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I think that this dish is very authentic, there have not been maybe changed to this dish or foreign influenced. As far as I know there are no fusion foods made with  this chicken rice either. The authenticity could be slightly disturbed by some sellers serving it with sweet sauce instead of chilli sauce, to adjust to tastes of majority people. There however have been other chicken rices with roasted chicken which slightly might have been adapted from the concept of Hainanese chicken rice.
Bhavya

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My favourite local dish would be the curry puff. A curry puff is a deep-fried or baked semi-circular pastry which is filled with curried fillings. The traditional curry puff I usually buy from Old Chang Kee is a crimped, buttery pastry filled with meat, potatoes and aromatic curry spices. The curry puff is a snack of the Maritime Southeast Asian origin and is inspired from various countries. Such examples are Indonesia where it is called Karipap, Malaysia where it is called epok-epok and India where it is called samosa.

Karamjot

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chicken rice is a delicacy that is much enjoyed by singaporeans. With the fragrant rice and tender chicken, it is undoubted one of the most popular comfort foods in Singapore.

Through the years, there have been many variations of it but the one i like the most is Hainanese! maybe it has got to do with the fact that i am Hainanese but i like Hainanese chicken rice the best! chicken rice was brought to Singapore in the early 19 and 20 century by the Hainanese and has since been modified with local influence. Although it was brought in from elsewhere, i still feel that chicken rice is a singapore delicacy!

celeste 4SY

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Char kway teow is a fried noodle dish of Teochew origins. This dish has a Hokkien name despite it originating from Guangdong.

Duck eggs were commonly used in char kway teow in the 1950s and ’60s, but they were increasingly replaced with chicken eggs; the latter was cheaper, while farming and importation of ducks eggs ceased in Singapore.¹³

In the 1950s, bean sprouts became scarce in Singapore when sprout growers went on strike to protest an order by the health authorities. The Chinese leafy vegetable cai xin was thus introduced to the dish to replace beansprouts.

Lard is traditionally used to fry char kway teow, the crispy lard bits giving it a tasty crunch. However, the pig virus epidemic in 1999 led many hawkers to turn to vegetable oil instead of lard to fry the noodles.

Overall, although this dish did not originate from Singapore, Singapore’s history has greatly influenced our present day version of Char kway teow, adding in our own national elements,

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My favourite local dish has to be satay, just the thought of it makes me salivate, really. Chunks of well marinated skewered meat are grilled to charred perfection using bamboo skewers such that the meat is delightfully infused with flavours. Chicken, beef and mutton are the more common meats used to make Satay and the beautiful thing about satay is that it is sold by Malay, Indian, and Chinese vendors, with all of them having slightly different variation of the same dish. Not to mention, how awfully convenient Satay is, since it’s on a stick, it’s mess free, and you get to dip it in delicious peanut sauce without getting your hands dirty! The dish was thought to have originated in Java and brought to Singapore by Muslim traders. Satay is one of the earliest foods that became ubiquitous in Singapore since the 1940s, and was considered a celebratory food. I suppose it isn’t entirely authentic as it originated from a different location, but Singaporeans put their own twists on this dish, making it different from the ones in Java.

janna

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I chose the dish Chinese carrot cake. It originates from China, more specifically from the Teochews. It was brought to Singapore by the immigrants and deviated from the original with the increased ingredients and the addition of radish into it by Ng Soik Theng who was a Teochew hawker. I think that the dish has therefore still quite authentic to Singapore given that the changed elements were made by Singaporeans themselves. However if we were to look at it from China’s perspective, the dish would have gone through numerous changes since its original recipe.

Caitlin

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I love the local food, Chilli Crab! Chilli crab is a popular seafood dish in Singapore, consisting of mud crabs deep-fried in a sweet, savoury and spicy gravy. I believe that this dish is authentic, as it has been referred to in various food publications as Singapore's national seafood dish, and has a combination of sweet and spicy flavours that reminds me of home. It moreover originated from Singapore in the 1960s, so it is indeed very authentic. However, I do acknowledge that the ingredients of the dish may not be obtained from Singapore, but instead imported from other countries. For example, the mangrove mud crabs used to make the succulent Chilli Crab now come from Indonesia, the Philippines, India and the east coast of Africa

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roti prate is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It is served with curry or sometimes, with sugar in Singapore. It is one of the really few dishes which can be bought for a cheap price.

vishruta

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(Malay word for bite-sized snack) Kueh is a Southeast Asian dessert that falls into the same category as cookies, candies, and pastries. This sweet has a sticky and thick texture and is made of glutinous rice, sometimes filled with peanuts or other pastes to enhance the flavour. Kueh is a part of Peranakan tradition and culture. It has been localized in Singapore and is referred to as "nyonya kueh". Although this sweet has its roots in China, nyonya kueh has been adapted in Singapore to be more delicate and tasty, which clearly has had nyonya influences.

jihae

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Fishball noodles are most definitely a staple in most hawker centres and coffee shops, and is the dish I turn to when I have trouble choosing what to order. This dish, of Teochew origin, is typically made up of mee pok noodles, the sauce, and comes with other toppings such as fishballs, meat, and the option of having it soupy or dry. This dish is not only found in Singapore, but in other countries with a prominent Teochew population too, such as China, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Erin Guevarra

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Otherwise known as Hainanese Chicken rice, Singapore Chicken rice composes of three main components, the rice, sauce and chicken. It is authentic to Singapore as it is widely known as one of Singapore’s national dishes and is most commonly associated with Singaporean cuisine. Being created by immigrants from Hainan in southern China, it was adapted from the Hainanese dish Wenchang chicken, showing that is has some foreign influence. In the early years of Singapore, many Chinese immigrants came from areas of China such as Hainan, speaking a variety of dialects such as Cantonese and Teochew. Through this,  a mixture of Hainanese and Cantonese cultures birthed the Singapore chicken rice. The Wengchang chicken from the Hainanese cuisine was adapted to use white cut chicken from the Cantonese cuisine, accompanied by an array of sauces ranging from chilli sauce to ginger to form the dish we now know as chicken rice.

Elena Ng

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It has quite a simple concept, just wrapping curry paste in pastry. No matter how you make it you cannot stray too far from the original. But it is also very adaptable and flexible. Over the years, it has been influenced to have different flavours such as mushroom, or even kaya. I like it mainly because it is not too spicy for my taste (my spice tolerance is very very very low) and how it is so is like a meal in one (curry plus puff plus veggies like carrot).

Ivy

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Sambal stingray, also known as Spicy Banana Leaf Stingray and by the Malay name Ikan bakar (barbecued fish), is a Malaysian/Singaporean seafood dish. It is prepared by barbecuing stingray, and is served with sambal paste atop. This dish was originally brought by the Portuguese traders to Malacca and they used local ingredients to create this dish.
Stingray was previously deemed as not popular and was cheap to purchase. Given the enhancement of its taste, the value of stingray in markets has since risen. The popularity of the sambal stingray as a local dish has risen over the years.

Vera

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My favourite dish is fishball noodles, a local dish present in every hawker centre you go to. A dish of Chinese origin, it came to Singapore along with our ancestors when they set foot onto our shores. Soupy or dry, this dish has has great cultural significance and is one every Singaporean knows. However, it has various cultural influences over the years, such as the addition of minced meat, char siew, sometimes even egg! As such, this is a dish that has transformed over the years to become a Singaporean staple that never ceases to amaze.

Jemmima Tan

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The local dish I chose to explore was laksa, a dish I greatly enjoy.

It consists of rice vermicelli, prawns, flash cake, tau pok and cockles in a spicy coconut-based broth, which is later garnished with daun kesum (laksa leaves). I was particularly intrigued in exploring this local dish as Laksa is predominantly prepared by local Chinese hawkers, yet consists of numerous ingredients frequently used in cultural foods prepared in the Malay peninsula.

I learnt that laksa originated from intermarriages between local Malay women and Chinese traders and sailors who arrived in British and Dutch-controlled port cities like Singapore and Melaka along the spice trade route. This proves the dish was curated as a result of inter-cultural exchange and influence.

Nicole

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I really love to eat black carrot cake, as I find it a nice yet still somewhat cheap dish. I prefer it to white carrot cake as I feel that it is more flavourful due to the use of black soya sauce instead of light soya sauce. Fried carrot cake originates from China, and was brought to Singapore by Teochew immigrants. Initially, it only consisted of stir-fried rice cakes and dark soya sauce, but as time passed, more ingredients, such as eggs, were incorporated to the dish, making it more loved by locals, resulting in its popularity today.

- Sher-Mae

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Satay or chicken satay conjures up a mental picture of
perfectly grilled and nicely charred chicken skewers marinated in various psices served with mouthwatering sweet and spicy peanut sauce. It is usually eaten as a local starter in Singapore before we move on to our main course. It is more of an Indonesian food but has also become popular in Singapore. They are usually barbecued over a charcoal fire.  It is usually prepared using mutton or chicken meat.

~Sadhana

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Chilli crab is a Southeast Asian dish that originated from Singapore in the 1960s, and it is widely associated as the national cuisines of both Malaysia and Singapore. It was first started by Cher Yam Tian and her husband Lim Choo Ngee in 1956, however the version most widespread today was created by Hooi Kok Wah in the 1960s, one of four famous Singapore chefs during the era. The sauce that the crab, often mud crab, is doused in is sweet yet savoury, and served at steaming hot temperature, with sides such as mantou bread. When it comes to its origins, there has been debates as to whether it is authentically a Singaporean or Malaysian dish. Regardless, it is definitely my favourite local dish that I enjoy with my family.

Adrienne Yeo

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My favourite local dish is definitely Prata! It comes in many forms and flavours and comes with tantalising dips and side dishes. Prata is a type of flatbread that is pan fried and goes well with both savoury and sweet flavours. Some of my favourite prata dishes are Nutella Banana Prata, Cheese Prata and the classic Roti Prata that comes with the tasty curry :)

The dish originates from India, where it takes multiple forms such as Paratha, Chappati, Roti, etc but Singapore has done its own twist on it and created our own local version of Prata, a dish we all love

-krisha

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I think Hokkien mee is a local dish where is consists of a prawn and pork broth that is simmered for long hours, prawns, sotong, bee Hoon mee and yellow noodles. This is a authentic Singaporean dish that is sold in our very own hawker Centers.
According to one account, the dish was originally known as Rochor mee because it was first sold at Rochor Road in 1930. From the name, it suggests that this dish was by a Hokkien person who started it in Singapore. The amount of work that goes int this dish requires much patience and sweat because of the amount of time and tendering the broth needs. The flavours together allows one to really enjoy the dish with a hint of sourness from the side of lime.
-Claudia Lim

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My favourite dish is Chapati. Clearly, it is a traditional dish from India, and is made through whole-wheat flour (atta), oil, and salt (optional) in a parat and cooked on a flat skillet. It is a simple and quick dish that can be prepared and is great complement to the other flavoruful curries that are made.

It is a common staple in India, and its influence has been greatly seen in Asia, that of Southeast Asia. Eateries in Sinagpore include the Azmi Restaurant at the corner of Serangoon and Norris Road.
There are some influences from other cultures to make the curries that complement the Chapati much better, such as the Chinese-inspired black pepper creamy chicken that the eatery mentioned above sells.
- Preethi

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Char kway teow is a local dish which where noodle is fried in garlic, sweet soya sauce with ingredients such as sausage, fishcake, cockles and bean sprouts. Though it has a hokkien name, it is usually associated with the teochew community, and also is originated from Chaozhou in China, suggesting how it is not actually an authentic local dish and actually has foreign influence. This has given me greater insight to our local food and how they may not be fully authentic showing how many local foods actually incorporate and come fromvarious cultures.

- faith

- faith

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My favourite local is Nasi Lemak, with its fragrant rice and fried ikan bilis. It originated in Malaysia in the early 1900s. It can come with a variety of sides ranging from fish to chicken as well as a fried egg. There are many different nasi lemak stalls and it is also an iconic breakfast in singaopore. While it may have orignated, in Malaysia there are slight variations in the Singapore Nasi Lemak with the sambal being said to be sweeter. With each component being flavourful not only together but by itself it truly is my favourite dish.
- anjali

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While this dish is very popular in Singapore, it is not a uniquely Singaporean dish. A typical bowl of wanton mee contains noodles, dumplings, char siew and choy sum. It is a dish of Cantonese descent and is popular in Thailand and Malaysia as well.  I think it is interesting to see that fusion of nationalities and flavours from different parts of the world to make a dish I know and love.
- Andria

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My favourite local dish is Laksa. I believe it is extremely authentic, using unique local ingredients such as coconut milk, dried shrimp paste and galangal. As laksa has so many variations from many Asian places, it is difficult to identify the exact origin of the dish, but we know for sure it does have South East Asian roots. It is widely considered a fusion dish between the Peranakans and Chinese making it an extremely unique part of Singapore’s culture and history.
Carol

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This uniquely Singapore dish, commonly served by adding Kaya jam, made of coconut, pandan, eggs and sugar, in between two slices of toasted bread, with a slab of butter in between as well.
However, how local is it really?  The tradition of mixing sugar with eggs comes from the nunneries of Portugal. The Portuguese colonisation of Malacca in 1511 may have resulted in the knowledge sharing of mixing eggs with sugar which was then combined with ingredients local to Malaysia and Indonesia, like pandan and coconut, to create the kaya we know today, said to be brought over by a Hainanese to Singapore. I think it is quite interesting to see how many different cultures influence the food that we can consider traditional to us, yet have strong roots to other countries and was in fact not invented by the locals, per say.
- Emma

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In Singapore, when we think of chicken rice, what comes to mind is definitely the fragrant rice and soy sauce chicken that can undoubtedly be found in every coffee shop you walk into. It is one of Singapore’s most popular and well known local dishes, one that many tourists love to try when they visit. However, the dish is also influenced by other cultures. The meal we see today is adapted from the Hainanese dish wenchang chicken. Wenchang chicken is a staple in Hainanese cuisine, as such, chinese immigrants brought their knowledge of this over to Southeast Asia, where a unique twist was put on it, evolving into what we recognise now as chicken rice. It is also good to note that chicken rice can be found in Indonesia and Malaysia as well, showing how cultures and cuisines can be spread.

-rachel malcolm

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In the 1950s and 1960s, pushcart drink peddlers hand-chipped ice balls drizzled with gula melaka or rose syrup as an income supplement. It originated from Malaysia, or more specifically, Penang and then came to Singapore. It is now also topped off with condensed milk, corn, red bean, chin chow, attap chee and more. the balls were usually sold on street corners by vendors with pushcarts but can now be found in most hawker centres or food courts. They provide a cool respite from the heat in Singapore.

-eliz