Singapore’s melting pot of cultures makes it a paradise for anyone who loves good food.
From a selection of curry, laksa, tom yum, and even satay, there’s no lack of good food in Singapore to satisfy your every craving.
Whether you’re a tourist on the lookout for unique food in Singapore or a local wanting to enrich your palate, one day isn’t enough to get a taste of everything!
That’s why we’ve come up with our Singapore food guide on must-try local dishes and where to find them!
1. Chilli Crab
Ask any locals around which food you should try while in Singapore and you’ll commonly get chilli crab as an answer! We’d say if there’s a dish that’s representative of Singapore cuisine, it’d have to be this one.
Chilli crabs are mud crabs soaked in thick, savoury tomato sauce with chilli, typically eaten with steamed or fried buns. It’s a dish that will get your hands dirty!
No worries if you’re not a fan of spicy dishes! There’s an alternative that’s cooked in black pepper sauce that’s just as delicious.
Where to eat?
Long Beach Dempsy Hill
25 Dempsey Road Singapore 249670
JUMBO Seafood
11 Dempsey Road #01-16 Singapore 249673
2. Bak Chor Mee
Another unique food in Singapore is Bak Chor Mee, a savoury bowl of dry noodles with minced pork, pork balls, and braised mushroom soaked in a blend of spicy vinegar sauce.
Typically, it’s ordered ‘dry’ to allow you to savour the rich flavours of the sauce, but you can enjoy it like your traditional noodles.
Regardless of the time, you’ll likely see someone enjoying a bowl of Bak Chor Mee throughout the day in Singapore.
Where to eat?
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
466 Crawford Ln, #01-12, Singapore 190466
(Friendly tip: go early or on the weekdays to avoid the queue - we’re telling you this one is really good!)
3. Char Kway Teow
Made with flat rice noodles and sweet dark sauce, Char Kway Teow is a signature Singapore noodle dish. It’s wok-fried with egg, pork lard, fish cake, and Chinese sausages, so it’s quite a calorie-heavy meal- but one that’s definitely worth it!
The thing about Char Kway Teow is that the taste differs from one stall to another. Each vendor has their own variation that makes their dish stand out from other stalls and restaurants.
Where to eat?
Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
16 Bedok S Rd, #01-41, Singapore 460016
(You may find that Char Kway Teow is a staple at almost every hawker centre on the island, but the one at Hill Street is not to be missed!)
4. Chicken Rice
Chicken Rice is the quintessential Singaporean food that you can even call it our national dish.
It’s made up of poached chicken and fluffy rice, topped with cucumber and minced garlic. Don’t forget the chilli and garlic sauce to complete the meal!
It’s loved by both locals and tourists, so if you notice long queues at hawker centres, those people are probably queueing up for Chicken Rice!
Where to eat?
Tian Tian Chicken at Rice Maxwell Food Centre
1 Kadayanallur St, #01-10/11, Singapore 069184
5. Fish Beehoon Soup
For fish lovers out there, the Fish Beehoon Soup is more than worth trying (and your money!)
It’s served with your choice of sliced or fried fish, noodles, and vegetables, but the highlight is the broth, which is made from fish bones (sometimes pork) that have been boiled for several hours, added with evaporated milk for a fuller taste.
Where to eat?
Stall 7, Jing Hua Sliced Fish Bee Hoon at Maxwell Food Centre
1 Kadayanallur St, #01-10/11, Singapore 069184
6. Ice Kacang
Grabbing an ice kacang is perfect if you’re planning on doing a lot of walking under the sun!
It’s a bowl of shaved ice drizzled with condensed milk and topped with colourful ingredients like flavoured syrup, red bean, palm seed, agar agar jelly, and grass jelly.
Think of it as a cold snack that can satisfy your sweet tooth (and give you energy) while exploring the hidden gems of Singapore.
Where to eat?
Berseh Food Centre
166 Jln Besar, Singapore 208877
7. Bak Kut Teh
This pork rib soup infused with Chinese herbs and spices and seasoned with light and dark soy sauce is one of Singapore’s most iconic dishes!
Bak Kuh Teh comes in 3 variations: dark Hokkien style, herbal Cantonese style, and peppery Teochew style.
You can say that it’s as rich as Singapore’s history. It’s been around since it was still a developing country, so it’s recognised as a humble, simple dish.
Where to eat?
Song Fa Buk Kut Teh
11 New Bridge Rd, #01-01, Singapore 059383
8. Sambal Stingray
The Sambal Stingray is a classic Singaporean-Malaysian dish traditionally grilled and served on banana leaves.
After grilling, it’s then slathered with a sambal paste made of dried shrimp paste, shallots, spices, and Indian walnuts, which without a doubt, is what gives flavours to the dish.
It’s usually accompanied by lime wedges, onions, and sliced chilli peppers for an extra kick!
Where to eat?
You’d find many stalls serving Sambal Stingray at the tourist-popular food centre in Newton.
Newton Food Centre
500 Clemenceau Avenue North 229495
9. Durian
Last but not the least, you can’t leave any Southeast Asian country without tasting the notoriously famous Durian fruit!
It doesn’t exactly count as a dish, but it made the cut to our Singapore food guide mainly for the wild experience of eating it.
The majority of foreigners are turned off by its pungent smell, but locals love its sweet taste and soft flesh texture so much that it’s turned into desserts, shakes, and even delicacies.
Where to eat?
Ms Durian
11 Kelantan Rd, Singapore 208604
Exploring Singapore cuisine
Are you hungry for more and want to explore more options? Check out this article on Places to Eat in Singapore by Gourmet Flyer for some more juicy and delicious food which also extends to international food options available right here in Singapore!
And with that, we conclude our short Singapore food guide! The city-state never runs out of amazing food options, but these are the ones that should be on the top of your list!
Do you have dining spot recommendations yourself? Tell us all about them in the comments!
If you would like to tour nearby places, feel free to take a look at our in-person guided tours to get the full experience of the place you are visiting!
