ExploFood · Asia
What to eat in Singapore
Five dishes to try in Singapore, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Singapore
Hainanese chicken rice 海南鸡饭
Poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock, served with chilli and ginger.
How to have it: Hawker centres such as Maxwell Food Centre have famous stalls; expect queues at lunch.
Chilli crab
Mud crab stir-fried in a sweet, spicy tomato and egg sauce.
How to have it: Order fried mantou buns to mop up the sauce; seafood places on East Coast are popular.
Laksa
Noodles in spicy coconut curry broth with prawns, fishcake and cockles.
How to have it: Katong is known for its version with cut noodles eaten with just a spoon.
Char kway teow 炒粿条
Flat rice noodles wok-fried with dark soy, egg, cockles and Chinese sausage.
How to have it: A hawker centre staple; ask for less oil or extra chilli if you like.
Kaya toast
Toast filled with coconut-egg jam and butter, served with soft-boiled eggs.
How to have it: Order it as a set with kopi at a traditional kopitiam; dip the toast into the eggs.
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Questions
What food is Singapore famous for?
Hainanese chicken rice (poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock, served with chilli and ginger) comes first on our list, followed by Chilli crab, Laksa, Char kway teow and Kaya toast.
What is the national dish of Singapore?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Singapore is Hainanese chicken rice: poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock, served with chilli and ginger. Hawker centres such as Maxwell Food Centre have famous stalls; expect queues at lunch.
Which dishes in Singapore are vegetarian?
One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Kaya toast. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Singapore?
Char kway teow (flat rice noodles wok-fried with dark soy, egg, cockles and Chinese sausage).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.