Best Singapore Food: A Complete Guide to Must-Try Dishes
Look, I’ll be honest with you. Singapore ruined me for food everywhere else. There’s something about eating char kway teow at 11 pm in a humid hawker centre, surrounded by the sound of woks clanging and people arguing about which stall makes the best chicken rice, that just hits different.
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If you’re planning a trip or just wondering what to eat near me in Singapore, you’ve landed in the right place. This isn’t your typical top 10 foods list; this is what actually matters when you’re hungry in one of the world’s greatest food cities. You can also find the best food to eat near me from here:
Why Singapore Food Hits Different
Singapore’s food scene isn’t some Instagram-friendly trend that’ll disappear next year. It’s been building for literally centuries. You’ve got Chinese immigrants who brought their cooking techniques, Malay communities with their spice knowledge, Indian settlers with their masala magic, and Peranakans who said “why not mix everything?” The result? Absolute chaos in the best possible way.
And here’s the kicker, you don’t need to spend big money. Some of the best food in Singapore costs less than a London coffee. Hawker centres are where the magic happens, and if you’re not eating at least half your meals there, you’re doing it wrong.
Must Eat Food in Singapore: The Dishes You Can’t Skip
1. Hainanese Chicken Rice: Yeah, It’s Just Chicken and Rice (But Also Not)
People call this Singapore’s national dish, and honestly, they’re not wrong. But here’s what confused me at first, it looks so simple. Poached chicken, rice, some sauces. How good could it be?
Turns out, very good. The chicken is cooked just right so the meat stays tender and there’s this almost jelly-like texture to the skin (sounds weird, tastes amazing). The rice isn’t just rice, it’s cooked in chicken fat and broth with ginger and garlic until it’s fragrant enough to make you question every other rice you’ve ever eaten.
The real genius is the sauce situation. You get chilli-garlic sauce that’ll wake you up, dark soy for depth, and fresh ginger paste that cuts through everything. Mix them together how you like. There’s no wrong answer.
Where to actually get it: Everyone will tell you Tian Tian at Maxwell Food Centre. Yes, it’s good. Yes, there’s a queue. But honestly? Almost every hawker centre has a solid chicken rice stall. I’ve had incredible versions at random neighbourhood centres where nobody speaks English and the aunty just points at portion sizes.
What you’ll pay: S$3.50 to S$6 usually. If someone’s charging more than S$8, they better be hand-feeding you.
2. Chilli Crab: Messy, Sticky, Worth Every Second
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Right, so chilli crab isn’t exactly cheap. But if you skip it, you’ll regret it forever. Fresh crab cooked in this sweet-spicy-savoury tomato-chilli sauce that somehow tastes nothing like anything else. The sauce is thick, gloopy, and you’ll want to drink it straight (don’t, it’s hot).
They serve it with mantou, these deep-fried buns that are basically sauce sponges. You’ll use three per crab. Minimum. Your hands will be covered in sauce. Your face probably will too. This is not a first date food unless your date has a good sense of humour.
Where to go: Jumbo Seafood and No Signboard are the famous ones. Pricey but worth it if you want the full experience. Newton Food Centre has cheaper versions that are still pretty damn good. Just prepare for the hard sell from the vendors, they’re aggressive but friendly.
Cost check: S$40 to S$80 per crab depending where you go. Split it between people. You’ll need other dishes anyway.
3. Laksa: The Bowl That’ll Ruin Other Soups for You
Laksa is what happens when you take Chinese noodles, add Malay spices, throw in coconut milk, and create something that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. It’s spicy, creamy, has this lemongrass-galangal thing going on that I can’t quite describe, and it’s topped with prawns, fish cakes, and these little cockles that some people love and others pick out.
The Katong area is famous for their version where they cut the noodles short so you only need a spoon. Smart, honestly. Less mess.
Get it here: 328 Katong Laksa is the big name. Queue’s mad though. Sungei Road Laksa at Old Airport Road is less touristy and just as good. Go before noon if you can.
Price: S$4 to S$7. Steal.
4. Char Kway Teow: When Carbs Get Serious
Flat rice noodles, stir-fried over insane heat with eggs, Chinese sausage, fish cake, bean sprouts, prawns, and this dark sweet sauce. The key is something called “wok hei”, that smoky, slightly charred flavour you can only get from cooking over proper high heat. No home stove will ever achieve this. Trust me, I’ve tried.
Traditional versions use lard. If that bothers you, many stalls have non-lard versions now, but… the lard ones hit different. Sorry.
Where: Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee at Hong Lim is brilliant. For halal versions (yeah, we’re getting to that section properly soon), try 786 Char Kway Teow at Bukit Merah View Market.
Cost: S$4 to S$6 for a plate.
5. Satay: Proof That Everything’s Better on a Stick
Marinated meat grilled over charcoal. Served with peanut sauce. It’s not complicated, but when it’s done right, it’s addictive. You’ll order 10 sticks thinking that’s plenty and end up ordering 20 more.
The peanut sauce should be slightly sweet, bit spicy, and thick enough to coat the meat properly. Some places make it too watery. Those places are wrong.
Where to eat it: Lau Pa Sat turns into “Satay Street” every evening from 7pm. The whole road shuts down and fills with satay vendors. It’s touristy but fun. East Coast Lagoon Food Village is more local and just as good.
Damage: About S$0.50 to S$0.80 per stick. You’ll spend S$15-20 per person easily.
6. Bak Kut Teh: Breakfast Soup (Yes, Really)
Pork ribs simmered for hours in herbal soup with garlic and white pepper. Locals eat this for breakfast with rice and youtiao (fried dough sticks). It sounds mental. It is mental. But somehow after a heavy night, this hits perfectly.
The broth is what makes it, dark, peppery, with this herbal complexity that supposedly has medicinal benefits. I don’t know about that, but it definitely cures hangovers.
Get it at: Song Fa for the peppery Teochew style. Ng Ah Sio for the herbal Hokkien version. Both have multiple locations.
Cost: S$7 to S$12
Important note: This contains pork, so not halal. Which brings us to…
Where to Eat Halal Food in Singapore: Sorted
Here’s the good news if you eat halal, Singapore makes it easy. Really easy. The Muslim population here is significant, and halal food isn’t some afterthought tucked away in a corner. It’s everywhere, it’s good, and you’ve got proper options.
The Hawker Centres You Need to Know
Adam Road Food Centre is tiny but mighty. It’s basically the halal food centre. Nasi lemak, roti prata, murtabak, all the good stuff. It’s near Botanic Gardens MRT, so you can walk off your food coma in a nice park after.
Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre sits right in the heart of the Malay community. This is where locals eat, which should tell you everything. The nasi padang here is excellent, you point at the dishes you want, they pile it on rice, you eat, you’re happy.
Tekka Centre in Little India is where you go for Indian Muslim food. Allauddin’s Briyani won a Michelin Bib Gourmand and the biryani is outstanding. Fragrant rice, tender meat, proper spicing. Get the chicken.
Halal Dishes to Try
Nasi Lemak: Coconut rice with fried anchovies, peanuts, egg, cucumber, and sambal chilli. Technically Malaysian but Singaporeans have adopted it hard. Many people eat this for breakfast. I respect that energy.
Mee Rebus: Yellow noodles in thick gravy made from sweet potatoes. Sounds odd, tastes great. Sweet-savoury thing happening that works.
Ayam Penyet: Indonesian fried chicken that’s been “smashed” (that’s what penyet means) to make it tender. Served with rice, tofu, tempeh, and sambal that’ll test your spice tolerance.
Satay: Already covered this above, but yeah, loads of halal satay everywhere. You’re sorted.
Singapore Traditional Food: The Cultural Stuff
Singapore’s traditional food is basically a history lesson you can eat. Every dish tells you something about who came here, what they brought, and how they adapted.
Peranakan Food
The Peranakans are descendants of Chinese immigrants who married Malay locals centuries ago. Their food is a proper fusion before fusion was trendy. Laksa is Peranakan. So is kueh pie tee (crispy cups filled with vegetables) and ondeh ondeh (those green coconut balls that explode in your mouth).
Kopitiam Culture
Traditional coffee shops, kopitiams, are temples of simple perfection. Kaya toast (coconut jam on toast with butter), soft-boiled eggs with soy sauce and white pepper, and strong local coffee with condensed milk. This combination has powered Singaporeans for generations. It’ll power you too.
Why Hawker Centres Matter
In 2020, UNESCO added Singapore’s hawker culture to their heritage list. About time, honestly. These aren’t just food courts, they’re where people actually meet, eat, and hang out. Rich, poor, young, old, everyone uses hawker centres. It’s the most democratic thing about Singapore.
Best Food Near Me: The Hawker Centres That Actually Matter
Right, so there are over 100 hawker centres in Singapore. You can’t hit them all unless you’re staying for months. Here are the ones worth your time.
Maxwell Food Centre (Chinatown)
Tourist central, yes. But popular for good reason. The chicken rice is famous (that’s the Tian Tian everyone mentions). But don’t sleep on the other stalls, China Street Fritters makes excellent fried carrot cake (it’s not sweet cake, it’s savoury fried radish, I know it’s confusing), and the fish soup is outstanding.
Between exploring Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, stop here. It’s convenient and you’ll eat well.
Hours: Most stalls 8am-10pm
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Built in 1972, and it shows, but in that authentic, slightly run-down way that means the food’s legit. About 168 stalls, so there’s everything. Roast Paradise does incredible roast meats. The lor mee (noodles in thick savoury gravy) has cultlike followers. Wander around, see what looks busy, order that.
Hours: 6am-11pm daily
Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Singapore’s biggest hawker centre. Over 260 stalls across multiple floors. It’s a maze. You’ll get lost. That’s fine. Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice cooks each portion from scratch over charcoal, you’ll wait 45 minutes but it’s worth it. The dumplings at Shang Hai Fried Xiao Long Bao are made fresh all day.
This place can feel overwhelming. Pick a floor, walk around once, then commit to something.
Hours: 8am-9pm daily
Lau Pa Sat (Telok Ayer Market)
Victorian building with an octagonal clock tower. Very pretty, bit touristy, but that’s okay. The satay street setup in the evening is fun, they close the actual road and set up tables. Bit of a scene but worth experiencing once.
Hours: Technically 24 hours, though individual stalls vary wildly
Tiong Bahru Market
Tiong Bahru is Singapore’s hipster neighbourhood (they’d hate me calling it that, but it is). The market has multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand stalls, the space is airier than most hawker centres, and you can explore the cute neighbourhood after eating.
Hours: 8am-9pm daily
What to Eat: The Stuff Nobody Tells You
Timing matters. Peak lunch (12pm-2pm) means queues and no seats. Come at 11am or after 2pm. Your experience will be 10 times better.
Bring cash. More places take cards now, but plenty don’t. Have S$50 in small bills. You’ll be fine.
“Chope” your seat. This is the local practice of reserving tables with tissue packets or umbrellas. Yes, really. Leave something on the table, go order, come back. Don’t take a table with stuff already on it, someone’s coming back.
You must return trays now. Singapore implemented a Clean Tables Campaign. You have to return your tray to collection points after eating. Fines exist. Just do it.
Share tables during busy times. If it’s packed and there’s an empty seat, you sit there. Nod at the people already there. That’s the whole interaction. This is normal.
Follow the queues. Long queue usually means good food. If locals are waiting, it’s worth it.
Best Food in Singapore: Beyond Hawkers
Hawker centres are the heart of it all, but don’t miss these:
Sit-Down Peranakan
Candlenut has a Michelin star and serves elevated Nyonya food. Pricey but special. The Blue Ginger is more affordable and still excellent. If you want to understand Peranakan cooking properly, eat at both hawkers and restaurants.
Little India Restaurants
Tekka Centre is great for quick eats, but Muthu’s Curry Restaurant does fish head curry that’s become a Singapore thing. Huge fish head in spicy, tangy curry. Share it between people and order lots of bread for dipping.
Proper Kopitiams
Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Killiney Kopitiam are chains, but they’re chains for a reason. The kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and kopi combo is perfection. Simple breakfast done right.
Festival Foods You Might Catch
Chinese New Year brings bak kwa, sweet-savoury barbecued meat slices that people queue for hours to buy. Yu sheng (prosperity toss salad) appears everywhere, you literally toss it at the table while saying auspicious phrases. It’s messy and fun.
During Hari Raya Puasa (end of Ramadan), Geylang Serai explodes with Malay kueh stalls and rendang. Deepavali means Indian sweets and savouries taking over Little India.
If your trip coincides with any festival, eat accordingly. The special foods are worth seeking out.
Final Thoughts: Just Eat Everything
Singapore’s food scene doesn’t require pretension or massive budgets. It requires an open mind, an empty stomach, and willingness to sit at plastic tables in hot, humid hawker centres because that’s where the good stuff is.
Every meal here can be an adventure. That random chicken rice stall near your hotel might be someone’s 40-year-old family recipe. The aunty who barely speaks English might make the best laksa you’ve ever had. This is why people obsess over Singapore food, because it’s democratic, it’s authentic, and it’s bloody delicious.
Whether you’re searching “what to eat near me” at 2am (good luck, some hawker centres stay open late) or planning a full food itinerary, remember this: you probably can’t eat badly in Singapore even if you tried.
Download GrabFood or Foodpanda to scope out menus and reviews before visiting places. Use Google Maps to find hawker centres near wherever you’re staying. And bring an appetite, you’ll need it.
Singapore food spoiled me for everywhere else. Consider yourself warned.
FAQs
Q: What is the best local food in Singapore for dinner?
Chili crab, satay, char kway teow, and Hainanese chicken rice at hawker centres like Lau Pa Sat or Newton Food Centre.
Q: Where can I find the best local and authentic food in Singapore for lunch?
Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown Complex, and Tekka Centre offer authentic hawker dishes like laksa, chicken rice, and nasi lemak.
Q: What to eat in Singapore?
Must-tries include Hainanese chicken rice, chili crab, laksa, char kway teow, satay, and bak kut teh at local hawker centres.
Q: What are Singapore’s must-try local foods?
Hainanese chicken rice, chili crab, laksa, char kway teow, satay, bak kut teh, and nasi lemak are essential dishes to try.
Q: What is the famous street food in Singapore for tourists?
Satay at Lau Pa Sat, chicken rice at Maxwell, laksa, char kway teow, and chili crab at Newton Food Centre are tourist favorites.
