As we celebrate the nation’s birthday, Avie Mercado enlists the help of a celebrity food blogger to toast 3 favourite culinary delights that we grew up loving and are proud to call Uniquely Singapore!

Doctor by profession and food critic by choice, Dr Leslie Tay, helps UrbanWire dish out the best of Singapore’s all- time favourites. Dr Tay is also author of the famed food blog –ieatishootipost.sg.

Breakfast

No one can get bored with Nasi Lemak, but with scores of stores claiming to be #1, the hardest part is picking the right one! According to Dr Tay, Selera Rasa’s Nasi Lemak is so “shiok” even the Sultan of Brunei patronises it when he comes to visit Singapore! The secret is in the rice. Unlike other shops, they use Basmati Rice which has a nutty texture and distinctive flavour. Take time to savour the sweet tangy sambal (chilli paste) and the fried seasoned chicken wings, which are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

The Grub: Nasi Lemak

The Place: Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak

Adam Road Food Centre (7am – 10pm)

The Price: $3 for the Chicken Wing Meal

Rating: 4.5/5

Lunch

This is the best place to relish Singapore’s lunch favourite. The steamed chicken is tender and Dr Tay applauds the flavourful rice which is coated with savoury chicken broth. But according to him, it’s the chilli sauce that had American celebrity chef-author, Anthony Bourdain, raving when he savoured it during one of his visits. One of the stall helpers told Dr Tay that the secret ingredient is lime juice as other stalls use vinegar.

The Grub: Hainanese Chicken Rice

The Place: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Maxwell Food Centre (11am – 8pm)

The Price: $2.50

Rating: 4.5/5

Dinner

Sum up your food quest with this signature plate of fried yellow noodles and thick bee hoon. The moist dish was ordinary tasting at first, until Dr Tay mixed a spoonful of sambal chilli and bits of pork lard, which immediately caught our tastebuds. He says that while Hokkien mee can also be found in other countries but they’re “never as good or as varied as the ones here”.

The Grub: Fried Hokkien Mee

The Place: Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee

Whampoa Temporary Market (4pm – 1:30am)

The Price: $3

Rating: 4.5/5

If you’re a food addict, and you’ve fantasised about inventing your own dishes, you’re not alone. We asked Dr Tay what’s his dream dish and he said, “If I could invent a dish that’s uniquely Singapore, I’ll make a lobster Hokkien Mee with Sio Bak ( roast pork) simmering in a claypot. That’ll be ‘yummiliciously’ sinful!”

Photos by Stephanie Goh