SINGAPOREANS love old favourites such as Hainanese chicken rice, char kway teow and chilli crab. But like true-blue food lovers everywhere, they are also game to try new culinary concoctions.
Which is why all eyes are on the Search For New Singapore Dishes contest.
It's part of a series of publicity events for SoShiok.com, a website on everything to do with food and drink, which will be launched soon.
The site is a reincarnation of the current Wine, Dine and Unwind, the No. 1 food and drinks guide in AsiaOne, the information and lifestyle portal of Singapore Press Holdings.
It has won the Hitwise award in Food and Beverage - Lifestyle and Reference category three years in a row since 2005.
Ms Chen Jingwen, the editor for SoShiok.com, said it's high time someone came up with something fresh for local cuisine.
A former Straits Times journalist and corporate communications executive in SPH, who regularly blogs about food, she said: "The dish should be original and reflect any one or more of Singapore's races."
This could be barbecued crab with laksa gravy, or even crocodile meat satay, to give examples, she said.
"We're looking for a creative dish; but when you eat it, you will still taste Singapore on your tongue."
Of course, it has to be tasty.
On May 10, the finalists - six each in the professional and amateur cook categories - will present their creations to a panel of judges at Jurong Point Shopping Centre in Boon Lay.
The judges include two top chefs: Mr Eric Teo, president of Singapore Chefs Association, and Mr Horst Fuetterer, deputy director of the College of Culinary Art at Shatec.
The third judge is Straits Times' food critic Wong Ah Yoke.
Top winners in the two categories win $1,000 each. There are plans to compile the winning recipes in a book.
Entry to the contest, supported by the Singapore Chefs Association, hospitality school Shatec and Jurong Point Shopping Centre, will close on Thursday.
SoShiok.com is the first in a roll-out of new websites under the AsiaOne banner.
Mr Adrian Tay, editor of AsiaOne, said SoShiok.com will be interactive and have multimedia elements.
"Readers can locate their favourite restaurant via a map-search function," he explained.
"The other key service is a customised clip-board where readers can input their own favourite reviews, among other things. It's just like a personalised bookmark."
For details on how to join the Search For New Singapore Dishes, visit the Wine and Dine section at www.asiaone.com, or send your entry to a1food@sph.com.sg
