Singapore - The Gastronomic Heaven!!!

When we were thinking on a short trip from India for a relaxing holiday, we never looked further than Singapore as the dynamic state was a dream destination for our entire family. Singapore is truly a multi-cultural place serving delicious food, high street shopping and amazing experience. So, why look further than Singapore?

Even though I knew a lot about Singapore through my cousins who live there, I was curious and googled a bit about the amazing food joints which is my interest being a big foodie. I have heard that in Singapore, eating as a national pastime and a big obsession. 

Singapore offers multi-cultural local food readily available in a wide range of budgets to fit every pocket at all times of a day. If you a true foodie like me, trust me, Singapore will never disappoint you. Singapore cuisine is a big attraction to tourists like a foodie in me, while my siblings loved to explore the Island, shopping and nature. I realised the fun and joy of exploring different international cuisine in a new land only after visiting. I would share about few dishes which I enjoyed having. 

The Hawker Centre
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I enjoyed tasting both the cheapest ones with no AC under the flats or blocks and also the ones in big malls. Food with entertainment and shopping craves you for more and more. 

First the Seafood's are amazing, I love crabs and every dish like the famous chilli crab or the salted egg crabs or the crab bee hoon was mouth watering. 

Delicious Chilli Crab
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Chilli Crab is one of the greatest culinary inventions and what makes the dish so delicious is the sweet yet savoury sauce blended with chilli and tomato sauces to enlighten your tastes. I really liked the mildly tossed garlic flavour and the egg whites at the finish for a fluffy texture. If you are a fan of see food, then you must definitely order a plate of chilli crab to electrify your senses and taste. I found an interesting variation of this - Black Pepper Crab which was equally brilliant in taste at some hawker stalls. 

Nasi Lemak was a hit with my mother who loves the coconut cream steamed rice paired with spicy combos's.  The fragrance and flavours of coconut make this rice rich and addictive. The main being the coconut rice with the assortment of foods. Heard from the locals that they have their own variations of the dish to suit their taste buds. 

Being a spicy fish lover, I wanted to try the spicy Fish Head Curry which has the flavours of Indian, Chinese and Malay. I also had an eye to try this out after watching an episode of MasterChef where this recipe made me drool while the contestant prepared.

Who doesn't love a spicy fish curry?
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The big snapper fish head cooked with vegetables like okra and eggplants having a mild tamarind flavour with the spices to even out the flavours and served in clay pots was amazing. The curry sauce retains the succulence of the tender meat of the fish head by not overcooking it. The recipe might sound simple and easy like throwing a few spices to the sauce and get the fish cooked but the secret is not to overcook the fish meat while managing to get the flavour right into it. It requires skill and patience to cook the perfect fish head curry. And more importantly to taste the fish head curry in Singapore. 

We don't find such big snapper heads in Chennai and the fresh big fishes added an interesting taste and need to it. The taste was so heavenly that I couldn't stop having it with a plate of steaming rice while I found few natives eating with a soft bun. I related it to our famous Indian street food Pav Bhajji where we eat the pav masala with a soft buttery toasted bun. I thought to myself, one must savour this delicacy with pav buns dipping into the spicy sauce of fish meat. Truly delicious!!!

I tried both the Indian and Chinese versions of the fish curry and definitely liked the Indian version better as it had heavy spices and hotness which Indians prefer. As I ate this and was waiting for my desserts, I learnt that the dish was first introduced to Singapore cuisine by a man named Gomaz from South India in the 50's. After having learnt that the people loved eating fish heads, he cooked fish heads in a South Indian styled curry sauce which became a Singapore icon. 

Few of the other dishes which I enjoyed eating are

Check your Fortune!!!
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Fried Sesame Balls called as Jian Dui is small golden nuggets fried well on the outside with its unique sweet filling on the inside coated with sesame seeds. As this resembles gold coins, the dish is a symbol of fortune and wealth. The Chinese believe that when you fry these balls, if it grows bigger so will your wealth. Watch your fortune with these sesame balls

The Best Charcoal Grills
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Flame Grilled Meat Skewers called as Satay are marinated meat on sticks grilled using charcoal. They are served as individual sticks or bunch of 10 with a dip made of sweet and spicy peanut sauce. Along with onion, cucumber and ketupat. Ketupat are malay rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves. The coocnut leaves adds unique flavour and taste to the meat. These are so addictive that a bunch of ten will never suffice.

Look at the attractive mooncakes!!!
No wonder its famous among kids!!!
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Mooncakes are attractive Chinese pastries which treat your eyes before it treats your palette. The dough is made with fish forming a chewy and flaky outer skin and having a lotus seed/ red bean paste inside. The designs are attractive and as you dig in to find the meat with flavoured fillings truly marvelous.

Singapore Sling - the signature cocktail of Singapore. Recipes vary but consist of gin, cherry liquor, pomegranate and pineapple juices. The froth on the top gives you a kick!!!

No worries of getting hungry at any time of the day, Singapore offers you a food treat 24/7 !!!!

The stay was pleasant with family and each had their interests which delighted us to explore more and more. If you thinking about a holiday packed with fun, shopping and food then Singapore is your getaway!!!

If you a foodie, then make sure you Discover Far More Singapore!!!