Come to Singapore and discover one of the world’s most colourful, eclectic, and positively thrilling dining scenes – thanks in part to this lively city-state’s multi-ethnic culture and heritage. An absolute delight for foodies, it’s worth visiting for its cuisine alone – Singapore has such a choice of great things to eat and places to try them out in, that it’s difficult to know where to start.
A very good place to begin is its iconic hawker centres, which are great value for money and the best places to try local food. These bustling open-air food courts are packed with stalls selling a vast array of delicious edibles, including char kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles) and popiah (fresh spring roll) for just a couple of dollars apiece.
Some of the must-try meals and snacks to be had in Singapore include roti prata, a South Indian flatbread flavoured with ghee and usually served with fish or mutton curry; chilli crab, served with mantou (fried or steamed buns for dipping in the sauce), fish head curry, often served still bubbling in a clay pot, and chicken rice (a Hainanese dish of poached chicken with fragrant rice, spicy chilli and ginger paste).
Singapore’s street food is so special that it was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020. And even before that, in 2016, two hawker stalls, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle and Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle, became the first South-east Asian street stalls to be bestowed with Michelin stars. Some favourite hawker centres include Lau Pau Sat, Tiong Bahru, Tekka, and Maxwell.
Also popular are tze char/zi char restaurants serving up affordable dishes similar to home-cooked Singaporean meals. Mostly found in heartland neighbourhoods or hawker centres they are well loved for the communal, family-style settings. A great example is Keng Eng Kee Seafood, which has been cooking up fiery dishes for three generations - don’t miss its fried signature chilli crab, coffee pork ribs, or cereal prawns.
Singapore has options to suit all budgets and tastes, including an incredible 51 Michelin-starred restaurants. Two of them are Peranakan restaurants by local chef Malcolm Lee, a master of this supremely flavourful, nuanced cuisine with its Malay, Indonesian, and Chinese influences, ingredients, and techniques, including many slow-cooked dishes. Some of the best Peranakan dishes to sample include laksa (spicy noodle soup), rice dumplings, and kuehs (bite-size cakes, sweets, and snacks). The best places to try are in the Katong-Joo Chiat district.
For thoroughly modern, sustainable dining, Open Farm Community is a farm-to-table restaurant curating and hosting local farmers who come to showcase their produce in creative contemporary dishes paired with wines made from forgotten grapes and regions, by smaller, more authentic domains with responsible ethics and a herbicide- and chemical-free ethos. Dishes include small plates such as Tiberias snapper ceviche with sago crackers and ginger flower.
And for the sweet-toothed, locally owned Udders ice cream, found in various locations across Singapore, is revered for its unique Asian and alcoholic flavours. Among them are Mao Shan Wang durian picked from orchards in Malaysia, chendol (a green jelly made from pandan leaves), Tira-Miss-U with brandy and Lombardian mascarpone, and wineberries (cranberries soaked in port wine). They also run workshops with experts taking you through the whole ice-cream making process.
To book your holiday in Singapore and start your culinary journey, call your Travel Counsellor today.
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