5 Best Singaporean Food that You Should Have Tried by Now
This garden city is also an incredible food haven!
Jaime Lee Golden hour adventures are Jaime's favourite kind of adventures. She hopes to see all the sunsets in the world one day.
Not only is Singapore recognised for being home to one of the most beautiful airports in the world; its vibrant culinary scene also turned our Little Red Dot into a food haven. To successfully savour Singapore’s flavours, we rounded up our picks of the best Singaporean food!
1. Chicken rice
Chicken rice (also known as Hainanese chicken rice) is the quintessential Singaporean classic that is loved by locals and tourists alike. The beauty of this local favourite lies in its three distinct elements; chicken, rice, and chilli are inseparable. Each of these ingredients has an essential role to play in creating chicken rice’s unique flavour profile.
Picture this — succulent, steamed chicken plated alongside fluffy rice grains coated with a glistening layer of chicken oil. Furthermore, its aromatic fragrance is bound to make your mouth water!
This local delight is often accompanied by a tangy, garlic chilli dip. However, not many are aware that this blend of spiciness and sourness was inspired by local Cantonese influences. Feel free to drizzle dark sauce over the tender chicken, and enjoy with a side of ginger paste. We daresay that these are the perfect complements to a winning plate of chicken rice!
On where to go to savour this local classic, Wee Nam Kee, Boon Tong Kee, Five Star Chicken Rice are just but a few of our top picks. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice has also been voted as one of the best chicken rice stalls in Singapore by local foodies! Rest assured, this is one of the best Singaporean food; Singapore’s tourism board highlights it as a must-try, too. It’s filling and affordable to boot!
Fun fact: Hearsay that Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice even won a culinary showdown against international culinary icon Gordon Ramsay!
2. Carrot cake
Not to be confused with the dessert, carrot cake is one of the best Singaporean food for those who love light fare! Carrot cake or chai tow kway, as locals have affectionately coined it, was brought over to Singapore by Teochew immigrants. Today, it can be found in almost every hawker centre across the heartlands. In addition, this hawker classic sports two versions. The black carrot cake is fried with dark soy sauce, while the original white carrot cake is stir-fried with beaten eggs.
Fun fact: This savoury carrot cake has no carrot, contrary to popular belief. At least, not of the typical orange variety!
We can almost taste the mild caramelisation of the crunchy egg crust, and the springy texture of its carrot cake chunks! Made with chye poh or radish bits, every mouthful promises a melange of flavours and textures. Topped off with a dash of spring onions, this local delicacy gets a thumbs up from wandering foodies!
3. Kaya toast
Start the day on a good note with kaya toast, an old school breakfast staple! This rustic breakfast experience can’t quite be replicated anywhere else.
Kaya is a traditional spread made from coconuts and eggs. Imagine crisp toast which crumbles with every mouthful, slathered with a generous helping of kaya oozing from beneath slabs of cold butter that melt in your mouth. This comfort food goes especially well with a cup of steaming hot local kopi or coffee. It’s a nostalgic treat for most Singaporeans.
Complete this traditional Singaporean breakfast by pairing it with soft boiled eggs, and drizzle dark soya sauce and pepper. This is definitely a breakfast worth waking up for!
4. Chilli crab
How could we forget chilli crab? This is indisputably one of the nation’s favourites, and among the best Singaporean food you should devour more than once on your visit! But did you know that this dish started from a pushcart run by a couple in 1956? The wife experimented by stir-frying crabs in tomato sauce, but decided to take the heat up a notch by adding chilli sauce. Thus, the chilli crab was born!
Although crab is a vital element, the star of this signature dish is arguably its sweet yet spicy sauce. Feel free to dunk fluffy mantous into the tangy gravy; this is undoubtedly the winning combination!
We could go on and on, but you will have to taste this for yourself! All we can say is that this local delicacy certainly flies the Singaporean flag high.
5. Laksa
Many are familiar with this well-loved soupy dish, which packs an intensely rich flavour. This particular Katong laksa was inspired by the Peranakans who reside in the Katong area. Its creamy broth is flavoured with coconut milk and dried shrimp. More often than not, it is topped off with ingredients such as fishcakes and juicy prawns.
Besides its signature soup base, the thick vermicelli would be the defining trait of this dish. The flavours of this Singaporean classic are bound to keep you coming back for more! If you haven’t tried this, you are definitely missing out!
Also read: Here Are The Top Singapore Food Choices We Missed During The Circuit Breaker!
There’s more that the Fine City has to offer, but our picks of the best Singaporean food will surely jumpstart your love affair with our cuisine. Let the cravings begin!