Arguably one of Singapore’s most classic local foods, chicken rice can be found in its many forms (steamed, poached or roasted) at hawker centres and eateries across the island. If you’re wondering what’s so special about chicken and rice, we’ll have you know the grains are cooked in chicken broth, garlic, ginger and pandan leaves, giving the dish its fragrance and flavour. Try Maxwell Food Centre for the always-popular Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, or head to hotspots like Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice and Boon Tong Kee for your fix.
Wanton mee
A perfect bowl of wanton noodles should be a medley of wildly contrasting textures. Firm, springy noodles drenched in sauce, soft dumplings stuffed with flavourful meat, and thick char siew (barbecued pork) slices with a good bit of charring. Some of our top picks include Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist, Nam Seng Noodle House and Eng’s Wantan Noodles.
Nasi lemak
What to eat in Singapore: The best local dishes and where to try them
by Honeycombers | Jul 14, 2020
Illustration: Xinhua Ho
Here’s your ultimate map to authentic local food in Singapore.
Singapore is a country that takes great pride in what it does and what it has to offer. From heritage buildings and architectural gems to fashionable local labels and amazing things to do, there’s plenty to love. But our finest offering is, of course, our food – in all its multicultural glory. We already have the lowdown on the best laksa, nasi lemak and prata – not to mention countless cuisines, including Mexican and Italian. Now, we’re turning our attention to local food in Singapore. Here’s your culinary road map to the world’s food capital (in our eyes, at least).
Local food in Singapore: Iconic dishes
Chicken rice
Arguably one of Singapore’s most classic local foods, chicken rice can be found in its many forms (steamed, poached or roasted) at hawker centres and eateries across the island. If you’re wondering what’s so special about chicken and rice, we’ll have you know the grains are cooked in chicken broth, garlic, ginger and pandan leaves, giving the dish its fragrance and flavour. Try Maxwell Food Centre for the always-popular Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, or head to hotspots like Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice and Boon Tong Kee for your fix.
Wanton mee
A perfect bowl of wanton noodles should be a medley of wildly contrasting textures. Firm, springy noodles drenched in sauce, soft dumplings stuffed with flavourful meat, and thick char siew (barbecued pork) slices with a good bit of charring. Some of our top picks include Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist, Nam Seng Noodle House and Eng’s Wantan Noodles.
Nasi lemak
Good for breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper, nasi lemak is definitely a versatile guilty pleasure. The local dish stars fragrant coconut rice loaded with various sides of your choice. Choose crispy fried chicken, fried fish, fried egg, and otah (grilled fish cake) to go with ikan bilis (dried anchovies) and sambal for a hearty meal. From budget-friendly versions at hawker stalls to pricier plates at the swish Coconut Club, we’re spoilt for choice.
Beef rendang
This rich, dry curry dish is truly a labour of love. It requires hours of slow-cooking to achieve that thick consistency. Loaded with spices, coconut milk and fork-tender beef chunks, it’s best eaten with rice to soak up all that gravy. Hungry? Pop by Indonesian resto Rumah Makan Minang to sate your cravings.
Kaya toast
The genius who first thought to combine toasted, melt-in-your-mouth bread with slabs of butter, lashings of kaya (coconut jam), and soft-boiled egg is deserving of an award in our eyes. Paired with a light sprinkling of white pepper and a splash of soy sauce on the eggs, kaya toast is best enjoyed with a sweet, milky coffee at breakfast. Our favourite fix is the original Killiney Kopitiam on Killiney Road – there’s no going past it.
Carrot cake
Singapore-style carrot cake isn’t actually a cake. Instead, it’s a savoury dish made of radish cubes that are steamed and then fried with garlic, eggs, preserved radish and (this one’s optional) sweet dark soya sauce. The result? Absolutely heavenly. We’d recommend Chomp Chomp (you lucky Serangoon dwellers) for the most calorie-worthy rendition.
Roti prata
What to eat in Singapore: The best local dishes and where to try them
by Honeycombers | Jul 14, 2020Illustration: Xinhua Ho
Here’s your ultimate map to authentic local food in Singapore.
Singapore is a country that takes great pride in what it does and what it has to offer. From heritage buildings and architectural gems to fashionable local labels and amazing things to do, there’s plenty to love. But our finest offering is, of course, our food – in all its multicultural glory. We already have the lowdown on the best laksa, nasi lemak and prata – not to mention countless cuisines, including Mexican and Italian. Now, we’re turning our attention to local food in Singapore. Here’s your culinary road map to the world’s food capital (in our eyes, at least).
Local food in Singapore: Iconic dishes
Chicken rice
Arguably one of Singapore’s most classic local foods, chicken rice can be found in its many forms (steamed, poached or roasted) at hawker centres and eateries across the island. If you’re wondering what’s so special about chicken and rice, we’ll have you know the grains are cooked in chicken broth, garlic, ginger and pandan leaves, giving the dish its fragrance and flavour. Try Maxwell Food Centre for the always-popular Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, or head to hotspots like Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice and Boon Tong Kee for your fix.
Wanton mee
A perfect bowl of wanton noodles should be a medley of wildly contrasting textures. Firm, springy noodles drenched in sauce, soft dumplings stuffed with flavourful meat, and thick char siew (barbecued pork) slices with a good bit of charring. Some of our top picks include Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist, Nam Seng Noodle House and Eng’s Wantan Noodles.
Nasi lemak
Good for breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper, nasi lemak is definitely a versatile guilty pleasure. The local dish stars fragrant coconut rice loaded with various sides of your choice. Choose crispy fried chicken, fried fish, fried egg, and otah (grilled fish cake) to go with ikan bilis (dried anchovies) and sambal for a hearty meal. From budget-friendly versions at hawker stalls to pricier plates at the swish Coconut Club, we’re spoilt for choice.
Beef rendang
This rich, dry curry dish is truly a labour of love. It requires hours of slow-cooking to achieve that thick consistency. Loaded with spices, coconut milk and fork-tender beef chunks, it’s best eaten with rice to soak up all that gravy. Hungry? Pop by Indonesian resto Rumah Makan Minang to sate your cravings.
Kaya toast
The genius who first thought to combine toasted, melt-in-your-mouth bread with slabs of butter, lashings of kaya (coconut jam), and soft-boiled egg is deserving of an award in our eyes. Paired with a light sprinkling of white pepper and a splash of soy sauce on the eggs, kaya toast is best enjoyed with a sweet, milky coffee at breakfast. Our favourite fix is the original Killiney Kopitiam on Killiney Road – there’s no going past it.
Carrot cake
Singapore-style carrot cake isn’t actually a cake. Instead, it’s a savoury dish made of radish cubes that are steamed and then fried with garlic, eggs, preserved radish and (this one’s optional) sweet dark soya sauce. The result? Absolutely heavenly. We’d recommend Chomp Chomp (you lucky Serangoon dwellers) for the most calorie-worthy rendition.
Roti prata
Carbs? We’ll take ’em all. So it’s no surprise that roti prata is the go-to comfort food for any time of the day, really. Plenty of eateries in Singapore serve a decent rendition of this crispy Indian flatbread with curry, but Mr. Prata on Evans Road is the place to go if you’re looking for a mind-boggling variety of flavours: Egg, cheese, mushroom, or even dessert-style with condensed milk, chocolate or strawberry jam.
Mee rebus
Popular in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, this dish is made with yellow egg noodles dipped into a spicy, sweet and creamy gravy. Here, we get it topped with a hard-boiled egg, calamansi lime, green chillies and fried firm tofu, with a sprinkling of fried shallots. Head to the aptly-named Delicious at Tanjong Pagar Market for a taste.
Satay
It’d be silly to claim that skewered meat on a stick is a unique creation, but what makes local satay pure magic is the accompanying subtly sweet peanut sauce. What we look for in good satay is a generous amount of smoky char on the meat (which can range from chicken to pork to beef), chunky peanut sauce, and lots of onions, rice cakes and diced cucumber on the side. Chomp Chomp Satay ticks all the boxes for us, but if you’re looking to splurge, head to Violet Oon Satay Bar & Grill for a more upscale experience.
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