What’s a year-end celebration with no bubbly? And no, we’re not talking about wine or champagne – just your good ‘ol beers! So, here are some little-known secrets we’re sharing – the best local food beer matches that you may not have tried before!

Beers are perfect for year-end parties because they are easier to get, less pricey and have a lower alcohol content. And a glass or two is just about right to get your guests in a festive mood. But naturally, we can’t survive a party on beer alone. Read on to find out the best types of food you can pair that pint of ice cold beer with!

1. SatayAh, satay… skewers of seasoned, grilled goodness served with a peanut based sauce, fresh cucumbers and diced shallots. With your choice of mutton, chicken or sometimes beef, the meats are grilled over a charcoal fire, providing the delicious smoky flavour that we all know and love! The sweet and savoury dish works great with a refreshing pint of light or medium beer, which helps to cut through the richness of eating too much satay!

So, if you work or live near the city, check out Desa Kartika Indonesian Restaurant, where you can pick up their signature Satay Kartika on your way home or to a party!

2. Sambal StingraySambal stingray is almost iconic to Singapore with its flavourful barbecue marinade crowned with spicy sambal paste and kaffir limes. The belachan in the paste adds a glorious touch of umami to the barbequed fish, while the sour-savoury-spicy combination from the paste and the limes makes it great with a cold, crisp beer to cool down your taste buds! Medium to dark beers are a great choice to pair with this feisty dish!

3. Char Kway TeowChar Kway Teow is a national favourite in Singapore. Made of stir-fried flat rice noodles with light and dark soy sauce, belachan, whole prawns, bean sprouts, chopped chives, blood cockles and egg, this medley is sometimes accompanied with fishcake, Chinese sausage (lub cheong) and crisp croutons of pork lard. Sound good? Share this hearty sweet and savoury dish with some mates and pair it with a pint! Pick up a portion to-go at Cookhouse by Koufu.

4. Roast Pork BellyWhat is juicy, crispy, savoury, rich and decadent at the same time? You guessed it, pork belly! The Germans have definitely shown the world how fried, crispy pork knuckles work with beer, but we too can achieve the same gastronomical experience with crispy pork belly (siu yuk) from Crystal Jade Kitchen – a food near and dear to Chinese cuisine! Light or white German beers would work beautifully with the crispy, salty siu yuk, bringing out the subtle flavours and heightening your dining experience!

5. Carrot Cake or Oyster OmeletteImagine fluffy cubes of grated white radish, fried in a glorious fluffy omelette with preserved, seasoned turnip, dressed with chives and served with tangy chilli sauce that is mildly spicy. Or fresh oysters, served in a fluffy wok-fried omelette with tapioca starch, served with kaffir limes, chopped chives and that same delicious chilli sauce. The fried goodness of these dishes pair excellently with a refreshing cold beer, and a dark beer would work wonderfully to cut through the richness and grease on your palate.

6. Cereal Prawns

Every local knows the goodness of piping hot, buttery cereal prawns. With the sweet and savoury nature of the dish, it pairs excellently with light to medium beers! While dark beers might overpower the flavour of the prawns, light to medium beers complement its subtle flavour and brings out the oaty goodness from the cereal. Uncle Leong Signatures is popular for their fresh seafood dishes, making this a great place to pick up a portion of piping hot cereal prawns!

7. Fried RiceDepending on your preferred style of your fried rice, this dish and beer are definitely good friends. Chinese-style fried rice usually works with lighter or white beers like Tiger and Heineken, while the more heavily seasoned Malay or Indian-style fried rice might work better with medium or darker brews.

8. Fishball Noodles

It may be a surprise that fishball noodles go very well with beer! In fact, light beers work especially well with fishball noodles, enhancing the flavours of the fishballs and fishcake, and cutting through the oil in the soup. The beer makes the flavour of the dish sharper and more distinct, while the soupy goodness of the fishball noodles balances out the alcohol in your drink.

85 Redhill Teochew Fishball Noodles makes their own fishballs and fishcakes, using a secret recipe that has been passed down for generations. The noodles are springy and al dente, making this a worthy contender to pair with your favourite beer!

Who knew that beer and local food would go so well together? Share with us what your favourite combos are!

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