It’s a simple question: have you had Singaporean cuisine before?
It’s a simple question: have you had Singaporean cuisine before? With its food influenced by various cuisines around Asia and around the world, you’ll probably be more familiar with it than you think. Some of its influences include Malay, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, and even from the Western Hemisphere, too!
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Chicken and rice is a common combination all over the world, not just in Singapore. Even so, as an introduction to Singaporean cuisine, you can’t go wrong with Hainanese chicken rice. It’s steamed chicken served with rice, but it’s been cooked in chicken stock first. It’s a quick, delicious lunch that gets even better with dipping sauce drizzled over it.
Chili Crab
Marylanders know all about crabs, but this is worlds away from what you’ve probably experienced before. These hardshell crabs are cooked a semi-thick gravy that features a tomato chili base. It’s then stir-fried in a paste of chili sauce, ketchup, and eggs. Surprisingly enough, it’s actually not that spicy. You also have bread to mop up the sauce, too!
Laksa
Laksa is a unique fusion of Chinese and Malay cuisine. Rice noodles are poured into a spicy coconut curry soup filled with shrimp, fish cakes, eggs, and chicken. The Singaporean variant is called katong laksa where the noodles are cut-up and occasionally garnished with cockles and tofu puffs.
Char Kuay Teow
Char kuay teow is a Singaporean noodle dish. Here, broad white noodles are fried in black Soya sauce and finished with bean sprouts, fish cakes, clams, and Chinese sausage. You’ll find it in restaurants and in hawker centers, so keep an eye out for it! The most skilled chefs will infuse some extra smokiness into the noodles by cooking the noodles at a higher temperature.
Hokkien Prawn Mee
This is yet another example of how noodles are taken to the next level in Singapore. These noodles are stir-fried with prawns, chicken or pork, squid, and fish cake. Then they are seasoned with a delicious combination of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili. You’ll also get sambal sauce and a lime wedge. These accompaniments are to help balance out how oily it tastes. In Singapore, you’ll notice that thick flat egg noodles serve as the base for Hokkien prawn mee.
Get All Your Asian Groceries at Lotte Plaza Market
Lotte Plaza Market is your one-stop-shop for all of your Korean and Asian grocery needs. With more than 10 locations in Maryland and Virginia, this growing market is always expanding and opening new markets to serve our customers better. Since we opened in 1976, our goal has always been to provide the best customer service and groceries to our customers. For answers to all of your questions, please email us at LottePlaza.com.