TRAVEL: Food you need to try in Singapore

I’ve been to Singapore twice and both trips were for different reasons. The first trip was for a conference at my previous 9-5 last year. I spent 3 days at the conference but I stayed for a few extra days to explore the city. The second time I visited was earlier this year when Mr Eat Canberra and I stopped in for a few days before continuing our travels to Vietnam, Seoul and Canada. I really wanted to take him there because I fell in love with the food and I knew he would too. 

Singapore is the perfect place to spend a 3-5 day layover on your way to another country. But if you want to go to a nice city that has cheap, delicious food with plenty to do then you might be satisfied visiting Singapore for your next overseas adventure. Everyone has different opinions and reasons to travel so it’s really up to the individual.

You can have incredible (and really expensive) dining experiences at a Michel-starred restaurant or you can find amazing, cheap food at the many Hawker Centre in Singapore. When I say cheap, I mean seriously cheap. Most dishes start at $1-1.50 and it’s rare to find anything over $5. You can even find some of the cheapest Michelin-starred dishes in the world in Singapore.

For those of you who don’t know, a Hawker Centre is basically a big open-air food court. They’re usually pretty basic with tables, chairs and toilet facilities (but make sure you take some extra tissues or napkins just in case). You’ll find a lady or man sitting at the front of most toilet blocks with toilet paper for sale.

Many locals eat at Hawker Centres, coffee shops and food courts in Singapore because of variety, convenience and affordability. I was having a conversation with a local lady while in line for the world’s “cheapest Michelin-starred meal” (in the picture above and more info below). She said that it’s great that there are so many Hawker Markets because it means that locals can still afford to eat out. The price rarely affects the quality of food and as I mentioned above, there are Michelin-starred stalls and Michelin Bib Gourmand listed stalls.

The food courts in Singapore (like Japan) are also pretty amazing and there’s an array high-quality food available. Food courts can be found underground or in the shopping centres.

Singaporean cuisine is a combination of cuisines from many countries including Malaysia, China, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and more. There are sooooo many options and you are guaranteed to find a smorgasbord of Asian delights everywhere you go.

I love exploring cities and countries like a local so trying lots of local cuisine is always a high priority for me when I travel. From succulent and flavoursome roast meats, to fresh fruits and noodles galore, there’s a never-ending list of food you can eat in Singapore. Based on my trips to Singapore, I’ve put together a list of food (in no particular order) that I think you need to try.

The Hawker Centres I’ve eaten at are Lau Pa Sat, Newton Food Centre, Maxwell Food Centre, Amoy Street Food Centre and Chinatown Complex. There are soooo many options and I can’t wait to return to Singapore to eat the food I didn’t get a chance to eat (see my ‘to eat’ list at the end of this article).

So here’s my list of Singapore food that I think you need to try. Warning, you might want to get a napkin to wipe the drool your mouth and make sure you’re not hungry when you read this…..

Kaya Toast

Kaya toast was high on my ‘to eat’ list so the first breakfast I had in Sinagpore was Kaya Toast. I stumbled across Toast Box the night I arrived when I was looking for somewhere to have dinner so I knew exactly where it was. Toast Box is one of the chains for Kaya toast that serves this popular snack and a range of other food. Kaya is a sweet, coconutty flavoured jam that’s served on toast with a lathering of butter and OMG it is deeeelicious. You can get it in a set that comes with soft-boiled (and they’re REALLY soft) eggs and kopi (black coffee served with condensed milk) for about $5.

I started to ask for hard-boiled eggs when I ordered the set because some of the eggs I had were almost like egg soup in a bowl. This is just how they’re served but I wasn’t a fan. Lots of people dip their kaya toast in the soft eggs and you can also add soy sauce and other condiments. I’m a coffee drinker and I love the kopi in Singapore. It’s similar to Vietnamese white coffee because they use condensed milk. You can choose to have it heaps of different ways including sweetened, unsweetened, hot, cold, black or white. I had kaya toast several times at different places during both trips and it was all slighty different but very similar. The main difference was the type of bread and the thickness of it. If you see kaya toast in Singapore then don’t hesitate to order it!

Bak Kwa

If I had a dollar for every time I use the word ‘love’ then I would be a millionaire! But I say it because I’m a passionate person and I actually do love a lot of things, including food AND bak kwa. It’s a Chinese sweet-salty dried meat product that’s similar to jerky. I think it’s better than jerky but I do have a sweet tooth and I was addicted to this tasty snack after one bite. There are a few big chain stores where you can find bak kwa including Bee Cheng Hiang. I tasted it from 4 different places and it was all quite similar. The main difference was the price and the variety at each. There’s a range of different meats to choose from and a few different flavours. The spicy one is good too! It’s sold by weight so you usually have to buy a minimum amount but don’t worry, if you love it as much as me then you will devour it very quickly. It’s pretty heavy so a few pieces should be enough to reach the minimum. It’s not a cheap snack but it’s worth it!

There are lots of bak kwa stores on New Bridge Rd and Pagoda St in Chinatown but you’ll also find them scattered around Singapore. There’s some at the airport too and I was so tempted to take a bag back with me but I wasn’t sure if I could get them through customs. A week after returning to Australia someone told me that they had bought some back with them and had no issues. I was so disappointed I didn’t attempt to bring some back but it was probably a good thing for my waste line, and I didn’t want to risk it getting taken off me. I may have had a panic attack if they tried to take my precious bak kwa away from me.  Make sure you try bak kwa and have a piece or two for me!

Wanton Mee

Noodles, dumplings and roast meat…. Is there a better combination? Wanton Mee includes some of my favourite foods in one dish. It’s served in a hot broth with some greens and it’s so yummy. You can find it at lots of Hawker Centres. We had this one from Lau Pa Sat, also known as Telok Ayer Market.

Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle

This is another popular dish in Singapore and if you want to try one of the cheapest Michelin-starred dishes in the world then head to Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle. The food stall is located in the Chinatown Complex (#2-127) but there’s now a restaurant and it’s only a few minutes from the stall. On my first trip to Singapore I went to the stall at about 2-2:30pm. I heard that the line is usually really long earlier in the day so I thought it might be quieter by that time. When I arrived I was surprised to see that that were only about 6-8 people in line. Just as I arrived a little lady came out crossing her arms saying “No more, no more.” Like many food stalls in Singapore, they only serve a certain amount of dishes each day and they had sold out. I knew that the restaurant was close (78 Smith St) so I decided to try my luck there.

As I walked in I saw that there was a roped off section to control the line but there was only about 15 people lining up, and I saw that they still had plenty of food. So I joined the queue and it moved pretty quickly. Before long, I had a plate soya sauce chicken rice with a side of char siu on my tray and I enjoyed every mouthful. The chicken was cooked beautifully and it was really flavoursome. It’s slightly more expensive than the stall but it was still only about $4-5 for the soya sauce chicken and char siu combo.

Mr Eat Canberra had seen this stall online and was the one to tell me about the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred dish before I went on my first trip to Singapore. So he was keen to try it and when we went to Singapore this year. Based on my previous experience, we strategically arrived an hour before it opened. When we arrived nobody was lining up but a lot of people were sitting on tables around the stall. We went to the start of the line and the little lady that told me they had run out last year (she’s a little scary) rushed out. She was shaking her fingers at us and pointing to the people sitting down. We realised that they had arrived earlier but they were sitting down instead of standing. We quickly went and ordered a popiah while we waited before we started lining up.

They started serving right on 11am and the line didn’t move quickly. There’s a maximum amount of takeaway dishes that people are allowed to buy but many people were making the most of the maximum number and buying 4+ containers. They cut the meat on the spot so it took a little while but we spoke to a local lady in line when we were waiting. We were pretty happy when we were at the start of the line and were happy with our tasty dishes. A lot of people say it’s not that good and although I’m no soya sauce chicken expert, I think it was delicious. It’s not every day you get to eat at one of the worlds cheapest Michelin-starred food stalls. Plus each plate of food was only about $2.50.

Singaporean Chilli Crab

Chilli crab is a must-try dish in Singapore! It is rich, sweet, spicy and sooooo messy. I chose to eat it at a restaurant instead of a Hawker Centre. I knew it was going to be spicy and messy and I didn’t want to go through 10 packets of napkins and be a sweaty mess while eating it. So I went to TungLok Seafood on Orchard Road and treated myself to one BIG (it was meant to be the smallest they had) chilli crab. Hahaha yep, that’s right, I went by myself. They cleared a huge table and little me sat at that table with a napkin tied around my neck waiting for my big bowl of chilli crab. I would have looked so funny and even had a giggle to myself but I enjoyed every moment and had a cold beer to accompany my crab.

Crabs are really hard to eat but once you crack through that shell, the succulent and sweet meat in the middle is worth the effort. It’s usually served with steamed or deep fried buns. These were quite sweet but they were good to mop of that yummy sauce, it was to die for. The crabs are priced by weight and you have to order a whole crab. So I asked for the smallest one and I ended up paying about $80 for my crab and beer. I would definitely recommend sharing this between two or more people and if you want to enjoy your chilli crab experience comfortably then eat it at a restaurant.

Oyster Omelette (orh luak)

My fist Hawker Centre experience was at Newton Food Centre, just a short cab ride from my hotel near Orchard Road. The first thing I tried was the fried oyster omelette (also knows as orh luak) from Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette with a cold Tiger beer. If you’re an oyster lover then you need to try this. The thick egg batter is crispy and goes perfectly with the creamy, rich oysters. The shallots and coriander (cilantro) are a nice addition of freshness and a little bit of the spicy sauce completes this dish. It’s only about $5 so it’s great value considering how many oysters you get.

Satay

There’s something special about a creamy, rich satay sauce, especially when it’s served with freshly grilled, tender meat or seafood. Lau Pa Sat is another Hawker Centre and it comes alive at night when a street is blocked off and satay vendors set up stalls outside from about 7pm. I’ve heard people describe this place as a tourist trap but I thought it was really good. I enjoyed the food, a cold beer, watching the vendors cook the satay sticks over hot coals and the atmosphere.  It’s about $0.70 per stick with a minimum order of 10 sticks. There are quite a few stalls to choose from. We got the beef and prawn set from stall 7/8 and paid about $30 with a few cold beers.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This dish is really popular in lots of Asian countries and is considered one of the national dishes of Singapore. The chicken is poached in a broth that is usually flavoured with garlic and ginger. This cooking process results in perfectly cooked, moist, soft chicken and the broth is used to flavour the rice. It’s usually served with some dipping sauces and some fresh greens like cucumber. Hainanese chicken rice is a simple but extremely tasty dish that ranges from $2.50 to about $4.50. I had heard about the famous (thanks to Anthony Bourdain) Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice stall at Maxwell Food Centre. When I arrived I saw a huge line of more than 40 people…. As I walked into the centre I saw that the line wrapped around the corner and that the line was for Tian Tian.

I have a confession to make, you will rarely see my waiting in line for food unless it’s for something that I absolutely NEED to have. I get really impatient. I try to go to busy places at off-peak times to avoid lines. I have actually walked in, around and out of food festivals because the lines have been too long…..

There are so many hainanese chicken rice stalls in Singapore and I had limited time so I wasn’t prepared to wait. Instead I walked around and discovered another chicken rice place a few stalls down. It only had a line of about 8 people and it was also slightly cheaper. As I approached, a local lady told me how good it was and that it’s one that locals go to. So I took her advice and lined up for a short wait before receiving a beautiful, flavoursome and simple tray of food. After my visit I founds out that the owner of Ah Tai Chicken Rice (the stall I visited) previously worked at Tian Tian before opening his own stall. So if you want to avoid the line at Tian Tian then you might want to check out Ah Tai.

Curry Puffs

Curry puffs are one of my favourite things to order for an entree at Thai restaurants but they can definitely be hit and miss. There are so many different versions of curry puffs and I really like the vegetarian ones that are slightly sweet with light, fluffy, crispy pastry that isn’t too oily. I had read really good things about J2 Crispy Curry Puffs at the Amoy Street Food Centre, they’ve also received a Bib Gourmand award.

So I went on a mission to find them, as I always do when it comes to searching for food. They only make 500 a day and there’s a few different options to choose from including curried potatoes, sardines and yam and black pepper. I was surprised to that there wasn’t a line and quickly ordered and received my curry puff. I have to admit that I was pretty full from eating other food that day but I found the curry puff to be really oily and a little heavy.

I tried another one on a bike tour I did in Singapore and it was just from a no-frills restaurant where we had kaya toast, curry puffs and kopi. I enjoyed theme more than the ones from J2 Crispy Curry Puffs. I know there are lots of different versions and everyone has different styles so I’m looking forward to continuing my search for my favourite curry puff when I return.

Braised Duck Noodles (or rice)

If you know me then you will know how much I love duck. Crispy skinned, succulent duck is one of my favourite meats so I had to try the braised duck noodles. I had this after I tried the oyster omelette at Newton Food Centre. This dish is more commonly served with rice but I had it with noodles. The sauce I had was rich and flavoursome but there are lots of variations and it can be sweet, savoury, thick or thin.

Ramen

Singapore reminds me a lot of Japan for a few reasons. You will find lots of Japanese food available, including ramen. Good ramen can be hard to find in some cities but not in Singapore. I tried the world’s first michelin-starred ramen from Tsuta on Scotts Rd. It was near my hotel and I arrived at almost 9pm during the week and didn’t have to line up. I ordered the Ajitama Shoyu Soba with char siu, bamboo shoot, leek, egg and truffle pureed in truffle oil. The broth was perfect, the noodles had a slight chew, the egg was runny in the middle and I could definitely taste the truffle.

I also read some really good reviews about A Noodle Story in the Amoy Street Food Centre. We arrived at peak time and the line was really long so I asked a lady if I could take a photo of her ramen (yep, I did that). It looked good and hopefully I’ll try it next time.

Popiah

Popiah is a flavoursome fresh spring roll that’s filled with a selection of different ingredients. There are a few different versions and they’re only a few dollars each. The filling can include bean sprouts, grated carrot, turnip, lettuces leaves, chopped peanuts and fried shallots encased in a soft, thin crepe or pancake. The fillings options depend on the vendor and you can also choose to have them spicy or not!

Roast Meat

Singapore is roast meat heaven where you will rows of crispy, succulent roast pork, duck and chicken everywhere and it’s SO CHEAP. Find a place that has a few people lining up (that’s always something I do when choosing street food and food stalls to eat at) and get a plate of roast meat!

Dim Sum 

If I could eat dim sum every day then I would. There’s an abundance of dim sum joints in Singapore for all budgets. I didn’t eat nearly as much dim sum as I wanted to but I will return to eat more. Tim Ho Wan was close to one of the places I stayed at so it was really convenient. It’s a Hong Kong-based dim sum chain and is one of the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants. There are now locations all around the world and like many dim sum restaurants, you order by listing the items you want on a form and giving it to your server.

Tim Ho Wan are famous for their pork buns so I had to try them. The pork buns are baked, the pastry is quite sweet and they are very different from the standard pork buns. The dim sum was cheap and good but not amazing. Like I said, there are soooo many options for dim sum in Singapore and I’m looking forward to trying more when I go back.

Fresh juice

Although it’s not technically a food, you need to try a fresh juice in Singapore. There are heaps of juice bars and you can get a refreshing juice or smoothie for only a few dollars! This was a dragon fruit smoothie from Chinatown and it was a nice way to cool down from the warm, humid weather AND have a break from all the food.

Ice cream sandwich

I forgot to get a photo but if you see an ice cream sandwich cart make sure you get one! We spotted a man with a cart just across the bridge one evening when we were on the way back from Gardens by the Bay. Some ice cream sandwich stands sell the ice cream that’s sandwiched between two slices of bread but this guy was selling the ice cream between two soft biscuits. It was sooooo good! There are heaps of flavours and he had big slabs of ice cream that he cuts when you order your flavour. He then puts two biscuits on each side of the slab and hands it to you with a small piece of paper wrapped around it. There are some interesting flavours like durian but I got the mango one! They’re only about $1 and I still think about that ice cream sandwich…

Apparently the Old Airport Road Food Centre and East Coast Lagoon Food Village are really good. They were a little out of the way for me and I had so many options within walking distance of where I was staying both times.

There are soooo many amazing must-try dishes in Singapore and I didn’t even get through half of them during my trips. I still can’t believe I haven’t had a bowl of Laksa (because it’s one of my favourite Asian soups) or chicken wings (another favourite of mine)! But I did take a laksa kit back to Australia, as well as a few jars of kaya. I can’t wait to return and try more food in Singapore.

Some other food on my ‘to eat’ list for future trips to Singapore are:

• Fried Carrot Cake
• Laksa
• BBQ Sambal Stingray
• Indian Food
• Cereal Prawns
• Chicken Wings
• Milo drinks
• Bak Kut Teh
• Fish Soup

Have you been to Singapore or do you have a trip planned? If you’ve been, what was your favourite food? If you’re planning a trip then let me know if you need any help.