Singapore is known for having some of the world’s tastiest foods, from street-hawker centre food to fine dining restaurant menus and beyond. There are numerous healthy options that can be found here too, including thunder tea rice (noodles and greens in a peanut and herb soup); Peranakan fish head stewed in coconut prawn broth; and tau-suan, an irresistibly sweet starchy dessert made of mung beans.

Sambal Crab

Chilli crab is one of Singapore’s iconic dishes – both culinary icon and national treasure. This delectable treat features large, juicy pieces of sweet crab meat served with an aromatic chilli sauce featuring garlicky notes and hot pepper flakes for maximum heat.

Dr Tay noted that most outside of Asia associate Singapore with chilli crab and chicken rice – which he called two iconic dishes created here by Dr Tan himself. He found Malaysian Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen’s assertions about these being created there to be absurd.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large frying pan until it begins to smoke, then add shallots (onion), garlic cloves, red chiles and red chile peppers and stir-fry for two or three minutes before mixing in sambal chili paste for good measure.

Sambal Stingray

Stingray sambal is a delicious seafood dish served at many hawker centres across Singapore. Usually wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill, its ingredients usually include chilli powder, turmeric, fish paste and lemongrass; though exact measurements vary from location to location. Furthermore, this dish can often come garnished with fried onions and shallots for extra visual flair.

Calamansi juice adds an irresistibly tart sweetness that balances out its fieriness. Serve this dish alongside rice or other vegetables for an irresistibly delicious treat!

To create this dish, first liberally salt and rinse/pat dry the stingray before soaking its banana leaf in hot water for several minutes to soften it further. Finally, combine all of these components in an aluminium foil and serve.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Singapore’s national dish, this hawker favourite may seem underwhelmingly simple but packs quite the punch. Made up of silky poached chicken, fragrant rice and tart chilli sauce topped off with refreshing cucumber garnishes for extra comfort, it makes this an unparalleled comfort meal.

Hainanese immigrants from Wenchang in southern China introduced this dish to Malaysia and Thailand and modified it accordingly, adapting it for local taste and ingredients. Variants can now be found throughout Southeast Asia such as Malaysia and Thailand.

Hainanese chicken rice’s star ingredient is its aromatic rice, cooked in chicken broth with garlic, ginger and shallots for maximum flavour infusion and moisture retention. The end result? A satisfying bowl that even convinced Mike not to forget the chicken altogether!

Braised Duck Rice

Singapore’s iconic dish features white rice paired with either roasted or braised duck, doused in either a flavorful sauce, or cooked slowly in an aromatic broth. Served alongside other Teochew teow hias like tofu, beancurd, gizzards or vegetables as a Teochew teow hias teow hias.

Block 128 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 has been home to this stall for three decades, serving light braised duck with subtle herbal flavors that does not overwhelm.

Braising liquid here features star anise, garlic, dang gui and galangal for maximum flavour and fragrance. Their steamed rice has a grainy sweet savoury flavour while they also serve a soft lava egg that’s not too runny – other locations of their stall can be found at Serangoon Garden Food Centre and Serangoon Central!

Beef Noodle Soup

This cozy Beef Noodle Soup features tender chunks of seasoned beef, fresh vegetables and egg noodles in an irresistibly flavorful broth – it can even be assembled all at once! Great for slow cooker or stove top use.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat in a large enameled dutch oven and sear beef cubes until they’re evenly browned all around, before adding them along with Better than Bouillon, water and herbs into the pot.

Once the broth has come to a simmer, add baby bok choy and cook until tender crisp. Turn off the heat, serve and enjoy! This soup pairs beautifully with homemade cheese bread or sweet potato cornbread as part of an easy weeknight dinner option – great for chillier weather or just cozy nights at home!