In this quarantine world, I have found myself saving links or Instagram posts of every beautiful looking dish cooked in some corner of the world and making mental notes of what kind of cuisine I want to discover on my next trip.
It's what I do even when I am not under lock-down. That is why, last year, before I stepped into Singapore I already knew how I was largely going to spend my time there. Eating.
So the good thing here is, I did my research and I have listed 5 epic dishes that you CANNOT miss in Singapore!
PS: This list might not be vegetarian friendly.
1. Kaya Toast!
This is probably the most synonymous with Singapore...
You simply cannot start any food story about Singapore without #KayaToast – arguably the most popular all day breakfast dish there. I had planned to eat it at a specific brand of Ya Kun Kaya Toast but ended up eating this once a day at some point. One needs fuel and coffee, and what better fuel than such a delicious grill!
What it is? A grilled sandwhich/toast with kaya or coconut jam and butter. (Or Pandan if you are into that) People usually order eggs and a good cuppa coffee along with it, making the entire meal so satisfying. It’s comfort food.
2. Dimsums!
My friend who is now a local in the city took me to a place where you can basically go into dimsum heaven! This is a place called Swee Choon Tim Sum which was in Jalan Besar.
Apart from the spicy dumpling in chilli sauce (picture above) or as it's called a Sichuan Chilli Oil Wanton...
I discovered my love for Salted Egg!
3. Salted Egg (Any dish with it, realllly)
But what I had was a steamed salted egg custard bun!
I realllly liked the steamed salted egg custard bun
Salted Egg Custard. Who would have thought I’ll be licking this up? I recently discovered the trend while in Jakarta this year and I’ve grown to really like it! The buns at Swee Choon were modest but make a great sweet salty snack!
4. Soya Chicken and Noodles!
All the Hawker centers in Singapore will lead you to amazing (and affordable) food. And while I couldn’t visit each and every one I had to visit Chinatown for my first Michelin meal.
Chinatown’s main hawker center has over 260 food stalls and as per what I’ve heard food there won’t send you back unhappy. But my visit was for the chicken noodles (and my first Michelin Star dish).
The chicken was beautifully cooked, sauce flavorsome and noodles buttery soft! It was a simple peasant dish and while I’m not going to call it the ‘best ever’, I had a very satisfactory meal!
5. Sambal Stingray!
MY FAVOURITE from my eating expedition in Singapore however was trying the Sambal Stingray...
It was just something I wanted to try out, but the seafood lover in me ( A bengali girl who grew up in Goa... what do you expect?) was surprised at how delicious the dish (and fish) is! Grilled stingray marinated in sambal (chilli sauce made from spiccy red chilies, shallots and a little bit of sweet and sour from tamarind and cane sugar). The fish comes wrapped in a banana leaf and is mostly either grilled or baked in the same. Ask for some freshly chopped red onions/shallots, extra sauce and a bowl of rice and you have yourself an amaazing lunch! I had mine at the Newton Hawker Centre and it trust me it was more delicious than it looks ❤
So That's All Folks!
Let me know what you think and if you have tried these dishes! If there is something you have to recommend, I would love to hear it!
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