What to Do in Singapore? Eat!
Filed Under: Singapore, an unexpected stop on our Southeast Asian itinerary thanks to a cheap flight from there to India. Our culinary expectations for this small city-state were low, particularly in the wake of our street food experiences in Thailand and Malaysia. Yet in the three days before our flight to India, it seemed like all we did was eat.
Despite our original prejudice against street food stalls organized in indoor food courts, we have to admit that Singapore has done them well. Theirs feature a pleasant social mix, including business people in suits, construction workers and everyone in between. The prices are also surprisingly reasonable — roughly $3 for a typical dish.
And the taste? Terrific.
Singapore owes the breadth of its cuisine to its ethnic Malaysian, Indonesian and Chinese influences. Note: Indian food is not represented here because India followed Singapore on our travel trajectory and we figured we would save our appetites for the subcontinent. Indian food enthusiasts, please be patient. Your time is coming.
In the meantime, here’s the very tippy tip of the tasty culinary iceberg that is Singapore cuisine.
Hainanese Chicken Rice: At first glance, a simple dish: rice cooked in chicken broth and slices of chicken (roasted or steamed) served with cucumbers, herbs, hot sauce, sweet soy sauce and a small bowl of light chicken stock. The resulting array of flavors is complex and delicious. We’ve dreamed of this dish on many a night ever since. Where we ate it: At the large hawker center between Waterloo and Bugis Streets.
Singaporean Laksa: We devoured lotsa laksa in Malaysia. But that didn’t stop us from following a woman in Singapore slurping a bowl next to us. A rich, coconut milk soup outfitted with noodles, shrimp, tender chicken, tofu, mussels, and chili sauce. Singaporean laksa gives its laksa counterparts in Malaysia a run for their street food money. Where we ate it: Cahaya Muslim Restaurant on fifth floor of the Far East Plaza on Scott Street.
Mee Hoon Kueh: Hand-made noodles, tender chicken, greens, mushrooms, dried fish, and chili sauce. This is not your average Chinese noodle dish. Like so many dishes in Singapore, its taste takes you beyond its appearance. Where we ate it: Cahaya Muslim Restaurant on fifth floor of the Far East Plaza on Scott Street.
Shrimp Popiah: Fresh bean sprouts, noodles, vegetables, and prawns – all tucked in a thin hand-made wheat flour skin lined with hot and sweet sauce. Think Chinese burrito. Where we ate it: Food court of Singapore’s Sim Lim Plaza.
Nasi Lemak: Another plain-looking dish with a surprising taste. The combination of coconut rice, fried egg, peanut sauce, cucumbers, sambal (paste made from chilies, dried shrimp and spices) and fried fish exceeded our expectations. Where we ate it: Food court of Singapore’s Sim Lim Plaza.
Fried wantons: When the owner of Cahaya Muslim Restaurant witnessed us ravenously devour our first two courses – laksa and mee huon kueh – he offered us a small plate of home made fried wantons. The difference with his wantons, he explained, was that they were filled with fresh vegetables – carrots and turnips – instead of meat. Vegetarians rejoice! Served with a plummy-looking sweet sauce. Scrumptious. Where we ate it: Cahaya Muslim Restaurant on fifth floor of the Far East Plaza on Scott Street.
Yong Tau Foo: Affectionately known as mix-and-match soup, its simplicity is its secret. Choose your steaming broth and a combination of ingredients including greens, tofu, fish balls, meat slices, vegetables, and wantons. Everything is cut into bite-sized pieces. So its all perfectly cooked when it hits the steaming broth. It’s also easy to eat with chopsticks. You’ll find this in almost any food court in the city.
Combo Meal: Lightly stir-fried broccoli greens, chunks of tender fish cooked with ginger and herbs, and ground meat flavored with star anise and other spices. Another absolutely superb meal in Singapore for under $4. Where we ate it: Maxwell Food Court, stall 01-98.
Be sure to pick up the Singapore Tourism Board’s 70-page booklet entitled Makan Delights, which describes Singapore’s culinary specialties and where to find them. There’s even a metro map color-coded by food precincts.
Now there’s a city that takes its food seriously!
View More Photos from Singapore
Practical Details
Where to stay: Compared to its counterparts in Southeast Asia, Singapore features accommodation that is incredibly expensive. We stayed at Garden Guesthouse across from the Botanical Gardens – $40 for a double room. This was the cheapest non-dormitory room we could find. Wifi was included. Contact information: 10 Taman Serasi #01-10, tinateo_properties@yahoo.com.sg.
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May 4th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Great article – tough have to say you missed out a bit – many people say there is a better concentration of quality Indian food in Singapore than in any comparable slice on India itself!
May 4th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
*Though* sorry!
May 4th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
@Sam: We don’t doubt that Singapore has a terrific concentration of Indian food, particularly if all the other cuisines are any measure. But stay tuned to this channel because although we are currently traveling throughout Latin America, we are about to write about our adventures in India – culinary and otherwise.
May 10th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Your post on Bangkok street food will be useful for my upcoming SE Asia trip. Thnx!
May 11th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
@Neeraj: Glad you are enjoying our food posts from Southeast Asia We certainly miss the street food from that region!
May 13th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
This is so exciting! Great photos and good tips
May 14th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
@Jeremy & Eva: As fellow foodies, I’m pretty sure you guys will love Southeast Asia! Make sure you check out our other food posts for the region – Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
August 31st, 2012 at 7:04 am
A really great article. It’s fantastic to find out more things (dining) in Singapore.
October 31st, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Nice, looks very yummy. We’re going to Singapore 2 months from now. Thanks for this guide.
November 1st, 2012 at 6:36 pm
@Roger & El Juen: Glad you found this useful! Enjoy your eating in Singapore.