If you're not from Singapore, you probably don't know what to eat from Singaporean food. We therefore compiled a list of the most popular foods that visitors should try in Singapore.

Singapore is known as a "foodie paradise," and people who love food get very happy when they visit. Singaporeans believe their food is better than anyone else's.

Come on into its local hawker centers, cafes, and food courts—gastronomic hotspots specific to this little island nation that influence the way Singaporeans think and imagine food.

Singapore is known for its diversified and wonderful culinary scene, which includes dishes influenced by Chinese, Indian, Malay, and other Southeast Asian cuisines.

While personal preferences differ, here are some well-known and liked foods that are popular in Singapore and are enjoyed by many:

Best Foods To Try In Singapore

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Singaporean cuisine isn't complete without it. Singaporeans, Malaysians, and Hainanese all love and adore Hainanese Chicken Rice. It is made out of flavorful rice and a variety of accompaniments paired with tender poached chicken. This dish is a mainstay on street menus across Southeast Asia due to its simple but mouth-watering flavors.

2. Bak Kut Teh

Bak Kut Teh, literally meaning pig bone tea, is a famous Chinese dish in Malaysia and Singapore. Even though the recipe doesn't cook in tea, a strong tea is reportedly drunk with the pork soup to help wash down the grease, which is how the dish gained its name, according to Wikipedia.

To make bak kut teh, pork ribs are boiled in water with white pepper, a generous amount of garlic, and salt. This process allows the flavor of the pepper and garlic to mix with the bones to make a hearty soup.  Bowls of rice and other Chinese side dishes, such as braised tofu or preserved mustard greens, are typically served with bak kut teh. Of course, you must drink hot Chinese tea after eating bak kut teh.

3. Chili Crab

Chili crab is a popular stir-fried dish in Singapore. This seafood dish gets its incredible taste from dipping it in sweet, spicy, and delicious tomato sauce. The spicy crabs paired well with a side of mantou, which are essentially deep-fried buns.

This most iconic Singaporean dish - Chilli Crab represents the city-state's diverse and vibrant food culture. When visiting Singapore, tourists who want to taste the local flavors should definitely try this dish, which is frequently served in hawker centers and seafood restaurants there.

In Singapore, tourists can try crabs cooked in one of two ways: first, with a sweet and hot tomato-ish chili sauce; second, with black pepper sauce mixed in for an extra spicy touch.

4. Laksa

Laksa is a flavorful fusion of Chinese Malay cuisine that is popular in Singapore. For laksa, thick bee hoon noodles are cooked in a spicy soup. The broth is made with coconut milk, barely-cooked cockles, fish cakes, tau pok (bean curd puffs), and bean sprouts.

The people love Laksa for its flavorful and nutritious ingredients, and the smokiness it gets when cooked over a charcoal fire is unmatched. Locals adore the flavors that result from the use of charcoal fires to maintain the warmth of broth in some places.

5. Char Kway Teow

A stir-fried noodle dish made with prawns, flat rice noodles, Chinese sausage, eggs, and bean sprouts cooked in savory soy sauce. Char Kway Teow is famous for its savory, slightly sweet, and frequently spicy flavor.

In Malaysia and Singapore, hawker centers and neighborhood restaurants frequently provide this hearty and satisfying street food meal. The name "Char Kway Teow" means "stir-fried rice cake strips" in English, which reflects both the main component and the cooking process used to make it.

6. Hokkien Mee

A popular hawker meal in Singapore is Hokkien Mee, a type of fried noodle. This is a cuisine that originated in the Fujian region of China, which is also the ancestral home of the Hokkien people. Malaysia and Singapore have since adopted it.

Hokkien Mee is made up of a combination of white rice noodles and yellow egg noodles that are stir-fried in a wok with seafood (squid and prawns), an egg, and bean sprouts. Some hawkers cook it in a slightly different way—some stir-fry it till it's drier, while others top it with gravy sauce. After that, hokkien mee is usually served with sambal chili sauce, plus a calamansi squeezed on top to add additional citrusy sourness.

7. Fish Head Curry

Is it Malay, Chinese, or Indian? This is another uncertain dish that most likely originated in South India but has been extensively impacted by Singapore's many ethnicities. All I know is that it tastes great.

Curry is made of full or half of a red snapper's head, and various vegetables like lady fingers (okra) and aubergine. Chinese curry has a lighter, sweeter taste than Indian curry, which contains more spices and tastes. Assamese-style fish head curry is one variation; it contains tamarind fruit (assam) added for a tang of sourness.

8. Fried Carrot Cake

It's not a fried form of the spiced carrot cake that's popular in the West. Actually, it's not a cake or a dessert. We always get bewildered glances and worried faces when our guides introduce the guests to this local delicacy.

When you visit Singapore, you should definitely try the Fried Carrot Cake, a savory meal made with rice flour, eggs, white radish, and preserved radish (chai poh)!

9. Kaya Toast And Soft-Boiled Eggs

An authentically Singaporean way to start the day is with kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and kopi. Kaya toast, a national breakfast of Singapore, consists of two toast slices sandwiched together with butter and kaya in the center. Kaya is a sugar-based sweet coconut custard made with egg, pandan leaf, and coconut milk.

Traditionally, kaya toast is eaten for breakfast with a cup of coffee and a soft-boiled egg. Eggs are typically cooked by placing them in a large metal saucepan filled with hot water and covering it with a plate. The eggs are ready after about 7 to 10 minutes, depending on how you like them. 

10. Satay

This is ideal for those who enjoy meat. Satay is a popular street food in Singapore, and it is an important element of the country's diverse food culture.

Enjoy your stay with some ketupat, wrapped rice cakes, and a savory peanut sauce dip. Choose from Chomp Chomp Satay's smoky skewered meat and Kwong Satay's signature pork belly satay, which customers say is much juicier than the normal pork satay.

11. Nasi Lemak

A fragrant rice dish made with coconut milk and served with sambal chili paste, cucumber, anchovies, peanuts, and boiled eggs. It is a traditional Malay cuisine."Nasi lemak" means "rich rice," referring to the dish's creamy, coconut-infused rice.

There are many local and personal versions of Nasi lemak, which is incredibly versatile. Although it is most often eaten for breakfast, many Malaysians also love it during the day and even late- at night as a snack. It's easy to get because it's sold at restaurants, hawker centers, and street stands. Both locals and tourists love it.

It is a must-try for anyone interested in Singaporean cuisine due to its diverse textures and rich flavors.

12. Durian

I had to add durian although it is the only item on our list that does not require any cooking and is ideal in its natural state. It is so popular in Singapore and can be eaten as a full meal in and of itself. If I'm being completely honest with you, though, it was only a pretext for me to eat durian in Singapore.

FAQ’s

What is the best time to visit Singapore?

Singapore is among the most splendid tourist destinations in the world due to its year-round pleasant weather. But December through June are the finest months to visit this beautiful island city.

To me, the best time to visit Singapore, known as the Lion City, is during the autumn, which begins in February and continues until April. When compared to the remaining months of the year, these months experience dry, warm, and less humid weather.

Why Is Singapore's Hawker Culture So Unique?

A Hawker Centre is essentially Singapore's cleaned-up version of street food. An incredible variety of food and beverage stalls are arranged in what appears to be a huge communal dining area, where different people gather to eat and socialize.

A visit to a hawker center is a must-do cultural experience in Singapore.

You must experience the traditional Singaporean cuisine of eating at hawker centers! It's also a fantastic, affordable cultural experience! You can see hawkers working hard to prepare food, hear them joking around, smell various spices wafting from different stalls, and hear conversations in multiple languages between customers.

We hope this guide to popular Singaporean cuisine has been helpful to you! But this is by no means a full list of all the traditional Singaporean meals.