Location: Singapore
Author: My Husband
For our friend headed to Singapore soon, here’s the post I promised – a small sampling of our favourite hawker dishes. Since we don’t live in Singapore, I don’t know the locations of the “famous” hawker stalls that sell these dishes, so perhaps some of our Singaporean readers (few though you may be 
) can chip in with their recommendations?
Yes, there is a HUGE amount of variety when it comes to hawker fare; the dishes described here are but the tip of the proverbial iceberg that is hawker food in Singapore. S, my best advice is to stop and taste everything that looks appealing to you. But remember to pace yourself…
Murtabak. This is a super-sized roti prata with meat filling. The hawker used twice the amount of dough of a typical prata to make this; filled with your choice of meat, onion, and eggs, it is fried on a big griddle until it is nice and crispy. This was served with a bowl of curry for dipping. This is tasty stuff, but be that as it may, I have never been able to finish one of these by myself.
Fried Hokkien “Mee” (noodles). There was an interesting discussion on ChowTimes about this dish, but the consensus is that the Singaporean version (as opposed to the Malaysian one) isn’t cooked with a dark sauce. This version had plenty of ‘wok hei’ and was sufficiently “prawn-y”. Remember to ask for the sambal chilli as it provides the dish with a nice kick.
Do not forget the satay.
Chai Tow Kway. The locals refer to it as carrot cake, but obviously, it isn’t carrot cake in the North American sense. This can be cooked with or without the dark sweet soy. This is really very similar to the Cantonese 蘿蔔糕 , but cut into pieces and pan fried over high heat. This was one of my favourite dishes growing up, and even now, I make it a point to eat it more than once when I’m visiting.
Orh Jian. This is a wonderfully greasy fried oyster omelette. Eggs and oysters are combined with a binding agent (usually a slurry of potato flour) then fried in a huge pan until a nice crispy crust forms. The vinegary chilli sauce that accompanies this dish is important for (i) cutting the greasiness and (ii) giving it a nice heat – ask for more if you like.
Hainanese chicken rice. OK – it IS weird to just order the rice without the chicken. But Christina likes free range chicken and doesn’t think much of the “tofu” chicken that is so prevalent in Singapore. But the rice by itself is fantastic. Aromatic and flavourful, each grain is distinct and al dente.
Teh Tarik. This is a strong tea – flavoured with both condensed AND evaporated milk – that involves a degree of showmanship to prepare. The tea is first mixed with the milk, and then poured between two containers to (i) cool it down (ii) aerate it for a smoother texture. The showmanship comes into play when the hawker gradually increases the distance between the two containers during the pours, thus giving the impression that the liquid is being “pulled” between them.
Ice kachang. Shaved ice, red bean paste, and a black jello like substance(涼粉). The ice is drizzled with various coloured syrups and gula melaka. Gula melaka, which I had referenced here, gives this dessert a smokey, coconutty flavour that elevates the taste of simple shaved ice into the flavours of haute cuisine. Superb stuff.
Chendol. Like ice kachang, except with the addition of coconut milk and the little green jellies. The version shown here is served in a bowl, but this is usually served in a cup. It is yet another wonderfully refreshing dessert with which to fight the Singaporean heat.
There are many many other dishes that I haven’t described, but consider the above a preview for your trip, S. I’ll continue with a sampling of street snacks for my next post.
