Singapore's TidbiTs

Kaya toast set. Usually eaten for breakfast that can be found in many kopitiams . That ubiquitous pair of soft half-boiled or semi-boiled (not fully boiled or hardened) eggs served with slices of toasted bread or buns spread with kaya jam and thin slabs of butter, and complete with a cup of tea of coffee. All for between $2.30 to $5, depending which cafes, hawker centres or food-courts that you go to. At many school canteens you can get a set for only $2. You can find kaya toast at many local cafes here which are more commonly known as coffee shops, at the hawker or food centres , food-courts or in kopitiams (the local lingo for breakfast joints) Islandwide. This iconic breakfast set is originally served in Hainanese kopitiams . And while it is best or traditionally eaten for breakfast, this breakfast set is served all day long at many chain cafes. Kaya is a coconut based pandan flavoured jam. Though traditionally it was simply coconut-based jam. The half-boiled eggs (the softness of...

Laksa is a popular tasty dish that originated from the Peranakan, an inter-marriage between the Chinese and Malay cultures which gave rise to the fusion of flavours from the ingredients used, thus this dish is very popular with both Chinese and Malay alike, and of course to the many tourists or visitors to this island who have got hooked on it. The curry laksa is a rich spicy coconut-based noodles soup, the ingredients which may include bean sprouts, tofu (taupok), cockles, slices of chicken and egg. It is usually topped with a spoonful of sambal belacan , a fermented shrimp and chilli paste, and laksa leaf for the added zest. The Malays called laksa leaf daun kesum rather than daun laksa. Daun means leaf. Cockles' laksa is the more common type of laksa but there are other options such as those containing prawns or pieces of chicken for those who are allergic to seafood. Laksa leaf is a herb which is an intrinsic part of this dish. It has a strong flavour just like curry leaf. I...