Best Places to Eat in Singapore
One of the best things about being in Singapore is undoubtedly the food. You can come to Singapore just for the food. I can't think of any other place that packs so much variety into such a small place. Singaporeans eat and drink with a passion. .For the visitor, deciding where and what to eat can be an intimidating,yet at the same time, exciting experience. I will attempt to guide you through, what we think you should know about the tastes and the smells of the island’s food and drink. And don’t say we didn’t warn you about that chilli…
Hawker Centres
Eat where the locals eat. Hawker centers are gigantic foodcourts that pack 40-100 food stalls under one roof. Its the Singaporean's favorite food haunt. They are located all over the island, if you're not sure where they are located just stop someone and ask for the "nearest hawker centre". Food cost anything from S$2 to S$10 depending on what you order. You might find the large number of stalls mind boggling.Here's a list of the most popular dishes. Hope it helps:
- Chicken Rice (Chinese). Richly fragrant rice with chicken and sometimes served with soup. Try this its a good start.
- Satay (Malay). A favourite consisting of small-marinated cubes of meat or poultry threaded on skewers and grilled. Satay is usually served with a spicy peanut sauce.
- Roti prata(Indian). Fried flatten flour served with curry.
- Noode (Chinese). It is more commonly called mee in Singapore. You can order it dry with ketchup or chilli...or served in soup.
Hawker Centres Located in the city:
Newton Hawker Centre(Take to Newton MRT station and follow signs)Hours: 6pm - 4am (only some stalls are open for lunchAll types of cuisine, but well-known for seafood. Prices may be slightly more expensive than other hawker centres
Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre (literally"Old Market")(Take to Raffles Place MRT and follow signs)Hours: Noon - 4amAstonishing number of stalls to choose from. At night, al fresco satay stalls are open.
Marina South Hawker Centre(Take to Marina South MRT station and transfer to bus service 400; more convenient to take a taxi)Hours: Noon - 2amWell-known for both its seafood and steamboat stalls. Steamboat is a way of cooking whereby a pot of water is placed over a small stove on the table and brought to boil. You then cook your own food, buffet style, in the boiling soup, or fry meats on a hotplate coated with butter. Steamboat is popular at family and friend get-togethers.
Chinatown Food Centre(Take to Outram MRT station and walk toward Chinatown)Hours: 7am - 9pmAn excellent example of the wide variety of Chinese food that can be found in Singapore. Prices are ridiculously cheap but be prepared to bear with the heat and the crowds,especially during lunch. Take a walk around this huge complex to soak inthe atmosphere, including a wet market at the basement. Particularly well-known are the colourful Cantonese cold dessert stalls.
Chinese Restaurants
What exactly is great Chinese food?...a short but accurate list of Chinese restaurants that offer superlative Chinese cuisine can be found here. Chinese food is group into various types based on regions in China - except for the discerning taste buds of the Chinese, most people tend to view them as one single category. But as you get to Central China, the food gets more and more spicy culminating in the"Fire Water" - Ma La Huo Kuo. You can the the Texas Chilli King but this one's will be challenging, I guarantee it:
"Chong Qing Ma La Huo Guo" - The Magic of ChongQing Hot Pot is located at Tanglin Shopping Centre, 4th floor.(beside Orchard Parade Hotel) serves great buffet steamboat. Prices at between $15 n $25. Nearest MRT Station is Orchard MRT Station.
Coffeeshops
These can be found in most housing estates outside the city and are usually located on the ground floor of apartment blocks or in 2-storey shophouses.Even till today, Singaporeans gather at coffeeshops not just to eat and drink, but also to chat or even play a game of checkers. Although the older coffeshops are slowly being phased out, they are still the place to go if you want to get cheap and good food served with a slice of true Singapore life, not forgetting the thick, black local coffee that comes in a porcelain cup.Opening hours: Early morning to about 10pm, though some may be open 24 hours.
Foodcourts
Together with hawker centres, food courts are the people’s main eating choice when dining out. They are usually found in shopping malls, and are air-conditioned and thus more expensive. For example,a plate of noodles that cost $3 in a hawker centre may cost $4 in a foodcourt. The choice of food is also more cosmopolitan, with some food courts even offering Italian, Korean, Japanese and Greek cuisine all in the same place. Be warned: at the more popular food courts, you could find people waiting behind you for your seat, so if you like to take your time, go during off-peak hours. Unlike hawker centres, you have to carry your own food to your table.Opening hours:11am to about 10pm
Fastfood
Supersize yourself at.....McDonald's, McDonald's Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut..... A favourite with children and teenagers, fast food arrived in Singapore in the late 70s and is today a familiar sight everywhere.There’s McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Dunkin’ Doughnuts and much much more.Opening hours:7am to about 11pm (weekdays); midnight (weekends)
Cafes
A growing favourite with the young working crowd. Designer coffee places like Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Coffee Club have become the "in" places to hang out with friends. Most cafes serve Western food like sandwiches, pizzas and pasta.Opening hours:10am to about 11pm (weekdays); midnight (weekends).
Eating at Little India
Be prepared to walkaround a bit as there is great food all over the area. The food outlets here range from cheap S$3-meal places to posh North and South Indian restaurants.The best bet is to start with the cheap places and discover what kind of food you prefer before "graduating" to the restaurants. The vegetarian food here is especially good.
East Coast Park Seafood Centre
Ultimate Tips
- Hawker Centre Tips. It is best to find yourself a seat before you order. Placing a packet of tissue on the table will signal to others that the table has been reserved. Sharing a table with strangers is fine if you cannot find a vacant one. Tables come with numbers.
- Spicy Food. If you're from Europe or North America, spicy in Singapore = very very spicy. Singaporeans eat lots of chilli. I once went to a Mexican restaurant in California and they have a list of soups. There was one called "Spiciest stuff you every tasted"....it tasted like water to my Singaporean taste buds.
- No Tips Please. You don't have to tip in Singapore. Not for food or taxis or hotels.
- Don't eat hawker food at your hotel. You pay 500% more.
- Don't worry about hygiene. All hawkers are licensed at hawker centres, there are regular checks by health inspectors.
- Bring water if you like water. Some (not most) restaurants make you pay for mineral water, they don't serve 'free water'. The tap water is drinkable, so fill up your bottles directly from the tap.
