SINGAPORE: Think Singaporean cuisine and some favourites like chilli crab and chicken rice might spring to mind.

But this year's Singapore Food Festival organisers want to spearhead the creation of a new uniquely Singaporean dish by holding a culinary contest.

The kitchen was full of good smells and excitement as the competing chefs had only one hour to cook a dish which could impress the judges.

From 10 nutritious mushroom hot pots to poached noisette seabass, the dishes were both unusual and beautifully presented.

Wong Bun Huge, one of the judges, said: "With their skills, knowledge, experience.....put together all those fine and great ingredients, I think they can do a good job."

A one-of-a-kind Singapore creation, the Rojak Prawn Balls in Pocket Bean Curd came up tops in the healthy cuisine category.

The dish is a fragrant, unique combination of fruits, rojak sauce, bean curd and prawn.

The winner, Foong Kok Thin, said: "I tried to capture our local flavour and our Singapore goal to lead a healthy lifestyle. So, I did some research for a dish that could represent a truly Singaporean flavour."

And to make it a truly international yet Singaporean contest, a Thai chef emerged tops in the seafood category with his ambitiously titled creation - Lord of the Seas.

"I'm from Thailand, but I work in a Singapore restaurant. So, I have to adapt to Singaporean tastes. This curry took a month of taste testing with my customers to get it right," said Somsak Chomprach, the winner in the seafood category. - CNA/ir