Food in Singapore

Singapore is ranking way up there with Bangkok in terms of food.  It is an explosion of Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Indian, Peranakan,  and Portuguese. Many days were hot and I was not hungry for hot food and I could not fit in all these amazing delicacies in one trip. Most foods are eaten in Hawker centers and food courts throughout the city.  Here are some of the main specialities and my favorite dishes:

Descriptions provided by Wiki Travel

Mamak rojak, a dish of various vegetables and fruits, beancurd, seafood deep fried in batter, crushed peanuts, crispy dough crullers, and a spicy and sweet chilli sauce. Traditional Malay / Indonesian and Chinese variants are common as well.

Nasi biryani, a flavoured rice dish cooked or served with mutton, chicken, vegetable or fish curry. Basmati rice is used. Alternatively, dum biryani is a version more akin to the traditional South Asian dish, which is a variant that bakes the spiced meat with the rice.

Roti prata, a local evolution of the Pakistani and Indian paratha. Popular for breakfast or late night supper, this dish is enjoyed by all Singaporeans and commonly served with sugar and curry. A plethora of modern variations are available including egg, cheese, chocolate, masala, durian and even ice cream. It should ideally be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the dough is flipped to attain the right texture, then cooked quickly on a greased stove.

      Ayam buah keluak, a Peranakan dish of chicken stewed with spices and Southeast Asia black nuts.

·         Fish head curry, a dish created by Singapore's Malayalee (an Indian ethnic group from Kerala) community with some Chinese and Malay influences. The head of a red snapper (ikan merah; literally "red fish") is stewed in curry consisting of varying amounts of coconut milk and tamarind juice with vegetables (lady's fingers and brinjal are common). Usually served with either rice or bread.

·         Kari lemak ayam, a Peranakan chicken curry with a coconut milk base.

·         Kari debal, a Eurasian Singaporean curry dish with Portuguese and Peranakan influence. Includes chicken, cabbage, sausage and bacon bits stewed in a curry sauce.

·         Kueh pie tee, a thin and crispy pastry tart shell filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and prawns. A popular Peranakan dish.

·         Laksa, thick rice noodles (bee hoon) in a coconut curry gravy with prawn, egg and sometimes with the addition of chicken, tau pok (beancurd puffs) or fish cake. Peranakan in origin. A specifically Singaporean variant (as opposed to shared by Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine) is Katong laksa. Raw or lightly blanched cockles are also usually added to the dish and the cutting of the noodles are a distinctive trademark.

Mango pudding, soy bean milk, mango steen, sugar cane juice, kaya-coconut/jelly spread with toast, and kopi-local coffee with condensed milk.

Loved the place called Toast, which had toast with kaya , kopi, and half boiled eggs for the local breakfast.  Also loved Bread Company, which is the Southeast asian version of Panera.  They had amazing Mountain green tea bread with raisins, sweet yam buns, and steam cakes-amazing addiction for me!