5 Must-Try Meals

So you've read all about how Singapore is a foodie's haven, the best restaurants to go to and even how to order food at a hawker centre. But what are some dishes that you simply cannot leave this island without sampling once? We thought you'd ask. Here are our top five recommendations.

Nasi Lemak

A simple on-the-go meal consisting of rice cooked with coconut milk, including fried peanuts, anchovies, and, depending on where you order, fish or chicken. A healthy dollop of sweet sambal (chilli paste) completes this popular Malay dish.

Rojak

Rojak translates to mishmash or hodgepodge, an accurate description of this meal where seemingly unrelated items (egg, prawn, tofu, potato) come together to be doused by a thick peanut sauce. Rojak comes in Indian-Muslim and Chinese style - the difference is in the sauce. You are encouraged to pick your own ingredients.

Carrot Cake

...has nothing whatsoever to do with carrots. Or cakes, for that matter. Fried white radish, eggs and plenty of oil make this Chinese dish a popular one to have at any time of the day. If the hawker asks you whether you want it black or white, remember that the only difference between the two is the addition of dark soya sauce which lends a noticeably darker colour and saltier taste to the dish.

Cendol

A tooth-achingly sweet dessert made from coconut milk, brown sugar syrup, crushed ice and snake-resembling green jelly. A sure-hit with the kids, this one. A handful of stalls at the Tekka Market hawker centre sell take-away cups of cendol for $1.50.

Roti Prata

The original roti prata used to be a simple, unadorned dough-based pancake cooked over a flat pan, and served with lentils or meat curry. This version is still widely available at all Indian food stalls but it is gradually being overshadowed, especially in the last decade, by more creative spin-offs such as ice-cream prata, cheese prata, chocolate prata, coin prata, strawberry prata, tissue prata - the options are endless.