What are the most popular foods in Singapore?

This is quite difficult to answer because Singapore is a known haven for foodies. Being a melting pot of different cultures, Singapore has a lot to offer in terms of food choices that cater to a wide range of gastronomic preferences. Below are some of my personal favorites as well as must-eats for my foreigner friends when they come to visit.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice is considered as the national dish of Singapore. It is made of steamed chicken or boiled in pork and chicken bone stock then served on top of white rice with a dip of chili garlic sauce on the side. There is also a roasted variation that is served drizzled with soy sauce. Click here for the list of recommended Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore.

Chili Crab

This is truly worth getting your hands dirty for! Chili crab can be cooked with chili tomato or black pepper sauce. Either way, always ask for the mini mantou buns so you can mop up the sauce in all its sinful goodness. The chili crab at Mellben Seafood is my personal favorite but there are other restaurants where you can enjoy the best chili crab in Singapore.

Laksa

Laksa is one of the highlights of Peranakan cuisine. The blend of Chinese and Malaysian culture gave birth to this popular soup dish that is commonly eaten for breakfast.  There are two types of laksa that are popular in Singapore. Curry laksa is the most common type, which is made of mixed seafood, vermicelli, and beancurd puffs (tau pok) cooked in  creamy coconut curry sauce. The other variation is the asam laksa which is the sour type tamarind-based laksa. Check out the restaurants where locals get their favorite laksa.

Kaya Toast

Your Singapore experience won’t be complete without spending a morning at a kopitiam, sipping your kopi, and savoring your kaya toast with eggs. This Singaporean breakfast staple is simply made of toasted bread lathered with kaya (pandan-coconut jam) and butter. It is often served with runny eggs drizzled with soy sauce. There are a lot of cafes that serve good kaya toast with their own variations. You just need to find the one that suits your palate.

Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow literally means fried flat rice noodles. It is usually mixed with shrimps, eggs, cockles, bean sprouts, chives, and Chinese sausage, served with dark soy sauce. Char Kway Teow was once considered as a poor man’s dish but it later gained popularity and made its way into mainstream Singaporean food fare. You can find char kway teow in almost every hawker centre in Singapore. Read here for more information on the most highly recommended food stalls that serve the best char kway teow in Singapore.