Visit Singapura
A busy hawker centre at night with steaming woks and diners

Food

Eat your way across Singapore

A melting pot of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan cooking, served in hawker centres where a world-class meal costs just a few dollars.

Signature dishes

Four things you have to eat

If you only have time for a handful of meals, make them these.

Singapore chilli crab in red sauce with fried buns

Chilli Crab

Mud crab wok-fried in a sweet, savoury, mildly spicy tomato-egg sauce. Order fried mantou buns to mop up every drop.

Seafood restaurants at East Coast, Clarke Quay and Sembawang

Plate of Hainanese chicken rice with sliced chicken and dipping sauces

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Silky poached chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock, served with chilli, ginger and dark soy. The national dish, in the simplest form.

Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown Complex, Tiong Bahru Market

Bowl of Singapore laksa with prawns and fish cake in coconut broth

Laksa

Thick rice noodles in a rich, spicy coconut-shrimp broth with prawns, cockles and fish cake. The Katong version is famously eaten with just a spoon.

Katong, Joo Chiat and most hawker centres

Kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and kopi coffee on a marble table

Kaya Toast Set

Crisp toast with coconut-egg jam and butter, two runny eggs with soy and white pepper, and a strong kopi. The classic Singapore breakfast.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Toast Box, and old-school kopitiams

Keep eating

More local favourites

Once you have ticked off the big four, work through this list.

  • Char Kway Teow

    Smoky, wok-fried flat noodles with cockles, Chinese sausage and egg.

  • Satay

    Charcoal-grilled skewers of chicken, beef or mutton with peanut sauce.

  • Bak Kut Teh

    Pork ribs in a peppery garlic broth, usually with youtiao and tea.

  • Roti Prata

    Flaky, griddled flatbread served with curry. Order it plain or with egg.

  • Hokkien Mee

    Prawn and pork stir-fried noodles in a rich seafood stock.

  • Chendol & Ice Kacang

    Shaved-ice desserts with coconut milk, palm sugar and red beans.

Where to eat

Hawker centres worth the trip

Singapore's hawker culture has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. These are great places to experience it.

  • Maxwell Food Centre

    Chinatown

    Home of the famous Tian Tian chicken rice and plenty of other stalls.

  • Lau Pa Sat

    Raffles Place

    A Victorian cast-iron market, with a satay street that sets up after dark.

  • Tiong Bahru Market

    Tiong Bahru

    A beloved neighbourhood market, great for a slow breakfast.

  • Old Airport Road Food Centre

    Geylang

    Local favourites that regulars queue for.

  • Newton Food Centre

    Newton

    Open late with seafood stalls and a famous cameo in a film.

  • Chinatown Complex

    Chinatown

    The largest hawker centre in Singapore, with over 200 stalls.

Hawker etiquette

Order like a local

Chope a table

Leave a tissue packet on a table to reserve it, then go order. It is a beloved local custom.

Dabao means takeaway

Ask for “dabao” to take your food away, often for a small extra charge.

Bring small cash

Many stalls take PayNow or cards now, but some are still cash only.

Queue means good

A long line usually signals great food. It is worth the wait.