Singapore is a powerhouse of Asian cuisine. From traditional Chinese dumplings to the fusion of Western and Eastern influences into a spectacular gastronomic delight, Singapore is a must-visit destination for both top-class and street food.
According to BBC, Europeans would fly out to Singapore just because of Hainanese chicken. According to David Farley, Hainanese chicken rice is "the chickeniest chicken dish one can find in the chicken-eating world." The origin of Hainanese chicken was from Singapore's poorer economic history where rice is cooked in chicken broth and a small chili dip served with boiled chicken -- which likely elevated the fowl dish into a national treasure.
Another reason Singapore's dishes -- heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine -- are delectable for almost any traveler is because they are bite-sized. They are not served to overwhelm the visual appetite of hungry diners. Instead, one concentrates on the taste of each individual dumpling, allowing diners to eat and enjoy the sensual pleasures of each bite -- without overeating.
According to Takpo, Singapore's dish diversity is vital for its gastronomic culture's survival; while Chinese cuisines dominate the overall theme in Singapore, China's cuisines have 57 variations. This allows diners the pleasure of eating almost anything as "braised, deep fried, double boiled, poached, baked, stir fried, simmered," which introduces different types of textures not found in a single location in the West or in Asia.
Singapore also excels in deep fried dishes -- as per its Chinese cultural roots. As in China, Singapore's own Chinese restaurants including style-fused cuisines could perfect almost any dimsum coating. The crunchy goodness varies from one restaurant to another and even street hawkers but travelers and locals feel the authenticity brought by the years of experience the chefs and cooks have had in creating the dishes.
It is likely that the taste is affected by the mediums and ingredients used. Dimsum and other Singaporean dishes of any kind have its ingredients made by hand -- not machine manufactured. This may explain how hand-made dumplings are tastier than their Western versions. White buns and rolls are made by hand. The carefully-placed human error no machine could replace is one of the secrets of Singapore's magical cuisines.
