With Singapore’s vibrant mix of Chinese, Indians, Malays and a smattering of Europeans, it is little wonder that it offers some of the best street food in the world. Wickedfood Cooking School explores some of the cities mouthwatering flavours in its cooking classes.

This diversity has led to some deliciously mouthwatering dishes. Must tries while in Singapore include:

Economy rice – although it might sound cheap, it is a great choice if you are really starving. A bowl of rice, topped with various options of meats and vegetables, the most delicious is with steamed egg, and chicken fried in a prawn and sauce. Alternatively try it with squid cooked in chilli.

Mee Pok –one of the favourite noodle dishes at hawker stalls. These are flat noodles, either served dry, or in a tasty broth, with fish balls or other seafood, pork strips and vegetables, usually beansprouts, and plenty of chilli sauce.

Char Kway Tiao – stir fried noodles (traditional cooks still use lard), coated with dark sweet soya sauce and a choice toppings including clams, fish cakes, Chinese sausage and vegetables.

Chicken rice – regarded as one of Singapore’s signature dishes, the whole chicken is boiled in a complex stock, then cut into pieces. Portions are cut up into bite size pieces and served on a base of fragrant, flavoured rice and a sprinkling of sesame oil. Connoisseurs will demand specific cuts and eat the dish with a special chilli sauce which is said to bring out the flavour of the chicken.

Satay – skewers of mutton, beef or chicken, grilled over charcoal, usually accompanied by slices of cucumber and onion, and of course the spicy hot sweet peanut sauce.

Fish head curry – a fiery hot, sweet/sour coconut based curry, usually served with a whole fish head still intact. Although not for the fainthearted, gourmand’s will know that tastiest part of the fish is the head.

Roti prata and carry – watching the roti been made is a treat in itself as a better is poured on huge hot plates and then flipped and spun in the air to widen. Pieces of roti are torn off and dipped into a choice of delicious carries.

Laksa – broad rice noodles, smothered in a thick spicy, sweet, sour, coconut milk soup, and topped with either vegetables or a choice of seafood.

Chilli or pepper crab – no trip to Singapore would be complete without tackling crab at least once. These succulent crustaceans, the tastiest flown in from Sri Lanka, are best eaten with shirtsleeves rolled up and a bib to protect your clothing, with a side order of steamed rolls to soak up the delicious juices.

Ice Kachang – jelly cubes, sweet red beans and corn kernels, topped with shaved ice, thick sweet fluorescent coloured syrups and condensed milk, a deliciously cooling dessert.

Tea-C – strong tea, sweetened with condensed milk, a popular drink at all the local coffee shops, and a must while in Singapore.

Great Asian recipes – Click here:

Chicken feet

Biryani

Kaeng kari ka – yellow curried chicken

Phanaeng Beef Curry in sweet peanut sauce

Phat Thai

Tom yum kung

Green pawpaw salad

Fish head curry

Warm squid salad in a pineapple

Spiced pork spare ribs

Deep-fried silken tofu

Thai beef salad

3 Cup Chicken

For other articles on South East Asia see:

A Taste of Thailand

Floating markets in Bangkok

Must try Singapore dishes

The ABCs of Singapore food

Singapore hawker food centres

Vietnamese cuisine

Cooking schools in South East Asia

Thai House cooking school • Bangkok • Thailand

Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School • Thailand

Red Bridge Cooking School • Hoi An • Vietnam

Books reviewed by Wickedfood on Asian food:

Secrets of the Red Lantern

Kylie Kwong: Recipes and Stories

A Passion for Thai Cooking

Balance & Harmony, Asian Food

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood® Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.