10+2: Singapore’s must-try local favorites

By the end of the 19th century, Singapore was already considered the most cosmopolitan city in Asia at the time. Since the time Sir Stamford Raffles, the British founder of modern Singapore, declared the little fishing village a free port in 1819, swarms of migrants had been drawn to this little village in search of economic opportunities.

The Chinese from nearby Malacca, Java, and Borneo came by the droves, followed by shiploads from the southern Chinese provinces of Fujian and Swatow. The Indians started with a small contingent from the British army, while British labor policy brought in droves of Tamils from south India as well. The Malay population swelled with the arrival of Javanese, Sumatrans and people from Malaya (modern-day Malaysia). And of course, there were the British who administered the colony.

All these migrants had come from different places with long-established culinary traditions. And thus started the process of hybridization, the inter-mingling and co-existence resulting in a multi-cultural mix of what each ethnic group had brought with it and adapting this to the prevailing conditions of their new adopted home. This has produced some of Singapore’s most interesting dishes.

Eating out is such a celebrated pastime in Singapore, bordering on obsession. The tradition of eating out lives on, starting with the menfolk having no time to do their own cooking and thus depending on itinerant hawkers for their daily sustenance. And with the onset of modernity and liberalization, this practice is fuelled by the large number of women having joined the work force.

There is always something for everyone especially when many of the popular Singaporean dishes are derived from recipes that originated from this multi-cultural heritage. They are available at any time of the day at many hawker centers around the island. A meal in Singapore does not have to be an expensive affair. A main course at these hawker centers costs between $3 and $6 (S$1 = P33). Here are my top 10 favorite dishes in this gastronomic haven (in order of preference). Pardon my partiality as I am allergic to crustaceans.

1. Hainanese chicken rice, a.k.a. Singapore chicken rice. This is an all-in-one dish that I can eat everyday. Well, almost, you can throw in kangkong blachang for good measure.

It consists of moist, poached chicken served with fragrant rice cooked in its own broth with ginger and garlic. It traces its origin from the early Chinese migrants from Hainan Island who brought it with them. Accompanied by a zesty chili-lime sauce, ginger puree and kecap manis (Indonesian thick sweet dark soy sauce), at least that’s how the Singaporeans like it.

The natives of Hainan province call the original recipe wenchang ji (Wenchang is the name of the city where it originated, and "ji" means chicken in Mandarin). To be called an authentic wenchang ji, the bird must come from Wenchang City in Hainan. What makes it distinct in flavor is that this free-range chicken feeds on coconut, hence its sweetish meat. Then on its last stages of fattening, it is placed in a cage and is fed everything from peanuts to potatoes.

A freshly killed chicken is submerged in a pot of boiling water, and after several rounds of boiling and cooling, it is ready to serve. A major component of this dish is the dipping sauce. Traditionally, it contains a mixture of sesame oil, sugar, ginger, and garlic (most local restaurants would have their house specialties). The accompanying rice is, of course, cooked with the stock and oil from the chicken. (See recipe on Page D-2)

2. Fish head curry — cheeks, lips, eyes, and all, the entire fish head is simmered in a spicy, intense red curry sauce. The moist and meaty offerings are tucked behind every nook of this succulent cranium. Some vegetables like okra, tomatoes, and brinjal are thrown in for flavor. A fine example of a happy inter-marriage, this seemingly Indian treat is generally thought of as an Indian dish, and yet it is nowhere to be found in the Indian sub-continent. Though the Indians may be fond of curries, it is only the Chinese who have the tradition of eating such things as heads and tails. Believed to be created by an Indian cook working in Singapore back in the 1950s from Kerala, southwest India, where this dish is unheard of.

3. Baby sotong — deep-fried baby squids coated with a sweet/sour/salty and spicy sauce. Though each morsel is well coated with the syrupy sauce, its crispiness is somehow retained with every bite.

4. Roti prata is that light and fluffy pastry commonly found in Indian hawker stalls. It is made from flour and fried in ghee to a delightfully flaky crisp. The dough is first flattened, and then twirled around in the air, much like a pizza crust, until it is stretched thin and ready for pan-frying. It is either served plain with an accompanying curry dip, or with a dash of sugar. Variants are served with egg, cheese, and other savory treats. Again, this type of bread is nowhere to be found in the Indian sub-continent.

5. Oyster omelet — a delightful concoction only the Singaporeans can do right. Big succulent oysters are sautéed and mixed with egg and tapioca flour for a savory treat.

6. Bak kut teh — a savory and meaty broth that is a meal in itself. Its main ingredient of succulent pork ribs, simmered for hours with generous amounts of herbs and garlic, is more of a meal with its rich bone-deep sweet broth than a light tea it was named after.

7. Char kway teow — this iconic Singaporean stir-fried noodle dish is made of flat noodles, tossed in a thick concoction of sweet black soy sauce (kecap manis), generous amounts of Chinese sausages, shallots, eggs, bean sprouts, fishcake, prawns, squid or cockles for good measure. A good example of Straits Chinese or nonya cuisine, it is Chinese in character with strong Malay overtones.

8. Satay consists of pieces of well-marinated meat like chicken, beef or mutton, skewered on bamboo sticks and barbecued over charcoal. This savory Indonesian version of shish kebab is served with a rich peanut sauce with slices of cucumber, onions, and ketupat (rice cakes) on the side (much like our sinugba and puso in the Visayas).

9. Kangkong with sambal blachan — this is the locals’ favorite way of cooking this lowly leafy vegetable, using both Malay and Chinese seasonings.

10. Laksa is a spicy all-in-one noodle dish bathed in a rich and creamy broth. Its distinctive flavor comes from the laksa leaf which, though subtle, has a powerful fragrance.

11. Rojak — the multi-ethnicity of Singapore cannot be more illustrated in this local salad. It is a mixture of crunchy fresh ingredients like cucumber, turnip, banana flowers (rojak), bean sprouts, pineapple, mango, green apples, fried bean curd, fritters, and cuttlefish. A thick, rich and tasty dressing of prawn paste, tangy tamarind extract, fresh lime, and chili powder is smothered over the mixture. Crowning it is a sprinkle of crushed peanuts, resulting in an explosion of flavors and textures in every mouthful.

12. Chili crab — this world-famous dish put Singapore on the culinary map, making it the national dish of this tiny state. Its fiery sweet and spicy sauce is mopped up with fried Chinese buns, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. For variety, try the equally delectable black pepper crab for a feisty roasted flavor.