The Great World

One of the most important aspects when traveling is local cuisine. So, what to eat in Singapore?

Singapore, often hailed as a food paradise, offers a diverse and tantalizing array of culinary delights, blending Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian influences. The city-state’s melting pot culture has given birth to a unique and varied food scene, making it a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts. Here are some of Singapore’s signature dishes that you absolutely must try:

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Often considered Singapore’s national dish, Hainanese Chicken Rice is a simple yet flavorful meal. It consists of succulent steamed or roasted chicken served over fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth. It’s typically accompanied by chili sauce and ginger paste.

Hainanese Chicken Rice from Hainan Island (China) but has become an indispensable delicacy for Singaporeans. Rice is often cooked with chicken, ginger, garlic and sometimes pandan leaves are added to add flavor to the rice dish. Chili sauce made from garlic and red pepper is served with rice.

Reference price: About 4-8 SGD/portion.

Where to eat the best Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore? Suggesting some places for you:

• Boon Tong Kee: 401 Balestier Road, Singapore.
• Ming Kee Chicken Rice & Porridge: 511 Bishan Street 13, Singapore (not served on Tuesday)
• Tian Tian Chicken Rice: 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-10, Maxwell Road Hawker Centre, Singapore (not served on Monday).
• Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant: 101 Thomson Road,#01-08, United Square, Singapore.

2. Chilli Crab

A celebrated Singaporean seafood dish, Chilli Crab features mud crabs stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet, and savory tomato and chili-based sauce. Despite its name, it’s not overly spicy and is usually served with mantou (fried or steamed buns) to mop up the delicious sauce.

The crab is boiled first, then fried so that the crab meat does not stick to the crab shell. There are two most popular ways to prepare crab meat in Singapore: with chili sauce, slightly tomato-flavored, sweet and spicy, or with black pepper sauce.

Reference price: About 30 – 45 SGD/portion.

Where to eat the best Chilli Crab in Singapore? Suggesting some places for you:

• Red House Seafood Restaurant: 68 Prinsep Street, Singapore 188661
• No Signboard Seafood: 414 Geylang Singapore 389392
• Long Beach Seafood: Blk 1018 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 449877
• Crab Party: 98 Yio Chu Kang Road, Singapore 545576
• Ban Leong Wah Hoe Seafood: 122 Casuarina Road, Singapore 579510

3. Laksa

Laksa is a spicy noodle soup with a base of creamy coconut milk or sour asam (tamarind or kokum). It’s a fusion of Chinese and Malay elements and comes in various types, with the most famous being Katong Laksa, characterized by its cut-up noodles which can be easily eaten with a spoon.

Traditional Singaporean Curry Laska Noodles uses vermicelli/noodles, coconut milk, puffed fried tofu, a few slices of fish, shrimp, and blood cockles. Depending on the price adjustment or each person’s taste, the meal may or may not include shrimp and blood cockles.

Reference price: About 5 SGD/small portion, 8 SGD/large portion

Where to eat the best Curry Laska Noodles in Singapore? Suggesting some places for you:

• 328 Katong Laksa: 51/53 East Coast Road, Singapore 428770
• Sungei Road Laksa: Blk 27 Jalan Berseh, #01-100 Singapore 200027
• Janggut Laksa: 1 Queensway, Queensway Shopping Centre, #01-59, Singapore 149053

4. Satay

These are skewers of marinated meat (chicken, beef, mutton, or pork) grilled over a charcoal fire. Satay is one of Singapore’s famous snacks that visitors cannot miss. This is a meat dish marinated with turmeric and grilled on a charcoal stove. Satay originates from Indonesia and has become a famous dish at hawker stalls in Singapore. Satay is usually served with a delectable peanut sauce, cucumber, and rice cakes called ketupat.

Reference price: About 8 SGD/small portion, 15 SGD/large portion

Where to eat the best Satay in Singapore? Suggesting some places for you:

• Kwong Satay: 549 Lorong 29 Geylang Road, Sing Lian Eating House, Singapore (not served on Wednesday).
• Haron Satay: 1220 East Coast Parkway, East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Singapore.
• Chuan Kee Satay: Block 51 Old Airport Road, #01-85, Old Airport Road Food Centre Singapore (not served on Monday and Thursday).

5. Char Kway Teow

A popular noodle dish in Southeast Asia, Char Kway Teow consists of flat rice noodles stir-fried with eggs, prawns, deshelled cockles, Chinese lap cheong (sausage), bean sprouts, and chives in a mix of soy sauce.

Reference price: About 6 SGD/small portion, 10 SGD/large portion

Where to eat the best Char Kway Teow in Singapore? Suggesting some places for you:

• Hill Street Char Kway Teow: Blk 16 Bedok South Road, 01-187, Bedok South Road Market & Food Centre, Singapore.
• Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee: Blk 531A Upper Cross Street, 02-17, Hong Lim Food Centre, Singapore.
• 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow: 70 Zion Road, Zion Riverside Food Centre, 01-17, Singapore (not served on Monday)
• Guan Kee Fried Kway Teow: Blk 20 Ghim Moh Road, 01-12, Ghim Moh Market And Food Centre, Singapore.

6. Hokkien Prawn Mee

This is a flavorful noodle dish combining both rice and egg noodles, stir-fried with eggs, prawns, squid, and sometimes pork, and served with sambal sauce and a lime wedge. Hokkien Prawn Mee doesn’t sound very difficult to cook but the secret lies in how good the prawn stock is as this stock imparts the essence to the noodles and is the key ingredient that makes the plate satisfying.

Reference price: About 4-7 SGD/portion.

Where to eat the best Hokkien Prawn Mee in Singapore? Suggesting some places for you:

• Ming Yun Famous Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle: #01-12, 117 Aljunied Avenue 2, Aljunied Market & Hawker Centre, Singapore 380117 (Thursday – Sunday 6 AM to 2 PM. Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays)
• Havelock Road Blk 50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee: #01-100, ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006 (Opening Hours: 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM. Closed on Tuesdays)
• Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Prawn Mee: #01-13, ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006 (Opening Hours: 3:00 PM to 10:45 PM. Closed on Wednesdays)
• Original Serangoon Fried Hokkien Mee: 556 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218181 (Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 4:30 PM to 11:15 PM Closed on Mondays)

Please continue reading part 2 to discover more about the list of dishes to try when traveling to Singapore