Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it doesn’t have to be the most expensive. Start your day right with less than five dollars, and get local with the following breakfast ideas. Just pop into any mall, hawker centre or food court to find them!
If you visit a Singaporean home,you’re likely to find that your hosts have a jar of coconut jam in their fridge or pantry. Such is the ubiquity of kaya,a rich spread made with eggs, sugar and coconut milk. Served with butter on thin and crisp toast, kaya toast is a common breakfast staple well-loved by locals and newcomers alike. Enjoy it with an aromatic cup of hot kopi o (black coffee). We promise you won’t forget this one!
If you’ve had dim sum before, you probably would have tried steamed buns. Typically filled with char siu, or barbecued pork, pau in Singapore also comes in the following flavours of chicken, red bean paste or lotus paste, to name just a popular few. If your choice of pau comes with a savoury filling, wash it down with teh-C (tea with evaporated milk) for a sweet and salty combo. If you’re having a sweet pau, try pairing it with an unsweetened mug of teh.
Deep fried dough fritters are present in the cuisine of many cultures, and Singapore is no exception. Here, we find them in the form of golden brown sticks and they’re either eaten on their own, with porridge, or with soy bean milk. What makes this combination so irresistible is the juxtaposition of hot, salty and oily, with cold, sweet and refreshing, when you dip the fritters into the milk.
Don’t be fooled by the unassuming size of this little pillow we call the curry puff. It packs a punch! Savour the curry paste and chunks of chicken and potatoes within, and take the edge off the spiciness with teh tarik (pulled milk tea).