Top Foods to Eat in Singapore

Aside the beautiful places tourists are inclined to visit when in Singapore, another good reason to love this Island is its exceptional food. With such diverse cuisine, it is almost impossible for food lovers to leave this state without craving for another opportunity to return just to gratify their culinary needs.

Below is a list covering 10 of the dishes you must absolutely taste if you find yourself in Singapore.

Hainan Chicken Rice

This recipe simply consists of flavored rice and sauce with some boiled chicken, but undeniably tastes much better in Singapore. Considering how its taste and serving vary, either by the texture of the chicken, the spiciness of the sauces or the taste of the rice, it is no wonder that the Hainanese Chicken Rice, originally from China’s Hainan province, is one of the most popular and recommended meals to try on a visit. You may want to visit Singapore’s famed Maxwell Food Center to enjoy this meal.

Char Kway Teow

Stir fried noodles is extremely popular in this part of Asia, and Char Kway Teow just happens to be the favorite of both locals and tourists. It is prepared with flat rice noodles, eggs, shrimp paste, some chili, black soy sauce, and either blood cockles or Chinese sausages. The combination of the aforementioned ingredients makes this stir fried meal is sweet and salty at the same time, giving your taste buds all the satisfaction they need. Char Kway Teow can be found in various food hawker centers and restaurants across the country.

Bak Kut Teh

This dish is usually eaten for breakfast and is essentially pork rib soup in herbal potage. Bak Kut Teh, translated as ‘Meat bone tea’ also serves as a good cure for hangovers and can be eaten in two different styles. The first being the Teochew style with a peppery broth. The second is the Hokkien style which is served in a more aromatic dark broth of herbs and soy sauce. Bak Kut Teh can be accompanied by a bowl of rice and needs to be washed down with some hot Chinese tea.

Laksa

You cannot visit Singapore without getting a taste of the ever famous Laksa. Made from rice noodles, seafood, and a gravy of spicy coconut milk, shrimps and some protein of either eggs or chicken pieces, this is a true blend of Malay and Chinese ingredients. Though there are several variants of this dish, Singaporeans prefer the Katong Laksa which is prepared with cut-up noodles. You can find some of the best Laksas in food stalls such as 328 Katong Laksa which can be located near the Church of Holy Family in Singapore.

Another good place to consider is Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa. This is a very popular joint where the food stays hot all day and it is also known to produce one of best Laksas in Singapore.  This eatery can be found on Queensway near Alexandra Hospital.

Kaya Toast

Kaya Toast is perfect for breakfast lovers and an all-time favorite in Singapore. It combines white bread toast with delicious kaya spread, a creamy mix of eggs, coconut milk and caramelized sugar, and is usually served with boiled eggs and some soy sauce. Kaya Toast can be found at several local franchises as well as traditional coffee shops across town. You won’t regret getting a taste of this breakfast at Ya Kun Kaya Toast café. Ya Kun not only functions in Singapore but also in Cambodia, Japan, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and many more. In Singapore, they can be found on Alexandra Road. Once you find the Queenstown Secondary School, you will find Ya Kun where you will enjoy Kaya Toast.  

Another place to enjoy this toast is Tong Ah Eating House, which has several decades’ experience in making Kaya Toasts. Tong Ah can be found in Chinatown near the Sithi Temple or by Outram Park in Singapore. Do note though that it gets very busy on Wednesdays so most likely a full house on these days. Catch your toast early.

Durian

Durian may smell awful, but it has a heavenly taste you simply can’t resist after a first try. Singaporeans as well as the many tourists that flood the island are obsessed with the buttery, rich, sweet and delightful taste of this natural fruit. Although durian is grown in neighboring Malaysia, you can find the best of this fruit in Singapore because farms sell the highest quality in this country, where people are willing to spend more on them. One of the best places to purchase this fruit is Combat Durian, on the Balestier Road.

Chili Crab

One of Singapore’s signature meals is the Chili Crab which is a perfect fit for tourists who enjoy seafood. It is made with crabs, steamed in a tomato chili-based gravy, and then stir-fried in a mixture of eggs, ketchup and chili sauce. The meal is however not as spicy as its name might suggest. You can always request for some steamed Chinese bread to soak up the rest of the gravy. For the best taste of chili crab, head to Long Beach Seafood. As per its name, it is a seafood restaurant located at East Coast Seafood Centre surrounded by other seafood restaurants on Long Beach, Singapore.

Fish Head Curry

Fish Head Curry is a must-try for travelers visiting Singapore. It is a rich combination of Indian, Malay and Chinese cultures and has a very interesting history attached to it. The most popular narrative being that an Indian Chef, in an attempt to please a group of Chinese with a meal, decided to prepare fish head which is the favorite fish part for Chinese, in a spicy Indian style curry. The result is a scrumptious Singaporean dish loved by anyone who ventures to taste. There are different variations including the Indian version which is infused with some tamarind to give it a sweet-sour feel, and the Singaporean style which omits tamarind thereby reducing the spiciness. The Banana Leaf Apolo serves one of the best Fish Head curries, and also gives a good view of Little India hence its nickname ‘Little India Arcade’. It can be found on Race Course Road and mainly focuses on Southern and Indian Food.

Bak Chor Mee

Bak Chor Mee is a well-known dish throughout the whole of Southeast Asia, but there’s no better place to try this meal than Singapore. The dish comprises of egg noodles, shredded pork, and a vinegar or chili based sauce, which is recognized as the dry version. Make sure you visit Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, a food stall based in Kallang town in Singapore for a savory taste of the dry version.  It is a very simple family stall yet very popular for its Bak Chor Mee to the extent that crowds have to wait close to 2 hours to get food. Travelers say it is worth the wait.

Alternatively, you can try the best of the soup version at MacPherson Minced Meat Noodles at Number One Opel Cres, not far from the Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery in Singapore. You may still have to wait a while to get your bowl of Bak Chor Mee due to the long queue and the long cooking time (which is the secret ingredient); however, again, it is worth the wait.

Es Potong

If you find the heat in Singapore a force to reckon with, the Es Potong (cut ice) is the finest snack to calm you down. This is Singapore’s version of ice cream sandwich as it is made from blocked ice cream, wrapped in a slice of white bread and comes in various flavors with the most preferred being the taro flavor. Es Potong is sold especially in street stalls around tourist centers including Orchard Road and Clarke Quay, where you can get it for a dollar.