What 5 local dishes would you recommend to tourists in your country, and why?

Singapore being a melting pot of various cultures, races and religion is a fantastic place to embark on one's journey on the Asian cuisine and many others.

But to recommend something to a tourist, to showcase what Singaporean food truly is. You have to dig down deep into your roots and ask yourself, if you were by some chance out stationed to some place far away. Ok perhaps not too far away. Even perhaps places as near as Indonesia or Thailand. What would you really miss about Singaporean food?

1. Kaya toast – Done on a wafer thin piece of toasted bread preferably dunked in a cup of aromatic coffee or milo for the kids. I guess I also get a kick out of calling kaya egg jam heh.

2. Prata. Full meal or snack – you decide, have it savory dunked in curry or sweet drizzled in honey.

3. Chicken rice – for as low as $2 a plate, this dish is our very own version of fast food. Chicken tastes great chilled as well.

4. Char Kuay Teow – Who can resist a egg noodles, stir fried in a good dose of pork lard, eggs, juicy blood cockles, flavourful fish cakes and even *gasp* prawns if you’re lucky.

5. Chilli crab – I’ve yet to find someone who’d pass on this dish.

I'm from Singapore and just had lunch with an English visitor today. I brought her for a taste of Mandarin Chicken Rice at Chatterbox.

This is one of the first local dishes that come to mind as the rice is prepared very specially. Some foreigners do not usually take rice for carbo intake so coconut rice would make it more unique.

I also brought her for a round of local ice desserts - ice kachang and chendol. Not only pleasing to the taste buds, their presentation are also attractive and eye catching, what with all the colourful ingredients.

If I could take her for a few more meals, the three other dishes I would recommend are:

Yong Tau Foo - They have evolved far from the basic soy and vegetable products. And there are so many different varieties! Choosing seven is just never enough. Plus there's the health factor.

Rojak - Just like our culture here, rojak has a mixture of the sweet (radish) and savoury (dough sticks/you za kueh).

Chilli Crab with Deep Fried Buns/Mantou - I believe all tourists, when in an Asian country, should soak up the spice! The fun comes in using their hands to pry the crab shells open and then dipping their buns into the chilli gravy. Of course, being a good host, I will let them have the claw - the best part =)

There's so much more they should try like Nasi Lemak, Laksa, Mee Siam, Kueh Pie Tee, etc. But these are my top five picks!

Obviously, this is very difficult. People are now working longer hours and more often than not both parents work. Children need to eat earlier than adults and they go to bed earlier. The easiest thing to do would be to encourage families to have dinner together on a Saturday or have Sunday lunch together. To eat together everyday is not really feasible now. Children have far more after school activites. I think there is a lot of pressure on parents to cook from scratch every night and then to dish up delicious, nutritious food to their happy Walton like family. Life just isn't like that. Sometimes by the time I come home from work I am shattered. If I waited until 8pm to feed my children they would be moaning about how starving they are. Once a week we might have a takeaway when we all eat together - this takes the pressure off and means that we get to spend quality time together. I don't see the harm in this once a week. We also eat together at weekends. I think this is the most we can hope for in today's busy society.

Black pepper crab - One of my all-time favourites. Although a lot of my friends would prefer the chilli crab that's generously draped in spicy sauce. However, the chilli version usually dims the quality and the size of the crab, while the pepper vision allows the size to prevail, as well as the sweetness of the flesh. I think that is more significant than the chilli ones.

Dim Sum - The traditional way, like in Red Star Restaurant. Every detail is uniquely Singapore. The ambience, the sumptuous variety of food and also the queues that form during the meal times. Not only can the tourists enjoy the spread, they will also experience the genuine eating culture.

Katong Laksa - Thick and spicy soup and packed with shrimps, cockles and fish cakes. Should be a no-brainer for the tourists and they can skip the challange of mastering the chopsticks.

Prata - The Cheese Prata SHop. Should not be too hard to swallow for tourists. This item will give them to the heartland feel of Singapore, where they can watch our "pa chek" drink their "teh tarik" or the youngsters savour the "milo dinosaurs".

Rojak. Not quite sure about the origins, but I know that it signifies alot of our local culture, ethnic groups, and most of all, it simply tastes good and it is not available in many countries. Peace!

Children have far more after school activites. I think there is a lot of pressure on parents to cook from scratch every night and then to dish up delicious, nutritious food to their happy Walton like family. Life just isn't like that. Sometimes by the time I come home from work I am shattered. If I waited until 8pm to feed my children they would be moaning about how starving they are. Once a week we might have a takeaway when we all eat together - this takes the pressure off and means that we get to spend quality time together. I don't see the harm in this once a week. We also eat together at weekends. I think this is the most we can hope for in today's busy society.

Everyone loves a good fried fritter.

3. Fried Kway Teow. Its tasty as my friend from England say it. After he finished 3 portions on the spot.

2. Laksa. Spicy coconut milk laden soup with thick rice noodles and some blood cockles. Its to die for.

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice. Not just any chicken rice. Coz there are too many versions of this dish. The Malay's have theirs, the Indians too. But holds true to the original version. Chicken meat on a plate of rice cooked in chicken broth. A spicy garlicky condiment and a generous splash of soy sauce and sesame oil.

I'm sure if you mixed and match any five from the 15 above you'll get a good representation of food Singapore has to offer. However, do take note. Avoid food courts. Bring them to the coffee shops where the plastic chairs have been discoloured by the sun through the years. Or the noisy hawker centres where the smells of the wet market next door linger across. This way they will get the full experience. If they wanted convenience, you could bring them to the REAL top 5 eateries in Singapore.

Official Answer

1. Laksa

2. Chicken Rice

3. Chilli Crab

4. Cockles Char Quey Tiao

5. Bak Kut Teh

This is a toughie. Being Singaporean, we are spoiled for choice in terms of food. So instead of giving you my top 5, I've decided to give you my top 5 Chinese, Malay and indian food to try.

Indian

5. Prata. Cheap and available almost everywhere.

4. Mee goreng. Its a must. Remeber to ask for more cucumber slices and a generous dollop of ketchup.

3. Indian Rojak. Everything is there. Pick and mix and eat it with a sweet sauce. Will definitely have your foreign friends asking you what it is before they eat it.

2. Vade (pronounced Wah-day). Prawn fritters. Goes down well with a cup of Teh tarik.

1. Fish Head Curry. Its a truly Singaporean Indian dish.

Malay

5. Satay. You have to eat this. and don't just order the meat skewers. Get the Ketupat and onion and cucumber sides as well.

4. Mee Siam. Words cannot describe this dish.

3. Curry Puff/Epok Epok. This is THE SINGAPOREAN snack.

2. Mee Rebus. You've got noodles soaked in a thick brown gravy that is "kicked" into life with a squeeze of lime juice. Must add chicken wing.

1. Nasi Lemak. Rice flavoured with coconut milk. Fried crispy anchovies. Sweet spicy chilli paste. A piece of fried egg. Simplicity at its best.

Chinese

5. Prawn noodle soup. Noodles in a rich prawn and pork stock. Add some red fiery pepper powder and enjoy the trip.

4. You tiao and Soy Milk. Everyone loves a good fried fritter.

3. Fried Kway Teow. Its tasty as my friend from England say it. After he finished 3 portions on the spot.

2. Laksa. Spicy coconut milk laden soup with thick rice noodles and some blood cockles. Its to die for.

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice. Not just any chicken rice. Coz there are too many versions of this dish. The Malay's have theirs, the Indians too. But holds true to the original version. Chicken meat on a plate of rice cooked in chicken broth. A spicy garlicky condiment and a generous splash of soy sauce and sesame oil.

I'm sure if you mixed and match any five from the 15 above you'll get a good representation of food Singapore has to offer. However, do take note. Avoid food courts. Bring them to the coffee shops where the plastic chairs have been discoloured by the sun through the years. Or the noisy hawker centres where the smells of the wet market next door linger across. This way they will get the full experience. If they wanted convenience, you could bring them to the REAL top 5 eateries in Singapore.

5. Pizzahut

4. Starbucks.

3. Burger King.

2. KFC

1. McDonald's

I would recommend to the tourists in my country the 5 local dishes are;

1) Katong Laksa - Katong Laksa is a traditional and authentic kind of food which is very popular in Singapore. The laksa has a very strong and fragrant coconut in it. The most attractive part is they use only spoon to eat.

2) Rojak - It symbolics Singapore. Mixed culture, races and language

3) Chicken Rice - Haninese Chicken Rice in singapore, white chicken, boneless and fragrant rice. It also serves some Achar or salty vegetables as side dish and comes with a well cooked soup.

4) Pork Intestines stuffed with Glutinous Rice - Very traditional way that sell only in olden days. Seldom see hawkers sell such food. Always sold out very fast.

5) Rickshaw Noodles - Olden Singapore, hawkers push the rickshaw and sell the noodles on street wherever they go.

Singapore

1. Straits Borned Mee Siam

2. Malay Satay

3. Indian Rojak

4. Chinese Chicken Rice

5. Eurasian Devil Curry

The above dishes represented our multi racial society