It’s hard to believe all of this deliciousness even fits on such a tiny island.
Chili Crab
WHAT IT IS: A whole crab is cooked in a sweet, spicy, tomato-y sauce, often finished with coddled eggs for added texture. It's super messy, but any reputable restaurant will bring a bowl of warm water with a lemon slice along with your chili crab, because napkins alone won't be enough to clean your hands afterward.
WHY IT'S DELICIOUS: The meat gets really tender and takes on the sweet chili/tomato flavor completely. Fried mantou (a slightly sweet, white bread) is usually served alongside the dish to mop up every last bit of sauce.
100Plus
WHAT IT IS: Basically a soda marketed as a sports drink. I would say it's like a cross between Gatorade and Sprite, but that wouldn't do justice to its bizarrely addictive deliciousness.
WHY IT'S DELICIOUS: It's sweet, it's fizzy, and it's tangy. Beyond that, you need to taste it for yourself to really understand the appeal.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
WHAT IT IS: Chicken is poached with ginger and pandan leaves, then the rice is toasted in oil and cooked in the super-flavorful poaching liquid.
WHY IT'S DELICIOUS: Despite its unassuming name and beige-ness, chicken rice is magical. The ginger flavor is undeniable in the always-moist chicken, and the oily rice has a really meaty flavor.
If you want to try making it at home — it won't be the same, but it'll still be amazing — this recipe from Rasa Malaysia is a really good one.
Char Siew Bao
WHAT IT IS: A Cantonese pork bun that's available at hawker centers — open-air food courts that are everywhere in Singapore — and dim sum restaurants. Subtley sweet, fluffy bread is filled with pulled roast pork in a sweet barbecue sauce, then steamed.
WHY IT'S DELICIOUS: The bun is impossibly soft, the pork is perfectly tender, and the meat-to-sauce ratio is completely perfect.
