The Ultimate Foodie’s Guide to Singapore: Must-Try Dishes and Where to Find Them

Singaporeans take their food very seriously. The renowned city of hawker centres is the real island of feasting, offering inexpensive hawker food and excellent dining with Michelin stars. Singaporeans may always wait in lines at hawker centres in Singapore and coffee shops to chow down on some of the island’s best food. Simply follow the crowd or visit any food centres you come across because whatever bite awaits you at the finish will be delicious. Or find these exclusive Foodie’s guide to Singapore and enjoy yourself! 

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice 

The unofficial national dish of Singapore is Hainanese chicken rice. Hainanese Chicken Rice is one of the must-try dishes in Singapore, a ubiquitous meal found in upscale restaurants and modest hawker centres. It consists of bite-sized chicken slices or even a whole chicken served with fragrant rice, fiery chilli, and ginger paste and was adapted from the early Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island. Its specific ingredients—the spices and sauces—give the food a distinctive, lasting, and lip-smacking flavour.

Found at 

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. Boon Tong Kee, Balestier Road, 
• Hawker Chan and numerous places, including Chinatown and Tai Seng

1. Chilli Crab

CNN ranked it as the 35th-tastiest food in the world. The stir-fried crustacean delicacy known as Singaporean chilli crab is covered in savoury, sour, and hot tomato sauces. This classic, the Best Singaporean street food, is a must-try for seafood lovers and is served with deep-fried buns called mantou. Crabs can be prepared in one of two ways in Singapore: with black pepper sauce or a sweet, sour, spicy, tomato-like chilli sauce. Crab bee hoon and salted egg crabs are only a couple of the many new, well-known variants that have been found. 

Found at 

• Upper Circular Road’s Jumbo Seafood Restaurant is open from midday to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to midnight.
• Red House Seafood on Mosque Street, Momma Kong’s

1. Fish Head Curry 

Yes, you read it correctly. This meal combines a variety of vegetables, including eggplant and okra, with a fish head that has been marinated and cooked in curry sauce. This is the best Singaporean street food, which has antecedents in Kerala and Malaysia and is best enjoyed with rice or roti. Curry Fish Head is a mysterious cuisine with South Indian origins but Singaporean influences. Red snapper’s entire or half-head is cooked in curry with boiled veggies. There are several potent spices in it. There are variations, such as Fish Head Curry prepared in the Assam style, which is flavoured with tamarind. This meal excels on all fronts with its tangy, ocean-y, and spicy flavours!

Found at 

• 54 Race Course Road, The Banana Leaf Apolo. 66 Race Course Road
•  Sakunthala’s Food Palace. Race Course Road
•  Muthu Curry. (available 11:30 AM–3 PM and 6:00 PM–10 PM)

1. Fried Carrot Cake 

Ironically, Fried Carrot Cake, a typical street food in Singapore, is a black-and-white dish rather than the vibrant orange dessert carrot cake. Carrot cake is created using eggs, chai tea, and white radish flour cake, essentially a white carrot (radish). The fried carrot cake, also known as “chai tow kway” in the Teochew language, is frequently served with a sweet sauce on top of beaten egg to form a crust and pieces of cake.

Found at 

• Geylang Bahru Food Centre, Block 69
• 50A Marine Terrace Good Luck BBQ
• Toa Payoh Lorong 8, Block 210

1. Char Kway Teow 

This Singaporean street cuisine, literally translates to “stir-fried rice noodles,” is a mainstay at hawker centres and is always sold out. This combination of noodles, flat rice, and egg noodles blended with proteins like egg Lap Cheong, which are Chinese sausages, will appeal to your palate. Additionally, bean sprouts and Chinese chives are included with it. Lard, the dish’s main ingredient, gives it its incredible flavour, but occasionally, for a healthier version, oil is substituted, and additional vegetables are offered in place of the protein. It is frequently served on a banana leaf with a wedge of lime squeezed on top to enhance the scent.

Found at 

• Zion Riverside Food Centre, located at 18 Fried Kway Teow on Zion Road
• Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, Singapore Outram Park
• Upper Cross Street (open from 6 AM to 4 PM)
• Bedok South Market and Food Centre, open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

1. Kaya Toast 

The only traditional breakfasts in Singapore are kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs. It is a loaf of white bread roasted on a bread grill and spread with butter, egg kaya, or coconut. This popular Singaporean street snack can be made in many ways, such as with brown bread or round buns. When dipping the Kaya Toast into the egg mixture for added flavour, the dish is occasionally combined with pepper and dark soy sauce. Kaya Toast comes in green and brown varieties; the green ones are made of pandan leaves, whereas the brown ones are made of caramelised brown sugar.

Found at 

• Killiney Kopitiam, Singapore, at 67 Killiney Road.  
• East Coast Road, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Heap Seng Leong, North Bridge Road (open 4:00 AM – 8:00 PM)

1. Laksa – Best Street Food 

The most popular street food in Singapore is this traditional Peranakan dish for a good cause, too! Laksa pairs best with Otah, a fish cake served in banana leaves and made of flat noodles, coconut broth, fish cakes, prawns, and cockles. It comes in two varieties, Asam Laksa and Curry Laksa, and combines Chinese and Malay cuisine. In Singapore, curry laksa is a more widely consumed street meal than asam laksa, which is more common in Malaysian states like Penang. Regarding fish and noodles, laksa comes in a variety of flavours. With this bowl, explore the various flavours of the ocean!

Found at 

• East Coast Road, 328 Katong Laksa (open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
• Blk 27 Jalan Berseha, Singapore Depot Road 
• Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa and Bukit Merah Lane (open 8:30 AM–3:30 PM) are two places to find Laksa on Sungei Road. 
• The Queensway Shopping Center’s Janggut Laksa is open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

1. Satay 

This Singaporean street cuisine comprises candied and skewered pork, poultry, beef, or mutton. Although it originated in Indonesia, satay is now widely available in Singapore’s upscale restaurants and hawker centres. Turmeric is used to marinate the meat before grilling it outside. This snack, which comes with peanut sauce, onions, and rice dumplings, maybe had all day, but order quickly because supplies are limited!

Found at 

• Toa Payoh Food Centre’s Fang Yuan Satay is open from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. 
• Chinatown Complex’s Shi Xiang Stat is open from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Gourmet Street, Chong Pang Huat (12 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. hours)

1. Bak Chor Mee

This wonderful dish, which literally translates to “minced meat and noodles,” is soupy, meaty, and noodle-y all at once! Slices of fish cake, liver, minced pork, and a special sauce that makes it steaming make up this Singaporean street snack. Although one can select between ketchup or chilli and the wide varieties of noodles, this dish is typically served dry to savour the full flavours of the sauce! The soup version with handmade noodles is one of the variations. 

Found at

• Tai Hwa Pork Noodle: Singapore, Block 466 Crawford Lane
• Lorong Toa Payoh’s Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Mee (available 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM) 
• Poh Minced Meat Noodle at Bedok North Street.

Wanton Mee

Wanton Mee is a staple of Singaporean street food culture. Some people like the dumpling portion, while others prefer the noodle’s texture. The vendor sells soup and Wanton chilly. The dish has recently seen numerous modifications, including Malaysian, Thai, and Hong Kong versions.

Found at 

• Foong Kee Coffee Shop, 6 Keong Saik Road
•  Lau Phua Chay Authentic Roasted Delicacies 
• Koung’s Wanton Mee,
•  Sims 6th Avenue Wanton Mee
•  Mian Shi Wanton Noodle
•  Tanglin Halt Food Center

Conclusion

Singapore’s history, culture, and tradition are all reflected in its cuisine and street food. Despite what some people would assume, the best flavours from many cultures are incorporated into Singaporean cuisine. Now that you know where to eat in Singapore, which dish did you like best? Which food do you want to try the most?

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