50 photos that show why Singapore has the greatest street food in the world

Singapore is world famous for its street food.

It's served in hawker centers, where people can choose from hundreds of dishes.

Hawker Chan Hong Meng of the Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle stall recently won a Michelin star.

He has perfected soya sauce chicken, a dish that's originally from northern China.

However, chicken rice is probably Singapore's unofficial national dish. First, chicken is boiled in a flavorful broth. Then the rice is cooked in that same broth. It's simple yet flavorful and juicy.

Laksa is another signature Singaporean dish. It's a fish soup that's made with rice noodles and oodles of seafood in a rich and spicy coconut broth.

Fried Hokkien Mee is made with thick egg noodles and rice noodles which are cooked in a seafood broth and topped with shrimp, squid, pork belly, and lard. Singaporeans add chili sauce for an extra kick.

Nasi lemak is a Malay rice dish that's cooked in coconut milk and a pandan leaf. It's usually served with anchovies, peanuts, chili and some sort of meat or curry.

Roti prata is a fried Indian pancake that's tissue-thin, greasy, and delicious.

Murtabak uses a dough that's similar to roti prata, but is stuffed with minced lamb, egg, and onions. It's usually served with a side of curry for dipping.

Rojak is a fruit and vegetable salad that's made with pineapple, cucumber, and dough fritters tossed in a fish paste sauce and topped with crushed peanuts. It's a sweet, spicy, and gooey mixture.

Barbecue stingray with chili sambal is another iconic Singaporean dish. The stingray is coated in a spicy chili sauce, wrapped in a cleaned banana leaf, and grilled for a smoky, spicy, and delicious flavor.

Fish ball noodle soup is served piping hot with a side of chilis for an extra kick.

Bak chor mee (mince pork noodles) is savory and delicious.

Chinese fried rice with seafood is typical hawker center fare.

Bok choy is served in a garlicky brown sauce as a green side dish.

Char kway teow is made from flat rice noodles that are stir-fried with soy sauce, chili, shellfish, and chives.

Kaya toast is Singapore's national breakfast food. The toast is grilled over an open charcoal flame, and then slathered with kaya (a coconut jam made with coconut, milk, and sugar).

The kaya toast is served with coffee and soft-boiled eggs. You're supposed to add soy sauce and pepper to the eggs, then dip the kaya toast into the warm, liquidy concoction.

Chui Kueh is a dense rice cake that's topped with savory preserved vegetables.

Lontong is a Malay dish that consists of a spongy rice cake cut into strips and cooked in a rich curry with vegetables and egg.

Chai tow kuay is Singapore's version of carrot cake — but it's nothing like the sweet confection we think of as carrot cake. The "cake" is fried with soy sauce, eggs, vegetables, and fish sauce.

Chili crab is another one of Singapore's national dishes. The crab is doused in a spicy chili-tomato gravy. Eating it is a messy affair.

Choy sum is a Chinese vegetable that's a thinner version of bok choy. It's prepared with garlic as a side dish.

Some hawker center stalls display their dishes behind glass, like this Chinese squid with celery dish.

You'll find roast chickens and ducks hanging in restaurant windows and hawker center stalls all around Singapore.

That roast duck or chicken is used in several Chinese dishes, like this noodle soup.

Hong Kong-style wonton noodle soup is savory and delicious.

This hawker center vendor serves spit-roasted pork and chicken.

Fried Indian snacks, like samosas, are displayed behind glass in hawker centers.

People help themselves to fried pakora (vegetables) and other fried Indian treats.

Indian food vendors sell fried fish with masala sauce.

Big tubs of chana masala (chickpeas with masala sauce) smell delicious.

Tandoori chicken is a typical Indian dish.

Singaporeans love their food spicy. You'll find trays of chili condiments all around the hawker centers.

Chinese fish cakes are a quick and savory snack.

Vendors grill satay — skewers of meat — over an open flame.

The satay meat is typically chicken or mutton, and it's served with a side of cool cucumbers and onions and a sweet peanut sauce.

There's also prawn satay.

This Chinese seafood omelette is topped with chopped scallions.

Otak-otak is a cake made of mashed fish that's mixed with coconut milk, chili, and spices, wrapped in a banana leaf, and grilled over charcoal. It's a traditional Peranakan (a local Singaporean ethnic group) dish.

Singaporeans eat cockles either raw or cooked in various noodle dishes.

You can get fried fish and prawns on a stick.

Fried yams and tapioca cake are popular finger foods.

People choose to wash down their meals with fresh coconut water or soy-based drinks.

Sweet red bean buns make for a nice dessert.

This grass jelly with IQ balls is a sweet gelatinous dessert that's made with ice, syrup, and jelly.

Ice kachang (shaved ice dessert) is another popular — and colorful — frozen dessert.

Kaya cake is a sweet spongy cake that's made with kaya (coconut jam).

Fried bananas are crispy on the outside and gooey and delicious on the inside.