Street food is king

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It’s inexpensive and it’s absolutely delicious. Food is an international language and Singapore excels in it.  In fact, it’s one of the reasons tourists come here. Food lovers with an adventurous palate will find so many treasures that it’s mind boggling. Where do you start?  There’s a gamut of offerings from upscale establishments featuring international chefs, popular local restaurants and eateries down to the street food that people love so well.

Hawker food has a rich culinary heritage evolving from Chinese, Malay, Indian and European influences. Its fusion food [though not exclusively] long before the term became fashionable. All Singaporeans have their favorites and they will travel for miles just to eat at a particular food stall known for its specialty. These stalls are now found in hawker centers all over the island.

My favorite foods include,: Nasi Lemak – rice cooked in coconut milk and served with toppings like fried fish, egg, delicate little anchovies and peanuts and a spicy, rich chilli sambal or sauce; Prata – South Indian bread made by stretching and flipping the dough, then fried till crispy on the outside and soft inside. Served with a spicy curry; Murtabak – Indian bread stretched and filled with chicken, beef or mutton; Satay or marinated skewered meat served with a sweet-spicy peanut sauce; Rojak – a spicy fruit and vegetable salad; Laksa – made with short noodles, and seafood in a rich coconut broth; Singapore Black Pepper Crabs; Hainanese Chicken Rice; and of course Briyanis of all kinds! I have many other favorites including the delectable Nonya cuisine – the food of the Straits-born Chinese who assimilated Malay influences.

Since I’m here for five weeks, I decided to take a cooking class on some popular street foods in Singapore. The class at the Coriander Leaf http://www.corianderleaf.com in Clarke Quay was taught by Chef Samia Ahad. I’m now armed with new recipes and can’t wait to try these in my Michigan kitchen when I return in the spring. We learned how to make satay with a spicy peanut sauce, Hainanese Chicken Rice with a fresh chilli sauce, Singapore Fried Noodles, Singapore Chilli Crab, Fried Bean Curd with Egg and a Spicy Sauce and an Alphonso Mango Mousse with sago pearls. My personal favorite of the lot was Singapore Fried Noodles or Xing Chou Mifen which actually contains Indian curry powder – a blend of coriander and cumin seeds, dried red chillies, peppercorns, black mustard seeds and turmeric. Writing this has made me hungry and it’s almost lunchtime, so I’m heading out for more good eats.