Top 10 Local Delights

Bak Kut Teh

Bak kut teh (literally pork rib tea) is a Chinese soup dish that consists of pork ribs brewed for long hours on a low fire with herbs, garlic cloves and pepper. It is usually served with a bowl of fragrant steamed rice and you cha kway (dough fritters). Although traditionally a breakfast meal, it is commonly eaten at all times of the day nowadays and is especially popular as a choice for supper.

Carrot Cake

Not to be confused with the Western version, the local version of carrot cake (or chai tow kway) is completely different. Rice flour is steamed and cut into small chunks which are fried with white radish, eggs, garlic and dried-pickled radish. This is commonly known as the "white" version. The "black" version is fried with sweet dark soy sauce.

Char Kway Teow

Char kway teow (literally fried flat noodles) is a very popular hawker dish in Singapore. It is made from flat rice noodles stir-fried in sticky sweet soya sauce with Chinese sausages, cockles, eggs, bean sprouts and lard. Due to the high fat content, many consider the dish unhealthy but nevertheless, it remains one of the most popular dishes in Singapore.

Chilli Crab & Black Pepper Crab

Chilli crab and black pepper crab are popular dishes served in almost all seafood restaurants in Singapore. Chilli crab is made from steaming hard-shell crabs in tomato and chilli sauce. The black pepper version is cooked in crushed black peppercorns. Both dishes are commonly served with hot buns that are useful for soaking up the spicy sweet or peppery gravy.

Fish Head Curry

A local favourite, fish head curry is made using the giant head of a red snapper fish cooked in curry. Vegetables such as brinjals and okra are often added to the curry for flavour. The dish is usually served with steamed rice or bread. Although originally an Indian dish, today, Chinese and Peranakan versions also exist.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

As its name suggests, Hainanese chicken rice has its roots in Hainan, China. The chicken is boiled in stock and then dipped in cold water. Rice is prepared by frying it in flavoured oils and then cooked in chicken stock. The dish is served with a tangy chilli-lime-garlic sauce, dark soy sauce and ground ginger. Hainanese chicken rice is prevalent in hawker centres and food courts.

Laksa

Laksa is a spicy, flavourful dish that has its roots in the Peranakan culture. It is believed that the word was derived from the Sanskrit word "laksha" which means "many". The dish is made from thick rice noodles cooked in coconut milk curry and topped with bean sprouts, bean curd, fishcake slices and prawns. The famous Katong laksa variation is served with noodles that have been cut into short pieces so that the dish is eaten with a spoon.

Rojak

Rojak is Malay for mixture and the dish is reflected as such. A popular hawker dish, it is a salad mixture of various ingredients such as you cha kway (dough fritters), cuttlefish, turnips, cucumbers, bean sprouts, fried bean curd, pineapples, green apples etc. tossed with a sauce made from prawn paste, tamarind, lime and chilli. The dish is then sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

Roti Prata

A simple but satisfying dish, roti prata is an Indian dish that consists of a pancake or bread served with chicken or mutton curry. The making of the prata is exciting to watch as the chef flips the dough several times in the air into a thin layer before pan-frying it. Eat the prata plain or with fillings such as eggs, tomatoes, onions, cheese or sardines.

Satay

Satay is made of bite-size pieces of marinated meat (usually chicken, beef or mutton) skewered on bamboo sticks and grilled over a charcoal fire. The dish is typically served with spicy peanut gravy, cucumber slices, onion slices and ketupat (rice cakes). Satay is believed to have originated in Indonesia. One of the most popular places for satay is Lau Pa Sat.