Best Top 10 Food in Singapore 2011

Looking back on 2011, it was an enthralling year for me, as I cooked and tasted through a wide variety of foods, and following my early 2011 year of best of lists, I present my best of 2011 food.

Instead of separating into restaurants and hawker, I thought I do something a bit different this time. I would simply compile the 10 best food of Singapore.

The list is such that it is compilation of the 10 best dishes that I feel are the best of 2011 food. It can come from a hawker stall, or a restaurant or cafe, but it has to be one complete dish.

I think this list also represents the best of Singapore food in a way that foreigners who come here for the first time, will savor the best and not look for say, the best in chicken rice or bak kut teh, but that Singapore has much more to offer.

So, here is the best of Singapore food 2011:

10. White Bee Hoon at Sembawang White Bee Hoon

I do not normally fancy bee hoon, but this family owned coffeeshop at Sembawang easily won me over with this light and well cooked been hoon dish.

On the surface, it looks quite ordinary, but taking a mouthful of the noodles, you begin to understand why there is such a long queue everyday. The broth which the been hoon is immersed in is lightly sweet with a beautiful flavor. There are other great dishes here as well, but this simple dish is the best.

9. Forget Me Not Fish at Zai Shun Curry Fish Head

Although this stall in Jurong East is named for curry fish head, it is this amazing steamed fish that takes all the limelight. The fish is so naturally sweet and tender that you will be hard pressed to find a better steamed fish elsewhere.

The soya sauce is light and a perfect accompaniment to the fish.  Although it is not cheap, it is also hard not to resist this fish when you get here. Truly unforgettable.

8. Curry Fish Head at Hooked on Heads

I do not often take fish heads, but this cosy little outlet at the junction of Sin Ming and Thomson is a rare find. The fish head is fresh, and generous in portion, and sweet with flavors.

The curry is lemak without overpoweringly so, and the combination of lady fingers and a nice little acidity from the tomatoes gives a perfectly balanced dish that I think, beats out all other curry fish heads here.

7. Bak Kut Teh at Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh

There are literally hundreds of notable bak kut teh stalls in Singapore, but the one that stands out for me is this one at Bendemeer Road. It is Teochew styled, and hence, it is of the peppery variant.

The soup is spicy, without being too spicy, and the broth lightly sweet, which is just the way I like it. The killer here is the prime ribs, which are just heavenly. Tender, well stewed, it literally falls off the bone. And the piece of gorgeous fat in between is one of the best things to bite into in life.

6. Laksa Risotto at Ice Edge Cafe

This innovative fusion dish is not found on the regular menu at this nice cosy cafe at Simon Road, just off Kovan Road. But when it is available, there is no doubt that any self respecting foodie should savor it.

Utilising a flavorsome laksa broth to cook the Italian rice in, this Laksa Risotto just brims with flavors to give a new twist to a classic dish. And if that is not enough, they have added in an equally innovative sausage made out of crabmeat and luncheon meat!

5. Glutinous Rice at Uncle Kun Delicacies

Uncle Kun is not just an incredible chef, but one of the most bubbly personalities I have ever come across. His food exemplifies the best of Cantonese cuisine, and even though he runs a hawker stall, his food often surpasses that of the best restaurants here.

But the one dish from him that I find irresistible, is this glutinous rice. Elongated in shape, the rice is so well cooked and the texture so smooth, it defies logic. Simple, but elegant, and attractively gorgeous!

4. French Toast at Cafe De Hong Kong

I have been to Hong Kong and if you ask me, nothing still trumps the incredible French Toast at CDHK. It is fragrant, with beautiful textures and the combination of peanut butter and butter and honey with the egg coated toast is as perfect as it gets.

I once heard that one customer bought more than a dozen at one go! This is a testament to how popular this is here, and this despite the many other great dishes that CDHK serves.

3. Nasi Lemak with Chicken Wings at Chong Pang Nasi Lemak

I had heard that this was a really good nasi lemak, but I had no idea it was this good. The food there, though simple, is amazing and well cooked, and every dish is fresh and flavorsome.

The must try is the chicken wings, though everything else is also brilliant. The curry chicken, the sweet sour pork and even the sunny side up egg are all equally fantastic.

2. Laksa at Sungei Road Laksa

Despite the popularity of Katong Laksa, and also the existence of unending varieties of Laksa here, the best is this beautiful bowl of food found at Sungei Road. They use traditional charcoal fire to cook the broth, and this gives a unique and beautiful flavor.

It is light, refreshing and despite the coconut milk found in laksa broths, it is never heavy and you can easily go for another bowl after the first one. The cockles are huge and almost taste like abalones! And add to that, a humble family business. This is food at its very best.

1. Beef Kway Teow at Kovan Ri Yi Beef Noodles

This is simply the best bowl or plate of food I have had in 2011. Everything about this beef noodles screams perfection. From the delicious broth that is perfect for cold nights, to the beautifully cooked beef slices that never is never overcooked, the humble owner of this stall deserves to have a larger audience.

In fact, I think since I first ate there in early 2011, the beef broth has actually improved, and now that the stall is newly renovated along with the entire kopitiam, the place is even more conducive and comfortable. For me, nothing can beat this for the best of Singapore food for 2011.

And there you have it, the list of what I consider the best Singapore food of 2011. Till next year, let's hope to discover more great hidden culinary gems in 2012!

Best And Top 10 Singapore Hawker Dishes

Since my last best of list on hawker food back in January, I had been wanting to compile another best of Singapore hawker dishes, but decided to hold off as I kept on discovering great new hawker stalls.

Like all of my lists, this list is also subjective and based solely on my own opinions and taste. I am sure, there are many great hawker dishes that will be equally deserving, but I have decided to come up with my 10 personal faves.

Before I dive into the top 10 list of hawker dishes, I would just like to also add that this list is focused on hawker food, and would not include the likes of zhe char or chinese restaurant dishes.

That said, let's get into the top 10 Singapore hawker dishes!

10. Teck Kee Pork Porridge

10. Teck Kee Pork Porridge

This excellent pork porridge scores for its wonderfully natural broth and its amazing pork livers. The congee rice is also smooth and easy on the palate.

While the stall also serves an amazing pork noodle, it is this pork congee that has Pauline and I coming back for more, especially on weekends.

9. Uncle Kun Chee Cheong Fun Kosong

9. Uncle Kun Chee Cheong Fun Kosong

In the first of 2 entries in the top 10 from our favorite Uncle Kun, this chee cheong fun is a unique oddity in the sense that it does not come paired with either char siew or prawns.

Instead, it is served plain, or kosong, and yet it is the best chee cheong fun we have tasted. Undeniably addictive, you just can't stop yourself the moment you put one of these lovely babies in your mouth!

8. Sin Ming Roti Prata

8. Sin Ming Roti Prata

No best of Singapore hawker dishes list would be complete without a mention of a prata entry. And the best prata we have had is this very popular one from Sin Ming.

The pratas here are prepared in the most traditional way, yet this tradition is well served as the prata is both fragrant, crispy on the outside, and beautifully textured when you bite into one of them.

7. Meng Kee Char Kway Teow

7. Meng Kee Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow is one of our most beloved dishes, and also one of the most sinful plates you can ever consume. So choosing the best one can be quite difficult, but we do feel this one located at Beo Crescent ranks highest among all the char kway teows we have visited.

It is smooth, full of smoky fragrance, and the combination of the sweetness from the cockles brings out the best flavors ever for a char kway teow dish.

6. Founder Bak Kut Teh

6. Founder Bak Kut Teh

Another of our most treasured eating pleasures, Founder Bak Kut Teh has retained the top spot for us for this particular dish. And with good reason too. Just check out the queue everyday and you will begin to understand why Founder is so popular.

But it is the beautiful pork and prime ribs that have gotten our seal of approval, both of which are beautifully cooked and tender, and falling off the bone. And coupled with a delicious and aromatic broth, this is almost the perfect bak kut teh out there.

5. Fu Shi Traditional Roasted Char Siew

5. Fu Shi Traditional Roasted Char Siew

Though the actual stall sells wanton mee, it is their plate of char siew that has captivated us since the first time we had this. And it is somewhat unique that a wanton mee's standout is the char siew instead of the noodles or wantons.

This amazingly roasted and beautifully glazed char siew has to be eaten to be believed. It literally melts in your mouth, and the charred honey glaze is so delightful you will be coming back for more each time.

4. Punggol Noodles Meatballs

4. Punggol Noodles Meatballs

We have had our fair share of fishball noodles, but nothing can really compare with this amazing bowl of meatballs in soup. All handmade, and filled with ti poh fish, these meatballs just ooze natural sweetness and texture.

And when paired with their mee kia or mee pok, these meatballs' flavors just come alive with alarming clarity and balance. And the broth that comes with it is wonderfully sweet as well.

Uncle Kun Elongated Glutinous rice

3. Uncle Kun Elongated Glutinous Rice

Uncle Kun's highlight at his stall is this beautiful glutinous rice filled with chinese sausage and salted egg yolk. He does the rice himself every morning, which explains why the rice is so rich yet soft to the bite.

Literally melting in your mouth, the flavors within are just absolutely mind blowing, and when you finish that last bite, you yearn for one more. And the chilli that comes with it, is almost equally fantastic, which he makes himself as well.

2. Kovan Ri Yi Beef Kway Teow

2. Kovan Ri Yi Beef Kway Teow

Little did we expect that a beef noodle dish will end up 2nd on this list, as it is almost difficult to find well cooked beef in most beef noodle or beef kway teow stalls in Singapore. Yet, this not only cooks medium tender beef slices to perfection, it also has a delicious broth to go along.

We recommend having the soup variant as the broth tastes very natural and when you request black beans to go along with it, the broth's flavor is elevated to a near masterpiece greatness. They also serve shallots on the side, and it really brings out the flavor of the beef and broth perfectly.

1. Jiang Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice

1. Jiang Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice

It is appropriate that our top Singapore hawker dish happens to be Singapore's favorite hawker food too. And Jiang Ji's steamed chicken really stands head and shoulders above every other competitor in town.

The boneless chicken is really boneless to the core, and the tender, succulent chicken is delightfully smooth and incredibly flavorful. Paired with the tasty and not oily chicken rice, this is the perfect Singapore hawker dish to introduce to anyone who is looking for an introduction to our best hawker fare.

And there you have it, my current list of the top Singapore hawker dishes out there. We will review this every few months or half a year to include more of our favorites as we discover them. Look for more favorite lists coming real soon too!

Note: For the addresses and more information of each hawker stall, please click on the individual heading to read the original post.

Best and Top 10 Singapore Hawker Food

Putting together this list of the best Singapore hawker food stalls was quite a challenge, as there was so much to choose from, and so many that had to be left out.

Again, this is list is subjective and is debatable but this is the fun of doing "Best of" lists, so feel free to comment or make your own lists below.

Hawker food is what defines Singapore and is always a delight to foreigners not used to our hawker lifestyle and cuisine.

Yes, hawker food is a cuisine, and in many ways, some of the best cooking techniques are found here. Hawker food is inexpensive, but you will be hard pressed to find even the top chefs in the top restaurants able to replicate successfully the best chicken rice, or the best bak kut teh.

Without elaborating too much, which I will leave for another post on the great culture of Singapore hawker food, I present to you, our 10 most favourite hawker food:

10. Teck Kee Pork Porridge

This is one of my favourite breakfast places to go to. Great porridge and the best pork livers you will ever find here. Unpretentious, and always sold out by lunch time, it is a favourite for young and old.

9. Tip Top Curry Puff

The best curry puff in Singapore, maybe even in this region. Nothing comes close to the fantastic crust, delicious curry chicken fillings and overall taste. If you only eat one puff, eat this one.

8. Meizhen Hakka Delicacies

Not only does Meizhen has a wide selection of Hakka delights, each and every one of this is a joy to devour. The soon kueh is the killer dish here, and is rated as one of the best on this island.

7. Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice

The first of 2 chicken rice stalls on this list, this is the best of the regular chicken rice places. Indeed, it has the best ever steamed chicken found in any hawker center, and for that matter, any restaurant too.

6. Meng Kee Beo Crescent Char Kway Teow

For my money, the best char kway teow in Singapore. I have been eating this for 10 years, and still nothing can top it. Great flavors, great technique and simply a great plate any time you visit this place.

5. Founder Bak Kut Teh

The best bak kut teh still, and is still one of the most popular ones here. This balestier stall's ability to maintain the same high standards of tender succulent pork ribs and gorgeously sweet broth is second to none.

4. Innovation Noodle

A recent discovery, and shows how creative how local hawkers can be. Instead of doing your standard minced pork noodles, the lady boss has come up with unique combinations of squid ball and chicken chop slices.

3. Rochor Original Beancurd You Tiao

The beancurd, the butterfly dough, the you tiao and the egg tart are all tops in their respective categories. It is hard to imagine a better local dessert place outside of this one. And everything is so inexpensive here still.

2. Traditional Fu Shi Roasted Wanton Mee

This Shunfu hawker place has provided the best roasted meats that I have ever tasted. Not just the char siew which is miraculously wonderful, but also the specials that the passionate owner comes up with.

1. Hainan Chicken Rice Ball

Tucked in a corner at Jalan Besar, this is my absolute favourite. Wonderful rice balls mixed with the most delicious plates of chicken and pork belly, it is the perfect hawker meal.

And there you have it, the best of hawker food from the Silver Chef.

Best and Top 5 Restaurants in Singapore

As I continue my very belated "Best of" Lists, we would like to present our choices for best Singapore restaurants today.

Bear in mind that this list, like all lists, is very subjective and is only reflective on Pauline and my thoughts and views of the food places here.

Having said that, we have based this list of best restaurants on the quality of food, the service, the general ambience and comfort levels and most importantly, the return to dine factor.

Here then is our top 5 Singapore restaurants:

5. Skinny Pizza

This place is almost deceptive, as we tend to enjoy more the non-pizza selections than the actual pizzas served here. The pizzas are unique and good, and healthy as well. But it is the pastas, the risottos and the paellas that have got us hooked on them.

The service is exceptional and would probably rate as the most pleasant and friendly environment here for a non-Chinese eatery.

4. Iggy's

Iggy's has always been the place we go to for our special occasions. Not least, because of the great food and wonderful fusion that takes place behind the kitchen. The wine selection is exceptional and the place is small but absolutely comfortable.

It is always a very good place to go for an executive lunch, and for the prices during lunch, it is certainly value for money. Dinner is a bit on the high side, but worth every cent.

3.  Le Chasseur

This is one of the newest finds for us and it is indeed a very humble eatery and very unpretentious. The menu selection is one of the biggest we have seen, if not, the largest in town.

But it is the owner, Andy, whose passion for food and cooking that shines through. There are so many wonderful dishes and to top it all, there is no MSG and artificial flavoring used in their foods. Oh, and no GST as well.

2. Sky on 57

Although we have been to Sky only once so far, the experience was so memorable that we have ranked it as high as this on our list. Justin Quek is a genius chef that can create food as good as any Michelin star chef.

The view is spectacular and the service is great, especially when you get Sam. We believe Sky, despite being only opened for a short span, will only get better over time.

1. Cafe De Hong Kong

Our absolute favourite place to go to now, is also another humble restaurant tucked away in an obscure corner in Balestier. The surroundings is homey and comfy, and we love the paintings and drawings that decorate the place.

The service is top-notch and feels more like a family outing every time we come here. And they will help you with finding the best parking spot too!

The food is stunning, with almost every dish on the menu a highlight in most other chinese restaurants. And Francis is the perfect owner and host, and will make you feel at home and at ease very quickly.

And the french toast is always a great way to end a satisfying meal at CDHK.

This then is our choices for our favourite restaurants in Singapore.

Singapore's Best Food Blogs

As we near the end of the year, it has traditionally been at around this time that people will begin to compile the best of the year's lists, and I thought I would like to follow suit as well.

Over the coming weeks, I will be feverishly compiling my own best of lists, in particular, my top 5 eating places. For now, I would like to start off with my favorite Singapore blogs that I read myself.

First, and foremost, I must acknowledge the fact that there are really a lot of Singapore food blogs around! It means Singaporeans really love to eat and talk about food.

For this list, I would just list the ones that I frequent and enjoy reading on a regular basis and is a must-stop for me on a weekly, sometimes, even daily basis.

5. My Delicious Life

Natty is a wonderful cook and who has been a great inspiration for some of my own creations as well. But more than that, her site is beautifully done and is full of lovely recipes in both English and Thai, and she is a wonderful person too.

4. My Food Sirens II

She runs a very delicious looking site as well, but more than that, she covers a wide breath of food and topics that I can only marvel at. Her photography is really exemplary and I enjoy every of her posts. A must stop for those who enjoy beautifully done food blogs.

3. CAMEMBERU

A wonderful and delightful lady, she is one of the most read food blogs, not just in Singapore I believe, but anywhere! She enjoys a lot of the same food that I do and she writes exceptionally well. Absolutely entertaining every time I visit her site.

2. ieatishootipost 

Perhaps our most famous food blogger, Leslie's amazing energy knows no boundaries and his website is an encyclopedia of Singapore's hawker food, and then some. What is equally exciting is his loyal horde of makan kakis whom I have gotten to know on a personal basis, they are all amazing in the manner they can sniff out the most obscure of food spots!

1. The Dirty Stall 

For me, my absolute favorite food blog, Singapore or otherwise, is this one by alkanphel. He not only covers great food, he cooks wonderfully as well! I enjoy every single one of his recipes. His site is an absolute must for me, and is wonderfully designed and constructed. And his photos are amazing!

So, there you have it. My top 5 Singapore food blogs which I heartily recommend to anyone with any interest in Singapore or Asian food.