SINGAPORE is a gastronomic dining haven for people who crave and yearn for anything tasty. A culinary melting pot of Malay, Indian and Chinese cultures, this beautiful country is exploding with local and international flavours married to create a fusion that’s very Asian…and Singaporean.
Known to many as the ‘tiny red dot’, Singapore’s lack in land area does not hinder it to become Asia’s most favoured destination. More so, its lack in land area, Singapore compensates with an almost infinite array of selection on almost everything you can think of. Case in point: food and dining.
Singaporean cuisine, to begin with, contains elements derived from several ethnic groups. As a result of its history, Singaporean cuisine has been known to be diverse and highly cultural in nature and in taste. Some believe that it being near bodies of water explains why they largely use seafood in their cuisines.
Here’s a further look into the vast and exciting cuisine of this Southeast Asian city-state.
Chili Crab at Jumbo Seafood @ Block 11 Dempsey Road #01-16, Dempsey Hill, Singapore Chilli crab is an inevitable Singaporean seafood dish — stir-fried crab is coated with sweet, savoury and spicy tomato based sauce. Despite its name, this dish is not as spicy as you imagine it to be.
At Jumbo Seafood, all your seafood and Chinese cuisine cravings will be fulfilled. Pegged as ‘the place where it all began’, the Singaporean Chili Crab on their menu is a formidable best seller since their opening.
Their chili crab here is mild, sweet and has layer of textures that makes for a good conversation piece. Best paired with their bowl of salted fish fried rice.
Karisik Kebab at Alaturka Mediterranean & Turkish Restaurant @ 15 Bussorah St, Singapore Alaturka is an awarded Mediterranean & Turkish restaurant in Singapore. With a Bib Gourmand 2016 award for the Michelin Guide Singapore (2016) under its belt, you can expect an exquisite play on flavours with their dishes. To say the least, their dishes are smooth and clean on the palate – something you won’t expect from a cuisine that uses a great deal of herbs and spices.
On their menu are meat and vegan dishes that verily complements each other. Of them, their plate of Karisik Kebab (feast of succulent beef, lamb and chicken kebabs lavishly spread over a traditional Turkish silver platter) is a must when dining here. Oh and do not go cheap-o on their butter rice and crunchy vegetable salad – nothing says lezzetli than this platter. Try the salted yoghurt also.
Laksa at JustIN Flavours of Asia @ Bay Level, L1-83, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Laksa, like the Singaporean Chili Crab, is well, you know, very Singaporean. Laksa is basically a spicy noodle soup that has the flavours of curry, coconut milk, sour asam, chicken, prawns and fish in one bowl. At every corner and hawker stall, you’d find a bowl of laksa for sale. The taste are quite the same; it mostly varies on the spice level.
At JustIn, Singapore’s pioneer celebrity chef, Justin Quek, created a bowl of laksa that’s refreshingly explosive to the palate. Not spicy, Chef Quek’s bowl of laksa is a fusion of traditional taste and modern flare. The taste is authentic, sophisticated and rich to the last slurp. The broth is what makes this laksa a hit to all ages.
Porcini Mushroom Capuccino Soup with Black Truffle Shavings at Fratelli Trattoria @ 26 Sentosa Gateway, Hotel Michael, #02-144 & 145, Singapore Fratelli (Italian for ‘bothers’) is one of the many exquisite restaurants located at Sentosa Gateway and one of the few Italian restos in the country. With three-star Michelin chefs and brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea on its helm, Fratelli Trattoria in Singapore is almost has the same taste as their acclaimed Da Vittorio restaurants in Italy. To state, the menu was not, in any way, tweaked but remained so – retaining its authenticity.
Though not a local cuisine or dish that many can relate to, the porcini mushroom soup has that exquisite taste that can easily be related to the streets of Singapore. It is very warming and embracing to the palate – something that you’d feel whenever you are in Singapore.
This dish is a staple on their menu. Ask for it and you’ll definitely thank me later.
Masala Dosa at Kebabs & Curries @ Mustafa Centre, 171 Syed Alwi Rd, #07-00, Singapore With a plethora of Indian restaurants located all over the country, you’d most definitely fall in love with Indian cuisine as your palate gets used to the taste, aroma and texture. One dish I need whenever I am in Singapore is a Masala Dosa – a South Indian food dosa made from rice, lentils, potato, methi and curry leaves and served with sambar and chutneys. And at Kebabs & Curries, they have one of the best Masala Dosa I have tasted.
Located at the rooftop of Mustafa Centre, Kebabs & Curries is all about serving authentic and scrumptious dishes that even the foreigners can relate to. Their menu is a mixture of Northern and Southern Indian dishes, every dish is guaranteed to be flavourful and easy on the palate. This is one must visit dining place – and you can most definitely shop after dining.
During a recent visit, through the initiative of the Singapore Tourism Board with SilkAir, two delicious food festivals were on their way – the 50 cents Singapore Feast and Sentosa Grillfest.
50 cents Singapore Feast at Smith street, Chinatown On its 5th year, the Singapore Food Festival returns to satisfy any craving palate. This year was pegged as a nostalgic street style dining that offered an array of diverse local delights, with iconic food from the 1930s Singapore era. The event was more like a journey in the past wherein 1930s food, ambiance and décor where experienced all over Smith street. A number of street stall hawkers lined up selling the best of 1930s Singapore gustatory scene. And the best part? Everything was sold for 50 cents!
Sentosa GrillFest Sentosa Grillfest was like Zookout minus the loud edm music and beachside party. It was a festival of culture, food and flavour as a 1-km stretch road was converted into a maze like venue for this year’s Sentosa Grillfest. From end to end, you’ll find the most basic to the most exquisite dishes on display. It was a mixture of flavours that created a most sought after craving that had everyone wanting to taste the different cuisines without stopping. Aside from the street style hawkers, they have a large section of seating that catered to the visitors.
