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Top Singaporean Food You Must Try & Where To Find Them
Singaporean cuisine is like a gateway to so many cultures. Local dishes are inspired by Chinese, Indian, Peranakan, and Malay culinary traditions, so you’re bound to encounter a diverse range of flavours and pairings.
Singapore’s iconic dishes include chilli crabs, laksa, Hainanese chicken rice, and satay. If you haven’t sampled these culinary delights, head straight to the nearest hawker centre from the airport!
Even better, learn more about these dishes and head exactly where to best try them using this guide to the top Singaporean food!
Hainanese Chicken Rice
– From loykeebestchickenrice
Hainanese chicken rice is undeniably Singapore’s top culinary gem, earning Michelin recognition and worldwide acclaim. While its origins may not be strictly Singaporean, this aromatic chicken dish is widely regarded as the island’s national dish.
Hainanese chicken rice comprises three main items: steamed or poached chicken, fragrant rice, and a sauce made of chilli and ginger. It’s usually served with a side of cucumber and chicken stock soup then garnished with more ginger.
The dish is widely served across Singapore, mainly in hawker centres and Singaporean restaurants. You can get a cheap meal for about $5 a pop, but the recipe and ingredients for Hainanese chicken are simple enough to make at home!
| Where to Try It: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-10/11 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184 Boon Tong Kee Restaurant, Balestier Rd, #399 401 & 403, Singapore 329801 Loy Kee Chicken Rice, 342 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329774 Katong Mei Wei Chicken Rice, 865 Mountbatten Rd, KATONG shopping centre, Singapore 437844 Price: $5 to $12 |
Laksa
– From janggut_laksa
If Japan has ramen, then Singapore has laksa. Laksa is a soup-based noodle dish made with coconut milk, rice noodles, broth, spices, and toppings like meat or shellfish.
There are various versions of laksa available across Singapore and Southeast Asia, but the katong laksa version is probably one of the most popular variations enjoyed by both locals and foreigners.
Katong laksa has the same main ingredients as regular laksa, except it’s spicier and heavily seafood-based. The broth is creamy and seasoned with curry and dried shrimp stock, resulting in an extra fragrant and orange-coloured soup.
| Where to Try It: 328 Katong Laksa, 51 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428770 Kuching Original Kolo Noodle Laksa, 84 Marine Parade Central, Singapore 440084 Warong Solo, 1 Geylang Serai, #02-123, Singapore 402001 Janggut Laksa The Original Katong Laksa, 331 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, Singapore 534949 Price: $6 to $10 |
Bak Kut Teh
– From founderbkt
Another popular soup-based Singaporean dish is bak kut teh, a broth made of pork bones, herbs, and spices that have been simmered for hours. The result is a clear and super flavourful broth, topped with soft beef or pork meat that slides off the bone!
In fact, bak kut teh literally translates to “meat bone soup” from Hokkien and was introduced by the Teochew and Hoklo communities in Singapore. It’s often enjoyed as a breakfast dish, but it’s also a great dish to eat during cold weather or when feeling sick.
You’ll find bak kut teh mainly in hawker centres, typically near the East Coast and towards Pasir Ris. If you’re trying it for the first time, we recommend pairing the soup with a cup of rice and drenching the rice in the broth to soak up all the flavour.
| Where to Try It: Founder Bak Kut Teh, 347 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329777 Old Street Bak Kut Teh, 90 Hougang Ave 10, #02-22 Hougang Mall, Singapore 538766 Balestier Bak Kut Teh, 365 &, 369 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329785333 Bak Kut Teh, 325 Balestier Rd, #01-01 J W Building, Singapore 329754 Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, 176 Orchard Rd, #02-29/30, Singapore 238843 Price: $5 to $14 |
Chilli Crab
– From jumboseafoodsg
Chilli crabs are also a top Singaporean food that’s associated with the island’s food scene. Owing to Singapore’s numerous coastal parks and access to seafood, getting your hands on chill crabs is easy, albeit it will cost you more.
Chilli crabs, as the name implies, are whole crabs smothered in a sweet, tangy, and savoury chilli sauce. This iconic dish comes in various popular variations, including black pepper, white pepper, and the classic tomato-based chilli crabs.
Mud crabs are the most common type of crabs used in this dish, but some restaurants in Singapore also offer Alaskan king crabs as an alternative. Prices are heavily dependent on current market prices, with rates starting at $50 per 100 grams.
| Where to Try It: JUMBO Seafood, 2 Orchard Turn, #04-09/10, ION Orchard, Singapore 23880131 Heng Heng BBQ, 500 Clemenceau Ave N, #01-31 Food Centre, Singapore 229495 House of Seafood Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Rd, #B1-38 The Riverwalk, Singapore 058416 Keng Eng Kee Seafood, 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-136, Singapore 150124 Long Beach Restaurant, 25 Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249670 Price: $50 to $150 per 100 grammes |
Sambal Stingray
– From yoasobi.sg
When you think of seafood, stingrays may be the last on your list of things you can eat at a seafood restaurant. However, Singaporeans enjoy a dish called sambal stingray, which consists of barbecued whole stingray drenched in chilli sauce.
Think of it as a stingray version of chilli crabs, except this dish is usually spicier and easier to eat (no need to shell!). You’ll find this dish being served at hawker centres along the coast, but they’re also typically sold in more upscale Chinese restaurants.
To give you a better idea of what sambal stingray tastes like, it’s like eating fish but more tender. The meat can easily be torn using chopsticks and is best served with a plate of rice and a side of chilli sauce.
| Where to Try It: Yoasobi by Kanpai, 33-35 Pekin St, #01-01, Singapore 048763 Stingray Forever BBQ Seafood, 1220 ECP, #01-43 East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Singapore 468960 Chomp Chomp BBQ, 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-44 Fengshan Market & Food, Singapore 460085 Chan BBQ, 85 Bedok North Rd, #01-24, Singapore 460085 Price: $12 to $20 |
Chicken Satay
– From bestsataysg
Satay is essentially Southeast Asia’s love letter to barbecued meat. It’s a beloved food in Singapore and can easily be found in hawker centres, street bazaars, and local restaurants.
There are many variations to stay, as it is more a barbecuing method than a type of dish. Many like to use beef, pork, vegetables, or prawns, but the most common type of satay is chicken satay.
In Singapore, chicken is marinated in a blend of garlic, lemongrass, soy sauce, sugar, and peanut oil before grilling on charcoal or barbecue. The highlight is the sweet, savoury peanut sauce, which we recommend to generously coat your skewers with!
| Where to Try It: Satay Street at LauPa Sat, Boon Tat St, Lau Pa Sat, Singapore Best Satay 7 and 8, Stall 7 & 8, Boon Tat St, Singapore Soon Lee Heng Satay Foodstuff, 15 Woodlands Lp., #04-49, Singapore 738322 Satay by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Dr, #01-19, Singapore 018953 Best Satay, 22 Newton, Newton Food Centre, Singapore 229495 Price: $0.40 to $1 per skewer |
Kaya Toast
– From yakunkayatoastsg
Veteran travellers in Singapore know that kickstarting your day with a serving of kaya toast at a local kopitiam is a must. Widely regarded as one of the quintessential Singaporean dishes, this simple toast and jam dish comes at an affordable price.
Kaya, a sweet jam made from coconut and pandan leaves, is spread between two slices of toast and typically served alongside soft-boiled eggs and a cup of kopi (coffee). Some people like to add butter to their toast or enjoy it straight from the jar.
While these are classic ways to enjoy it, other locals prefer to pair their kaya toast with dark soy sauce and pepper. Others have their own toast preferences as well, like having the bread toasted to a crisp or keeping it soft like sponge cake!
| Where to Try It: Ya Kun Kaya Toast, 290 Orchard Rd, B1-38, Singapore 238859 Toast Box, 930 Yishun Avenue 2, #01-49, Northpoint City North Wing, 930 Yishun Ave 2, #01 – 49, Singapore 769098 Fang Yuan Kopitiam Permas, 14, Jalan Permas 9/2, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 81750 Masai, Johor, Malaysia Killiney Kopitiam, 67 Killiney Rd, Singapore 239525 Price: $1.50 to $3 |
Char Kway Teow
– From penang_kitchen_sg
If there’s one thing you’ll notice about most Singaporean hawker food, it’s that locals love noodles and stir-fry. Luckily, they get the best of both worlds in char kway teow, a stir-fry noodle dish made with flat rice noodles.
Char kway teow has Chinese origins, but local hawkers have made their own spin to this simple dish as its popularity grew among Singaporeans. The Singaporean char kway teow mixes wheat noodles and flat rice noodles in one dish.
Locals enjoy char kway teow with cockles, prawns, squid, and lobster, topped with vegetables. There are many variations to char kway teow, with some preferring it dry while others like it saucy and overloaded with toppings.
| Where to Try It: Lian Seng Fried Kway Teow, 51 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, #02-172, Singapore 588215 Penang Kitchen, 5 Coronation Rd, #01-05 Coronation Arcade, Singapore 269406 Hai Yan Fried Kway Teow Mee, 36 Telok Blangah Rise, #01-38, Singapore 090036786 Char Kway Teow, 115 Bukit Merah View, #01-28, Singapore 151115 Price: $2.50 to $5 |
