11 things to eat and drink on your Singapore holiday

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Chicken rice: You cannot talk about Singaporean food without mentioning the national dish, Chicken Rice. Every hawker centre will serve this. Succulent boiled chicken that is immersed in cold water after cooking to get a smooth skin, rice cooked in chicken broth and served with garlic, sesame, and chicken oil, some clear soup and an assortment of condiments, including the famed chilli sauce, sambal. Simple and delicious, the traditional Hainanese recipe for this dish dates back to the mid-1800s. MK recommends: Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice at United Square Mall

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Kaya toast: Singaporean coffee, 'kopi', is a strong shot of java served with condensed milk or sugar. What goes best with a cup of 'kopi' is 'kaya' toast — toasted bread slathered with a thick layer of butter and 'kaya', which is a thick spread made with coconut, sugar and eggs, and flavoured with honey or pandan leaves. MK recommends: Get your fix of 'kopi' and 'kaya' toast at a local 'kopitiam' (coffee house)

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Barbecue sambal stingray: This meaty fishy is one of the most ‘non-fishy’ dishes one could taste. The taste and texture will remind you of shark ('aar' in Bengali). This mildly spicy Malay-Singaporean preparation is coated in 'sambal' and barbecued. The 'sambal' is a signature chilli-garlic paste served as a condiment and used in cooking throughout Singapore. Squeeze some sweet lime-like calamansi and dig in. MK recommends: The hawker stalls at Lau Pa Sat in Raffles Quay

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Tea ceremony: If you’re a tea drinker and love cultural traditions, don’t miss out on experiencing a Chinese or Japanese tea ceremony. Pick out a fragrant leaf and you will be treated to a quaint, centuries-old custom. There are separate little ceramic cups for smelling and tasting the first brew, and a different cup from which to drink it. MK recommends: Tea Chapter on Neil Road do both styles

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Fish ball soup at Chinatown: If you are not fond of seafood, give this one a miss, but if you like fishy fare, sample a bowl at the Chinatown food street. The largest open-air hawker centre in the country, it spans an entire cobblestone street where stalls sell some of the best street food. The clear soup has round fish balls that have a slightly gelatinous texture and a fishy aroma. It is flavoured with garlic, onions and red chillies and may or may not come with noodles in the broth. MK recommends: Any of the stalls at Smith Street, Chinatown

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Chilli crab: Another iconic Singapore dish, the crustacean is served with a sauce made with sambal, tomato, onion, and egg. Take some time and eat with your hands for the full experience of cracking open the shell and savouring the sweet, juicy meat dipped in spicy sauce. It is also served with some bread to soak up the remaining gravy — yes, you’ll want to do that! MK recommends: Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre or the Old Airport Hawker Centre

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Soupy dumplings at Din Tai Fung: Eating at Din Tai Fung begins before you’re seated. In the front of the kitchen, separated from guests by a glass wall, special cooks roll, fold and place dim sums in bamboo baskets at speed. The chain is most famous for its soupy pork dumplings, 'xiao long bao'. Have a soup spoon handy, place your dim sum on the spoon, tear open the thin casing and watch the broth fill the spoon before you pop it in your mouth. Address: 290 Orchard Road

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Satay: Another mainstay of Singaporean street food and hawker centres, these meat and seafood skewers are cooked over an open fire that give it a smoky taste. A serving of satay comes with a sweet-spicy, creamy peanut sauce. If you’re planning to chill with friends and a few beers, this is the food to go for. MK recommends: The hawker stalls at Lau Pa Sat

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'Ais kacang': One thing you might not find a lot of in Singapore are traditional desserts. The 'ais kacang' is the one sweet thing that every hawker centre and swanky restaurant has on the menu. This shaved-ice dessert has a host of toppings — sweet red beans and sweet corn (odd, but delicious), coconut milk, rice noodles, sugar syrups, grass jelly and palm seeds. A fine dine 'ais kacang' might come with a scoop of ice cream. MK recommends: Anywhere really, but the Chinatown ones are especially nice. Try the melon flavoured one that comes with little sweet melon balls

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Durian: There are some things you eat on your travels because they’re delicious, and there are some you eat because it’ll be an adventure. Durian falls in the second category. A cousin of the Indian jackfruit in looks, this tropical fruit is (in)famous for its rather strong ‘aroma’. The fruit is used to make many things from ice cream to jam. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the ice cream, which tastes more like onions than fruit. But do remember that you might not be allowed in a cab after

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Supermarket haul: Singapore is great for shopping! Next time you visit, try a different kind of shopping experience and hit the supermarket. If you’re particularly fond of cooking or scouring for ingredients, then nothing is better. Bring back chinese sausages or packets of fish balls that are vacuum sealed to stay fresh, bottles of sambal or laksa paste, spices and rice wine. Tea lovers, make a trip to the shops in Chinatown (beyond the food street) that sell different varieties of the brew. MK Recommends: All the NTUC Fairprice stores and several shops in Chinatown