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Singaporeans are all about the food! Many say that eating (and arguing about the best restaurant or hawker stand for a particular food) is a national pastime, making Singapore a great foodie destination or perfect for anyone who just loves to eat. Singaporeans take their food pretty seriously, which you can get a bit of a sense of from one of my top books to inspire travel. Of course you’ll understand much better when you enjoy the delicious result that comes from a culture that is so culinarily inclined.

This also means that when you search the internet for what foods to try while you’re visiting Singapore, you’ll have the experience that I did – finding website after website with suggestions of specific dishes, some with lists of 30 items or more. Unless you’re moving to Singapore, you’ll need a much smaller list of typical dishes to reasonably be able to sample during your visit. Even more so if you’ll only have a layover to explore. But not to worry, over my week there I worked my way through a ‘To Eat’ list and am now sharing with you my top foods to seek out while you’re there. Of course, this is all in consultation with my friends (including some native Singaporeans) who were generous enough to take me around and make sure I ate well during my visit. Which seems to be the very serious responsibility of any Singaporean host: making sure the guest eats well.

The culinary landscape in Singapore is focused on a lot of hawker stands, meaning open market areas with plenty of food stalls, each with one or a few specialties they’ll serve. For many of the dishes I mention below, you could enter nearly any market in Singapore and find a tasty version. There are also plenty of sit-down restaurants that will provide longer dining experiences, and of course be just as delicious.

Here is a doable Foodie Bucket List for your time in Singapore:

Carrot Cake

This Singaporean specialty does not resemble the moist orange cake with cream cheese frosting in the least. Carrot cake in Singapore is closer to the radish cake you may be familiar with from eating dim sum or yum cha. It comes two ways: white and black. The white version is savory and fried with egg like an omelette, while the black version is sauteed with soybeans and somewhat sweet like the Thai noodle specialty pad see ew. I didn’t want to have to choose, so I ordered from a hawker stand where I could get both versions on the same plate. Which did I like better? I couldn’t decide, so alternated my bites between the two.

Where I enjoyed it: Telok Ayer market, close to the Marina Bay Sands hotel and Gardens by the Bay, although I later walked past some great looking versions of carrot cake in Chinatown as well

Char Kway Teow

Many countries have some sort of peasant food dish that packed a lot of calories into a small plate, ideal for utilizing leftovers and keeping manual laborers well fed. This rice noodle stir fry dish is the Singaporean version, also claimed by some of its neighbors. The version I saw most often in Singapore used pork as the protein and also typically included egg and bean sprouts, although the other vegetables varied in the different interpretations of the dish.

Where I enjoyed it: Straits Kitchen, which is a good place to sample many Singaporean specialties because it’s a buffet, especially if you have limited time in country. While the dish is typically made with pork, this buffet is halal so offers a non-pork version.

Chili Crab

This was the first item that was on my ‘To Eat’ list for Singapore, as my sister’s top notable bite when she visited. The whole crab is cooked in a deliciously spicy umami bomb of flavor, which keeps you coming back for more as you enjoy each chunk of crab. Eating is a messy business, but the flavor is so delicious you’ll want some sort of bread or rice to absorb the goodness of the sauce as you eat.

Where I enjoyed it: No Signboard Seafood, although do research into which of their locations you frequent, as some branches have more consistently good food than others. I also hear great things about Long Beach Seafood (which is actually next to where I enjoyed fish head curry – see below)

Fish Head Curry

Like the cultural mix that is Singapore itself, fish head curry is considered to be a cross between an Indian curry and the Chinese delicacy of eating a fish head. While seeing the fish’s eyes staring back at you may give you pause, the rich fish cheeks are to be savored, especially along with the curry sauce.

Where I enjoyed it: Samy’s Curry, close Singapore’s Botanic Gardens

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Although named after a Chinese province, it is believed that this dish really was created in Singapore by Chinese immigrants. The chicken is slow poached and then served sliced, with or without the skin. It is the texture and flavor imparted to the chicken during the cooking process that makes this basic-sounding dish so unique and delicious.

Where I enjoyed it: Boon Tong Kee, which started out as a food stall and now is a sit-down restaurant

Laksa

The story of this dish’s origin varies, but the important thing is that it is beloved by Singaporeans and claimed as their own. Laksa is a soup version of a coconut-based Asian curry, with rice noodles and various types of seafood to soak up the broth that is a perfect balance of salty, spicy, sweet, and sour notes.

Where I enjoyed it: 328 Katong Laksa, a Bib Gourmand pick for great value in the inaugural Michelin Guide for Singapore

Satay

Satay is grilled meat on a skewer, with the types of meat varying by the place. I love getting an assortment of meats, all of which impart a different flavor as you dip it in the typical peanut sauce served alongside. You’ll smell the aromas of the meat wafting toward you from many hawker stalls, although you’ll get authentic versions pretty much anywhere in Singapore.

Where I enjoyed it: Lantern Rooftop Bar at the Fullerton Hotel, overlooking the marina

Singaporean Breakfast

I can’t stop raving about Singaporean breakfast, so much so that I wrote an entire blog post about it, which you can check out here. The typical local breakfast involves Singaporean coffee (they roast the coffee beans in butter!) along with kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs. The kaya spread is basically a coconut jam, but its sweetness is a great contrast to the eggs made savory with soy sauce sprinkled over top. Eat this every day you’re in Singapore!

Where I enjoyed it: Several places you can read about in my blog post, although my favorite spot for the quality of its kaya spread was Killiney Kopitiam, which has several branches across Singapore

What is your favorite local food in Singapore? Anything I missed that you think should also be on this short list? Let me know in the ‘Comments’ below.

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