Hi there, welcome back to my blog! This post will be a little bit different from what I normally do, but I'm excited for it all the same, because we're going to be talking about...food. Singapore is one of my favorite food cities because its local cuisine uniquely combines several different Asian styles. In addition, it's always easy to find a delicious bite at any time of the day. Keep reading to learn about my favorite dishes and to hear my tips on eating your way through Singapore. And side note: all of the foods that I mention below will be free of dairy, eggs, nuts, and shellfish - allergy life! The best places to eat, in my opinion, are the mall food courts and outdoor hawker centers. Food courts in Singapore are very different from ours in America. They aren't filled with fast-food joints, for one, and they also have a variety of Asian meals for affordable prices. A typical mall food court in Singapore might have Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, and Korean stands, as well as places specializing in one kind of Singaporean food. They separate their dishes and utensils as Halal and non-Halal, which is great if you follow that diet. Singapore is a multicultural, diverse city, and its food centers certainly reflect that.
Outdoor hawker centers also offer wonderful meals at even cheaper prices. Though you do compromise a little bit of comfort (the weather in Singapore can be very hot and humid), the food tastes incredible. Many of the hawkers serve only a few dishes, but they have been perfecting those recipes for years. Now, for my favorite part: talking about my favorite dishes! 1) Roti prata and appam Roti prata is an Indian-style flatbread that is served with curry or sugar. It is flaky and crispy, and it can be filled with eggs, onion, cheese, and more. I always order it plain because of my allergies, but I know that other people who prefer it with the fillings. Appam is also an Indian dish, but it's more like a pancake made with rice flour and coconut milk. It's light and tasty, and it's served with sugar. 2) Hainanese chicken rice One of Singapore's signature dishes, Hainanese chicken rice is a dish consisting of tender chicken and seasoned fragrant rice. It is often served with Chinese vegetables, a bowl of soup, and chili sauce. I love eating chicken rice while I'm in Singapore, and it is served at every hawker center and food court that I have been to. I've ordered it from a hawker center (with the vegetables, soup, and sauces) for about $4.50 SGD - about $3.30 USD. 3) Ice kacang Ice kacang is Singapore's version of shaved ice. It is usually topped with sweet red beans, grass jelly, tea jelly, atap seeds, and flavored syrup. It's a perfect dessert to cool off with in the hot Singapore weather. If you're dairy-free like me, make sure that you ask for it without the condensed milk and creamed corn. 4) Tau suan and pulut hitam Tau suan and pulut hitam are both Singaporean soup-like desserts that are served warm. Tau suan is made of split mung beans, and it usually has pieces of fried dough (youtiao) in it. Pulut hitam is made from black glutinous rice and topped with coconut milk. 5) Red bean soup and green bean soup Red beans and green beans are sweetened in Asian dishes and served as dessert. Although red bean soup and green bean soup are hot dishes, I still love eating them in Singapore. 6) Satay Satay is something that I have to be careful with, because it is often served with peanut sauce, but I love it all the same. It's skewered grilled meat that is seasoned with a variety of Asian spices. 7) Kueh Kueh are bite-sized desserts that can be found in many different forms. They are usually made with rice flour and include ondeh ondeh (my personal favorite - rice cake balls filled with liquid palm sugar and coated with coconut flakes), kueh lapis (colorful layered rice cakes that are sort of like mochi), kueh tutu (steamed rice flour cakes filled with coconut sugar or palm sugar), getuk ubi (tapioca with coconut flakes and sugar), and ma kuo kueh (miniature steamed rice flour cakes). The most common place to buy these desserts is Bengawan Solo, a chain of stores found in every mall and even the airport. 8) Fresh lychee, mangosteen, rambutan & longon (and while you're at it, durian) Lychee, mangosteen, rambutan, and longon are all sweet tropical fruits. Durian, which you may have heard of, is also a tropical fruit, but it has a particularly pungent smell that has gotten it banned from public places and subways in Singapore. Personally, I don't like it, but it's something that you should try if you can! 9) Congee Congee is rice porridge, which makes it sound boring - but it's actually really good, in my opinion! It is usually eaten for breakfast at hawker centers and can be made with chicken, pork, beef, fish, peanuts, and more, depending on what you order. It has a pieces of fried dough (youtiao) inside it, as well as white pepper, shallots, and green onions. 10) Sugarcane juice and soursop juice Sugarcane juice is a Singapore favorite. The juice is extracted from sugarcane stalks, as you might have predicted, but the hawkers make it fresh, which is pretty cool. I order mine with a lemon because it balances out some of the sweetness. I also love ordering fresh soursop juice; the hawkers usually include pieces of the fruit in my drink, which I think taste great. 11) The other dishes that I (sadly) cannot eat - but still like to think about As I mentioned previously, I'm allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, and shellfish. A lot of the classic local foods contain eggs and seafood, in case you were wondering why I didn't mention them! However, here's a list of some of the foods that I've heard are "must try's": chili crab (crab served with a thick tomato and chili sauce), laksa (spicy noodle soup with seafood), nasi lemak (a Malay dish that includes deep-fried fish or chicken, fragrant coconut rice, eggs, fried anchovies, and more), Hokkien Mee (fried noodles with oysters, prawns, and squid), Yong Tau Foo (customizable soup with tofu, fish paste, vegetables, and more) and Char Kway Teow (stir-fried noodles with prawns, eggs, Chinese sausages, bean sprouts, and shrimp paste). Of course, this list is very brief, but hopefully it gives you an idea of some of the highlights! Don't be afraid to try some new foods while you're in Singapore! There are so many different options that you can honestly have a different dish for each meal. As always though, for my allergy friends, make sure that you ask and don't assume! Most people in Singapore speak good English, so please voice your concerns. Thank you so much for reading my blog! And, don't forget to check out my new Instagram (@youngnwanderlust) for more travel pictures and tips. See you soon!
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AuthorHi, I'm Amanda! I'm 18 years old and live in California. Outside of school, I love photography, traveling, reading, gymnastics, diving, DIYs, vegan baking and cooking, and spending time with my friends and family. Categories
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