A Taste of Lion City: 28 Authentic Dishes You Must Try in Singapore!

As a new immigrant who has lived in Singapore for decades, I will give you the most authentic and straightforward introduction and food guide . This food guide is not for promotion, but for personal experience.

What are the famous dishes in Singapore?

Of course when you come to Singapore, you must first try the local specialties . You can usually find them at the stir-fry stalls or restaurants in hawker centers. They are a bit expensive, but many are at market prices.

1. Chilli Crab

Singapore's traditional signature dish, as well-known as Beijing roast duck and Chongqing hot pot. King crab is usually used, and the taste is sweet and spicy. The more delicious ones are the non-signature seafood, etc. Although everyone wants to go to Jumbo to eat, I think Jumbo is really not cost-effective. Those who follow the trend can try it.

Chili crab, a little sweet

2. Black Pepper Crab

You can find it anywhere you sell crabs. It is similar to the chili crab in terms of ingredients and cooking. Some people think it is better than the chili crab and worth a try. Yongcheng Restaurant on Still Road is the crab restaurant I often go to, but the dining environment is relatively poor, just like an ordinary hawker center, but the taste and price are first-class.

Black pepper crab, my favorite

3. Cereal Shrimp

Another local specialty, shrimps are coated with oatmeal and fried. Both the shrimps and oatmeal are golden and crispy, and the taste is mainly salty and sweet. You can request to remove the shrimp shells.

Cereal shrimp, hungry

4. Curry Fish Head

The fish head is stewed in a slightly spicy curry. The fish head is cut in the middle of the fish with a knife. The front part is almost all the fish head, so the portion is large and the vegetables inside are very flavorful.

Curry fish head, the soup is delicious with white rice

5. Malay scenery

Commonly known as kangkong locally, it is stir-fried water spinach with sambap shrimp paste. It is quite spicy and goes well with rice.

Vegetarian dishes that meat lovers will also like

There are also some dishes that are based on Fujian and Guangdong flavors, mostly using seafood. The menus basically have pictures and Chinese, so you can order them with confidence.

In addition, Singapore also has many exotic flavors, such as Arabic flavor (Arab Street) , Indian and Nepalese flavors (near Little India) , Western food, Japanese food, Korean food, etc. (everywhere) .

Authentic flavours at hawker centres

The food in the hawker center is more everyday, which is what Singaporeans eat most often and is the most down-to-earth. The flavors are mainly Cantonese and Fujian flavors, and there are also Malay and Indian dishes.

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Generally, it is called "chicken rice". Rice cooked in chicken soup, served with poached chicken, roasted chicken, vegetables, etc., the chicken rice alone is delicious, and it tastes even better with chili and soy sauce. Chicken rice is a traditional food in Singapore, so Singaporeans are very strict about it. Some famous chicken rice often attract people to drive in line to buy it. However, as a tourist, there is no need to be particularly picky. Basically, the taste is similar, and any stall will not be unpalatable. You can also add barbecued pork, crispy roast pork, etc. as side dishes. The more famous ones are Wen Tong Ji, Wu Xing, Tian Tian, etc.

This is white chicken rice, you must add chili!

2. Fried Kway Teow :

A dish similar to fried rice noodles, stir-fried with soy sauce, sausage, clams, eggs, etc., which doesn't look very good and is black. It tastes salty and fragrant, but eating too much will make you greasy.

Fragrant fried rice noodles~

3. Fried Hokkien Mee

Also known as fried shrimp noodles, it is a lighter version of fried noodles than fried kway teow. The yellow and white noodles with prawns look very tempting and are usually served with chili peppers.

Fried shrimp noodles, if you feel sick of it, you can squeeze some lime juice

4. Minced Meat Noodles

In Fujian dialect, it is called bak cuo mee, which is a noodle dish with minced meat, spicy sauce, vegetables, fish balls and mushrooms. The minced meat noodle stall also has many other noodles, such as small pot noodles. Sometimes the boss will let you choose the noodles, the wider and thinner ones are called Mee Po (thin noodles) , and the thinner ones are called Mee Gia (thin noodles) .

Dry minced meat noodles are often served with a bowl of soup

5. Bak Kut Teh

In the old days, Singapore was a dock city with a large number of dock workers working hard. Workers' food was naturally to satisfy their hunger and to resist hunger. Workers had to eat meat, rice, soup and tea, but they couldn't eat too light food, so there was Bak Kut Teh. In fact, Bak Kut Teh is stewed pork ribs soup with rice, but this pork ribs soup is made with special spices, which is delicious, the meat and bones melt in your mouth, and the fat and lean are moderate.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is relatively famous . There is always a long queue every time I pass by. Other Bak Kut Tehs such as Founder and Huang Ya Xi are also very delicious.

Bak Kut Teh, usually served with fried dough sticks, dark soy sauce and chili peppers

6. Nasi Lemak

The rice is seasoned with coconut milk, giving it a coconut aroma, and is wrapped in banana leaves. Side dishes include fried chicken, fried fish and peanuts, sausages, eggs, etc.

Nasi lemak, usually served with a large fried chicken drumstick

7. Roti Canai

There are many Indians in Singapore, and even more people make pancakes. The pancakes are dipped in curry sauce and then added with curry lamb, chicken, and vegetables. The taste is quite strong! You can add ingredients to the pancakes, such as onions, butter, eggs, etc., and pair it with a cup of Teh Tarik . Hmm, very good.

Pancakes can be eaten with a fork or spoon, but they taste better when eaten with your hands.

8. Satay

The local specialty skewers usually have lamb, chicken, beef, pork, and in some places duck. After being grilled, they are dipped in satay sauce and taste sweet and salty, which is very delicious. Of course, many satay stalls are run by Malays, so don't ask for pork!

Satay, a delicacy for all ages

9. Seafood BBQ

The locals like to eat at night, and the Chomp Chomp in East Coast Park and Serangoon Garden Road is more famous. In fact, it is not just barbecue, there are also some seafood stir-fry, the more delicious ones are grilled square fish (devil fish) , grilled shrimp, grilled mantis shrimp, grilled squid , and stir-fried various shellfish (big head, lala, mouth mouth, clams, etc.)

Grilled square fish (devil fish) is very tender and the bones are edible

10. Grilled Chicken Wings

Grilled chicken wings with chili sauce, the chicken is marinated and tender, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, recommended! Usually sold in places that sell seafood barbecue.

Grilled Chicken Wings with Chili, Finger Licking

11. Laksa

This is a kind of noodle soup that the locals particularly like. It is made of coconut milk with some seafood and vegetables. People who like it love it very much. But when you come here, you still have to buy a bowl to try it, just in case you like it too.

Laksa, the shrimp is very tender

12. Kueh Juice

It is mainly braised food with rice noodle soup, including pig intestines, pig ears, duck feet, braised eggs, dried tofu and other braised food. Local elderly people like to eat it...

The bowl contains rice noodle soup and the plate contains stewed food.

13. Frog Porridge

Frog cooked in white porridge, delicious and tender meat, even better is Kung Pao, ginger and scallion frog with white porridge and rice, the taste is amazing! I recommend going to Ming Hui Frog Porridge in Geylang Lane 19 , remember that they only open night market.

Ginger and scallion frog is not spicy

14. Nyonya cuisine

Nyonya is a native Chinese ethnic group of mixed Malay-Chinese descent. Although they do not use Chinese, they have retained almost all Chinese traditions. Therefore, Nyonya cuisine is a very famous and delicious Southeast Asian specialty.

Nyonya cuisine uses a lot of spices, so the taste is relatively strong. Friends who like it can try it. In addition, Singapore Airlines stewardesses wear Nyonya clothing. If you are interested, you can watch the TV series "Little Nyonya".

Nyonya cuisine

15. The cheapest Michelin restaurant

Liao Fan Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles/Rice , you can enjoy Michelin food for just a few dollars, isn't it great value? The queue is also very long, the location is in the food court on the 2nd floor of Chinatown Complex, and the longest queue is here. You can also walk 3 minutes to the nearby restaurant branch (on Smith Street) , but the price will be a few dollars more expensive than the stalls,

Michelin, slowly line up, slowly line up...

The above are the staple foods most commonly eaten by Singaporean locals. Except for seafood barbecue, bak kut teh and satay, the price will not exceed 8 dollars. Bak kut teh is about 8-10 dollars, and satay is calculated by skewer, usually 0.50 to 1.5 dollars per skewer. Seafood barbecue is more expensive, but it is only around 20 dollars.

When dining at a hawker centre, you must remember the new government regulations that require you to return plates and cutlery to the bowl and plate return area after dining. Violators will first receive a written warning, and those who refuse to comply will face a fine of S$300.

Local snacks worth a try

Let me introduce some local snacks.

1. Old Chang Kee

Lao Zeng Ji is a chain store specializing in snacks. It is most famous for its curry buns and various fried skewers. It can be found in shopping malls, on the streets, and at subway stations. The taste is still very good. I recommend Lao Zeng Ji's curry buns and chicken wings.

Lao Zengji's restaurants are basically like this, with all kinds of fried skewers. Remember to add chili sauce.

2. Toast

Kaya toast with a cup of strong milk tea or coffee is quite relaxing. I recommend Toast Box and Ya Kun , which are located in major shopping malls, subway stations and shopping centers. Toast Box's bread is delicious, Ya Kun's coffee is first-class, and most importantly, it is cheap. A cup of coffee + 2 slices of toast costs about 5 or 6 yuan. You can also take two bottles of kaya jam as souvenirs before leaving.

Yakun's breakfast

3. Uda

Also called Otah, it is a Malay dish, fish is wrapped in banana leaves and grilled, it is a bit spicy and tastes especially . There are also shrimp, squid and other flavors.

Otah has big and small

4. Desserts

There are many dessert shops in Singapore. I recommend trying taro paste. It is not available in every shop, nor is it sold every day, so you have to look for it specifically, but larger dessert shops will have it.

There is also momochacha , a porridge dessert made with pumpkin, sweet potato and taro, which is delicious when it is hot. There are many other kinds, but I usually like to eat them cold, such as red bean shaved ice, jiangluo, mango sago, etc. The more famous ones are Aqiu desserts, Weixiangyuan in Chinatown, etc.

Sweet and hot momo slag

5. Rojak

A snack that locals prefer, it is sold in hawker centers. It is made by mixing fried dough sticks, fruits, crushed peanuts, etc. Some people like it, while others can't stand the taste.

Everyone has their own preferences... Try it out and see if you like it...

6. Pancakes

It's a bit like spring rolls, with spring pancakes wrapped in shredded cabbage, and it tastes pretty good.

Pancakes, a refreshing food

7. Jerky

Bee Cheng Hiang has been sold in Taiwan for many years, but this kind of mass-produced meat jerky is not popular among gourmets . Lin Zhiyuan is more recognized by locals. There are stores in Chinatown and ION, but the one in Chinatown is more authentic! Selling by weight, you can have them pack separately, at least two pieces per pack, which is more convenient to take back as gifts~

I love jerky!

8. Ice cream sandwich

There are several ice cream trucks on Orchard Road, and they occasionally appear on the roadside in other places. They serve rainbow bread sandwiches with 1-2 pieces of ice cream, which is very unique.

Ice cream truck, the same model as the legendary Nicholas Tse

There are also many foreign snacks that are also very delicious, such as Taiwan Shilin snacks , grilled sausages, fried shrimp cakes, and some domestic snacks. They are all good and you need to discover them by yourself, so I will not introduce them one by one.

As for fruits, I only recommend durian.

After all, Singapore does not produce fruit. Singaporeans love durian madly. Many people will drive an hour or two to a famous store to eat a delicious durian. However, durian is generally at its best in July and late December. Durian owners in Singapore will go to the durian orchards in Malaysia to see the trees and place orders, and then transport them back by truck when the season comes.

There are many varieties of durian, the more famous ones are D24, King of Kings, XO, etc., but the best one is Mao Shan Wang, which is smooth and sticky, moderately hard and soft, bitter and sweet, and has a lot of flesh and a small core. Many durian stalls sell low-end products, so be careful when buying the so-called "Mao Shan Wang" because you are very likely to be cheated.

Durian Durian I love you, Musang King is the love of love

There are also some local snacks you can try, such as the very popular salted egg yolk fish skin, laksa potato chips, etc., which are also good choices to take back as souvenirs.