The food in Singapore credits influences from India, China, Malaysia, and Thailand resulting in signature dishes like Hainanese chicken rice, a simple dish adapted from Chinese immigrants of poached chicken, rice flavored with ginger and shallots cooked with chicken broth, and chili grab—a messy but flavorful preparation of whole crabs in a spicy, garlic-tomato sauce.
But laksa, a spicy noodle soup, may be one Singaporean dish that best showcases the diversity of cultural influences. Thinner than a traditional Indian curry, but thicker than a Chinese soup, laksa is a coconut based broth prepared with lemongrass, chilis, galangal, fish paste. It has thick noodles and is finished with fresh toppings—similar to a Japanese ramen-- like shrimp, tofu, or pork balls.