakfast item, and my personal favourite. It is called "Roti Prata" in Singapore, and "Roti Canai" in Malaysia. In India, there is "Paratha", from which, I believe prata evolved in this part of the world when it was hard (or expensive) to get the right flour for "Paratha" (which uses "atta" or whole wheat flour). The joy of prata is not just in the eating, but also in the performance of the master as he flips the dough. Watch your prata man flip the dough. Mesmerising!

Prata may be plain (or "kosong" meaning "empty"), or with egg, with onions, with egg and onions, or "tissue prata" (very thin, and usually folded into a cone shape). They may also be "plaster" (where an egg is "plastered" on top of a plain prata), or "bomb" (with condensed milk filling), or "coin" about 5 small round pratas.  Dessert pratas may be with chocolate sauce, or with strawberry, or bananas. And in some places, ice cream.

If you want something more substantial, you can order a murtabak which is like a large prata with meat fillings - mutton, or chicken, or sardines.

And these are all served with curry (mutton, or fish) or dhall (vegetable curry). Kids or those who don't take spicy food like curry, can either eat the prata plain, or with a spoonful of sugar. In Thailand, I understand they have the option of condensed milk. But this is not usual (or offered) in Singapore. One of the better chains, would be Casuarina Curry. But there are many others, like Mr Mohgan Prata which was ranked the crispiest prata. (Sidenote: Mr Mohgan has since passed away, but his wife carries on...)

Chapati is another Indian flatbread. 

Also Thosai (also spelt "Dosa" or "Dosai"). The "Paper Thosai" is usually served rolled up and is as big as a broadsheet newspaper! (OK, I exaggerate. But see for yourself!)

Paper Thosai

Prata, Chapati, and Thosai are from South India, I believe.

Naan is from North India, and so a stall that serves Prata and Thosai, may not have Naan. 

But sometimes they do. (Because Naan needs a tandoor - a vertical clay oven.)

Other Indian breads you might find and may want to try include rawa, and onion rawa which are variants of thosai. 

Battura

For maximum instagram, if you find a stall or restaurant offering Poori or Battura, You MUST order it. If only just to instagram it! When I introduced Poori to my daughter (then 5 years old), I told her she would be eating a balloon (see picture above).  

7 Satay

Meat on a stick, marinated, barbequed over a charcoal fire, serve with cucumbers onions, and rice cakes with spicy peanut sauce. That should tempt your hunter's instinct. You can find satay at quite a few hawker centres, but if you can't and need a recommendation, head to Lau Pa Sat or Newton Hawker Centre or Gluttons Bay next to the Esplanade. While you're having satay, you'll probably be offered Sambal Stingray. Ask about the price before you order so you won't have any sticker shock.

Satay Street at Lau Pa Sat.

So that's Singapore Street Food. Now for some "honourable mentions".

Fast Food - A special mention

Fast food is fast food right? McDonalds anywhere is like McDonald's everywhere, right?

Maybe.

Or maybe not. 

One Canadian misses Singapore's McDonald's. And the McSpicy is "iconic" and associated with Singapore. So this may be another Iconic Singapore Food you must try?

Anyway, McDonald's have introduced many limited time "special" burgers. A list (probably not exhaustive) is here.

Burger King also introduces limited time specials like the Rendang Whopper. Rendang burger was also offered by McDonald's.

Fast food chains here often have limited time promotions with some innovative and tasty new ideas, and some ideas which are just mediocre or even bad. 

And then there is the Ramli Burgers - the "traditional" "pop-up" at Pasar Malam (night market) stall. Try this, but personal warning here: I had 3 Ramli burgers in 2 weeks and then had a heart attack. But that's me. YMMV. If you can't find a pasar malam, the kiosk outside the Esplanade, between the outdoor theatre and the Esplanade Bridge is a more permanent location, with Ramli Burgers.

Off the Beaten Track - Weird and Wonderful

So you've tried Chicken Rice, Chilli (and all the other variations of) Crab, Laksa, Bak Kut Teh, and you have kaya coming out of your ears. What next?

Thunder Tea Rice - or Lei Cha is a Hakka dish, and the name is mistranslated as "Thunder Tea Rice". The Hakka "Lei Cha" actually means "ground (as in past tense of 'grind') or pounded tea (leaves)".

One variation of it is found at "Living Wholesome Vegetarian Food". But if you can't get there, if you do see "thunder tea rice" at any other hawker centres, you may wish to give it a try. Especially if you are vegetarian. Just a note on the "green tea" that accompanies the bowl of rice. It may have tea leaves in it, but the "soup" is more like a minty pesto with hot water to make it a soup. Or at least it should be if correctly made. If you do not like vegan or vegetarian food, this may not appeal to you.

And here are Seven non-traditional/exotic/weird foods you can find in Singapore (video). 

And Sonny tries exotic Chinatown food - like jellyfish, pig's intestine and fallopian tube!

I would add to this list: Buah Keluak, or Ayam Buah Keluak (Buah Keluak Chicken). The black fruit or seed is also known as the "truffle of the east". This is usually found on menus at Nonya or Peranakan Restaurants.

Also Kway Chap. Most Singaporeans would not consider this dish, weird. Which is interesting and says a little about Singaporeans' view on food. The "Kway" in "kway chap" is the same as the kway in "kway teow" (loosely translated as "kway" strips). "Kway" (in this case) is rice sheets, and Kway Chap is a bowl of kway in dark soya sauce broth (the "chap" in "kway chap"), accompanied by soy products (tau kwa, tau pok) and pork cuts (intestine, stomach, skin, belly, i.e. offal), hard boiled eggs braised in soya sauce, and salted/preserved/pickled vegetables. Interestingly, this is traditionally breakfast food. Perhaps it was along the lines of "if you start the day eating pig's offal, nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day". 

9 Must-try Singapore Hawker Food (Video):

This was a quick sampling and review of Michelin recommended street food.

1) Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre One of the best Hainanese chicken rice we’ve ever eaten. If you are in Singapore, you need to try chicken rice which unofficially national dish of Singapore. 

2) Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice at Chinatown Complex Be prepared to wait for about 1 hour for this claypot rice. We suggest to order mixed rice that comes with chicken, pork sausage, salted fish 

3) J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff at Amoy Street Food Centre S$1.80 for the crispy curry potato chicken puff, freshly cooked and it’s perfect for snack 

4) Hong Kee Beef Noodle at Amoy Street Food Centre Two options to choose soup or dry beef noodle. Whilst our preference is fully packed beefy noodle soup, this place serves clear and mild beef noodle soup. 

5) A Noodle Story at Guoco Tower & Amoy Street Food Centre From humble beginning in hawker centre stall at Amoy Street Food Centre, this Singaporean style ramen earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for 7 consecutive years. 

6) Eminent Frog Porridge at Geylang Well known spot to have frog even among local Singaporeans. Frog legs cooked in different sauces from Gong Bao (dried chili), Spring Onion, Chinese Essence, Chinese Herb Soup and paired with plain porridge. Both frog legs & plain porridge are cooked in claypot which make them so aromatic and super flavorful. We tried the Gong Bao with their promotion “buy 2 get 1 free” and did not regret it at all. 

7) Tai Wah Pork Noodle at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre Hong Lim hawker centre is conveniently located not far from Chinatown Singapore. Tai Wah pork noodle is famous for bak chor mee that translates to minced meat noodles. Egg noodle tossed in vinegar, soy sauce, minced meat, pork slices, pork meatball and lard. 

8) Song Fa Bak Kut Teh Bak Kut Teh means “meat bone tea” - basically pork rib dish cooked in broth of herbs and spices, known for health benefits. Song Fa Bak Kut Teh have many branches across Singapore and their broth is sweet peppery rather than herbal flavour. 

9) Unagi Tei formerly known Man Man Japanese Unagi at Keong Saik Rd One of the best unagi dish we have tried outside Japan. Unagi Tei is famous for hitsumabushi, a Nagoya specialty dish.

If you feel anxious about trying Hawker Food, here are some videos of non-Singaporeans trying hawker food:
British Lady tries Singapore hawker food for the first time!

Americans Try Singaporean Street Food For The First Time!

These Americans are trying Singapore hawker food/street food in a studio in the US. So not sure how authentic the food are, but the tasters seem enthusiastic. But the setting is not a hawker centre, so I have some reservations about their reaction. Also, they were not provided Mantou (Chinese bread) to soak up the Chilli Crab sauce, which would be more authentic. Assuming that they really like the food they tried, I would love to see them have a chance to try the food in Singapore.

Blondie (Australian) tries Chilli and Black Pepper Crab, and Salted Egg and Curry Crab. (But in Sydney)

British Family (with two boys) try Singapore Food. And Toast with Butter Coffee (Breakfast).

Taiwan (?) tourist tries Singapore food, and Indian street food in Singapore.

British and Russian couple tries Singapore food.

Australian couple discovers hawker centres, murtabak, and tandoor.

She had never seen naan baked in a tandoor. But she has had naan, just never seen it prepared from scratch.