Roti Prata

Roti Prata, or prata for short, is a Singaporean Indian dish. In its most basic form, prata is a slice of round flatbread made from wheat dough and ghee. It is usually pan-fried on a griddle, and once cooked, is soft and flaky.

Roti Prata is what I call "edge-of-day cuisine". Although most prata stalls are open throughout the day, pratas are especially popular during breakfast or supper. 

The word Prata evolved from the Indian word Paratha, and based on "wikipedic-research", the Singapore version definitely looked similar to the Indian original.

The word Roti actually refers to another type of bread from India, but I'm not sure why the two words were put together to refer to a single dish. Interestingly, in Malaysia, the roti prata is called roti canai (pronounced "chennai"), possibly referring to the perceived origin of the dish.

In Singapore, Roti Prata is usually served with curry or sugar. The unleavened dough is first flattened really thin using a signature prata tossing motion (not unlike a pizza toss, but much closer to the kitchen table), and then folded into layers, before cooking it on a griddle. Because it's really thin, the prata will cook in a matter of minutes, and the prata stalls will usually cook a few at a time.

Two plain pratas with a plate of meatless curry is the most basic version of a delicious breakfast.

Variations

Now, over time, more variations of the plain prata was introduced. Today, there are dozens of variations and the bigger stalls can have a menu full of different toppings for prata.

The most popular variant is the Egg prata, which is basically an egg folded into the dough before cooking it. 

Building on this concept, other popular versions include the cheese prata, onion prata, garlic prata, and banana prata (a dessert version), or simply a combination of two or more toppings. Think egg and cheese pratas, for example.

There are other special types of pratas, and two worth mentioning: the Tissue Prata and the Coin Prata.

The Tissue Prata is named as such because it is meant to be paper thin and crispy. One can just tear and eat it directly. They are usually sweet in taste, with variations ranging from chocolate to honey to strawberry.

The Coin Prata are doughs shaped like large coins, fried till crispy and flaky. It is highly addictive, and you usually get four to five coins in a single serving.

Ordering

Roti prata shops and stalls can be found everywhere in Singapore. The larger establishments are even 24-hour joints, and are haunts for both early birds back from the morning exercise and night revelers looking for supper.

A common way to order prata is the plain/egg combo. This is basically one plain prata paired with an egg prata. For folks who like a heartier breakfast, this would be the default choice. 

One thing to be careful when order prata is the ordering of meat with curry. Some waiters might ask if you would like chicken or mutton curry with the pratas, and if you say yes, they might serve you a plate of curry with meat inside. The meat is actually a "top-up" that you will have to pay extra for! So if you are not looking for meat with your prata, just politely say "no", or clarify that you want curry without meat.

Along with the pratas, the shop usually sells local coffee and tea. The Teh Tarik is a common pairing with pratas. The Teh Tarik translates to "Pulled Tea", which describes a motion that the brewer does to cool the hot tea. He/she will pour the liquid from one cup to another, but pulling the cups away from each other while not spilling a drop. This cools the tea to a nice, drinkable temperature while retaining its rich, strong taste.

Nowadays the big prata shops also serve a lot of other dishes apart from pratas. They cover a host of Singaporean Indian dishes, from Mee Goreng, Roti John to Murtabak and Thosai. Some of these shouldn't really be called Indian dishes, as the Malays also cook them. It's hard to tell its origin, except for the fact that they are catered to the South East Asian taste.

So if come specially to Singapore to try chicken rice, bak kut teh and chicken rice, don't forget the pratas. For Singaporeans, it's right up there among the best and greatest.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Introduction

You cannot not talk about Chicken Rice when it comes to Singapore food. 

The humble chicken rice is something that every Singaporean child grows up with. It cheap and accessible, and great source of sustenance for a growing child. Once you have taken your first bite, it becomes moreish and even addictive. Chicken rice is like tacos to the Mexicans and sushi to the Japanese; one cannot overstate its importance in Singapore food culture. 

In this article, I will not be delve into how good chicken rice is or how to prepare it. There are tons of articles and Youtube videos online on those topics. Instead, I will dive straight in to deconstruct this quintessential Singapore dish.

The Basics

At its very core, the Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice consists of a few key components:

- Chicken, either boiled or roasted

- Fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock; white rice will not do

- Chili made using same chicken stock

- Slices of cucumber

All of the above can be served on a single plate and forms the most basic form of the dish. As of 2022, this version will set you back between S$3.50 to S$5.00, and is thus one of the cheapest full meals you can get in Singapore.

The Chicken

Chicken rice stalls typically specialise in either boiled (or white) chicken or roasted (or dark) chicken. Most of them will serve both, but they usually sell more of the type that they specialise in.

The most original, OG form of chicken is the boiled, white chicken. Don't be fooled by the word "boiled" however; if you are thinking that this is the healthy, bland and tasteless version, then you'll be in for a shock! If done well, the meat remains very tender and succulent, and the best stalls do it so well that even the chicken breast remains juicy. 

The roast chicken is the alternative that has become very popular for its charred and flavourful taste. The roast seasoning gives the chicken a completely different flavour and texture profile, and the chicken skin often retains a slight crispiness. 

When order chicken rice, the basic version is usually served with either chicken breast meat or chicken wings. You can order a more premium version by asking for chicken drumstick. The chicken drumstick tends to be even juicer, and most stalls will de-bone the drumstick before serving it. This will require you to top-up up an extra dollar or so for that, but it is totally worth it.

A third, less common, type of chicken rice makes use of braised soy sauce chicken. Braised soy sauce chicken are usually served by stalls that specialise in soy sauce chicken noodles, not rice. Hence this dish is usually not the first type that comes to mind when talking about chicken rice.

The Rice

Some would say chicken rice is defined not by the chicken, but by the rice. 

The rice is usually cooked using the oil and stock leftover from cooking the chicken, along with some ginger, garlic and pandan leaves (recipes vary). 

A good chicken rice (the rice, not the dish) is defined by a number of key characteristics. It must be full of flavour, both in terms of aroma and that umani taste. It must not taste too oily. The rice texture should be firm to the bite and not soggy or clumpy. 

Most stalls will get the flavour and texture profile right. More often than not, the deciding factor is the "oiliness". The best rice will deliver the flavour punch without being too oily, which is a very hard thing to perfect. 

Of course, it's often down to a matter of personal taste. Even among Singaporeans, we don't tend to agree on which stall serves the perfect chicken rice. And quite often the argument is on the rice and not the chicken.

That said, the calories from chicken rice come in large part from the rice itself. So for health-conscious folks, going for a less oily option is a good way to control calorie consumption. Point to note: "less oily option" usually means patronising a different stall altogether. Every chicken rice stall will cook their rice in one way only and they don't offer a healthier version. Some rice stall may have white rice (which would have no oil), but not always. 

Realistically,  you won't be able to avoid consuming a fair amount of fat when eating chicken rice. So if you are watching your health, then chicken rice is best reserved for cheat days.

The Chili Sauce

The chili condiment that comes with chicken rice is a must-have. It forms the trifecta of a good chicken rice, and yes, Singaporeans argue about which chili sauce is the best too. If there was a grading system on chicken rice, then the chicken, rice and chili will have to be separately graded.

You may be thinking: what's so important about chili? It provides the acid that cuts into an otherwise oily and savoury dish, allowing you to cleanse the palate before going for more.

The chili sauce is basically chopped chili mixed with vinegar, chicken fat and seasoning. Every chicken rice stall has its own recipe and makes its own chili sauce. The taste can range from mildly spicy to fiery hot. I am a serious chili eater, and even I get the occasional spice shock when trying out a new chicken rice stall.

That said, I highly recommend eating chicken rice with chili if your palate can take it. After a while the spice will be balanced out by the flavour of the rice. Not convinced? Get a coconut drink to quench the heat.

Slices of Cucumber

Cucumber slices are the default fibre accompaniment of the chicken rice. A standard plate will usually come with 2-3 slices. In my opinion, they are thrown in as yet another palate cleanser, and can help to cool the spice from the chili sauce. Not all shops serve cucumber; some serve beansprouts or some other leafy greens. I wouldn't consider these the traditional styles in Singapore. Beansprouts are more a Malaysian Ipoh tradition, while leafy greens are more a Hong Kong influence. 

A favourite way of mine for eating cucumbers is to led them soak in the chicken juices. This works especially when we order a whole chicken for sharing, and the cucumbers are typically layered at the bottom. When all the chicken is gone, the cucumber slices would have soaked up all the chicken juices and are usually no longer crunchy. However, the slices would be packed full of chicken flavours. At that point, they are obviously not going to be cleansing any palates, but more like pieces of chicken flavour bombs.

Other Stuff

The chicken rice stall has evolved quite a fair bit over the years. While the core remains unchanged, most stalls now offer add-ons and sides to complete the meal. Some of the more common ones are as follows:

Chicken liver and gizzards - One of the most common sides and available for order at almost all stalls. Each bring a very different texture to the meal; the liver is soft and smooth (think foie gras, but with a firmer, gamier bite) while the gizzard has a really chewy texture. The texture is certainly polarising; you either love them or hate them.

Braised Hard-boiled egg - Another popular side is a whole hard-boiled egg, usually braised in soy sauce seasoning. It gives a nutritional boost and is popular as a side when packing lunch for kids. 

Tofu - Tofu are usually braised as well, and is something that's easy for the stall-owners to prepare and serve. Good option for a healthier choice. Point to note: while you techically can substitute the chicken with tofu, there's really no point. As mentioned earlier, the rice itself is cooked in chicken oil and stock, so switching in tofu doesn't do much to improve the "healthiness" of the dish. 

Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles

Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles are not as common in Singapore as the other types of noodles such as fishball or minced meat noodles.

One reason could be because the preparation is much more difficult, as it requires the chef to braise the chicken in rich soy sauce for an extended period of time (typically hours). The chicken is typically very dark in colour as a result of the braising process, but a well braised chicken would be so infused with unami flavour that you can taste the sauce with every bite of the meat.

The chicken is typically paired with thin noodles. The dish is served dry and tossed with the leftover sauce from braising the chicken. The sauce, which would have been infused with the essence of chicken oil, is the perfect condiment with the otherwise tasteless noodles.

Soy sauce chicken stalls typically sell both rice and noodles, but you do find on occasion, a stall that only sells one or the other. These are the true artisans that wanted to focus on doing one kind of dish very well.

A perfect soy sauce chicken noodle would have the following key characteristics:

The sauce that clings well to the noodles, but should not be starchy. It can be a bit oily, but not to the point of being overwhelmingly greasy.

The noodle, cooked al dente, must pair well with the sauce. For sauce and noodle to cling to each other, the noodle must play its part too! The noodles cannot be overcooked, and should retain a bit of springiness even when cooked through.

The chicken is of cause the highlight of this dish. Being a Singaporean dish, it needs to be done as well, if not better, than the Singapore staple, the Singapore Hainanese Chicken. As such, one must be able to taste the fragrance of the sauce deep in the chicken itself, yet it should not be overcooked to the point that the chicken becomes dry. A good soy sauce chicken is quite oily. Health conscious eaters typically remove the skin, but for the foodie, this is akin to committing sacrilege. After all, the most fragrant part of the chicken would be the part that is exposed the longest to the sauce.

A stalk of vegetable (kailan or caixin) is usually put on the side of the dish, to provide fibre. It helps to clear the oiliness of the dish, though the dish is usually finished too so quickly for one to notice the grease! 

For health reasons, it's not something that I would recommend to eat every day, or even every week. All for the better, as it will make that occasional indulgence to make the taste all the more memorable.

Braised Duck Noodles

Braised Duck Noodles is a very interesting dish.

Served either in soup or dry form, it usually comes with thick yellow noodles and of course, braised duck.

Braised duck is a kind of preparation that is very prevalent in Southern China. The braising sauce is made predominantly of soy sauce and a bunch of spices, and this sauce is used to cook and infuse the duck with a uniquely Chinese soy flavour.

This braising technique, incidentally, can be used to cook all kinds of food, but perhaps another article.

In any case, the braised duck, once cooked, has a deep brown colour. When done well, a well cooked duck, one can taste the soy flavour all the way to the bone.

The braised duck noodle is essentially noodles served with braised duck, sliced up with its skin intact.

Once again, like most noodle dishes in Singapore, you can choose to have different noodle types, like thin noodles, bee hoon, or kway teow. However, thick yellow noodles are by far the most common type served. In fact, some stores don't carry other types of noodles except yellow noodles and maybe kway teow.

If eaten dry, the noodle is also served with the braising sauce used to cook the duck. However, this sauce is thickened so that it can attach easily with the noodles. Other common condiments include fried red onions and coriander. Some stalls will serve a braised egg and even tofu, for added variety, though others will have them as add-ons if you request for them. Very often, the dry version also comes with a small bowl of duck herbal soup.

The chilli that goes with duck noodles are the rough chopped, pasty chilli sauce. It mixes well with the noodles. There is another more watery vinegar based chilli sauce that I find sometimes, but I think that's more for the duck itself than the noodles (yes it's true; different kinds of chilli for different parts of a dish)

You won't be able to find a stall that sells only braised duck noodles exclusively. Rather, you will be able to find braised duck stalls that sells both braised duck rice and duck noodles. Just look for a shop with a bunch of brown ducks hanging out (it will probably also say braised duck on its sign)

How does it taste? For a duck lover, it will taste heavenly. The noodle, mixed with both duck meat and the braising sauce, will be full of savoury duck flavour. The braising sauce imparts the savouriness to the duck, and the five spices within the sauce will greatly enhance the duck taste and remove any unwanted gaminess.

The taste will be very rich, as the sauce itself is quite thick. Some might find it too rich compared to say, fishball noodles. You may not be able to finish a big bowl of it, but even a regular-sized portion will leave you fully satisfied at the end of it.

Once done, complete the meal by downing the soup. This is a love-hate thing, as some folks couldn't stand the herbal taste. I actually look forward to the soup at the end. Unlike the soups served with other kinds of noodles, the duck soup is usually very flavourful all on its own. It serves to "tie things up" and help with any greasiness you might feel after having the noodles.

Types of Noodles Used in Singapore Noodle Dishes

In Singapore, there are many types of noodle dishes, but most of them are based on a few noodle types.

The concept is a bit like pasta. The same dough is used, but made into different shapes. In the case of the noodles used in Singapore, in addition to the shapes, the actual ingredients used to make the noodles can vary.

Here are some of the most common types of noodles you can find in Singaporean noodle dishes.

Mee Kia - Thin Noodles
This is your run-of-the-mill, basic thin noodle type.

The shape is a thin round like spaghetti. However, it is thinner than spaghetti, and just slight thicker than angle hair.

It is similar to the thin Japanese ramen, but the Singapore version is slightly more springy in texture. Depending on the noodle factory that produces it, there can still be slight variations.

Mee Kia goes very well with noodle dishes that utilizes thick sauces, as it allows the sauce to cling to the noodle very easily.

Often Used in - Minced Meat Noodles, Fishball Noodles, Wonton Noodles, Duck Noodles, Soy Chicken Noodles, Yong Tau Foo

Mee Pok - Flat Noodles
This is the flat version of Mee Kia and is as popular as its thin cousin.

Used very often in fishball noodles, and is especially tasty in dry noodle dishes.

Often Used in - Minced Meat Noodles, Fishball Noodles, Wonton Noodles, Yong Tau Foo

Thick Yellow Noodles
Another popular noodle type, this is a thick oily noodle that is very soft after being cooked. It doesn't have much of a springy texture, but is very versatile, being used in many different types of noodle dishes.

Often Used in - Fishball Noodles, Hokkien Mee, Yong Tau Foo, Fried Kway Teow, Duck Noodles, Mee Goreng, Mee Rebus, Mee Soto

Kway Teow - Flat Rice Noodles
Kway Teow is a stalwart in Asian cooking, and quite naturally, features a lot in Singaporean noodle dishes.

Kway Teow is made from rice flour, and is typically white in colour before it's cooked. The texture is very similar to the famous Thai street dish, Phad Thai. In fact, I believe they are essentially the same thing; simply different shape

It is sometimes referred to as Hor Fun as well.

Kway Teow is the predominant ingredient in one of Singapore's most famous dish, the Fried Kway Teow. Apart from that, it's used more often as a soup noodle dishes.

Often Used in - Minced Meat Noodles, Fishball Noodles, Yong Tau Foo, Fried Kway Teow, Fish Hor Fun, Shredded Chicken Hor Fun

Bee Hoon - Thin Rice Noodles
These are super thin rice noodles that are made of the same rice flour as Kway Teow.

Both fried and soup versions are popular. The simple fried bee hoon is a very popular breakfast dish.

Often Used in - Minced Meat Noodles, Fishball Noodles, Yong Tau Foo, Hokkien Mee, Fish Soup, Bee Hoon Goreng, Mee Siam

Thick Bee Hoon
As the name implies, this is the thicker version of Bee Hoon.

It is the most popular carb for Fish Soup and the Singapore institutional dish, the Katong Laksa.

Often Used in - Fish Soup, Laksa, Hokkien Mee, Yong Tau Foo

Bee Tai Mak
Also known as "rat's tail noodle", it's made of rice flour, but are chopped up into strips resembling... rat's tails.

I know that sounds gross, but taste wise it's no different from Kway Teow.

This type of noodle is not as popular as the other types of noodles, but most stalls will always keep a small batch of that around.

It's mostly used for soup noodles. A fried version exists and usually serves as an alternative to breakfast bee hoon.

Often Used in - Minced Meat Noodles, Fishball Noodles, Laksa, Yong Tau Foo

Fishball Noodles

Introduction
The humble Fishball Noodles is a lunch and dinner staple of the Little Red Dot. In fact, many fishball noodle shops start selling from breakfast time, which is my favourite time to have this simple dish.

As far as I know, the Teochew Chinese were the originators of this dish. I suspect the immigrants either brought this from China, or re-invented the dish when they arrived in Singapore.

The Singaporean fishball is a springy ball made from a mixture of salt, flour and fish meat. Usually made from very fresh fish, it has a smooth, springy texture, is white in colour and of the size that is slightly smaller than a ping pong ball.

Thus, the fishball noodle, as the name implies, is simply a bowl of noodles served with fishballs.  The dish is served either dry or in soup. You get to also decide on the sauce and noodle type.

Preparation
For sauce, the usual choices are with chili, with tomato sauce or just tossed with oil (ask for "white", ie cooked without other condiments). Some varieties are served with black soy sauce (quite rare) and gives you the options to add black vinegar.

For noodles, the choices are quite varied as well. In fact, this is a big feature in all Singaporean noodle shops; you always have a choice of types of noodles. I'll probably talk about that in a separate blog, but generally, for fishball noodles, we can go for Mee Kia, Mee Pok, Kuay Teow and Bee Tai Mak.

In a sense, the noodle stalls in Singapore is very much like ramen stalls in Japan; there is actually a lot of variety around the standard ingredients. Every Singaporean grew up eating one type or the other, and therefore you will have fans for each kind. Some like the noodles cooked through, while others like them al dente. Some like to add beansprouts, while others have it with lettuce. I've seen very oily tossed noodles and also very watery ones, all with their fan base.

Personal Thoughts
My personal favourite is the dry "white" version, served with Mee Pok, tossed with pork lard, shallots, minced meat and fish cake slices. I don't think I'm in the majority though, as most Singaporeans prefer to have them with chili or with tomato sauce.

To me, fishball noodles is the ultimate comfort food. I grew up eating the dry "white" version, having it almost every week. It's one of cheaper "proper" meal options you can find in hawker centres in Singapore, and depending on how you order it (eg. in soup, or dry with no oil in the sauce) it can be a very healthy dish.

A good bowl of fishball noodles centres, quite naturally, around the fishball.  It should not have the stingy, fishy smell, and should be able to mix well with the sauce. Some patrons actually like their fishballs to have a a slightly fishy taste. To them, that's the taste of the ocean! Either way, the taste of the fishball should be pleasant and not overpowering.

The rest of bowl, then, revolves around how the noodles pairs with the sauce. Given the wide variety of sauces, there is no single "best" taste. But needless to say, a popular noodle stall would get this pairing just nice, which in turn complements the fishball.

A lot of times, as with dishes the world over, the secret is in the sauce. A lot of veteran fishball noodles chefs put in a lot of effort into perfecting the sauce mix. This includes making their very old chili paste used in the noodles A good sauce mix can make all the difference in the taste of the entire dish.

Singapore Food... Explained

I love food.

I love Singapore food.

You would be able to tell this by looking at my waistline. I'm not proud of the fact that I eat more calories than I can burn, but man, Singapore food is glorious.

For the uninitiated, the choice of food available in Singapore can be downright daunting. Knowing more about them is a logical step towards make good (taste-wise) food choices. To me, it's a way to celebrate this precious culinary treasure.

So here we go!