Which dish gets your vote?

Is the way to a voter's heart through his stomachs?

This election season has seen the spotlight trained on hawker fare.

The People's Action Party (PAP) held press conferences at coffee shops and candidates served food at events announcing their candidacy.

But it was a post on photo-sharing app Instagram that took the election fever in a gastronomic direction.

It started with one "heavenly" orh luak (oyster omelette). Workers' Party (WP) MP Sylvia Lim posted a photo of herself eating the dish in Fengshan SMC, fanning speculations of her contesting that constituency. She's not, by the way.

That post also spawned debate on where the best orh luak (or its starch-free cousin, orh neng) can be found.

Other candidates have also jumped on the food wagon, eager to show off a lighter side of their characters. Here are some of them:

THE WORLD IS THEIR OYSTER... OMELETTE

So, where can one find the best orh luak?

Marine Parade MP Tan Chuan-Jin said on Instagram  that it’s in Chinatown — Katong Keah Kee Fried Oysters.

Joo Chiat MP Charles Chong, whose  constituency is now part of Marine Parade, said that the orh neng is better in Aljunied.

This was after he corrected himself on Facebook: “Thanks to those who pointed out that it is actually orh neng. I clearly don’t know my ‘luak’ from my ‘neng’ from my ‘jian’!”

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HIS TARIK IS NOT TEROK*

PAP’s Jalan Besar GRC team prepared and served breakfast food such as kaya toast for residents at a grassroots event shortly before announcing their candidacy on Aug 16.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim also took the opportunity show off his teh tarik skills at the event.

The candidates for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC — Mr Lawrence Wong, Madam Halimah Yacob, Mr Ong Teng Koon and Mr Alex Yam — also served food to residents when they announced their team on Aug 21. Clad in white aprons, they managed to stay fairly spotless despite the sauce-heavy dishes.

* Malay for bad

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LOVE THE FOOD, BUT NO PICTURES

First-time PAP candidate Cheryl Chan, who will be contesting in Fengshan, said that her favourite dish there is laksa.

She also added a new dimension to the debate by saying that the most famous dish there is bak chor mee, not orh luak.

Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Darryl David told TNPS that his wife jokes about how his grassroots work takes him to the kopitiam.

He said: “There’s a great prawn noodle stall at Block 644, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4.

“My wife’s a bit concerned that I spend too much time there. She’s tells me, ‘Don’t eat too much because you have to watch your health’.”

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, a fan of fish soup, told The New Paper on Sunday where the best stalls can be found. “There’s one at Maxwell Road Food Centre that’s very good.

“There’s another one at the old Ellenborough Market, Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post.”

The Tampines MP made a particular mention of a stall at Block 844, Tampines Street 82. “They are a very hardworking couple and have a slightly different way of doing it. They put lots of vegetables and are one of the few to add bittergourd and tomato.”

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COMFORT FOOD IS THE BEST

While other candidates have been raving about hawker food, Pasir Ris-Punggol MP Teo Ser Luck was more than happy to share a picture of his instant noodles, which he described as comfort food, adding the hashtags #slurploudloud and #leavenonoodlesbehind.

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VADAI IS BETTER

Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC candidate Chee Hong Tat proved himself a fan of a big breakfast with a picture of himself indulging in vadai and bee hoon at Hai Fong Coffeeshop at Toa Payoh North.

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FROM HEAVENLY ORH LUAK TO DIVINE PRAWN NOODLES

WP’s He Ting Ru shared on Facebook a photo of her with other party members at Beach Road Prawn Mee Eating House.

She captioned that she loved the “sudden explosion” of food posts and invited her Facebook followers to share their favourite dishes.

The photo was originally posted by WP’s Terence Tan, who noted that the prawn noodles and rojak along East Coast Road are  “divine”.

PHOTOS: FACEBOOK, ST FILE