Boasting in Chinese, Malaysian and Indian cuisine, for most westerners, figuring out what to eat in Singapore can be tricky. And even if you can navigate your way through the names of ancient dishes, finding them may not always be easy. Here's our easy enough guide (with pictures) for what you can expect.
HAWKER (sometimes also referred to as a food centre) will be any visitors best friend when visiting Singapore. These cafeteria like complexes are plentiful in central Singapore and have many small individual stalls serving a variety of foods. Eating at these is cheap, filled with experience and always delicious.
Amoy Food Center (7 Maxwell Road MND Building Annexe B, Singapore)
Wonton Noodle
Delicious noodles usually serviced with Chinese spice rubbed pork or duck, served with Bok Choy (Chinese cabbage). Always coming with a bowl of warm broth on the side with pork dumplings floating inside. (3.50-5 SGD, ± 2-4 EUR)
(Try stall 01-125 at the Amoy Food Center)
Fried Carrot Cake (Chai tow kway)
Don't be fooled by the name! No carrots or cream cheese frosting here. In fact, this traditionally Chinese dish is actually more like an omelette, scrambled eggs with spring onion and chewy radish cake.
Kaya Toast
Breakfast time! Eaten by the locals almost daily, Kaya (a coconut jam) is spread on toast with butter and put together into a sandwich. You then take that sandwich and dip it into runny boiled eggs with soy sauce and take a sip of your kopi (what the locals call coffee with condensed milk). (3.50-4 SGD, ± 2-3 EUR)
Honestly- weird but somehow has become one of our favorite breakfasts that we even make at home in Europe now!
Beef Hor Fun
A Chinese beef stew if you will - boasting in peppery flavour, greens and onions. The whole gravy mix is served over rice noodles. (3.50-5 SGD, ± 2-4 EUR)
Dim Sum
By far our favorite is Dim Sum. Which actually, is a variety of small portioned dishes that are meant to be shared. From steamed pork buns to spring rolls to world famous soup dumplings, you can spend hours sitting around a table eating and still not try everything.
Our fav place, and a highly recommended place to eat in Singapore - the Swee Choon restaurant, which is open for lunch 10-3pm and the for dinner from 6pm-6AM (yes they're open all night).
They have an easy to read menu with pictures and a paper menu you fill out yourself (by ticking the items you want) that you just give to the servers.
And for the most unique but delicious desert - try number 163 (sweet potato salted egg custard ball), an asian creme brule donut hybrid - INSANELY GOOD.
Fish Ball Noodle Soup
Another classic that can be found in almost every hawker centre, smooth fish balls with noodles and veggies, floating in a savoury broth will be sure to warm you from all that Singapore air conditioning! (3.50-5 SGD, ± 2-4 EUR)
Albert Centre (270 Queen St, Singapore)
San Lor Hor Fun
Another gravy based noodle stew - this time served with white fish, bean sprouts and greens. (5 SGD ± 3,26 EUR)
Popiah Spring Roll
A warm meaty wrap, serves as a great snack or starter. Filled with meat, veggies and sweet sauce (1.80 SGD, ± 1 EUR).
A few other recommended hawkers:
- Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre (335 Smith St, Chinatown)
- The "food court" at Marina Bay Sands (located on the bottom floor of the shopping complex). Although much more pricey than others, remains a cheap place to eat in the Marina Bay area.
Truth is, this guide to what to eat in Singapore probably covers about 5% of the mass possibilities of Singapore food. We've not even touched the indian or malay origin dishes, which can also be found in hawkers all over the city.
However, these examples of whats on offer will give you a starting point and hopefully get you going on your food journey eating your way through Singapore!
