My Top Singapore Food Finds

I have long been planning to write about all the good food I enjoyed and so longingly miss in Singapore. I never found the time when I was there. Now that I’m back, I’ve put together a list of the food I loved most in hope that I can capture in words what my taste buds would rejoice to touch once again! Haha 🙂 Yes, I am trying to imitate the symphony one hears at the taste of delicious food, ain’t that how critics do it?

In no particular order, I share with you my Singapore Top 10.

1. Hokkien Mee

Generous serving of squid and shrimp for $15

The first time I tried Hokkien Mee was at Food Republic in Vivo City. Loved it since and there are days when I can just find myself salivating at the memory of it.

It is made up of egg noodles and rice noodles stir-fried with egg, prawns and squid, served and garnished with vegetables, sambal chili and topped off with lime. If you’re lucky, you will get it served in opei leaves (soft palm bark) but I guess this has been replaced with plastic plates already! 🙂

It looks no-frills and unassuming but mind you, the taste is the bomb and it will haunt you for days.

Best I’ve tried:
Swee Guan Hokkien Mee
Geylang Lor 29
396 East Coast Road
11.30am to 9.30pm

2. Bak Kut Teh

Premium ribs soaked in piping hot soup. Perfect!

I’m not sure if you happen to see this incredibly long line in Clarke Quay where a simple little dining place sits? That’s Song Fa, home of my favorite bak kut teh. I have been one of those people waiting in line for a couple of times already. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Bak Kut Teh means “meat bone tea” but don’t be fooled as it really has no tea in it. It is made of meaty pork ribs simmered in a broth of herbs and spices unbeknownst to us commoners. Haha! 🙂 The spices seem to dance in fireworks making every sip a delight. This is made better by “auntie” making sure to refill your soup even if you don’t call her attention.

This is best paired with rice but towards the latter part of my stay, I enjoyed pairing it with youtiao (Chinese doughnuts). I also liked combining light and dark soy sauce with lots of chili for that extra kick.

Best I’ve tried:
Song Fa
11 New Bridge Road #01-01
Singapore 059383
7.00am – 9.30pm
Closed on Monday

3. Chili Crab

Don’t be fooled. We almost finished this crab when I remembered I didn’t take a photo. So that’s me, turning the shell upwards so it’ll still look whole. Did I succeed?

I am not much of a crab fan since I find it hard to eat. Imagine having to cut yourself with crab shells just to get that tiny piece of crab meat? Nah, I’d rather grab a chicken wing. However, this one. Oh. I will endure it all because it’s one of a kind. What makes it special? It is stir-fried in a savoury sauce made of tomato and chili made thick by flour and egg. An explosion! I like it best with freshly cooked mantou (toasted buns). Dip it on the sauce and you’ll find yourself getting more buns just to finish the generous serving of sauce.

The buns I love.

 

I love No Signboard’s Chili Crab and they have definitely gone a long way from being that hawker stall with “no signboard” to being one of the iconic seafood restaurants in SG.

Best I’ve tried:
No Signboard

8 Raffles Ave
#01-14/16 The Esplanade, Singapore
+65 6336 9959

4. Cereal Prawn

8 pieces of heaven

Prawn on its own has got to be one of the best food items in the world. But prawn and cereal together? At first, I couldn’t believe this odd pair. However, at first bite I knew they were meant to meet and be one. Anything cooked in butter is great, but prawn cooked in butter? That spells divine! The cereal bits give off that sweet taste to balance off the salty prawn. I’ve been meaning to try this dish at home but they say you can’t just use any cereal but rather stick with the Nestum brand. A bit costly at $20 for 6-8 pieces but I’m sure you’ll love it.

Best I’ve tried:
No Signboard
8 Raffles Ave
#01-14/16 The Esplanade, Singapore
+65 6336 9959

5. Hainanese Chicken Rice

From this I learned the beauty of second chances.

I never thought I’d like Chicken Rice. I just never found myself enjoying chicken that looks…uhm, white? While my friends raved about it, I sat confused asking myself why I didn’t like it. I found the answer when I tried what they say is the best Chicken Rice in SG, even Anthony Bourdain agrees — the Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. I am to blame because before this, I kept on trying the bad ones. I tell you, there are many bad ones. .

When I went to Maxwell Food Centre to try this, I knew I was in for a treat. Just like any good dining place in SG, the line was incredibly long! For newbies like me, don’t be surprised when you see it served slightly chilled. Aside from the chicken, the Hainanese rice is something. It is slightly buttery with a hint of garlic, as a Filipino it kind of remind me of Tinola. The experience is made even better with the sauce: hot chili sauce dip (made up of freshly minced red chilli and garlic) + dark soy sauce and ginger which I smother right on top my rice. Heavenly! 

Best I’ve Tried:

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Stall 10, Maxwell Food Centre

6. Roti Prata

Cheese prata with curry

Roti means “bread”, and prata means “flat.” It is kind of reminiscent with the Western’s pancake but without the syrup. It is usually served with curry (mutton or fish-based) but has evolved to include other items like cheese, banana or chocolate.  Like what they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So the best way to eat it is by dunking the prata on the curry.

Try watching how they prepare the prata and be amazed with the hand maneuvers. It’s an art on its own. I have yet to find the best place to try this since I felt it all tasted the same! 🙂 If you have a suggestion, please feel free to let me know.

7. Kaya Toast

French kaya toast, 2 soft boiled eggs and Iced Milo for a good morning Singapura!

My morning habit and a breakfast staple in SG. All hawkers surely have one stall selling this. Kaya (coconut jam) is served on a toast with a spoonful of butter smacked right at the middle. Quite sinful but a joy to eat most especially when paired with Kopi O. You can buy a jar of Kaya and make one for yourself at home. It’s a quick and easy breakfast for people on the go.

8. Teh Tarik (or pulled tea)

Addicted to teh, please rehabilitate me!

Dubbed as Singapore’s unofficial signature drink, this has got be the one thing that got me insanely hooked that I drank it almost everyday. Composed of black tea and condensed milk, the bitterness of the tea and the sweetness of the milk come together to create a beautiful concoction. I like mine best as Teh Peng or iced, it’s different from Iced Lemon Tea. So the next time you order, remember these things:

• Teh Tarik –tea with condensed milk
• Teh Peng – iced milk tea
• Teh-C – tea with unsweetened evaporated milk
• Teh-O – tea without any milk. If you don’t want sugar, say Teh-O kosong.

9. Fried Sesame Ball

My little ball of sunshine

We call this Buchi back home and I didn’t consider it anything special until I tried Hawker 119’s version. These balls are fried until they turn brown and crispy then rolled on sesame seeds. It’s a perfect dessert to cap off your meal. Apart from the red bean, they also have chocolate served fresh from the pan. Yummy!

Best I’ve Tried:
Hawker 119, Aljunied

10. Ice Kachang

Mango Strawberry Ice Kachang

The best dessert after a long and tiring walk at one of the world’s most humid cities. If you’ve experienced a sunny day in SG, you know what I mean. 🙂 It is made from finely-grated ice, presented in a mound of ball, coated with flavored syrup, fruit shavings and fruit bursts. To know that you had yourself a good bowl of kachang, the ice and the syrup should perfectly blend together. It’s as if the taste is coming from the ice itself. The fruit bursts are also a welcome surprise. At first I thought it was pomegranate but soon realized it’s just tapioca that pops. How? I don’t really know! Chinatown is the best place to eat Ice Kachang, methinks!

So there you have it guys! Go forth and explore the streets of Singapore to eat. It’s a culinary expedition waiting to unfold. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you but together with your belly, prepare you pocket. Singapore isn’t called the most expensive city for nothing. Hihi.