Chapter 07 · Bakar

Charcoal, Satay & Street

Satay fanned over coals, sambal stingray, chwee kueh, carrot cake — the smoke-and-griddle end of the hawker centre.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·40 min·Beginner

Rojakrojak · 罗惹

The word means mixture, and the plate agrees — fruit, jicama, and fritters tossed in black hae ko, tamarind, and chili, buried in crushed peanuts.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·35 min·Intermediate

Orh Luak蚝烙

Small oysters folded into egg and a rice-and-tapioca batter, griddled hard so the edges shatter like lace while the centre stays molten — the Teochew oyster omelette.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·60 min·Intermediate

Chai Tow Kway菜头粿

Steamed radish cake cut into cubes and fried hard with egg, garlic, and salty preserved radish — the hawker carrot cake that comes two ways, white or black, and neither is wrong.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·165 min·Advanced

Char Siu Pau叉烧包

Cloud-white steamed buns that burst open at the top, packed with sweet-savory diced char siu in a glossy oyster-sauce gravy — the dim sum trolley's most requested parcel.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·75 min·Intermediate

Yong Tau Foo酿豆腐

Hakka stuffed tofu gone democratic — springy fish paste pressed into tofu and vegetables, poached in an ikan bilis broth that tastes of patience.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·45 min·Beginner

BBQ Chicken Wings烤鸡翅

Charcoal-blistered wings lacquered in a sweet-savoury marinade, eaten by the lagoon with chili and a squeeze of calamansi — the hawker BBQ pit's easiest genius.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·60 min·Intermediate

Sambal Stingraysambal pari · 三巴魔鬼鱼

Stingray wing grilled on a banana leaf under a thick coat of sambal — the BBQ-seafood stall classic that turned a cheap fish into the pride of the coast.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·60 min·Intermediate

Sataysate · ساتي

Charcoal-grilled skewers of turmeric-marinated chicken with a peanut sauce older than the island — a Javanese-Malay art Singapore made its own by the lagoon.

Charcoal, Satay & Street·70 min·Intermediate

Chwee Kueh水粿

Teochew steamed rice cakes with the tremble of just-set custard, buried under dark chai poh fried slow in more oil than you want to know about.