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Good Singapore food is everywhere. Without a doubt, Singapore, given its size, packs a barrage of food options that are sure to satiate every craving and longing. Our geographical location also means that much of the food we love comes from the intersectionality of cultures and locale, influenced by neighbouring Southeast Asia countries— Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia.
Enter our local hawker centres, coffee shops, and food courts—gastronomical destinations ubiquitous and unique to this small island nation, shaping how Singaporeans think and dream about food.
So here’s our list of 30 famous local Singapore food, steeped in heritage, that has shaped the culinary landscape of Singapore and defined what it means to be a foodie in food-obsessed Singapore. These dishes are not about trends; this is about history.
If you’re a tourist visiting Singapore for the first time, or a newly minted citizen looking to brush up on your local food knowledge, this is a good checklist of authentic local cuisine in Singapore that would do you right.
Where To Eat Popular Local Dishes In Singapore
| Dish | Category | Where to eat (all mentioned stalls) |
|---|---|---|
| Bak Kut Teh | Non-halal • Hawker stalls / Coffee shops | Old World Bak Kut Teh; Tea Inn Bak Kut Teh; Tuan Yuan Bak Kut Teh; Hua Xing Bak Kut Teh |
| Nasi Lemak | Halal options available • Hawker stalls / Coffee shops | Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang; Aliff Nasi Lemak; Mizzy Corner Nasi Lemak; Sixth Avenue Nasi Lemak |
| Wanton Mee | Non-halal • Hawker centres | Laifaba; 51 Ming Fa Wanton Egg Noodle; One Mouth Noodle 一口麵; HK Wanton Mee; Cho Kee Noodle |
| Fried Carrot Cake (Cai Tow Kway) | Vegetarian option available • Hawker centres | Geylang Traditional Carrot Cake; Dong Ling Fu; Fried Carrot Cake (Clementi 448); Limpeh Carrot Cake; 618 Sim Carrot Cake |
| Nasi Biryani | Halal options available • Indian Muslim stalls | Koothurar Nasi Briyani; Dubai Express; Golden Nur; Dil‘B Restaurant; Cafe Mariam |
| Dim Sum | Shared dishes • Dim sum restaurants | Five Star Hong Kong Style Handmade Dimsum; Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant; Hong Kong Mong Kok Tim Sum; JU Signatures; Red Star Restaurant |
| Kaya Toast & Soft-Boiled Eggs | Vegetarian • Coffee shops | Heap Seng Leong; Chin Mee Chin Confectionery; Killiney Kopitiam; 133 Traditional Coffee and Toast; Charcoal Traditional Toast (Sin Ming) |
| Chilli / Black Pepper Crab | Shared dish • Seafood restaurants / Zi char | Red House Seafood (Esplanade); Diamond Kitchen; No Signboard Seafood (Geylang); Long Beach Seafood (Dempsey Hill); Roland Restaurant |
| Laksa | Seafood-based • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Katong Laksa (George’s); Janggut Laksa; Sungei Road Laksa; King of Laksa; Min Ji Laksa; Ye Lai Xiang Laksa |
| Curry Fish Head | Shared dish • Zi char stalls / Restaurants | Samy’s Curry; Zai Shun Curry Fish Head; Yu Cun Curry Fish Head; Ocean Curry Fish Head |
| Bak Chor Mee | Non-halal • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Macpherson Minced Meat Noodles; Tai Hwa Pork Noodle; Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee; QiYin Teochew Keto Bak Chor; Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian; Hock Lai Seng |
| Oyster Omelette (Orh Lua) | Seafood-based • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow; Lim’s Fried Oyster; Sengkang Square Oyster Omelette; Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette; Huat Huat Fried Oyster; Lau Lim Kee Oyster Omelette |
| Hokkien Prawn Mee | Seafood-based • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Come Daily Fried Hokkien Mee; Xiao Di Hokkien Mee; Sumo Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee; Bao Er Cafe; Quan Ji Cooked Food |
| Satay | Halal options available • Hawker centres | Lau Pa Sat Satay Street; Chai Ho; Kwong Satay; Pondok Makan Indonesia |
| BBQ Sambal Stingray | Shared dish • Zi char stalls | B.B.Q Seafood; Chan BBQ; Chomp Chomp BBQ; Ming Yen BBQ |
| Soy Bean Curd (Tau Huay) | Vegetarian • Dessert stalls | DDSD 大豆小豆; Ms Aiyu; Rochor Original Beancurd House; 51 Soya Bean |
| Ice Kacang | Vegetarian • Hawker centres | Mei Heong Yuen Dessert; Cendol Geylang Serai; Ye Tang Chendol; Makan Melaka |
| Chwee Kueh | Vegetarian • Hawker centres | Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh; Jian Bo Shui Kueh; Man Man Chi 慢慢吃; Pek Kio Handmade Chwee Kueh |
| Durian | Seasonal • Specialty stalls | Durian SG Prime; 227 Katong Durian; 211 House of Durian; The Durian Tree |
| Mee Siam | Halal options available • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Old Teochew; Shi Xian Famous Mee Siam; Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food; Hajah Maimunah |
| Mee Rebus | Halal options available • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Inspirasi; Hassan Stall; Pondok Makan Indonesia; Shi Xian; Yunos N Family; Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari |
| Roti Prata | Halal options available • Indian Muslim eateries | Chindamani Indian Restaurant; Sin Ming Roti Prata Faisal & Aziz Curry Muslim Food; Enaq the Prata Shop; Mr & Mrs Mohgan Super Crispy Roti Prata; Crispy Roti Prata |
| Fish Soup / Fish Bee Hoon | Seafood-based • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Lu Jia Fish Soup; An Shun Seafood Soup; Han Kee Fish Soup; Thai Seng Fish Soup |
| Rojak | Vegetarian option available • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Balestier Road Hoover Rojak; Gu Zao Rojak; Lau Hong Ser Rojak; Soon Heng Rojak; Tow Kwar Pop |
| Chicken Rice | Non-halal • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice; Katong Mei Wei; Mat Noh & Rose Authentic Ginger Fried Chicken Rice; Pin Sheng Chicken Rice; Leng Heng Chicken Rice; Traditional Rui Ji Chicken Rice |
| Duck Rice (Roasted / Braised) | Non-halal • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Roast Paradise; Cheok Kee Boneless Braised Duck; Ming Fa Duck Rice; Tai Dong Teochew Duck Rice; Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck |
| Char Kway Teow | Non-halal • Hawker centres / Coffee shops | Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee; Day Night Fried Kway Teow; Quan Ji Cooked Food; 786 Char Kway Teow; Fried Kway Teow (724 Ang Mo Kio) |
| Curry Puff | Halal options available • Bakeries / Hawker stalls | Soon Soon Huat Crispy Curry Puff; Wang Wang Crispy Curry Puff; J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff; AMK Curry Puff; Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original |
| Fish Head Steamboat | Shared dish • Steamboat restaurants | Nan Hua Chang (Ah Chew) Fish Head Steamboat; Bugis Fish Head Steamboat; Hualong Fish Head Steamboat; 136 Hong Kong Street Teochew Fish Head Steamboat |
| Popiah | Shared dish • Specialty stalls | Ping Kee Popiah; Ann Chin Popiah; Kway Guan Huat Joochiat Popiah; Good Chance Popiah |
1. Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶
Breakfast or lunch • Non-halal • Hawker Stalls and Coffee shops • Price range: S$7–S$15
One of the many stories of the invention of Bak Kut Teh (Meat Bone Tea/Pork Ribs Soup) is that during the olden days of Singapore, a poor, starving beggar came by a roadside pork noodle store to beg for food. The stall owner was in poverty but wanted to help him.
He boiled some of the leftover pork bones and added whatever cheap spices he had to flavour the soup, including star anise and pepper, which created a soup that resembled tea in terms of colour. Thus, pork bone tea was born. Another story claims that it was a tonic invented to ‘reinvigorate’ the Chinese coolies who worked in the Clark Quay area.
Bak Kut Teh has been around in Singapore since we were still a developing country and deserves its recognition as a simple, humble dish. Most of the Bak Kut Teh here are of the pepper and garlic variety, with mild use of herbs like star anise.
Choose pork rib meat in your soup for a more tender bite. The other variant would be the Klang Bak Kut Teh, a dark and highly flavoured herbal soup originating from Malaysia with way more anise flavour.
Bak Kut Teh recommendations:
Old World Bak Kut Teh: 285 Yishun Avenue 6, #01-10, Singapore 760285
Tea Inn Bak Kut Teh: 93 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, #01-33, Singapore 310093
Tuan Yuan Bak Kut Teh: Blk 127 Kim Tian Road, #01-01, Singapore 160127
Hua Xing Bak Kut Teh: 347 Jurong East Ave 1, Yuhua Market, #01-171, Singapore 600347
2. Nasi Lemak
Breakfast or all-day • Halal options available • Hawker stalls and Coffee shops • Price range: S$3–S$10
Nasi Lemak is a very versatile dish, and what was once a breakfast item is now eaten during lunch and dinner or supper too. Traditionally wrapped in banana leaves, Nasi Lemak is a Malay, santan-infused (coconut milk or cream) rice dish that, in Singapore, has more variations and iterations than we can ever catch up to.
The rice is steamed with coconut cream to give it a sweet fragrance. A typical Nasi Lemak set comes with Ikan Bilis (fried anchovies), peanuts, egg and sambal (chilli paste) with a protein. A good sambal is arguably the mark of a good Nasi Lemak.
Nasi Lemak is so popular in Singapore that the other races have adopted this dish in their own variations and offer a wide selection of additional ingredients like fried chicken drumsticks, luncheon meat and sotong (cuttlefish) balls. Blue Pea Nasi Lemak variants have also emerged; a vibrant twist on the traditional dish, using natural blue butterfly pea flowers (bunga telang) to infuse the coconut rice with a beautiful blue hue.
Nasi Lemak recommendations:
Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang: 51 Yishun Ave 11, Yishun Park Hawker Centre, #01-33, Singapore 768867
Aliff Nasi Lemak: 49A Serangoon Garden Wy, #01-27, Singapore 555945
Mizzy Corner Nasi Lemak: 2 Changi Village Rd, #01-55, Changi Village Market & Food Centre, Singapore 500002
Sixth Avenue Nasi Lemak: 12 Sixth Avenue, Singapore 276475
3. Wanton Mee 云吞面
Lunch or dinner • Non-halal • Hawker centres • Price range: S$4–S$8
This Singapore wanton noodle dish was probably influenced by Hong Kong cuisine, but has become entrenched in our culture over the years. The Singapore version of Wanton mee is typically eaten ‘dry’, drenched with some light sweet sauce, slices of pork char siew and wanton dumplings filled with pork, with a small bowl of soup on the side. While both regions use egg noodles, Hong Kong noodles are generally thinner and more alkaline (bouncy/crunchy) compared to the slightly thicker Singaporean version. Singaporean versions feature sweet red char siew, pork-heavy wantons, and often fried wantons, while HK style relies on prawn-filled dumplings and thin noodles in a light broth.
When ordering in Singapore, the stall owner will usually ask if you want it spicy or not. The spicy type sees chilli mixed into the noodles, while the non-spicy version comes with a sweetish tomato sauce. The wanton dumplings may be either deep-fried or come in the form of soup dumplings/ wanton.
The Malaysian variant uses a darker-coloured sauce, resulting in a sweeter-tasting mee (noodles).
Wanton mee recommendations:
Laifaba: 02-02 Bukit Batok Crescent, Prestige Centre, Singapore 658071
51 Ming Fa Wanton Egg Noodle: 209 Hougang Street 21, #01-64, Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 530209
One Mouth Noodle 一口麵: 51 Yishun Avenue 11, #01-12, Yishun Park Hawker Centre, Singapore 768867
HK Wanton Mee: 133 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, Singapore 560133
Cho Kee Noodle: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-04, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
4. Fried Carrot Cake 菜头粿
Breakfast or lunch • Vegetarian option available • Hawker centres • Price range: S$3–S$6
No, this isn’t the Western dessert. This is far from it. The Singapore Fried Carrot Cake is made with eggs, preserved radish (chai poh) and white radish flour cake, which resembles a ‘white carrot’, thus giving rise to the dish name. Locally, this is known as Cai Tow Kway.
Fried Carrot cake is a Teochew dish creation, popular in both Singapore and Malaysia. Variants include the ‘black’ version, which has sweet sauce (molasses) added, or a crispy version with the cake fried on top of a beaten egg to create a crust and chunks of cake. Most commonly seen in Singapore though, is the chopped-up version with individual radish cake cubes.
Carrot cake recommendations:
Geylang Traditional Carrot Cake: Upper Boon Keng Market & Food Centre, #01-21, 7 Eunos Crescent, Singapore 400007
Dong Ling Fu: 48A Tanglin Halt Road, #01-14, Singapore 148813
Fried Carrot Cake (Clementi 448): 448 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-45, Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 120448
Limpeh Carrot Cake: 973 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534725
618 Sim Carrot Cake: 618 Yishun Ring Road, #01-3232, Singapore 760618
5. Nasi Biryani
Lunch or dinner • Halal options available • Indian Muslim stalls • Price range: S$6–S$12
Biryani (or Briyani, Biriyani, Biriani and Birani) is a mixed rice dish of Indian-Muslim influence made using distinctive long-grain rice, usually Basmati rice. A little bit of saffron is also added to give the dish its distinct colour. Meats like chicken, mutton, beef or fish are often included on the side. Vegetarian versions are also popping up, to reflect the growing demand for non-meat local favourites.
Spices used are heavy in flavours like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and bay leaves, rendering the entire dish incredibly aromatic with a heady and irresistible bouquet.
Nasi Biryani recommendations:
Koothurar Nasi Briyani: 130 Jurong Gateway Road, #01-219, Singapore 600130
Dubai Express: 724 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, #01-13, Singapore 560724
Golden Nur: 163 Bukit Merah Central, #03-11/12, Singapore 150163
Dil‘B Restaurant: 787 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198755
Cafe Mariam: 80 Changi Road, Singapore 419715
6. Dim Sum 点心
Brunch or lunch • Shared dishes • Dim sum restaurants • Price range: S$4–S$25
Another Hong Kong/Shanghai-inspired type of cuisine available in Singapore is Dim Sum or ‘Dian Xin’. This is not exactly one dish, but a set of small dishes to be savoured in a group – a typical Chinese dining sharing custom. Popular Dim Sum dishes include BBQ Pork Buns, Xiao Long Bao, Siew Mai, Chee Cheong Fun and many more.
There are even Halal-certified and Muslim-owned dim sum houses to cater to Halal diners.
Dim sum recommendations:
Five Star Hong Kong Style Handmade Dimsum: 79 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058709
Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant: 183 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208882
Hong Kong Mong Kok Tim Sum: 214 Geylang Road, Singapore 389273
JU Signatures: 4 Maju Ave, Singapore 556682
Red Star Restaurant: 54 Chin Swee Road, Singapore 160054
7. Kaya Toast & Soft-Boiled Eggs
Traditional breakfast • Vegetarian • Coffee shops • Price range: S$4–S$7
The one and only traditional Singaporean breakfast – Kaya Toast with Soft-Boiled Eggs. The traditional bread is an old school rectangular white loaf, toasted on a bread grill, slathered with coconut or egg kaya, then slapped with a thick slice of butter that slowly melts between two slices of warm bread.
This is the classic kaya toast. Variations include using thinly-sliced brown bread, round buns or ‘Jiam Tao Loh Tee’ (like a French baguette).
For the eggs, they’re usually placed in a large hot water metal pot and covered with a plate to allow it to cook. Then you time it and take out the eggs when they’re ready (about 7 – 10 minutes depending on how well you like your eggs).
Trying not to scream like a banshee, crack open the eggs with your bare hands onto one of the two plates given and throw the shells onto the remaining plate. Season with pepper and dark or light soya sauce and pip the kaya toast into the eggy mixture for extra deliciousness.
Kaya toast recommendations:
Heap Seng Leong: 10 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179094
Chin Mee Chin Confectionery: 4 East Coast Road, Singapore 428722
Killiney Kopitiam: 67 Killiney Road, Singapore 239525
133 Traditional Coffee and Toast: 4A Jln Batu, #01-33, Singapore 432004
Charcoal Traditional Toast (Sin Ming): 24 Sin Ming Road, Jin Fa Kopitiam, #01-51, Singapore 570024
8. Chilli / Black Pepper Crabs
Dinner • Shared dish • Seafood restaurants or Zi Char stalls • Price range: S$60–S$120
Chilli crab is said to have originated in the 1950s when Lim Choon Ngee and his wife Cher Yam Tian began cooking crabs at home, first with tomato sauce and later with chilli sauce when ingredients ran out. The combination proved popular and became their signature dish after they opened a riverside seafood stall. In 1963, chef Hooi Kok Wah later developed his own version using tomato sauce, vinegar, sambal and egg whites, helping to cement chilli crab’s place as one of Singapore’s most iconic dishes.
The two most famous styles of cooking crabs in Singapore are with a sweet, spicy tomato-ish chilli sauce, or with black pepper sauce, which also arose in the 1960s from Long Beach Seafood Restaurant. Singapore-style crabs are commonly eaten with fried mantous (buns), which are dipped in the luscious chilli or black pepper sauce.
To achieve a delicious texture, the mud crabs go through a two-step cooking process; they’re first boiled then fried so that the meat doesn’t stick to the shell, although some restaurants do fry it directly in the wok with sauce. Recently, many new popular styles of cooking have surfaced as well, like salted-egg crabs or crab bee hoon.
Crab recommendations:
Red House Seafood (Esplanade): 8 Raffles Avenue, #01-14/16 Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802
Diamond Kitchen: 5000F Marine Parade Rd, #01-22/23 Laguna Park Condominum, Singapore 449289
No Signboard Seafood (Geylang): 414 Geylang Road, Singapore 389392
Long Beach Seafood (Dempsey Hill): 25 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249670
Roland Restaurant: 90 Stamford Road, Singapore 178903
9. Laksa
Lunch or dinner • Seafood-based • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$4–S$10
Laksa is a dish created from the merging of Chinese and Malay cuisine, otherwise known as Peranakan culture. There are two main types of Laksa – Curry Laksa and Asam Laksa.
Curry Laksa is more predominant in Singapore, while Asam Laksa is more commonly found in Malaysian regions like Penang. In fact there are loads of variants of Laksa, differing in the type of fish used, broth and even noodles.
Traditional Singapore Curry Laksa uses vermicelli, coconut milk, tau pok (beancurd puffs), fish slices, shrimp and hum (cockles). Due to cost-cutting, taste preference, or even climate change, some stalls might opt out of shrimp and cockles.
A unique Singapore variant known as Katong Laksa, features vermicelli that’s been cut into short pieces and eaten only with a spoon. There is much debate on which establishment is the original Katong Laksa, but most bowls are delicious in their own way.
Laksa recommendations:
Katong Laksa (George’s): 159 Queensway, Mei Ling Market & Food Centre, Singapore 140159
Janggut Laksa: 6 Roxy Square, 50 East Coast Road, Singapore 428769
Sungei Road Laksa: 27 Jalan Berseh, #01-100, Singapore 200027
King of Laksa: Blk 118 Aljunied Ave 2, #02-100, Singapore 380118
Min Ji Laksa: 29 Bendemeer Rd, #01-31 Bendemeer Market & Food Centre, Singapore 330029
Ye Lai Xiang Laksa: 4 Woodlands Street 12, #01-73 Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre, Singapore 738623
10. Curry Fish Head
Lunch or dinner • Shared dish • Zi char stalls or Restaurants • Price range: S$25–S$45
Is it Chinese, Indian or Malay? Curry Fish Head is another ambiguous dish that probably has a South Indian origin, but has been heavily influenced by the various ethnicities in Singapore. What I do know, is that Curry fish head is delicious.
Either half a head or a whole head of fish (usually red snapper) is stewed in curry with assorted vegetables like lady’s finger (okra) and brinjal (aubergine). The Indian-style of curry has heavier spices and flavours, while the Chinese-style is lighter and sweeter. Variants include the Assam-style fish head curry, which has an added tinge of sourness from tamarind fruit (assam). Always get a bowl of rice along with this so you can smother it with curry gravy!
Curry fish head recommendations:
Samy’s Curry: 25 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249670
Zai Shun Curry Fish Head: Blk 257 Bangkit Road, #01-57, Singapore 670257
Yu Cun Curry Fish Head: 8 Jiak Kim Street, #01-01, Singapore 169267
Ocean Curry Fish Head: Block 2, Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-5167, Singapore 150002
11. Bak Chor Mee 肉脞面
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner • Non-halal • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$4–S$10
Colloquially known as ‘Bak Chor Mee‘ 肉脞面, this is a noodle dish with minced pork, liver, meatballs, fish balls, fish cake slices, and a signature vinegary braised sauce that adds some wetness.
Typically, the Bak Chor Mee is ordered ‘dry’ to savour the full flavours of the sauce, and you can choose between chilli or ketchup, and the type of noodles that you would like. Noodle choices are normally either mee pok (a flat noodle) or mee kia (thin noodle), while some stalls offer bee hoon, mee sua or mee tai mak as well. Variants include a soup version with homemade noodles that’s famous at Bedok Blk 85.
Bak chor mee recommendations:
Macpherson Minced Meat Noodles: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-38 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Tai Hwa Pork Noodle *1-Michelin star: 466 Crawford Lane, #01-12 Crawford Lane Market & Food Centre, Singapore 190466
Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee: 475 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3, #01-26 Sunshine Place, Singapore 680475
QiYin Teochew Keto Bak Chor: 467C Bukit Batok West Ave 9, Singapore 653467
Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian: 85 Bedok North Rd, #01-07, Singapore 460085
Hock Lai Seng 福来成: 1 Kadayanallur St, #01 26, Singapore 069184
Which Michelin bak chor mee is better? Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle vs High Street Tai Wah Pork Noodle
12. Oyster Omelette (Orh Lua 蚝煎)
Lunch or Dinner • Seafood-based • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$5–S$12
Popular in Singapore hawker centres as well as in Taiwan night markets, Fried Carrot Cake is a dish that many foreigners and locals love. Stalls that sell Carrot Cake typically also sell Oyster Omelettes as it’s a similar cooking process that also utilises a common ingredient: Eggs.
Potato starch is usually mixed in when frying the egg and gives a thicker, fuller taste. Variants include a version without the starch, which is priced slightly higher due to more eggs needed instead. A special vinegar chilli is also paired exclusively with Oyster Omelettes in Singapore.
Oyster omelette recommendations:
Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow: 90 Hougang Avenue 10, #01-03, Singapore 538766
Lim’s Fried Oyster: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-107 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Sengkang Square Oyster Omelette: 2 Sengkang Square, #01-19, Singapore 545025
Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette: 90 Whampoa Drive, #01-33 Whampoa Makan Place, Singapore 320090
Huat Huat Fried Oyster: 1 Jalan Berseh, #01-28 Jalan Berseh Food Centre, Singapore 200001
Lau Lim Kee Oyster Omelette: 48 Holland Drive, #01-43 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270048
Oyster Omelette showdown: Famous Old Airport Road Fried Oyster VS Lim’s Fried Oyster VS Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette
13. Hokkien Prawn Mee 炒福建面
Lunch or Dinner • Seafood-based • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$5–S$12
Singapore Hokkien Mee features a combination of fried egg noodles and rice noodles in a rich seafood stock with cubes of fried pork fat, prawns, fish cake, pork slices and squid. Some stalls add scallion as well for added flavour.
The Singapore Hokkien mee dish was the creation of post-war Hokkien noodle factory workers who would gather along Rochor Road and fry any excess noodles they had. Another black version easily confused by the same name is called Hokkien Char Mee, which, unlike the classic, is covered in a signature thick dark sauce and uses only one type of egg noodles – This black noodle dish however, originates from Malaysia.
Hokkien mee recommendations:
Come Daily Fried Hokkien Mee: 127 Toa Payoh Lorong 1, #01-41 Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, Singapore 310127
Xiao Di Hokkien Mee: 153 Serangoon North Ave 1, #01-512, Singapore 550153
Sumo Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee: Blk 308 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, #01-411, Singapore 560308
Bao Er Cafe (Balestier): 400 Balestier Rd, #02-01 Balestier Plaza, Singapore 329802
Quan Ji Cooked Food: 105 Hougang Ave 1, Hougang Hainanese Village Centre, #02-37, Singapore 530105
14. Satay
Dinner or supper • Halal options available • Hawker centres • Price range: S$0.80–S$1.20 per stick
Satay is a dish of skewered, turmeric-marinated meat that is grilled on an open fire. It originates from Indonesia but has become a common hawker dish in Singapore. Stalls are not restricted to any race and may be operated by the Chinese, Malays or Indians.
Typical meats include chicken, beef, mutton and even pork which is sold by the Chinese stall owners. Ketupat (rice cake), onions and cucumbers usually accompany Satay. A spicy peanut dip is also provided for the Satay and sides as well.
Satay recommendations:
Lau Pa Sat Satay Street: 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582
Chai Ho: Blk 25 Ghim Moh Link, #01-25 Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270025
Kwong Satay: 335 Smith Street, #02-181 Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, Singapore 050335
Pondok Makan Indonesia: 51 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588173
15. BBQ Sambal Stingray
Dinner or Supper • Shared dish • Zi char stalls • Price range: S$12–S$30
In the past, having a fridge or freezer was as rare as winning TOTO (lottery); barbecuing or frying fish to mask the fishy odour after being left out in the open for days was a popular cooking choice. Thus, the BBQ sambal stingray was born.
Also known as Ikan Bakar (barbecued fish), stingray has since risen in popularity since Singaporean Malays figured out that sambal (chilli paste) on top of stingray = delicious. It is traditionally wrapped in a banana leaf and barbecued, then a sambal paste made with belachan (dried shrimp paste), spices, shallots and nuts is smothered generously all over the top. Lime is usually squeezed over the fish right before eating as well. Chinchalok, a popular Nyonya-inspired dipping sauce made primarily from fermented small shrimp or krill, is usually paired with this fish.
Sambal stingray recommendations:
B.B.Q Seafood: 3 Yung Sheng Rd, Taman Jurong Food Centre, #03-178, Singapore 618499
Chan BBQ: #01-24, Fengshang Market and Food Centre, 85 Bedok North Street 4, Singapore 460085
Chomp Chomp BBQ: #01-44 Fengshang Market and Food Centre, 85 Bedok North Street 4, Singapore 460085
Ming Yen BBQ: Stall 55-57, Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582
16. Soy Bean Curd (Tau Huay)
Dessert or snack • Vegetarian • Dessert stalls • Price range: S$1.50–S$3
Tau Huay is a dessert made with beancurd tofu, sweetened with sugar syrup. It can be eaten hot or cold, sometimes with Tang Yuan (glutinous rice balls), grass jelly or soya bean milk added as well.
In recent times, a popular and more gelatinous, jelly-like version of Tau Huay (popularised by Lao Ban Soya Bean) has surfaced and, for a period of time, driven Singaporeans to queue like bees to honey. This version is smoother and can incorporate pretty much any flavour like mango, melon or sesame. The texture is distinct from the traditional Singapore Tau Huay types, and some camps advocate against it due to artificial stabilisers used to give it this form and texture. This version is only eaten cold, as the heat would break the structure.
Soy Bean Curd (Tau Huay) recommendations:
DDSD 大豆小豆: #02-53 Hong Lim Market and Food Center, Singapore 051531
Ms Aiyu: 409 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, 409 AMK Market And Food Centre, #01-16, Singapore 560409
Rochor Original Beancurd House: 2 Short St, Singapore 188211
51 Soya Bean: #01-72 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
17. Ice Kacang
Dessert • Vegetarian • Hawker centres • Price range: S$2–S$6
Ice kacang began as a simple street dessert made by hand-shaping shaved ice into a ball, drizzling it with syrup, and sometimes adding red beans or jelly, often sold for just a few cents. Its popularity grew as Singapore hawkers capitalised on an affordable way to cool off in the searing heat. Nowadays, a grinding machine is used to produce a mountain of shaved ice on a bowl filled with assorted ingredients such as red bean, attap chee (palm seed), agar agar jelly, chendol, and grass jelly – that’s the essence of Ice Kacang.
Evaporated or condensed milk is then drizzled on top, along with red rose syrup and Sarsi syrup to produce the multi-coloured, kaleidoscope effect. Variations may include drizzling with gula melaka (palm sugar), adding ice cream or other novelty toppings like durian puree, mango or chocolate syrup.
Ice Kacang recommendations:
Mei Heong Yuen Dessert: 63 Temple Street, Singapore 058607
Cendol Geylang Serai: 1 Geylang Serai, #02-107 Market and Food Centre, Singapore 402001
Ye Tang Chendol: 44 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #04-26 Beauty World Centre, 588177
Makan Melaka: 1 Changi Village Rd, #01-2046, Singapore 500001
18. Chwee Kueh (Water Rice Cake )
Breakfast • Vegetarian • Hawker centres • Price range: S$2–S$4
Chwee Kueh is another breakfast dish seen regularly in both Singapore and Johor. Most stalls selling Chwee Kueh only open in the morning and close by lunchtime. Rice flour and water are mixed together to form the rice cake, then put into little saucers and steamed to produce the typical bowl-like Chwee Kueh shape.
It is topped with chai poh (preserved radish) and chilli. Making Chwee Kueh is a dying trade that the young generation does not want to carry on, so try it before it’s gone forever.
Chwee Kueh recommendations:
Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh: Blk 20, Ghim Moh Rd, Ghim Moh Food Centre, #01-54, Singapore 270020
Jian Bo Shui Kueh: 30 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market, #02-05, Singapore 168898
Man Man Chi 慢慢吃: 51 Hougang Ave 9, #01-38 Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, Singapore 538776
Pek Kio Handmade Chwee Kueh: 41A Cambridge Road, Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, #01-28, Singapore 211041
19. Durian
Seasonal • Fruit/ Dessert • Specialty stalls • Price range: S$10–S$30 per kg
Well, durian is technically not a dish, but it’s famous enough in Singapore to mention. Durian is widely regarded by many as the ‘King Of Fruits’ in Southeast Asia. In Singapore, we’ve adopted durian as our national fruit—we even modelled a performing arts venue, The Esplanade, after it. Most foreigners are turned off by the strong ‘pungent’ smell, while locals adore the succulent flesh so much that they turn it into durian desserts, cakes, tarts and even shakes. There is a seasonality to durians, which we mostly get from Malaysia, with the peak season being June to September, although there is a shorter minor season during the months of December to February. Durian prices also fluctuate based on whether there is a bumper crop or not. Singapore durians generally refer to those imported from Malaysia and not the Thailand ones.
Many popular varieties of durian breeds have surfaced, like D24, Red Prawn or the pricier Mao Shan Wang (猫山王), which are even more pronounced in fragrance and taste complexity. It is down to a personal taste preference for either the more bitter variety or the sweeter flesh. Whether you love it or hate it, you can always smell it when durian is in the room, leading to bans in many public areas in Singapore, like on trains, buses, and hotel rooms. However, recent technology has seen durian being vacuum-packed upon order, so check if your durian seller provides this service for a less pungent journey.
Durian stall recommendations:
Durian SG Prime: 456 Geylang Road, #24A, Singapore 389415
227 Katong Durian: 227 East Coast Road, Singapore 428924
211 House of Durian: 89 Whampoa Drive, #01-835, Singapore 320089
The Durian Tree: 277 Bukit Batok East Avenue 3, #01-371, Singapore 650277
20. Mee Siam
Breakfast or lunch • Halal options available • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$3–S$6
Mee Siam, literally “Siamese noodles,” is enjoyed by both the Malay and Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia. The dish features thin rice vermicelli drenched in a sweet, tangy and spicy gravy made with tamarind (assam), dried shrimp and tau cheo (fermented soybean paste). It is typically served with boiled egg, bean sprouts, tau pok (beancurd puffs) and finished with a scattering of fresh chives.
Often linked to the Peranakan (Straits Chinese) and Malay communities, Mee Siam is thought to reflect local adaptations of Thai flavours (hence the ‘Siam’). While it is widely believed to have roots in Penang, the dish also shows similarities to Thai Mee Kati, particularly in versions that incorporate coconut milk for a richer, creamier gravy.
Mee siam recommendations:
Old Teochew: 20 Ghim Moh Road, #01-18, Singapore 270020
Shi Xian Famous Mee Siam: 248 Simei Street 3, #01-111, Singapore 520248
Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food: 505 Beach Road, #02-145 Golden Mile Food Centre, Singapore 199583
Hajah Maimunah: 20 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427353
21. Mee Rebus
Breakfast or lunch • Halal options available • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$3–S$6
In the olden days of Singapore, mobile hawkers would sell Mee Rebus by the roadside using a pole balanced on their shoulders with a basket hanging at each end—one basket would hold the ingredients, and the other contained a stove and boiling hot water. Originating in Java, Indonesia, as “mee jawa”, it is believed this recipe was brought by Indian peddlers to the Malay Peninsula, with an evident multicultural assembly, featuring spices from India, noodles from China, and local Malay sweetened flavours.
Mee Rebus, meaning “blanched noodles” in Malay, is a noodle dish that uses yellow egg noodles like the type in Hokkien Prawn Mee, with a brown, saccharine potato-flavoured gravy. Compared to Mee Siam, the Mee Rebus gravy is much thicker and more viscous, lacking in the sour assam taste. The gravy is made from potatoes (the starch makes it thicker), curry powder, peanuts, dried shrimp, and salted soybeans.
Mee rebus recommendations:
Inspirasi: 208B New Upper Changi Road, Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre, #01-11, Singapore 460207
Hassan Stall: 2 Changi Village Road, #01-29, Singapore 500002
Pondok Makan Indonesia: 270 Queen Street, Albert Centre, #01-123, Singapore 180270
Shi Xian: 409 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, 409 AMK Market And Food Centre, #01-24, Singapore 560409
Yunos N Family: 724 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, Ang Mo Kio Central Market & Food Centre, #01-01, Singapore 560724
Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari: 2 Adam Rd, #01-09, Singapore 289877
22. Roti Prata
Breakfast or supper • Halal options available • Indian Muslim eateries • Price range: S$1.20–S$5
Yet another cross-cultural dish that has been popularly adopted by Singaporeans is the Roti Prata. Roti Prata is of Indian origin, has a Malay name, and is eaten by the Chinese! That’s what Singapore’s racial harmony is all about.
A fried flour-based pancake, popular Roti Prata variants include adding cheese, eggs, mushroom, onions or even chocolates and strawberries to the batter. The dough is tossed, flipped and stretched multiple times into a large thin layer before folding the edges inwards.
Some outlets also stretch the dough so thin that it turns crispy when fried on the metal pan. These are called ‘paper’ or ’tissue’ prata. Prata is served with fish or chicken curry while some people like myself like to sprinkle sugar onto it—sacrilegious as some may deem it.
Roti prata recommendations:
Chindamani Indian Restaurant: 151A Serangoon North Ave 1, Zhi Yuan Coffee Shop 际源咖啡店, #01-81, Singapore 551151
Sin Ming Roti Prata Faisal & Aziz Curry Muslim Food: 24 Sin Ming Rd, #01-51, Singapore 570024
Enaq the Prata Shop: 303 Jurong East Street 32, Singapore 600303
Mr & Mrs Mohgan Super Crispy Roti Prata: 300 Joo Chiat Rd, Tin Yeang Restaurant, Singapore 427551
Crispy Roti Prata: 350 Ubi Ave 1, Singapore 400350
23. Fish Head & Sliced Fish Soup
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner • Seafood-based • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$5–S$15
Ah, the dish most Office Ladies crave. What originally started as Fish Head Bee Hoon in the 1920s has slowly evolved to using fish slices or chunks of fish meat in this age of abundance. In the past, meat was scarce, and food sellers had to maximise every part of the fish including the head which resulted in selling broth made with fish bones and utilising leftover cuts like the fish head.
The fish head was fried to mask the fishy odour, as back then, refrigeration wasn’t as accessible. These days, boiled fish slices are now an available option. Typical fish used for fish soup are the Batang (Spanish Mackerel), while Snakehead (Ikan Haruan), Grouper (Garoupa), Red Snapper (Merah), or Sea Bass (Siakap) have emerged as more premium orders. Thick beehoon is the classic noodle used, however you can order fish soup with rice as well.
The Fish Bee Hoon Soup broth is made from fish or pork bones that have been boiled for several hours, and some stalls might add evaporated milk for a fuller taste. Variants include adding XO cognac or brandy.
Fish soup recommendations:
Lu Jia Fish Soup 盧家鱼汤: Yishun Industrial Street 1, A’Posh BizHub, Soon Hong Eating House, #01-12, Singapore 768160
An Shun Seafood Soup: 174C Hougang Avenue 1, Singapore 533174
Han Kee Fish Soup: 7 Maxwell Rd, #02-129, Singapore 069111
Thai Seng Fish Soup: 3026 Ubi Rd 1, Wong Poh Kopitiam, #01- 146, Singapore 408719
24. Rojak
Snack or dessert • Vegetarian option available • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$3–S$6
Singaporean Chinese or Malay Rojak is a mixture of you tiao (dough fritters), bean sprouts, tau pok (beancurd puffs), radish, pineapple, cucumber and roasted peanuts with the occasional century egg and cuttlefish. Everything is then mixed with a sweet-savoury black, fermented prawn paste sauce. Chilli is optional.
The ingredients in Rojak is quite standard. The other distinctive variant is the Indian version. Indian Rojak lets you pick what ingredients are added and usually doesn’t include you tiao. Red gravy made with potato and spices (like tamarind and chili) is used in Indian Rojak instead. It is also dipped in a fiery red peanut sauce.
Rojak recommendations:
Balestier Road Hoover Rojak: 90 Whampoa Dr, #01-06, Singapore 320090
Gu Zao Rojak: Blk 1 Jalan Berseh, #01-18 Jalan Berseh Food Centre, Singapore 200001
Lau Hong Ser Rojak: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-53 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Soon Heng Rojak: Blk 347 Jurong East Avenue 1, #01-185, Singapore 600347
Tow Kwar Pop: 44 Holland Drive, #01-49 Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270044
25. Chicken Rice
Lunch or dinner • Non-halal • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$4–S$8
More accurately known as Hainanese Chicken Rice, this is one of Singapore’s most well-known and celebrated dishes. No coffee shop in Singapore is complete without a Chicken Rice stall.
For ‘white’ chicken rice, the whole chicken is steeped in sub-boiling pork and chicken bone stock to absorb the flavours and cook. Some shops will also dip the bird in ice after cooking to create a jelly-like finish on the chicken’s skin.
Variations include roasting the chicken, which is called ‘black chicken’, in contrast to the ‘white chicken’. The stalls with better service will de-bone the chicken for you.
The rice used in Chicken Rice is cooked with chicken stock, ginger, garlic, scallion and occasionally pandan leaves for added fragrance. Chilli sauce made with garlic and red chilli is served with Chicken Rice, and the dish sometimes comes topped with sweet dark soy sauce and heaped spoons of chopped ginger.
Chicken rice recommendations:
Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice: 342 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329774
Katong Mei Wei: 865 Mountbatten Rd, Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
Mat Noh & Rose Authentic Ginger Fried Chicken Rice: Ginger Fried Chicken Rice: 91 Whampoa Drive, #01-27 Whampoa Makan Place, Singapore 320091
Pin Sheng Chicken Rice: 163 Bukit Merah Central, #02-51, Singapore 150163
Leng Heng Chicken Rice: 1220 East Coast Park Lagoon Food Village, #01-07, Singapore 468960
Traditional Rui Ji Chicken Rice: 531A Upper Cross St, #02-27, Singapore 051531
26. Duck Rice (Roasted or Braised)
Lunch or dinner • Non-halal • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$5–S$10
Sometimes Chicken Rice stalls will sell Duck Rice as well, but the good ducks are in specialised Duck Rice-only shops. The most common version of Duck Rice in Singapore, influenced by Cantonese roast meats in Hong Kong, uses plain white rice with ruby red roasted duck, which is drizzled with an addictive sweet braised sauce.
Personally, I prefer the braised duck rice, which is a Teochew invention in contrast. This other Teochew version uses yam rice and herbal, braised duck meat, along with some tau pok (beancurd puffs), eggs and peanuts on the side. Teochews just love braising things, don’t they? Both are equally yummy and have distinct taste profiles although duck is the common denominator.
Duck rice recommendations:
Roast Paradise: 51 Old Airport Rd, #01-121 Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Cheok Kee Boneless Braised Duck: Blk 19 Ghim Moh Road, #01-35 Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, Singapore 270019
Ming Fa Duck Rice: Blk 347 Jurong East Avenue 1, #01-185, Singapore 600347
Tai Dong Teochew Duck Rice: 49 Sims Pl, #01-04, Singapore 380049
Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck: 399 Yung Sheng Road, #01-27 Taman Jurong Food Centre, Singapore 610399
27. Char Kway Teow
Dinner • Non-halal • Hawker centres or Coffeeshops • Price range: S$4–S$8
Char Kway Teow is another signature Singapore noodle dish made with flat rice noodles (河粉) with sweet dark sauce. Stir-fried with egg, pork lard, Chinese sausages and fish cake, Char Kway Teow was intentionally made to be loaded in fats because labourers in the past needed a cheap source of energy and what better way than to get that from one huge fatty meal.
Cockles are also usually added, as there was plenty of it in Singapore’s port island. A Penang Char Kway Teow variation exists as well, using chives and prawns and lacks the sweetness that is distinctive of Singapore-style Char Kway Teow.
Char Kway Teow recommendations:
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee: Blk 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-17, Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Singapore 051531
Day Night Fried Kway Teow: Blk 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-136, Singapore 150124
Quan Ji Cooked Food: Blk 106 Clementi Street 12, #01-54, Singapore 120106
786 Char Kway Teow: Blk 51 Old Airport Road, #01-12, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Fried Kway Teow (724 Ang Mo Kio): 724 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, Ang Mo Kio Central Market, #01-22, Singapore 560724
28. Curry Puff
Snack • Halal options available • Bakeries and Hawker stalls • Price range: S$1.50–S$3
The Singaporean Curry Puff is a small baked pie enclosed with either shortcrust or puff pastry, the former being the more traditional option in Singapore. A common local snack, the filling is usually made with curry gravy, chicken, potato and egg. Other variants include fillings with yam, sardines, otak (grilled fish cake) or even durian. Curry puffs (Chinese / Indian style) often have a flaky, buttery crust with curried potato/chicken filling, while epok-epok (Malay-style) features a thinner, rougher crust, often filled with spiced potato or sardine, sometimes served with chili sauce. Epok-epok is typically crescent-shaped and less filling, making them easy to eat in multiples.
Curry puff recommendations:
Soon Soon Huat Crispy Curry Puff: 220 East Coast Road, Singapore 428917
Wang Wang Crispy Curry Puff: 51 Old Airport Road, Old Airport Road Food Centre, #01-126, Singapore 390051
J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff: 7 Maxwell Rd, Amoy Food Centre, #01-21, Singapore 069111
AMK Curry Puff: Blk 184 Toa Payoh Central, Super 28 Coffeeshop, #01-372, Singapore 310184
Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original: 531A Upper Cross St, #02-36 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Singapore 051531
29. Fish Head Steamboat
Dinner • Shared dish • Steamboat restaurants • S$25–S$60
Being an island port, Singapore used to have many fishermen who would bring their fresh unsold catch to be sold as dishes instead. Teochew Fish Head Steamboat is another result of our geographic situation.
The soup typically contains a mix of fried yam, sour plums, fried fish bones and vegetables which add flavour to the soup. Raw fish slices are added in later. Grouper, red snapper or pomfret are the usual choices available in Fish Head Steamboat.
Old school steamboat places still use hot charcoal as a heat source, which apparently adds more flavour as compared to just using an electric or fire stove. Be warned—good and popular Fish Head Steamboats in Singapore have fervent customers queuing for more than an hour regardless of how nonchalant the restaurant service is.
Fish head steamboat recommendations:
Nan Hua Chang (Ah Chew) Fish Head Steamboat: 6 Kaki Bukit Ave 1, #01-03, Singapore 417940
Bugis Fish Head Steamboat: Blk 31 Kelantan Lane, #01-12, Singapore 200031
Hualong Fish Head Steamboat: 978 Toa Payoh N, #02-01, Singapore 319001
136 Hong Kong Street Teochew Fish Head Steamboat: 713 Clementi West Street 2, Block 713, Singapore 120713
30. Popiah
Snack or light meal • Shared dish • Specialty stalls • S$1.50–S$3
And finally, the last dish on this list to eat in Singapore: Popiah. The Teochews call it 薄餅仔 (thin wafer) or 薄餅 in Mandarin, which in the Teochew dialect reads as ‘Bo-BEE-ah’, thus resulting in the English name Popiah. Popiah is a fresh spring roll originating from China’s Fujian province, with roots dating back to the 17th century. Traditionally consumed in spring to mark the abundance of vegetables, it was brought to Singapore by Chinese immigrants, becoming a version that isn’t fried and modified to Singapore’s taste.
The round Popiah skin is a thin paper-like wheat crepe that encases all the ingredients. A sweet sauce called hoisin is lathered onto the laid-out flat skin before fillings are added. Ingredients within a Popiah typically include small prawns, boiled eggs, Chinese sausage, lettuce, bean sprouts, and are primarily filled with thinly shredded, braised Jicama (Bangkuang/Yam Bean) for a subtle sweetness.
Popiah recommendations:
Ping Kee Popiah: 590 Upper Thomson Rd, #01-32, Singapore 574419
Ann Chin Popiah (Chinatown): 335 Smith St, #02-112, Singapore 050335
Kway Guan Huat Joochiat Popiah: 95 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427389
Good Chance Popiah: 149 Silat Avenue, Block 149, #01-58, Singapore 160149
Frequently asked questions about Singapore’s local food
What food is Singapore most famous for?
Singapore is best known for everyday dishes such as chicken rice, laksa, chilli crab and nasi lemak, which are widely eaten across hawker centres and coffee shops. These dishes reflect a mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences and are closely tied to how people in Singapore eat on a daily basis.
What local Singapore food should first-time visitors try?
First-time visitors often start with chicken rice, laksa, kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs, char kway teow and hokkien mee, as these dishes are easy to find and commonly referenced as local staples. They provide a practical introduction to everyday hawker food and coffee shop dining. If you have friends to share with, try chilli or black pepper crab at zi char restaurants.
What are the best restaurants in Singapore right now?
The best restaurants in Singapore span fine dining, casual eateries, and heritage favourites across the island. They include Michelin-starred and chef-led restaurants known for consistent cooking, clear culinary identity, and strong local followings, as well as well-established dining rooms recognised for service, location, and menu seasonality. The strongest choices depend on the occasion, budget, and whether diners prioritise modern concepts, classic local flavours, or refined international cuisine. Currently, only 3 restaurants are awarded 3-Michelin stars in Singapore: Zen, Odette, Les Amis.
Is Singapore food generally spicy?
Singapore food ranges from mild to spicy, depending on the dish and cuisine. While items such as laksa, sambal stingray and chilli crab can be spicy, many popular foods like chicken rice, wanton mee and bak kut teh are typically mild, customable, or have chilli sauce served on the side.
Are local Singapore dishes halal-friendly?
Some local Singapore dishes are halal, while others are not, depending on ingredients and preparation. Malay and Indian Muslim dishes such as nasi lemak, nasi biryani and roti prata are commonly halal, while pork-based dishes like bak kut teh and bak chor mee are not. Do look out for the halal certification.
What Singapore food is commonly eaten for breakfast?
Breakfast foods in Singapore often include kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs, chwee kueh, nasi lemak, mee siam and roti prata. These are usually eaten at coffee shops, hawker centres or neighbourhood eateries in the morning.
What dishes are typically shared when eating out in Singapore?
Shared dishes are common in Singapore, especially during lunch or dinner with family and friends. Items such as chilli crab, pepper crab, curry fish head and fish head steamboat are usually ordered for the table rather than as individual portions.
Seth’s Note
Singapore’s food culture is shaped by necessity, migration and everyday eating, with many well-known dishes emerging from modest ingredients and practical cooking traditions. Influences from Chinese, Malay, Indian and regional Southeast Asian communities have blended over time, resulting in food that is local not by origin alone, but by how it has been adapted and lived with in Singapore.
This list is not exhaustive, nor is there a single agreed definition of what counts as “truly” Singaporean food. What it offers instead is a grounded reference to dishes that continue to define how people in Singapore eat today, making it useful for both visitors and locals seeking a clearer understanding of local food culture.
