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Chili Crab - Singapore’s unofficial “national dish” had beginnings as humble as the country itself. In the 1950s, Madam Cher Yam Tian and her husband Mr. Lim Choo Ngee set up a seafood hawker stall right on the seashore, cooking by the light of a kerosene lamp from dusk till dawn. One of Madam Cher’s specialities was crab in a zesty chili-spiked gravy, the first version of Singapore chili crab. Nowadays the dish has many incarnations: some are packed with fresh spices like galangal, ginger, and turmeric, some are sweet-sour and rosy with tomato, and others carry the sting of chili oil.

Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice - Immigrants from China’s Hainan Island brought chicken rice to Singapore many decades ago, and in the years since then it has become a national icon. It consists of poached chicken served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth with ginger and garlic, accompanied by a zesty chili-lime sauce, a pungent ginger puree, and thick black soy sauce. Aficionados may argue for hours over which stall has the most silky-textured meat, the most sumptuous rice, or the most incendiary chili.

Singapore Satay - Theories abound as to the origin of these bamboo skewers of sweet-spicy meat, barbecued over charcoal to an irresistibly smoky, savory finish. Whatever its beginnings, satay has always been a firm favorite among all Singaporeans. Malay satay hawkers favor chicken, beef, and mutton for their skewers, serving a thick sweet-hot peanut sauce on the side, with sliced cucumbers, onions, and pressed rice cakes for dipping.

Laksa - Definitely at the top of overseas Singaporeans’ list of most-missed dishes, Laksa plays off smooth, rice noodles against a rich, velvety gravy of coconut milk, spices, dried shrimp and chili, with toppings of fresh prawns, cockles, and sliced fishcakes.

Char Kuay Teow - Flat rice noodles stir-fried with lard, garlic, dark soy sauce, beansprouts, kale leaves, fishcake, fresh cockles, prawns, eggs, and lup cheong (Chinese sausage): as prosaic as it sounds, char kway teow inspires heartfelt devotion in Singaporean foodies.

Singapore Sweets
Desserts and sweets are very popular in Singapore. Most hawker centers or food courts have fruit stores where you can drink fresh fruit juice with your meal. On a hot day, you should also end your meal with a local cold dessert like ice kacang or cendol. Ice kacang is a mound of grated ice, smothered with different sweet syrups made of jelly, red beans, corn, and attap chees (small, sweet, gelatinous balls from Attap Palm). Cendol is a coconut milk mixed with brown sugar, green starch strips, and red beans. There are also a variety of cafes offering cakes, pastries and fruit smoothies.

Also very popular in Singapore are Nonya kueh (cakes) which are made from a variety of flavorful ingredients such as coconut milk, sweet potatoes, tapioca, palm sugar, and pandan leaves. These cakes are among the most popular items to be enjoyed during tea time, as a sweet dessert, and at festive occasions.

Singapore Snacks
Kaya toast
Kaya is a local jam made from eggs, sugar, and coconut milk. Singaporeans traditionally eat kaya toast for breakfast and it is traditionally accompanied by soft boiled eggs sprinkled with a dash of pepper and dark soy sauce.

Curry Puff
Many versions of the humble curry puff have evolved in Singapore. The Malay version (epok-epok) is small, and usually filled with curried potato, or canned sardines. The Chinese version is larger, and usually contains potato and chicken curry, with some versions including pieces of boiled egg. Some say the curry puff was inspired by Indian samosas, others say it was inspired by English Cornish Pasties. Whatever inspired their creation, they are unequivocally Singaporean.

In celebration of the Chinese New Year, Singaporeans eat a “lucky salad” called yu sheng which symbolizes the birth of a new year. This special dish, only available during the Chinese New Year, is made with slivers of raw fish mixed with fresh vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, pickled ginger, sun-dried orange peel, pomelo and various condiments including crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, deep-fried flour crisps, cinnamon, and pepper. The act of tossing the salad is called “Lo-Hei” which comes from the Cantonese dialect. “Lo” means “to toss up” and “Hei” means “to rise”, a reference to a thriving business during the New Year.

Singaporean cuisine is heavily influenced by Indian and Chinese food, creating a variety of vegetable dishes. Singapore is also a great choice for people who are on a halal or kosher diet due to the many Muslim restaurant options.

World Gourmet Summit
The World Gourmet Summit, or WGS as it is fondly known, began in 1997. Designated as a showcase of culinary excellence, the annual EGD is a series of food and wine events featuring guest master chefs, vintners, and sommeliers from around the world. Michelin-star chefs and celebrities in the F7B industry work closely with Singapore’s top restaurants to create elaborate menus and experiences for guests, such as the signature masterchef safaris where guests journey around to several restaurants forming a multi-course meal.

Singapore Food Festival
Lovers of traditional Asia cuisine, as well as seekers of trend-setting food fads, look forward to the annual Singapore Food Festival (SFF) held in July. You won’t find gourmet chefs though; among the pros whipping up this culinary storm are the island’s top street food vendors. Join other foodies in the various culinary workshops, heritage food trails, colorful food carnivals, and food-themed events during this food celebration month.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THE SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD

Char Kway Teow

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
Vegetable oil - 5 Tablespoons
Garlic – minced - 2 Tablespoons
Kway Teow - 1/2 lb
Yellow Wheat Noodle - 1/3 lb
Eggs – beaten - 2
Beansprout - 2 oz
Dark Sweet Soy Sauce - 4 Tablespoons
Light Soy Sauce - 3 Tablespoons
Oyster Sauce - 2 Tablespoons
Chinese Sausage - 1 oz
Fishcake - 1 oz
Water - 5 fl oz
Peeled Prawns(lightly blanched) - 8
Squid rings (lightly blanched)rings - 10 rings
Chinese chives (cut 2” long) - 1/2 oz

Preparation:
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a Chinese wok, stir fry garlic until fragrant. Fry the beaten eggs scramble them till ¾ cooked and still moist. Add kway teow and noodle with 4 Tbsp of water and fry till soft, dry and smooth. Add light soy sauce and fry till noodle is brown, soft & moist. Fry the noodle mix , fold over the omelet and toss thoroughly. Season noodles with dark sweet soy sauce and oyster sauce. Fry for about 40 seconds and add 4 Tbsp of water along the way. Add in Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, fishcake and toss for another 15 seconds. Stir in prawns, squid rings and Chinese chives.  Add 2 tbsp of water and stir fry for 10seconds, serve.

Chili Crab

Ingredients
1 pound of crabs
6 fresh red chillies
5 cloves garlic
2 stalks spring onions
4 stalks coriander (cilantro)
3 Tbs vegetable oil

Sauce:
3 Tbs tomato ketchup
1.5 Tbs sugar, according to taste
a quarter tsp salt
1 tsp salted brown soya beans
1 cup water
1.5 tsp cornflour
Half tsp rice or malt vinegar or freshly squeezed lime juice
Quarter tsp dark soya sauce Vegetable oi  

Preparation:
Wash uncooked shellfish well, break off the claws and crack the shell by gently hitting it with a pestle. When preparing the crabs, chop the bodies in half and then each half into 3 pieces. Wash and retain the shells. Peel garlic and pound coarsely. Pound chillies coarsely too. Wash spring onions, discard roots, cut into finger lengths. Mix sauce ingredients except for the vinegar or lime juice. Heat wok, add oil and when hot, add the garlic, stir fry for another minute and add the crab pieces. Stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes till shells turn slightly red. Stir sauce, add to the crabs and stir well for 2 minutes. Cover with a lid and simmer over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes till shells turn bright red.  Remove cover, squeeze the lime juice over or add the vinegar, stir well and add spring onions. Turn heat off, stir well and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Black Pepper Prawn Linguine

Ingredients(serves 2)
Prawns (medium size-deveined) - 8
Linguine pasta (blanched till al dente) - ¾ lb
Butter (unsalted) - 2 Tablespoons
Ginger – minced - 1 Tablespoon
Garlic – minced - 1 Tablespoon
Shao Xing Chinese Wine (OR Brandy) - 3 Tablespoons
Water or  seafood stock - 6 fl oz
Oyster sauce - 1 ½ tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1 Tablespoon
White pepper powder - ½ Tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Sugar - ½ Tablespoon
Baby Asparagus - 4 stalks
Chopped chives to garnish
 

Preparation:
De-shell and de-vein prawns. Lightly blanch the prawns in boiling water, remove and do a cold water dip to cool. Set aside (keep prawn shells and heads to fry with sauce later). Heat butter in a wok or deep skillet; brown garlic and ginger and stir fry till fragrant. Add in water or seafood stock, oyster sauce, black and white pepper powder, salt, sugar, and prawn heads and shells. Allow mixture to simmer and reduce slightly. Press upon prawn heads to release flavor while stirring. Remove prawn shells and heads. Toss pasta over pepper sauce. Splash brandy over pasta. Serve it topped with prawns and garnish with chopped chives and baby asparagus.