Last Updated on August 9, 2022 by Nellie Huang

As a proud Singaporean, here is my curated list of the best Singaporean food and where to try these Singaporean dishes!

Born and raised in Singapore, I am proud to be Singaporean. Despite living abroad for the past 17 years, I will always consider Singapore home. 

Singapore Food is a vibrant melting pot of flavors from different ethnic groups: a reflection of how multi-cultural we are. And no matter where in the city, there are always plenty of choices when it comes to Singapore food: from traditional hawker food to gourmet heritage restaurants serving authentic Singapore dishes.

To share some of my heritage with you, I’m bringing you on a culinary journey into the world of Singapore cuisine. For those wondering what to eat in Singapore, here are some of the best Singaporean food and the best places to eat in Singapore!

Best Singaporean Food

Thanks to its geographical location, Singapore is at the cultural crossroads of Asia. Singapore’s population is made up of mainly ethnic Chinese, Malay, and Indian. (I’m ethnically Chinese if you’re wondering.)

In the 1800s, our ancestors came from neighboring China, Malaysia and India, and brought along their culinary cultures. As a result, Singapore food is a beautiful blend of influences from Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines. Some interesting cultural fusion have also emerged, such as Peranakan/Nyonya food (marriage of Chinese and Malay food).

We share many similarities with Malaysia, and so our food are rightfully similar. Malaysia and Singapore have always fought over which dishes are uniquely ours and theirs, but I think we should stop arguing and just keep eating!

Singapore Food Culture

In Singapore, eating is our national pastime and obsession. Singaporeans literally eat around the clock: we eat 5-6 meals a day! You will often find Singapore’s hawker centres full of people even after midnight. 

Food is a popular talking point in Singapore. We are always arguing about which chicken rice stall is the best or which restaurant serves the best chilli crabs. Also, Singaporeans will travel from one end of the island to the other, or wait in line for an hour just to get the perfect plate of noodles.

As a multi-cultural nation, Singaporeans from different ethnic groups often eat together. Muslims do not eat pork and Hindus do not eat beef, but we are respectful of each other’s culture. In every hawker centre, you will always find Singapore dishes of various ethnicities under one roof.

Where to Eat in Singapore

The best places to eat in Singapore are in hawker centres: open-concept food courts but an institution of their own. They serve what you would call Singapore street food, with each hawker stall specializing in one dish.  

Hawker centres are where you will get the cheapest and best food in Singapore. They are where you go to experience the real Singapore and taste authentic Singapore dishes. Prices are really affordable: A plate of noodles costs around S$3 (or US$2), while a full seafood meal sets you back less than S$30 (US$21) per person. 

You can find these hawker centres in every neighborhood and residential area. They are clean and organized, and vendors have to adhere to certain hygiene levels by law. If you’re traveling Singapore with kids, don’t worry about food hygiene here.  There’s a lot of debate of which are the best hawker centres in Singapore; these are my personal favorites.

Best Hawker Centres in Singapore

• Tiong Bahru Food Centre  
• Maxwell Food Centre
• Golden Mile Food Centre
• Chinatown Complex

Best Food in Singapore

There are SO many Singapore dishes that it’s difficult for me to narrow them down. But I have chosen the 30 best food in Singapore to share with you. I have also included the best places to try each of these Singapore dishes. Time to eat!

Singapore Breakfast Dishes

1. Kaya Toast and Soft-Boiled Eggs

The most traditional Singaporean breakfast dish is kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs, served with coffee or tea. You will find it in almost every hawker centre and food court (usually at the drinks stall). This is a must eat in Singapore, especially if you are a morning person.

Basically, it is lightly toasted white bread lathered with kaya, a a sweet creamy spread made from coconut milk. The toast is accompanied with soft-boiled eggs. Most hawkers use big XL eggs and they serve the eggs with soya sauce and pepper. 

2. Chwee Kueh 

Chwee Kueh is my personal favorite Singapore food for breakfast. This traditional Singapore dish is made up of steamed white-flour rice cakes topped with fried pickles. We usually have 6-8 of them in one serving. 

They are served on a brown food paper, with a wallop of red sambal chilli. For many, chwee kueh seems too oily for a breakfast dish. My Spanish husband cannot understand my love for chwee kueh. Too bad for him!

3. Roti Prata

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, roti prata is one of the best food in Singapore to have for both breakfast and supper. I have fond memories of going for roti prata after a night of partying with friends.

Roti means ‘bread’, and prata means ‘flat’ in Hindi. Roti prata is a South Indian flat bread made by frying stretched dough flavored with ghee(Indian clarified butter). It is usually served with fish or mutton curry.

While the classic versions are served with curry, there are now many modern variations such as cheese, chocolate and ice cream (awesome for those traveling Singapore with kids!).

4. Fried Carrot Cake 

Singapore’s version of the carrot cake is nothing like its British or American counterparts. The Singapore carrot cake, also known as Chai Tou Kway, is a salty fried dish made from steamed radish cakes. It is fried to crispy perfection, and sprinkled with spring onions.

There are two versions: black or white carrot cake. The black carrot cake is sweeter and made with black sweet sauce, while the white version is crispy and oily. This authentic Singapore dish has become so popular that it is eaten not just for breakfast, but throughout the day.

     

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Singapore Noodle Dishes

8. Hokkien Mee 

Originally from China’s Fujian province, Hokkien Mee has slowly evolved over the years to become a uniquely Singaporean platter. 

Hokkien Mee is now one of the best hawker foods in Singapore and can be found in almost every food centre. It is basically a mixture of rice noodles and yellow egg noodles, fried in a wok with egg, seafood and slices of pork belly.

If you are going to travel Malaysia, you will notice that Hokkien Mee in Malaysia is very different from ours. The Malaysian Hokkien Mee is cooked in a sweet black sauce and the noodles are really fat and thick.

9. Wanton Mee

Originally from Canton (Guangzhou) in China, Wanton noodles is a Cantonese noodle dish popular in many parts of Asia. Wanton noodles are essentially springy egg noodles drenched in a black savory sauce and topped with char siew (roast pork), leafy vegetables and wanton (Chinese dumpling).

There are different versions of Wanton noodles: from Malaysian Pontian style to Hong Kong version and Thai style. Singapore has given it its own spin by adding green chilli (and sometimes the bright red balachan chilli sauce) to create this authentic Singapore dish.

10. Prawn Noodles

The humble prawn noodle, also known as “hae mee” in Hokkien, is a noodle dish that is both savory and flavorful. Giant shrimps are served with slurpy rice noodles in a rich and flavorful broth.

It is all about the broth: the soup needs to be cooked for hours with a combination of pork bones, prawn heads and a whole myriad of condiments. A good broth should be brimming with seafood-goodness and a tinge of sweetness.

11. Yong Tau Foo

A traditional Hakka Chinese dish, yong tau food is a comfort food for many. My mum is Hakka (an ethnic group from China) and this dish ties in with her cultural identity.

Yong tau food is actually more of a tofu dish than a noodle dish. The main ingredient is tofu stuffed with ground meat mixture or fish paste. Variation of this food include vegetables and mushrooms stuffed with ground meat or surimi. In Singapore though, Yong tau foo can be ordered with rice noodles, soup or with a red sweet gravy. 

12. Beef Hor Fun

This is my husband Alberto’s favorite Singapore dish and we always make sure to have this when we’re in Singapore! Beef hor fun is not quite as commonly found in Singapore as the other dishes on this list. You’ll find it in many hawker centers but only few hawker stalls give it justice. 

Braised with tender beef slices, this savory dish of flat rice noodles is drenched in a thick, flavorful black gravy. The gravy is made of black beans, oyster sauce, chilli and Chinese herbs. You can easily tell that the gravy is made from hours of cooking, using only the best parts of the cow. 

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Singapore Rice Dishes

13. Chicken Rice

A ubiquitous sight in hawker centres across the country, chicken rice is one of Singapore’s national dishes. Chicken rice is a simple dish of tender braised chicken, served on a bed of fragrant rice cooked in stock. We eat it with a ginger paste and a special chilli.

The traditional dish originated from Hainan Island, off the southern coast of China. Today, it is still cooked in the Hainanese way, by blanching the chicken in boiling water till it is fully cooked. In a local twist, the chicken can also be roasted or braised in soya sauce for a different flavor. A must eat in Singapore!

14. Braised Duck Rice

This is another traditional Singapore dish that is more popular among locals than foreigners. As its name implies, it is a dish of thinly sliced duck meat over a bed of brown rice and drenched in a thick herbal braising sauce.

What makes this dish special is the uniquely Singaporean flavor of star anise, galangal and molasses-like soy sauce that the duck is cooked in. As a result, the braising sauce has a subtle herb flavor that I love. Combine this with some steamed peanuts, tofu and braised egg (plus a homemade ikan bilis chilli sauce), and you get the perfect duck rice. 

15. Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is an ethnic Malay dish featuring fragrant rich cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is usually accompanied by ikan bilis (anchovies), otah (grilled fish paste), roasted peanuts, fried egg and cucumber slices.

Singaporeans have given it a local twist by adding more side dishes to the nasi lemak. You can get anything from crispy fried chicken drumsticks to luncheon meat and an assortment of vegetables with your nasi lemak.

It is not just the ingredients that make a good nasi lemak. Pandan leaves and coconut milk play a huge role in enhancing the fragrance and richness of the rice, complemented by the spicy sambal chilli sauce that you can’t miss out on.