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Singapore, a destination that popped up for travellers around the world after seeing the movie Crazy Rich Asians and falling in love with the lavish life (as well as Nick Young), is amazing for many reasons!
This tiny little island country officially known as the Republic of Singapore hides away in maritime South East Asia. Known for the shopping and the unique attractions like the Night Safari and Supertrees, Singapore is also home to some of the best food you’ll ever try in your life! So, without further ado, let’s get right into the best food in Singapore.
A little on Singaporean food
Singapore has a very rich history within Asia and it has been an important trading port for a very long time. The strategic location has made it an ideal hub for international trade and commerce, and this influx of traders from the 13th century onwards has played a major role in the development of the food culture in the country today.
Singaporean cuisine today sees major influences from Portuguese flavours with the historic spice trade between Singapore and Portugal along the Silk Road in the early 1500s. Additionally, throughout the 1800-2000s, Singapore saw a lot of Chinese, Indian, and Malays (including Indigenous Malays) immigrate to the area over time. Due to this blending of various cultures and ethnic groups, Singapore, the vibrant city in the heart of South East Asia is often called ‘The Cultural Melting Pot’, bringing you many delicious dishes. So let me share with you my top 17 best foods in Singapore to try, and where to get them!
Image source:Cera / unsplash
Hawker Centres
Singapore, the centre of South East Asia’s food haven, the melting pot as it’s known, will have your mouth watering as you read about all these delicious treats. Singapore is known to be expensive, however Hawker Centres have your back!
Hawker Centres and other street stalls will offer cheaper bites throughout the city, so you can take full advantage of the delicious cheap Singaporean bites. Hawker Centres are popular for locals and tourists, and they provide a clean and sanitary area to eat. Traditionally Hawker Centres are open air complexes that are conveniently located at the heart of housing estates. They are a significant, and unique aspect of Singapore.
The best food in Singapore
1. Hainanese chicken rice
This is considered Singapore’s national dish. Variations can be found all around the city and in just about every Hawker Centres. Hainanese chicken and rice is a simple dish made of poached chicken, aromatic steamed rice, flavourful condiments on the side like chilli sauce, a tangy ginger and garlic paste, and a serving of fresh cucumbers which brings the whole meal together.
Hainanese chicken originates from Hainan Island, where a dish called Wenchang Chicken first hailed, and various adaptation of it gave us the iconic Singaporean dish we know today.
Best places to try: Boong Tong Kee and Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice.
2. Hokkien prawn noodles
Locally known as hokkien mee (noodles) this is a mouth-watering dish that can be found in all Hawker Centres. The dish is comprised of nothing but the best fresh ingredients such as prawns, beansprouts, squid, slices of pork, and egg which are all stir fried together in a prawn and pork stock. It’s served with a sambal (relish) and lime.
Hokkien mee can be served wet or dry, it depends on the consumer and how much broth you want stir fried. In the dish you can use yellow egg noodles or bee hoon (thin rice noodles).
Best places to try: Both of my recommendations are street food stalls; Ho Ji Hokkien Prawn Noodles and You Fu (Shiok Hokkien Mee).
3. Chilli crab
Proudly originating in Singapore, it is often referred to as the national dish. It’s enjoyed at seafood restaurants and throughout Hawker Centres and stalls. There are variations in the recipe across the many places who serve it, but the flavour combination comes from a mixture of chilli sauce, tomato paste, sambal (similar to a hot relish) and egg. The chopped mud crabs are wok fried in a sweet sauce and served with the shell on.
When trying this dish, I strongly recommend not to wear white, or say yes when the waitstaff offer you a bib. If you can’t handle the heat, another popular Singaporean dish to look out for on the menu is pepper crab.
Best places to try: the Michelin plate recognised Roland Seafood, where Madam Cher Yam Tian is said to be the creator of the dish in the 1950s. The restaurant is now run by the second generation. Another location which imports speciality crabs from Sri Lanka is Sin Hoi Sai.
4. Laksa
Laksa is a very famous spicy noodle dish which takes its origins from Chinese and Malay traditional foods. Laksa has many regional variations across Malaysia and Singapore. The meal is served in a large bowl, filled with a rich, spicy coconut milk soup, rice noodles, and added proteins like fish cakes and prawns. The flavour comes from the sambal paste.
Best places to try: head to the Bib Gourmand Hawker Stall for the famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa in Chinatown.
5. Fish head curry
This dish was invented by a South Indian chef to appeal more to Chinese diners. The flavours are reminiscent of India, infused with Chinese cuisine’s fondness for fish heads. This Singaporean dishwill be served in both Chinese and Indian restaurants and eateries. One of the most important things to keep in mind with this meal is that the fish head is a fresh red snapper that will be staring right at you, but you can eat every bit! The flesh around the cheeks is delicate, and if you’re feeling wild make sure to try the eyeballs, which are known for their umami flavour.
Best places to try: there’s a local regular looking coffee shop which has been operating for close to 40 years. It’s one of the best places and found in the Bib Gourmand eatery. The name is Zai Shun Curry Fish Head. A second option is at Muthu’s Curry, in a posher restaurant. This restaurant has their own twist and adds in pineapple chunks, and vegetables like okra and tomato.
6. Bak kut teh
A quick translation for this mouth-watering dish is “meat bone tea”, or, to break it down even further, pork rib stew. The meal is said to have been introduced to Singapore and Malaysia through Fujians Hokkien immigrants. The broth comes in 3 main traditional styles: dark, herbal to clear, or peppery. The fragrant herbal taste comes from herbs and spices such as garlic, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds and coriander.
It’s said that bak kut teh has a natural medicinal value. The herbs warm up the body, and the collagen from the pork bones is good for the natural healing of wounds, beneficial for the skin, as well as keeping joints and limbs healthy.
Best places to try: Song Fa Bak Kut The, in the Bib Gourmand eatery. The queues will be long, as locals and tourists line up for the delicious peppery broth. This place first started back in 1969 as a street food pushcart stall but has since then expanded under the second generation, and even opened overseas in Indonesia, China, and Thailand. If you don’t have the patience for the queues, you can also try Feng Xiang. The best dark broth is at the Michelin plate Hokkien Street Bak Kut Teh.
7. Char kway teow
A food commonly found at all the Hawker Centresaround Singapore, char kway teow is a stir fried noodle dish, typically made with black soy sauce, flat rice noodles, eggs, beansprouts, and scallions. It’s easy enough to get this made into a vegetarian option as it’s stir fried fresh in front of you at the streets carts, and restaurants – so just ask for no meat!
In Singapore, it’s common to find other ingredients like fishcake, shrimp or Chinese sausage. The noodles are cooked in a large wok with dark soy sauce, and chilli paste, blending sweet and spicy. The meal is garnished with fresh lime and scallions. It’s a quick, cheap and easy meal.
Best places to try: Hill Street char kway teow, but expect queues, queues and more queues. Business hours are short, the food is to die for, and this place is always busy. It’s packed with an intense flavour, and overflowing with shallots, eggs, beansprouts, cockles, sausages and MORE. Alternatively try No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow, cheaper end of the scale for meals in Singapore and comes with a little extra spice.
If you want an in-depth local experience throughout Malaysia and Singapore, jump onto the Malaysia and Singapore Highlights and sign up for the free time add on to Discover Penang on Two Wheels. This adventure will take you cycling through old fishing villages, rice paddy fields, tasting local coffee and finishing off with a delicious lunch, fresh char kway teow or laksa.
8. Kway chap
The base for this dish is big broad, flat rice noodles that are served in a rich savoury broth procured from pork bones, aromatic spices and flavour enhanced with garlic and soy sauce. It’s served with a variety of intestines, liver and stomach, with slices of braised pork belly or duck. Chilli sauce usually comes on the side. This Singaporean dish is definitely for the more adventurous foodies, but 100% one to try!
Best places to try: Kelantan kway chap (pig organ soup), this stall is located in Berseh Food Centre and is very famous for the soup. The brine is a specialty full of spices. There are lots of extras added to this dish, pig trotters, pork skin, marinated eggs and tofu.
9. Char siew
The direct translation for this meal is “fork roasted”. It is based on the traditional Cantonese dish’s method of skewering seasoned meat with long forks, and placing them in an oven or over a fire. Traditionally the dish uses pork – the belly, back, loin or neck – which is flavoured with 5 Chinese spices, and then glazed with honey and red rice yeast which produces a rich reddish colour. Truly addictive once you’ve tasted this delicious caramelized meal. Often served with rice, and a fresh garnish on the side like cucumbers.
Best places to try: Fook Kin and Char Siu Lang. Char Siu Lang charcoal roasts their pork giving an authentic flavour.
10. Har cheong gai
The Cantonese name for “prawn paste chicken”, this dish starts with a marinade which is added directly to a batter (flour and potato starch) and then chilled overnight. This gives the chicken its thick, crunchy crust. The chicken parts are marinated in a Chinese-style fermented shrimp sauce, Chinese wine, and sesame oil. This is a must try for anyone who loves fried chicken and who is keen on trying it in all its forms!
Best places to try: Ah Tan Wings, Ban Leong Wah Hoe and the infamous Har Cheong Guy – the name says it all. A street food snack that should be low in price, around $5 SGD.
11. Roti paratha and Teh tarik
Roti paratha is a flaky Indian bread made with or without eggs and served with a delicious vegetable or chicken curry on the side. You can’t have a roti paratha without a teh tarik on the side. Teh tarik is pulled tea – and quite the show if you get to witness it. It’s made with carnation milk and as it’s pulled from mug to mug this gives the frothy affect. The infamous combination of roti and teh tarik is available all day. The combo makes for a quick breakfast or a delicious late night snack. Sometimes the roti is served with sugar, or condensed milk – no judgement here.
Best places to try: The Roti Prata House, any small street vendors around Little India, Al-Azhar Restaurant and finally Springleaf Prata Place.
12. Pork ribs
Baked, long and slow at all your best barbecue restaurants across Singapore, you’ll smell them before you taste them. The pork ribs should still be tender and hold the aroma of the sticky glaze made of tomato, honey butter, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, and garlic. This mouth-watering dish of perfection should be crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside.
Best places to try: Meat ‘n’ Chill – purely a steak and ribs restaurant, and Decker Barbecue.
13. Satay / Sate
This dish is made up of skewered grilled meat, vegetables or tofu that is served with a portion of rice, peanut sauce (sate/satay), cucumber and a spicy relish. Usually served as a starter for you and friends, it can be found in most street food stalls and Hawker Centres. A simple sate will leave your mouth watering for more. A popular dish at Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre and one of my favourite places to eat. They even offer vegetarian “meat” sate options so everyone can enjoy.
Best places to try: Lau Pa Sat – there is a whole street dedicated to sate at this Hawker Centre, and an easy to grab snack at Satay by the Bay (the Hawker Centre at Gardens by the Bay).
There’s a cultural overlap between Malaysia and Singapore. Once upon a time Singapore belonged to Malaya (Malaysia). Contiki’s Bangkok to Singapore Adventure will take you through the history books, and whilst you’re listening to the local guide, you will get the chance to photograph your way through Penang’s street art, snack on satay sticks, slurp through a cold and refreshing cendol, and see a teh tarik demonstration.
14. Cendol
This next one is not for everyone, as it’s a texture based dessert, though it’s very popular amongst South East Asian cultures. Cendol is an ice-cold dessert – literally – and it combines both sweet and savoury flavours. It’s also known as ‘ice kacang’ and pronounced ‘chendol’, and comes served in a cup, or sometimes coconut half with a huge mound of shaved ice, covered in different sweet flavoured syrups, jelly strings, red beans, corn, and atap seeds.
Cendol has variations which include coconut milk, brown sugar, green starch strips (strings). The green colouring comes from pandan leaves.
Best places to try: Old Amoy Cendol (main) one of the best and most traditional tastings, or try Nyonya Cendol on Old Airport Road. It’s the perfect ice cold, sweet treat to munch on as you walk your way around Singapore, as it can be found in small vendors and stalls too.
15. Nyonya Keuh
Nyonya are an ethnic group of Peranakan Chinese who have made their way to Singapore, and with them they brought lots of delicious treats. The Nyonya style of cooking blends aspects of Indonesia and Malay foods. Nyonya keuh (cake) is a bright and colourful dessert that you’ll find at the end of any street food tour. You can’t eat your way through Singapore without trying some of the local sweets.
These sweets are handmade and have roots stemming from Indonesian, Chinese, and Malaysian food. They share a common ingredient: coconut shavings, as well as glutinous rice (sticky rice) and palm sugar. These ingredients are sourced from Malaysia, Singapore’s bordering country. The Peranakan keuh will have artificial food colourings, whilst Malay Keuh will have natural food colourings.
Best places to try: Jump onto a street food tour around Singapore, and I can guarantee this sweet treat will be included, otherwise keep your eyes peeled for the bright colours at the street food stalls.
16. Kaya toast
A classic Singaporean breakfast. Think French toast but better! It is a staple food found at all local coffee shops (kopitiam). Slices of bread are toasted and loaded up with kaya (which is the name for a sweet jam made with coconut milk), pandan leaf (to give the green colour), eggs and sugar. You’ll find a chunk of salted butter in the middle to offer a savoury component. Often served with a soft-boiled egg and soy sauce for extra taste.
Best places to try: Bao Er Café, expect this place to be busy as it’s trending on TikTok and Instagram for locals and tourists from Malaysia. Try Seng Hong Coffee Shop, Ya Kun Coffee Shop, Heng Heng Coffee Stall – all depending on where in the city you are staying.
17. Rojak
A Singaporean dish that’s also found in the bordering countries of Malaysia and parts of Indonesia, this fruity meal has a combination of sweet and sour fruits and vegetables which are tossed in a sweet and savoury dressing. Common ingredients are pineapple, cucumber, tofu puffs, and dough fritters chopped all together.
The sauce drizzled over the top varies, but is mainly comprised of locally made prawn/shrimp pastes, sugar, lime, chillies, peanuts and tamarind. Some rojak recipes will include a flower called ‘Torch Ginger’, which is a beautiful pink and makes up key edible decoration. This flower is common among South East Asian dishes, it can be eaten raw and stir fried.
Best places to try: Lau Hong Ser Rojak, 684 Black & White Rojak or the Albert Centre Food, and find the famous Singapore Rojak stall.
Updates in Singaporean food
In 2024 there was a revolutionary new trend added to Singaporean cuisine. Singapore this week has officially approved 16 different insects to be included in a modern diet, that are safe for human consumption. Some of the popular insects on the list include: crickets, grubs, moth larvae, one species of honeybee, grasshoppers, mealworms, locusts and a giant rhino beetle.
It doesn’t include all insects so don’t just go throwing anything into your home cooking, but particular insects at particular stages of growth. From now, we will start to see a roll out of these creepy crawlies on the menu. Nothing unusual in an Asian diet, as many rural areas across South East Asia actually include insects as part of their diet.
Top tips for eating in Singapore
Once you’ve embarked on your trip to Singapore, it’s time to prepare yourself to explore all the country has to offer.
Some of my top tips:
- Wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
- Download GRAB – just like uber it’s great to use across the city when ride sharing with friends.
- Debit Cards – have it accessible in your daypack, as you can now tap on and tap off public buses and trains. Public transport is very efficient in Singapore, and affordable. Not to mention, it’s all air conditioned, even the underground!
- Bring your own wet wipes or napkins as recent regulations have been established in Singapore to remove them from street vendors’ stalls, this is an effort to keep the city clean and uphold Singapore’s reputation for being one of the cleanest, and greenest cities in the world.
- Don’t forget to download the Michelin Guide to uncover even more hidden treats across Singapore.
When exploring the city make sure you stop into Raffles, which opened in 1887 and try the famous and original Singapore Sling which was created in 1915 by a Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Primarily it is a gin-based cocktail, with pineapple juice, lime juice, curacao and the secret ingredients. Expect to pay approximately $40 SGD now including the taxes and service charges. But hey, it’s a once in a lifetime. Cheers to that
After eating your way through Singapore and stopping by Raffles for the famous Singapore Sling, head to the Supertees at Gardens by the Bay for the evening lightshow, walk around to the Merlion fountain and follow this guide for some more things to do in Singapore.
Image source:Joshua Ang / unsplash
Some of my favourite street eats in Singapore
- Lau Pa Sat – Hawker Centre
- Old Airport Road – Street Food
- Haji Lane – restaurants, cafes and bars
- Little India – mouth-watering sweets and delicious curries
If you’re a foodie and want to get your mouth on all these bites, then I suggest booking the Thailand Malaysia and Singapore Escapade. This trip includes vespa tours with cooking demonstrations, local bbqs, family styled dinners, cooking classes, street food and street art walks combined in Malaysia, and then Hawker Centre and Happy Hour jumping your way through Singapore with iconic views from Marina Bay Sands, and Trip Manager hacks on how to gain entry for free.
