If there’s one thing Singapore is known for, it’s food! Our vibrant, ever-evolving culinary scene unifies us as a melting pot in which diversity finds harmony; and it’s a pillar of our national identity that we (known to queue for hours in the quest for a satisfying meal) take immense pride in.

No one knows the delicious depths of our culinary lore better than the chefs who have set up shop in our little red dot — and to celebrate Singapore’s 59th birthday, we’d like to spotlight some of their specials and signatures that pay homage to home.

From heritage fare to inventive takes on iconic classics, here are 8 dishes that fill our bellies and hearts with the taste of national pride — a selection of recipes included! 

HOMESTYLE BRAISED PORK BELLY

HEAD CHEF EUGENE SEE, BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Photo credit: Justin Teo

There is perhaps no greater comfort than that which comes sizzling and steaming from a claypot — where ordinary ingredients are made extraordinary as they mingle atop the stove. Claypot rice is a traditional Chinese dish: a staple of dinner tables in Southern China and across Southeast Asia, a hawker favourite here at home.

Chef Eugene loves a heartwarming helping of claypot rice, and crafts the nostalgia-rich Homestyle Braised Pork Belly ($62++) in its image. Cubed pork belly absorbs depth of flavour as it braises till melt-in-the-mouth tender in an eight-year-old master stock. Separately, Japanese short-grain is combined with umami-packed tea tree mushrooms, fried garlic, and some braising liquid in a claypot, simmering until a delicate crisp crust forms on the bottom. To finish, the rice is topped with glistening pork belly, fried kale, and an oozy confit egg.

“AGED” COW / OYSTER / FRIED BAO

CHEF-OWNER ZOR TAN, BORN

Fuzhou oyster cake made its way into the local food lexicon from the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the oyster cake is a deep-fried savoury fritter made from rice batter, stuffed with oyster, minced meat, cilantro, prawn, and peanuts.

Chef Zor’s take on this local delight draws from memory of his mother’s ‘hao bing’, a treat she prepared for special occasions. The “Aged” Cow / Oyster / Fried Bao, a returning signature on Born’s 9-course Chef’s Menu ($368++ per guest), combines inspiration from his mother’s culinary craft with the ‘bao’ served at Restaurant DiverXO in Spain where he worked at more than ten years ago. A filling of Wagyu beef tartare is first made by marinating hand-chopped aged Japanese Wagyu with Sichuan peppercorns and housemade Sichuan-style chilli oil. The batter — a blend of flour, eggs, and water — is foamed in an espuma bottle for an airy texture, then pumped into a ladle, layered with the tartare and more batter, and deep-fried until golden-brown. This interpretation of oyster cake is plated on an oyster emulsion with Japanese rice puffs, and topped with bresaola.

COLD EBI SOMEN

CHEF AKANE ENO, ICHIGO ICHIE

Prawn noodles are a Lion City speciality, tracing back in origin to the Fujian province in China. The dish comprises thick yellow noodles — made with flour and water in an alkaline solution to bring out their colouring — in a broth of pork bones and prawn stock.

Chef Eno’s Cold Ebi Somen is a signature on the Lunch Omakase (from $138++ per guest) and Dinner Omakase menus at Ichigo Ichie ($350++ per guest). Inspired by diverse interpretations of prawn noodles across Asia (prawn roe noodles from Hong Kong, and Singapore’s prawn noodle soup), Chef Eno devises a dish of silky Miwa somen noodles in a rich prawn broth, with additions of crunchy tonburi, yuzu chilli paste, and sweet, juicy Japanese prawn.

FISH FOR TWO

EXECUTIVE CHEF JAKE KOWALEWSKI, LEVEL33

Throughout most of Asia, fish served whole is a classic centrepiece of communal dining. Homonymous with “abundance” in Mandarin, fish symbolises good luck and prosperity — and so is a well-loved fixture of our national cuisine.

Offered specially for Singapore’s birthday month, Chef Jake’s Fish for Two ($98++) appeals to the local appetite while spotlighting domestically sourced produce. Sea bass is grilled over charcoal, achieving a crisp exterior that gives way to buttery flesh touched with smokiness. Complementing the protein is a mushroom and barley risotto — warm and earthy with a medley of locally grown king blue oyster mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, pink oyster mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms; flavoured with chicken stock and shiitake mushroom butter. Also served alongside is a fresh local leaf salad, tossed in a verjuice and LeVeL33 Blond Lager dressing, and seaweed burnt butter.

DAMIAN’S CURRY

CHEF-OWNER DAMIAN D’SILVA, REMPAPA

Chicken curry holds a cherished place in Singaporean cuisine. It’s a symbol of our nation’s multicultural legacy; with origins in migrant traditions, and a long history of evolution into what we are familiar with today — a dish characterised by aromatic complexity, creamy coconut-infused gravy, and succulent morsels of chicken.

Combining flavours, techniques, and inspirations from the kitchens of different local ethnicities, Damian’s Curry ($36++) is a unique representation of Singaporean heritage. The curry’s rempah base features aromatics and spices such as shallots, ginger, galangal, cinnamon, and star anise. To this, browned free-range Toh Thye San chicken, coconut milk, pandan leaves, kaffir lime leaves, and light soya sauce is added, then the curry is left to rest overnight for flavours to amalgamate and reach their best potency. Aside from replicating heritage specialities, Chef Damian channels his lifelong love of Singaporean heritage cuisine into a style of cuisine he terms “Singapore New Heritage Cuisine”, which is tailored to appeal to current and future generations — and Damian’s Curry is one such dish. He ensures that the curry is calibrated to the contemporary palate by perfecting the curry’s consistency and balancing the dish’s profile with added sweetness provided naturally by coconut water and chicken.

PRAWN LAKSA BURGER

EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF KIMBERLY LUI, THE MARMALADE PANTRY

Tender rice noodles in a spicy broth enriched with coconut milk and flavoured richly with spices — what’s not to love? Though its origins are uncertain, laksa is indubitably a cornerstone of our culinary scene.

Modelled after its namesake, Chef Kimberly’s Prawn Laksa Burger ($28++) stars a golden-brown laksa prawn patty made fragrant with laksa leaves, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, and other aromatics. The patty is nestled atop creamy laksa egg mayo, sandwiched in a soft potato bun. Fries and salad complete the meal — a delicious, modern look at the Singaporean laksa.

DUCK CONFIT

CHEF-OWNER DYLAN ONG, THE MASSES

Kway chap has been enjoyed by Singaporeans since the time of roadside stalls and roving peddlers. Of Teochew origin, this hawker essential comprises broad sheets of rice noodles (“kway”) resting in hot broth (“chap”), conventionally accompanied by an array of pork offal.

Chef Dylan’s Duck Confit ($21.90++), a signature main, recollects his hawker background — helping at his family’s kway chap stall from the tender age of 7. Duck leg is brined for 8 hours, confit till fork-tender for 12 hours, then plated atop “wok hey” rice noodles with local mushrooms and Mirabelle plum vinaigrette. The rice noodles are first simmered in chicken stock, then adopt the mouth-watering “wok hey” flavour from charring lightly in a wok. Powdered house-cured egg yolk is sprinkled atop to finish, an additional reference to the hawker dish of “Moonlight Hor Fun”; wok-fried rice noodles topped with a raw egg yolk.

TIGER PRAWN DRY LAKSA WITH RICE VERMICELLI

HEAD CHEF LOH WAI LUN, WILDSEED CAFÉ

A popular variation of laksa, if one is not keen on soup but still seeking its characteristic spice, is the hawker dish of dry laksa. Flavour-dense laksa paste, umami-rich dried shrimp, and rice noodles harmonise in a wok.

Chef Wai Lun’s Tiger Prawn Dry Laksa with Rice Vermicelli ($25++) is an item from a special curation of dishes at Wildseed that showcase authentic Singaporean flavours — the “Taste of Archipelago” section on the menu. His version of dry laksa features rice noodles and succulent tiger prawns cooked in a house-made laksa paste, a piping-hot plate of hearty comfort food.