Must eat food in Singapore — Top 14 must try & most Singapore famous food to eat in Singapore

Singapore is a multicultural and multiethnic country, which is the reason why the cuisine of this island nation is exceptionally rich. Singapore’s cuisine embraces the influence from the culinary cultures of its neighboring countries, Malaysia and Indonesia. Moreover, Singapore is the financial and economic center of Asia and there are a majority of expatriates residing and working here, hence creating an even more diverse cuisine. With a variety of options for selection, have you ever wondered what the most favorite dishes of local Singaporeans are? So, what is the best food in Singapore? And what to eat in Singapore? Let’s check it out our Singapore food blog: Must eat in Singapore (must eat food in Singapore) with top 14 must try food in Singapore & most Singapore famous food to eat in Singapore which including Singapore local food (Singapore local dishes), Singapore traditional food (Singapore traditional dishes) that local Singaporeans have in their meals and best places to eat them. Now, let’s find out with us!

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice

It is undeniable that Hainanese chicken rice arrives at the top of the list for the most favorite dishes in Singapore. Even the locals consider this is one of their most important traditional dishes.

How does Hainanese chicken rice become so attractive? What makes the unforgettable taste of this dish is the process of cooking the rice with chicken broth and coconut milk, delivering an irresistible delicious meal. The chicken is tender and juicy, served together with dipping sauce such as soy sauce with minced garlic, ginger and chili. All create a harmonious taste that cannot be any more perfect.

In Singapore, a plate of Hainanese chicken rice usually costs $3-7 SGD, which is easily found at hawkers. In addition, this traditional dish is also upgraded to a five-star version that costs $32 SGD. The $32 SGD Hainanese chicken rice is the famous signature dish of Chatter Box Restaurant and Mandarin Orchard Hotel, labeled as one of the most luxurious experiences in Singapore that you should try for once in your lifetime.

Here are some locations that the locals often come to enjoy this dish:

Boon Tong Kee

• Address: 399, 401 & 403 Balestier Road (Toa Payoh MRT Station)
• Opening hours: 11:00 A.M. – 4:45 P.M
• Reservation number: +65 6254 3937

Yet Con

• Address: 25 Purvis Street, Singapore (City Hall or Bugis MRT Station)
• Opening hours: 11:00 A.M. – 9:30 P.M.
• Price: $18 SGD (a serving of half chicken)

2. Singapore Frog Porridge

Another Singaporean specialty created by Singaporeans themselves is frog porridge. Delicious frog porridge contains white porridge cooked until having a thick and smooth texture, served with stir-fried frog that is strongly seasoned. Scallion and chili are added into a bowl of frog porridge to increase the flavor of the dish.

A strange thing is that frog porridge is suitable to eat at all times whether it is breakfast or late night snack. Particularly, this is a late-night favorite of the locals because frog porridge places are usually open until very late. What could be more fun than sitting and having conversations with friends in front of a smoking hot pot of frog porridge? Thus, frog porridge is not only captivating tourists but also a selection of many Singaporeans when looking for a “warm-hearted” food.

A rumor from the tourists says that one must go to Geylang for delicious frog porridge. Indeed, there is a famous frog porridge place called Eminent Frog Porridge, located at the corner of Lor 19 Geylang. You will see a lot of locals coming here to enjoy the dish for dinner or late night snack.

Eminent Frog Porridge

• Address: 323 Geylang Road, Singapore 389359
• Opening hours: 5 P.M. – 4 A.M.
• Price: $20 SGD

3. Laksa

Laksa is always placed at the top traditional Malaysian cuisine and really popular in Singapore. As a type of noodles served with broth, laksa stands out thanks to its distinguished flavor.

Right from the first look, laksa has an eye-catching “flaming” appearance, which is a perfect combo of noodles and seafood such as fish balls, shrimp, squid and blood cockle etc. The curry broth is made of spicy and rich coconut milk, which is the characteristic that differentiates it from other dishes. Anyone who tries it once will definitely want to have it one more time again and again.

When it comes to laksa, the locals would think of East Coast with the widely known 328 Katong Laksa Restaurant (51 East Coast Road) where the global chef Gordon Ramsay had paid a visit.

There is another popular location:

Sungei Road Laksa (Bugis or Lavender MRT Station)

• Address: 27 Jalan Berseh
• Opening hours: 9:30 A.M. – 5 P.M. except Wednesday
• Price: $3 SGD

4. Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is a dish originating from Malaysia but extremely popular in Singapore. The locals love the food for its balanced combination of many flavors and ingredients. Nasi Lemak combines rice with a number of ingredients including chicken, fish and different types of vegetables. The special thing is the rice is cooked with rich coconut milk that radiates an appetizing smell.

Since it is a popular dish in Singapore, you can find Nasi Lemak in every corner from hawkers to food courts in shopping centers. Among them, a famous place for Nasi Lemak is:

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak

• Address: 2 Adam Rd, #01-02, Adam Road Food Centre, Singapore (Botanic Gardens MRT Station)
• Opening hours: 7 A.M. – 5 P.M. except Friday
• Price: $5.50 SGD

5. Nasi Padang

Nasi Padang is one of the Indonesian’s specialties. Similar to Nasi Lemak, Nasi Padang is a rice dish that combines many ingredients. However, the difference is that Nasi Padang is a mixed rice dish consisting of well-cooked meat, a lot of minced vegetables, and it is impossible to be complete without the hot sambal chili sauce. All the ingredients blend together and create an irresistible taste that makes it hard to not having another plate of the dish.

The Indonesian dish is quite popular at hawkers in Singapore. You can look for:

Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang

• Address: #02-137, Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre
• Opening hours: 9 A.M. – 10:30 P.M.
• Price: Approximately $7 SGD

6. Popiah

Popiah is originally from Malaysia and at the first glance, you will think of Vietnamese lemongrass beef rice paper rolls. Popiah is quite similar since its main ingredients are radish, cassava, egg and shrimp, rolled together with some vegetables. The outer cover is soft like a crepe, so it is quite interesting for the taste. This is a healthy dish after having a series of greasy meals.

In Singapore, you can find these little Popiah rolls at Qi Ji Restaurant that offers specialized Halal food. Qi Ji is located at 160 Rochor Road in Bugis precinct.

7. Satay

Satay is a skewered meat dish that is rather similar to grilled meat, a street food in Vietnam. On the other hand, satay in Singapore as well as in Malaysia and Indonesia is made from beef, goat meat and chicken. You cannot miss the chicken satay specialty when coming to Singapore.

Although it is simply a street food, the processing is not simple at all. Satay is marinated thoroughly with honey, lemongrass, garlic, turmeric and cinnamon powder etc. The time taken for marinating is quite long for a bold taste of the dish. Prior to being baked, a layer of chili oil is brushed all over the meat to add more flavors and bring a spicy taste for the food. Satay only tastes best when serving with the right kind of special sauce. The sauce served with satay is made from peanuts, so you will feel the strong and spicy taste of the meat blending with the rich and greasy sauce while eating. Thus, it is not difficult to understand how satay is an “addiction” not only for visitors but also the locals.

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