Your guide to Singapore's best-kept foodie secrets

Food is truly where a Singaporean's passion lies. Queues at local establishments, be they hawker centres, coffee shops or restaurants, are a daily sight. So is the custom of travelling across the island during lunch breaks just to get one's fill of a star dish. The ensuing food photos posted online are proof that this love affair is a fundamental part of the national psyche.

The Singaporean palate is diverse, bringing together a patchwork of flavours, spices and colours.

Tourists may be fed the culinary clichés: , (fragrant rice), chilli crab and the ubiquitous chicken rice. But those with a bit of time explore the island will uncover the essence of Singapore.

Here are six of the best.

Singapore's restaurants have as much buzz as Hong Kong's dai pai dong. This one is tucked inside a public housing estate. Frequented by anyone from students to families and couples, this humble open-air diner is best known for its special butter pork, costing as little as S$8 (HK$49).

Owners Lam Chan Wah and Lee Kao Shung cook the pork chops slowly in butter and then add flour, milk and other "secret" ingredients until a soft, powdery coating forms. The contrast between the milky coating and the wok-fried curry leaf garnish is delicious. Salty and sweet, the pork also has a slight crunch.

With more than 100 other dishes, including the flavour-rich three egg (century, chicken and salted) vegetable broth and honey roasted chicken wings, it's understandable why this shop is beating the competition.