Hainanese Chicken Rice

Considered one of Singapore's "national dishes", this dish can be found in almost every dining spot, from hawker centres to high-end restaurants.

The focal point of this dish is the Hainanese-style chicken. It is, however, the rice and chili sauce that can make or break the dish. The rice is cooked in chicken broth with ginger and pandan leaves. The chili must have the right blend of spiciness and sourness, giving it its unique taste.

where to find it

Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice: 101 Thomson Road #01-08 United Square

Bak Kut Teh

Bak Kut Teh is a Chinese soup dish, literally translated as "meat bone tea". It consists of meaty pork ribs simmered in a complex broth of herbs and spices.

There are two styles of Bak Kut Teh served in Singapore -- Teochew style and Klang style. While the Teochew version features clear soup with a peppery taste, the Klang version features a thick soup with a herbal taste. The former is more popular in Singapore

Where to find it

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup Eating House: 208 Rangoon Road

Chili Crab

Chili crab is among Singapore's greatest culinary inventions, featuring the tangy gravy that seeps into the succulent flesh of the stir-fried crab.

Typically cooked with mud crabs, that have deliciously sweet and juicy flesh, this dish is served alongside fried or steamed buns called mantou to soak up the chili sauce.

Where to find it

No Signboard Seafood Restaurant: 414 Geylang

SBS Buses

Buses form a significant part of public transportation in Singapore, with over 3.8 million rides taken per day. There are more than 300 scheduled bus services, operated by SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, and Tower Transit Singapore. There are around 4200 buses in operation.

Fare:

SMRT trains

Singapore Mass Rapid Transit features 121 stations in operation, with many more in various stages of planning and construction.

Fare:

languages

The 4 National languages of Singapore are Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English. Singaporeans are encouraged to have a bilingual policy, to speak both English and Chinese. Dialect is used occasionally, but not encouraged.

Singlish

Colloquial Singaporean English, better known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.

It is a really widely spoken slang, and most Singaporeans take pride in our language. To curb the usage of this slang, the Speak Good English Movement has been created by the government.

Sun and Rain

This perfectly describes the weather in Singapore. We experience a tropical climate, which means that we do not experience the "four seasons" climate. The temperature averages at 27 degrees Celsius, though sometimes it feels as if the forecast is lying ("it must be way above 30 degrees!")

what to wear

Short-sleeved clothing. Avoid sweaters or thick jackets. Personal preference.