List of Famous Food in Singapore
There are numerous delicious food in Singapore. The good thing is that corner shops, hawker centers, and cafes sell quality food at very reasonable prices. Food in Singapore culture is similar to that of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand but still has distinct differences in terms of cooking and ingredient usage.
All Singapore national foods are unique, and it seems like you are travelling through their culture by eating and ordering each of them. Some of the best food in Singapore are Chilli Crab, Fish Head Curry, Barbecued Stingray, Singaporean Hokkien Prawn Mee, etc.
Here is a list of 6 famous dishes in Singapore, the way they are cooked, their ingredients, and where to eat them to enjoy your trip to this sunny tropical island.
Spicy Singaporean Chilli Crab
Chilli Crab is the most iconic food in Singapore because it is made from mud crab. This dish was invented because the tomato sauce used to stir fry this crab was used with chilli paste to give it more flavour and punch in the 1950s. There are similarities between Malaysia and Singapore when it comes to this dish, but this dish is more prominent in Singapore.
There are many places to eat this dish, including chain restaurants, but some of the more authentic places to eat Chilli Crab in Singapore include Hua Yu Wee Seafood Restaurant at 462 Upper East Coast Road, Chin Huat Live Seafood on the first floor of Block 105 HDB Clementi, and YANG MING SEAFOOD at 150 Bishan Street.
However, if you would like to taste something unforgettable, then you can head to Jumbo Seafood Singapore, where you can eat the best Chilli Crab in Singapore.
Singaporean Laksa Bowl
Laksa has been part of Singapore food culture since the foundation of this country. The main component of this Singapore traditional food is sour Asam, which is a fish-based liquid. It is among the most popular dishes in Singapore, and you can easily order it at coffee shops and restaurants. You can also see people eating it at home, at social gatherings, or even in wedding ceremonies.
In Singapore, Laksa soup comes with rice noodles, topped with dried shrimp, Belacan shrimp paste, fish cakes, and some curry-flavoured liquid. This dish is heavy in fish taste, and if you are not a fan of seafood, it is best not to have it, but if you like seafood, this is an excellent dish to try.
You can try laksa at Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square at 50 East Coast Road, Haig Road Market & Food Centre at 14 Haig Road, and Katong Laksa at 307 Changi Road.
How much is street food in Singapore?
Generally, street foods in Singapore are affordable; Food prices in 2024 mainly start at $6.01 for a street lunch or dinner.
Chai Tow Kway or Stir Fried Radish Cakes
For those who are looking for relatively cheap and accessible food in Singapore, Chai Tow Kway is the dish to get. You can see this dish in every street food market in Singapore, hawker centre, or shopping mall food court. Chai Tow Kway is just a stir-fried radish cake dish with some eggs and some vegetables, it is also known as carrot cake. This food is delicious, but because of its high fat and sodium content, it is not good to have it daily.
Albert Centre near Bugis subway station, Tiong Bahru Market at 52 Tiong Bahru Road near Outram Park station, and Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre at 51 Upper Bukit Timah Road near Beauty World station are good spots to try Chai Tow Kway.
Near many local bars in Singapore, there are stalls selling cheap food, including Chai Tow Kway, which is worth a try to wash down the prior drinks.
Singaporean Hokkien Prawn Mee
Another widely available good food in Singapore hawker markets is the Hokkien Prawn Mee. If you have travelled to Malaysia and tried this dish, you will notice a few differences, including the lack of black sauce, garlic bits and chives, and the texture of the noodles.
However, overall, this is a lovely dish to have, as it is both simple and comes with a generous amount of prawns on top. There is also a soup version of it, but locals like the dry one much more.
Zion Riverside Food Centre near the Great World Mall and Beach Road Prawn Noodle House at 372 East Coast Road offer very good Hokkien Prawn Mees.
Why is food popular in Singapore?
Singapore is mostly known for its culture, and foods are not apart from their culture. Singapore is also known as a food paradise, so the food shows the history and multiculturalism of this island country.
Hainanese Chicken Rice with Delicious Sauce
Hainanese Chicken Rice is known as Singapore number one food and plays a significant role in Singapore food culture, as it does in Malaysia and other Asian countries. Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore is basically Hainanese chicken rice with seasoned white rice, which is also very similar to Malacca chicken rice.
If you want the least spicy and most simple dish among all these, Hainanese chicken rice is the one for you. Still, it is not bland and has great flavours, especially the rice and hint of herbs in the chicken sauce.
You can have this halal food in Singapore at Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant, which is located at United Square Shopping Mall and is also known as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Singapore.
Fried Bee Hoon or Sing Chow Mei Fun
Stir fry noodles, or Bee Hoon, is another cheap food in Singapore. The main ingredient of this dish is rice vermicelli stir-fried with Asian seasoning, curry powder, and local vegetables, and then added with eggs, a few prawns, and sometimes even chicken pieces. The other name for fried Bee Hoon in Singapore is Sing Chow Mei Fun, or Singapore Mei Fun. This dish is easily available, and all hawker centres have a store selling fried Bee Hoon at economy prices.
