If there has to be one area of the world which contains the most diverse of cuisines, it would have to be the tropical countries in South-East Asia. And so it was to my gastronomic delight that I travelled to Singapore, a place which holds a special place in my heart as well as in my stomach.

Although it was merely a year since I had heard the distinct ‘Singlish’ buzz of a busy Singaporean crowd, my salivary glands were overworking in Pavlov-conditioned anticipation. My expectations increased with every minute until I landed at Changi Airport. And I was not disappointed. Out of the approximately 56 meals that I ate in Singapore, there were a select few that lingered pleasurably long after I had left. They were memorable not only because they were delicious, but because the dining experience taught me something about the culture.

One of the facts that I quickly learnt first-hand was that the eating never stops in Singapore. There will always be someplace, somewhere, sometime which will be full of hungry customers. I discovered this when I came across Lau Pa Sat at 11pm after a long, hard day of shopping. It is a market place about ten minutes from the Orchard Road, the heart and shopping hub of the country, and to my surprise it was still as busy as the shopping malls during the day. The main eating experience took place along a wide road, which was lined on either side by numerous food stalls and filled in the middle with a thick throng of locals robustly conversing with their friends over an evening meal. I was immediately drawn to one of the satay stalls: not only was the smell emanating from the skewers of meat tantalising, but it was a dazzling spectacle to watch the chef as he fanned the high flames with a banana leaf and doused each satay stick in the sweet glaze without being singed, as only an expert could do. With the choice of either chicken or beef, the satay was simply served on a plastic plate accompanied with large slivers of onion and cubes of rice to dunk into the peanut sauce. With my feet up, skewer in one hand and a fresh coconut in the other, it was a true celebration of fast food at its best.

Lau Pa Sat was only the beginning of a string of romances I had with Singapore’s express food culture. Instead of soggy chips and over-seasoned, greasy chicken wings, the locals only need to head to the nearest food court or hawker centre to get delicious food-on-the-go. In between shops at Suntec City mall one could easily devour a hot plate of fried savoury bread, cut into crunchy cubes and moistened by a generous slice of melting butter on top. When I had too much of the hot tropical weather, I would head to a beverage stall located at the MRT (Singapore’s monorail transportation system) Orchard Road underpass to grab a cold sugar cane and sour plum juice. Not only were these freshly made in front of me, but both were mouth-watering and cost next to nothing. The Singapore people seem to have a simple philosophy when it comes to food, and it is to make it fresh, delicious, quick and cheap.

At a hawker centre, the bustling crowd of hungry people and loud clangs of woks makes any meal instantly vibrant and exciting. But if you want a laid-back meal, you wouldn’t find it there. Luckily, Singapore also has an abundance of high-quality restaurants that serves equally delicious local fare. At the time of my travels, The Tanglin Club on Stevens road was having a soft-shell crab special for under AU$10 which I was only too happy to take advantage of. The crab was lightly coated in tempura batter, quickly fried and served with a black pepper sauce. Cooked this way, the crab was tantalisingly crunchy on the outside but the meat was tender and moist – a prime example of seafood which Singaporeans do so well. Another dish which the tiny country is famous for is Hainanese Chicken Rice: a simple dish of steamed chicken, cut into small pieces and served with rice flavoured with chicken stock. Traditionally, it is also served with three dipping condiments: a thick and sticky sweet soy-sauce, minced garlic sauce and a red chilli sauce. Whilst you can get it at most hawker centres, head to the Mandarin Hotel for the best Chicken Rice in Singapore. As a former resident, I have eaten the dish throughout my life, and although the Mandarin Hotel charges more than three times the street-price, it is in fact the best I have eaten. The chicken was juicy, the rice has incredibly flavoursome, and their home-made sweet soy-sauce made the entire dish a memorable one. Perched at the very top of the building and overlooking the city streets below, the restaurant view was no less spectacular.

As a meeting point between Indian, Chinese, Malaysian and many other cultures, the local cuisines available are equally as diverse. Not only can you get great traditional dishes, but Singaporean food is also well known for mixing together the cultures to produce a dish which is entirely unique. If you only have one chance to dine in Singapore, the famed Shangri-la lunch buffet is a fantastic place to experience all the flavours which Singapore has to offer. Not only is the dining room huge, but the choice of food is so immense that I found it impossible to taste everything. From fresh oysters and sashimi to black pepper crab and dim sims, the buffet also features western dishes like pasta cabonara and roast beef. The dessert selection was just as enormous, with choices starting from a chocolate fountain, ice-cream and fresh, tropical fruit. And unlike other buffets with a wide selection of food, everything was just as delicious as if it were from a hawker centre.

Lastly, my gastronomic journey through Singapore wouldn’t be complete without one of the world’s most controversial fruit, the durian. Its spiky exterior and creamy, yellow flesh is immediately distinctive, as is its pungent fragrance. To some, the smell sends mouths salivating with delight, but to others the strong odour can be intolerably overpowering. This has meant that all hotels and indoor spaces have banned the fruit from its premises, forcing me to resort to spy-like secrecy as I snuck the fruit into my room and devoured the buttery, sweet durian whilst sticking my head out the window. But with food this good, any risk of detection by housekeeping was well worth it.