8 Lesser-known Singapore food to try

this list is for foreigners who want to explore singapore food beyond the better-known chicken rice and chilli crab. there is so much more local favorites that foreigners might not have chance upon but is so well-loved by singaporeans.

1. cereal/oatmeal prawn
what - fried prawns in cereal and curry leaves
who - suitable for all ages and especially popular among children
how - as it is crispy, most people will remove the head and eat the rest of the prawn shell-on. it is common to have excess cereal left behind, which kids will gladly scoop up and eat. a good cereal prawn should be fried with head and shell intact.
where - can be found in most seafood and tze char restaurants

2. prawn paste chicken
what - fried chicken coated with prawn paste, a fermented shrimp paste
who - suitable for all ages
how - eat it like any fried chicken
where - can be found in most seafood and tze char restaurants

3. fish head steamboat
what - a healthy dish of slice fish and vegetables in a clear broth. although traditional cooked using a fish head, a more popular option with youngsters is sliced fish. a good fish head steamboat should be kept continuously heated using charcoal.
who - for the health-conscious
how - the steamboat would have come with everything ready while servers will come around to top up the broth when it's running low
where - recommended stall: nam hwa chong fish head steamboat, 814/816 north bridge road, singapore 198779/81

4. samsui ginger chicken
what - steamed chicken paired with ginger sauce and wrapped in lettuce
who - suitable for all ages
how - take a piece of lettuce, and place a piece of chicken on top together with the special ginger sauce
where - http://www.souprestaurant.com.sg/

5. claypot beehoon
what - beehoon (thin vermicelli noodles) and seafood cooked in a claypot. there are several varieties like crab claypot beehon, clams claypot beehoon etc.
who - suitable for all ages
how - the portion is usually for sharing, hence everyone takes a portion of the beehoon from the pot
where - recommended stall: http://www.dianxiaoer.com.sg/

6. yu sheng
what - a raw fish salad for good fortune, available during the lunar new year period.
who - suitable for all ages except those adverse to raw fish
how - during the lunar new year period, most chinese restaurants will have this as the first dish. the waitress will pour each item onto a plate while reciting some auspicious words. everyone will then come together and toss the salad to mix it. it is perfectly fine to be a bit messy when tossing, since everyone will be tossing at the same time.
where - can be found in most chinese restaurants during the lunar new year period

7. ah balling (dessert)
what - glutinous rice balls with sweet fillings and in a sugary soup. common fillings include peanut, seasome and red bean.
who - suitable for all ages
how - be careful when biting into the rice balls as the filling might be hot. as it is made of glutinous rice, it fills one up easily so avoid eating too much
where - recommended stall: ah balling peanut soup, bedok north street 4, singapore 460085

8. soya beancurd pudding (dessert)
what - a pudding made of soya bean. while soya beancurd can be found in many chinese-speaking countries, but this singapore invention has been popular these days. the difference between the usual soya beancurd and the pudding version is the consistency of the beancurd.
how - scoop and eat it like a jelly
where - recommended stall: lao ban soya beancurd, 51 old airport road, 390051