101504    Take a stroll around the diverse neighbourhoods and you’ll come across halal Malay food, South Indian vegetarian thali, North Indian naans and briyani, Cantonese dim sum, Hainanese chicken rice, Peking duck, Hokkien mee (fried noodles from the China’s Fujian Province) and popiah (spring rolls), available in food centres and restaurants across Singapore.

101505    Chinese cuisine represents one of the main players in the country’s gastronomic arena.

101506    The Chinese believe in combining ingredients to enhance the harmony between the yin and yang qualities of the food.

101507    Food is also used for its symbolic properties, such as noodles for longevity, oysters for good fortune and fish for prosperity.

101508    A visit to Singapore offers you an opportunity to sample dishes from the different parts of China.

101509    You can enjoy the delicious dim sum, roasted meats and double-boiled soups brought by the Cantonese immigrants, the spicy dishes from Szechuan and the flavourful chicken rice with its roots from the Hainan province.

101510    The famous yong tau fu, or beancurd stuffed with fish paste, was a contribution by the Hakkas.

101511    Hearty meat dishes and appetising noodles are a part of Hokkien meals while Teochew dishes include lighter items such as steamed seafood, comforting porridge and clear soups.

101512    On your trip here, don’t forget also to try local Chinese favourites such as chilli crab, bak kut teh, fish head curry or rojak.

101513    If you’re a fan of Indian food, you’ll be spoilt for choice between dishes from the southern and northern part of the sub-continent.

101514    The first features vegetarian thosai, seafood dishes and fiery curries enriched with coconut milk.

101515    The second includes milder curries, creamy yogurt based dishes, tandoori offerings and fluffy naan breads.

101516    Most Indian dishes are infused with flavoured spices such as cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander and chillies, and only in Singapore will you also find spicy fish head curry in various Indian restaurants.

101517    You can also get a taste of popular local Indian-Muslim dishes such as roti pratas, murtabak - (prata stuffed with minced meat, eggs and onions) and nasi briyani, a saffron rice dish with spicy chicken or mutton.

101518    All these dishes go well with teh tarik (or “pulled tea”), an absolutely satisfying creamy and frothy milk tea.