There isn’t quite anything like Singaporean cuisine in the world. Maybe we’re biased, but hear us out: with her diverse racial makeup, you’ll find that food here often blurs the lines between different cultures, often encompassing various elements (the best ones!) from across cultures to get the best of both worlds. Here, you’ll find the food an explosion of flavour, hitting every flavour and textural profile out there. It is no wonder that Singapore has birthed people that love eating—you’ll find no shortage of good food, no matter which corner of Singapore you may be at. The best part? These aren’t found at glitzy, out-of-budget restaurants. In this 3-part series, we present to you the best food that Singapore has to offer at its humble hawker centres:
Satay
As the saying goes, anything on a stick can’t be bad right? Enter satay, a dish that consists of grilled meat on a stick, cooked over a charcoal grill. The meat is tender and retains the smokiness from the grill. Eat it alongside ketupat, a rice cake, cucumbers, onions as well as a satisfying, thick peanut sauce.
168 CMY Satay
One of the biggest satay suppliers in Singapore, CMY has a stall hawking their own satay in Chinatown. Here, the offerings of pork, chicken, and mutton are all well-seasoned and moist. Their creamy, thick peanut sauce has an added dimension of flavour with the addition of pineapple inside.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-168, Singapore 050335
Pondok Makan Indonesia
A Michelin-recommended stall, Pondok Makan Indonesia serves up Indonesian-style satay, slightly sweet from the marinade with a tinge of smokiness from the grill. Their mutton satay is especially popular. You’ll also be able to find a host of other Indonesian delicacies here, such as mee rebus, which is hearty and very delicious.
Address: 270 Queen St, Singapore 180270
Chicken Rice
There have been very few who have tried chicken rice and not liked it, because when it comes to chicken rice, what’s not to like? The rice is cooked with ginger, chicken fat and chicken stock, lending to plump grains which are bursting with flavour. The chicken is moist and tender, the skin glistening with oil. Pair it either with grater ginger sauce or chilli, both which serve to enhance the aroma and flavour of the dish.
Hua Kee Chicken Rice
This gem located in Redhill is severely underrated. It bears all the hallmarks of a delicious chicken rice, with succulent chicken, still with a gelatinous layer of fat atop the skin. The rice is moist and fluffy with a whiff of ginger and garlic, and the homemade chilli lends a spicy kick to the whole dish.
Address: 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Even before being made famous internationally by celebrity chefs such as Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey, Tian Tian was already one of the most recognisable names in Singapore when it comes to chicken rice. Perhaps the biggest draw here is the rice; moist, fatty and delicious with chicken oil and flavour. With a variety of locations across Singapore, it is extremely accessible and makes an excellent introduction to this iconic Singaporean dish.
Address: 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-10/11 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Prawn Noodles
This dish may not get the same attention that is lavished upon chicken rice or chilli crab, but Singaporeans will know what’s up – they’d be more than willing to queue for a good bowl of prawn noodles! The star of this dish is truly the broth; rich and savoury, flavoured with prawn shells, pork ribs and a whole load of other spices. On top, you’ll find succulent, sweet prawns to go with it. You’ll often find it sold alongside lor bak, a variety of savoury fried items.
Beach Road Prawn Noodles
Easily one of the most popular places in Singapore for prawn noodles, the broth here is thick and rich with sweetness from the prawns and pork ribs. The prawns are lauded for being extremely fresh as well. On weekend mornings, you’ll easily find this place filled to the brim. If you can, avoid peak periods if you don’t want to spend a decent amount of time waiting around.
Address: 70/372 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428981
River South Hoe Nam Prawn Noodles
With a rich prawn flavour and sweet soup, River South Hoe Nam is a popular option amongst locals for a satisfying bowl of prawn noodles. The prawns are succulent and sweet, while the pork ribs are soft and fall-off-the-bone tender. Head there early, they often sell out fast! The coffee shop opposite sells excellent lor bak, with the fried tau kwa, being extremely juicy and soft.
Address: 31 Tai Thong Crescent, Singapore 347859
Carrot Cake
Despite its name, this dish contains neither carrot nor bears a resemblance to the carrot cake of the western world. Also known as chai tow kway, this Teochew dish consists of stir-fried cubes of radish cake and is available in two varieties: black and white. The white version contains just the fried radish cake and egg, while the black version is a tad richer, slathered in a sweet, sticky dark sauce that makes it all the more addictive.
Fried Carrot Cake
Located in Clementi, this little hawker stall has no name, the sign above it just reads “Fried Carrot Cake”. Despite this, this place needs no introduction amongst the residents in the area, with wait times easily exceeding 30 mins during peak hours. It’s not hard to see why—the portions are generous, and the cubes of radish cake are moist and soft, with delightfully chewy eggs bits scattered in between.
Address: Blk 448 Clementi Ave 3, #01-45, Singapore 120448
Guan Kee Fried Carrot Cake
Rumour has it that the best version of carrot cake from this stall is fried by a bespectacled older man—precisely when this stall has the longest queues! The radish cake is homemade, a rarity because of how time-consuming it is. Get the black version here; with a strong wok hei fragrance and sweet, crispy caramelised bits of carrot cake, you’ll finish the plate before you know it.
Address: 270 Queen St, #01-59, Singapore 180270
Perhaps not the easiest food scene to navigate with all the peppering of different dialects and languages across menus, but with this guide, we hope you’re able to find food you truly love in Singapore! You’ll be sure to remember Singaporean food for how delicious and affordable it is!
