Food in Singapore is taken very seriously. The famous city of hawker centers is the true island of feasting, from Michelin-starred fine dining to cheap hawker food. You will always find Singaporeans lining up at coffee shops and local hawker centers and gorging on some of the island's best meals. Simply follow the crowd or stop by any of the food centers you find because whatever morsel lie at the end, it is sure to be scrumptious.
Here are 27 must-try street food in Singapore:
1. Hainanese Chicken Rice - Unofficial National Dish of Singapore
A plate of fragrant white rice topped with steamed chicken
Found at almost every dining spot in Singapore, whether a fine dining restaurant or a humble hawker centre, Hainanese Chicken Rice can be considered the unofficial national dish of Singapore. Adapted from the early Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island, it is bite-sized slices Chicken or even whole chicken served with fragrant rice, ginger paste, and spicy chilli. What makes it special is the spices and sauces used, which give the dish a unique, lingering, and lip-smacking taste.
Best Chicken Rice in Singapore
Boon Tong Kee, Balestier Road (11:00 AM - 4:45 PM, 5:30 PM - 3:00 AM) Hawker Chan, multiple locationslike Chinatown and Tai Seng Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice, multiple locations Loy Kee, Balestier Road (9:30 AM - 10:30 PM) Tian Tian, Maxwell Food Centre (11:00 AM - 8:00 PM) Thomson Road; Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, Kadayanallur Street; Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice, Katong Shopping Centre
Approximate Cost for Two: SGD 15
2. Chilli Crab - King of Crab Dishes
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Listed as the 35th most delicious food in the world by CNN Go, the Singaporean chilli crab is a stir-fried crustacean dish, doused in sweet, spicy and savory tomato sauces. Served with deep-fried buns called mantou, this street food is a Singapore staple and is a must-try for seafood enthusiasts. There are two styles of cooking crabs in Singapore with sweet, spicy tomato-ish chilli sauce or with black pepper sauce. Many new famous styles have also been discovered like crab bee Hoon and salted egg crabs.
Chilli Crab in Singapore
Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, Upper Circular Road (open 12:00 noon - 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM - 12:00) Momma Kong's, Mosque Street Red House Seafood, multiple locations No Signboard Seafood, Geylang Long Beach King Seafood, 220 Stadium Boulevard (open 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 1:30 AM) No Signboard Seafood Restaurant, Geylang (open 12:00 noon - 1:00 AM) Mellben Seafood, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 Chinatown Seafood Restaurant, 51 Pagoda Street Approximate Cost for Two: SGD 25-90 (depending upon the size)
3. Fish Head Curry - Oceany and Spicy Fish Head
A bowl of fish head curry served with eggplants and topped with cilantro
You heard that right - this dish consists of the head of a fish, marinated and cooked in curry sauce, with a mixture of vegetables like eggplants and okras. Having origins in Kerala and Malaysia, this street food of Singapore is best eaten with rice or roti. Curry Fish Head is an enigmatic dish with a South Indian origin but is inspired by the culture of Singapore. Either the whole head or half a head of red snapper is cooked in curry with boiled vegetables. It has a variety of heavy spices. Variations include Assam style Fish Head curry, which has a flavor of the tamarind fruit. Tangy, ocean-y and spicy, this dish wins on all fronts!
Fish Head Curry in Singapore The Banana Leaf Apolo, 54 Race Course Road Sakunthala’s Food Palace, 66 Race Course Road Muthu Curry, Race Course Road (open 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Samy's Curry Restaurant, Dempsey Road (open 11:00 - 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Ocean Curry Fish Head, Toa Payoh Lorong (open 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Zai Shun Curry Fish Head, Jurong East Street
Approximate Cost for two: SGD 20-50
4. Fried Carrot Cake - Not the Dessert Carrot Cake!
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The popular street food if Singapore, Fried Carrot Cake is ironically a black and white dish, rather than the bright orangy dessert carrot cake. It is made with eggs, chai ooh and white radish flour cake, which is basically a white carrot (radish), giving rise to carrot cake. Commonly referred to as 'chai tow kway' in the Teochew dialect, the fried carrot cake is served with a sweet sauce on top of a beaten egg to create a crust and chunks of cake.
Fried Carrot Cake in Singapore Bee Bee Carrot Cake, 50A Marine Terrace Good Luck BBQ, Toa Payoh Lorong 8, Block 210 Bee Kee Fried Carrot Cake, Geylang Bahru Food Centre, Block 69 Fu Ming Carrot Cake, Redhill Food Centre, Redhill Lane Block 85 Ghim Moh Carrot Cake, ABC Brickworks Food Centre Stall Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao, Bedok Interchange Food Centre Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar, Tanglin Road Hai Sheng Carrot Cake, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 Approximate Cost for Two: SGD 5
Literally translating to 'stir-fried rice noodles', this Singaporean street food is a staple at hawker centres, getting sold out instantly. Your taste buds will call out this mixture of noodles, flat rice and egg noodles stirred proteins like egg, Lap Cheong which are Chinese sausages. It is also mixed with Chinese chives and bean sprouts. The heart of this dish is lard which makes it super delicious but sometimes for a healthier variation, it is replaced by oil and served with more vegetables instead of proteins. It is often served on a banana leaf to enhance the fragrance with a wedge of lime squeezed on the top.
Char Kway Teow in Singapore No. 18 Fried Kway Teow- Zion Riverside Food Centre on Zion Road. Singapore Outram Park Fried Kway Teow- Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, Singapore Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee, Upper Cross Street (open 6:00 AM - 4:00 PM) Hill Street Fried Kway Teow, Bedok South Market and Food Centre (open 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM) Chomp Chomp Fried Kway Teow Mee, Chomp Chomp Food Centre (open 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM) The Banana Leaf Apollo, Race Course Road; Samy’s Curry, Dempsey Road; Zai Shun Curry Fish Head, Jurong East Street Approximate Cost for two: SGD 8
6. Kaya Toast - Breakfast Staple of Singapore
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Kaya Toast and Soft Boiled Eggs are the ones and only conventional Singaporean breakfasts. It is a white bread loaf, slathered with egg kaya or coconut, toasted on a bread grill, and butter. There are many variations of this Singapore street food favorite including round buns or brown bread. The dish is also sometimes fused with pepper and dark soya sauce, dipping the Kaya Toast into the egg mixture for extra deliciousness. Both green and brown variations of Kaya Toast are available - the green ones are made of pandan leaves, while the brown ones result from caramelized brown sugar.
Kaya Toast in Singapore
Killiney Kopitiam: 67 Killiney Road, Singapore Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, East Coast Road (8:00 AM - 4:30 PM)
Heap Seng Leong, North Bridge Road (open 4:00 AM - 8:00 PM) Ah Seng Coffee, Maxwell Road (open 5:30 AM - 4:00 PM) Ya Kun Kaya Toast, China Street
Approximate Cost for two: SGD 1-3
7. Laksa - Favourite Street Food of Singapore
A bowl of Asam Laksa soup
This traditional Peranakan dish is the favorite street food in Singapore, and for a good reason! Made of flat noodles, coconut soup, fish cakes, prawns, and cockles, Laksa tastes best paired with Otah, which is fish cake served in banana leaves. It is a fusion of Chinese and Malay cuisine and is of two types - Asam Laksa and Curry Laksa. Curry laksa is more popular street food in Singapore while Asam laksa is commonly available in Malaysian regions like Penang. There are many variations of laksa regarding fish and noodles. Taste the many flavours of the ocean with this bowl!
Laksa in Singapore
328 Katong Laksa, East Coast Road (open 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM) Sungei Road laksa: Blk 27 Jalan Berseha, Singapore Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa, Bukit Merah Lane (open 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM) Janggut Laksa, Queensway Shopping Centre (open 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM)
Approximate Cost for two: SGD 8
8. Roti Prata - The Indian Singaporean Dish
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This Indian delicacy is a must-eat street food of Singapore for every traveller! Crisp, crunchy, doughy and soft Pratas dunked in delicious and tangy curry ought to get your mouth watering, and hungry for more. Made of wheat flour and served with beef, chicken, fish or vegetable curry, this Indian flatbread/pancake will linger long after you've savoured it.
Roti Prata in Singapore
Casuarina Curry, Casuarina Road (open 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM) The Roti Prata House: 246M Upper Thomson Road, Singapore Mr and Mrs Mohgan's Super Crispy Roti Prata, Crane Road (open 6:30 AM - 12:30 PM) Sin Ming Roti Prata, Sin Ming Road (open 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM)
Approximate Cost for Two: SGD 14
9. Satay - Meat on Skewers
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This street food of Singapore is a local delicacy made of pork, chicken, beef or mutton, which is candied and skewered. Satay has its inception from Indonesia but has become very popular in Singapore, found in both fancy restaurants and hawker centres. The meat is marinated with turmeric which is barbecued in the open air. Served with peanut sauce, onions and rice dumplings, this snack can be eaten all day long, but get yours soon as they sell out quick!
Satay in Singapore
Fang Yuan Satay, Toa Payoh Food Centre (open 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM) Shi Xiang Stat, Chinatown Complex (open 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM) Chong Pang Huat, Gourmet Street (open 12:00 PM - 10:30 PM) Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa, Bukit Merah Lane Janggut Laksa, East Coast Road Katong Laksa, East Coast Road Alhambra Satay, Geylang Serai Food Centre Satay By The Bay, Marina Gardens Dr Kwong Satay, Bukit Batok Cres
Approximate Cost for Two: SGD 20
10. Bak Chor Mee - Minced Meat Noodles
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Literally translating to 'minced meat and noodles', this delicious dish is soupy, meaty and noodle-y all at once! This street food on Singapore comprises of fish cake slices, liver, minced pork and a signature sauce that makes it steamy. This dish is normally ordered dry to enjoy the full ingredients of the sauce though one can choose between chilli or ketchup and the different types of noodles! Varieties include the soup version with homemade noodles.
Bak Chor Mee in Singapore
Tai Hwa Pork Noodle: Blk 466 Crawford Lane, Singapore Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Mee, Lorong Toa Payoh (open 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM) Poh Minced Meat Noodle, Bedok North Street (open 6:00 PM - 3:00 AM) Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, Crawford Lane (open 9:30 AM - 8:00 PM) Seng Kee Mushroom Minced Pork Noodles, Serangoon Garden Way 58 Minced Meat Mee, Yung Sheng Road
Approximate Cost for two: SGD 17
11. Wanton Mee - Dumplings and Noodles
A bowl of wanton mee
Wanton Mee is a perpetually popular Singapore street food. Some like the dumpling part while others are a fan of the texture of the noodles. The vendor offers Wanton chilly and soup. Many customizations have been added in the recent years and variations include Malaysian, Thai and Hongkong take on the dish.
Wanton Mee in Singapore: Lau Phua Chay Authentic Roasted Delicacies, Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 Foong Kee Coffee Shop, 6 Keong Saik Road Guangzhou Mian Shi Wanton Noodle, Tanglin Halt Food Centre Koung’s Wanton Mee, Sims Ave 6th Avenue Wanton Mee, Sixth Ave
Approximate Cost for two: SGD 14
12. BBQ Sambal Stingray - Barbecued, Spicy and Tangy Fish
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Sambal is a special sauce made from chilli peppers, shrimp, fish sauce, shallot, sugar, vinegar and ginger. Combined with the soft, delicate and distinctive stingray meat, the palate is exquisite. This dish tastes best barbequed. The Malay culture inspires this popular street food of Singapore as they were the ones who discovered that Sambal on top of Stingray is delicious. It is also known as Ikan Bakar and is traditionally wrapped in banana leaf and barbecued with Sambal on the top. In the end, lime is squeezed on the fish for better taste.
Sambal Stingray in Singapore
Chomp Hai Wei Yuan Seafood Barbecue: 20 Kensington Park Road, Chomp Chomp, Singapore B.B.Q. Seafood: Yung Sheng Road, Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre, Singapore Chan BBQ, Fengshan Market and Food Centre (open 5:00 PM - 1:00 AM) Ming-Yen BBQ, Lau Pa Sat Festival Market (open 5:00 PM - 3:00 AM) Chomp Chomp BBQ, Fengshan Market and Food Centre (open 5:00 PM - 1:00 AM) Leng heng Barbeque and Claypot deluxe, East Coast Parkway
Approximate Cost for Two: SGD 10
13. Bak Kut Teh - Pork Rib Soup
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Literally meaning 'Meat bone tea', Bak Kut Teh is one of the most popular street food in Singapore. This local dish is a pork rib soup, in a broth of herbs and spices. Comprising of pork, offal, mushroom, choy sum, tofu and puffs, the soup is spiced up with cinnamon, cloves, garlic, fennel and star anise. This dish is relished with tea in the belief that tea will help saturate a large amount of fat in the soup. People have Ban Kut Teh for breakfast majorly, but it can be taken for any meals of the day.
Bak Kut Teh in Singapore First Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup: 208 Rangoon Road, Hong Building Singapore Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh: 7 Keppel Road, PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex, Singapore Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh, Connexis (open 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM) Legendary Bak Kut Teh, Rangoon Road (open 9:00 AM - 22:30 PM) Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, Chinatown Point (open 10:30 AM - 9:30 PM)
Approximate Cost for two: SGD 20
14. Ice Kachang - Ice Dessert
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This delicious Malaysian dessert translates to 'iced beans'. A favourite of children and adults alike, this cold dish consists of shaved ice, red beans, grass jelly or agar-agar, sweet flavoured syrups and toppings like sweet corn and other goodies. Condensed milk is also poured on top, along with red rose syrup to produce the multicoloured effect. Ice Kachang has many variations including chocolate syrup, durian etc. and is the perfect way to end your tour of the street food in Singapore. What more do we need to tell you, to make you eat this?! Yum!
Ice Kachang in Singapore
Annie's Peanut Ice Kacang: 20 Ghim Moh Road, Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre, Singapore Mei Heong Yuen: 65-67 Temple Street, Singapore Peanut Ice Kachang, Maxwell Centre Quig Tiang Cold and Hot Desserts, Redhill Lane (open 3:00 PM - 11:00 PM) Lye Huat Ice Kachang, Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre (open 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM) Berseh Ice Kacang, Berseh Food Centre Smoocht, Jurong East Street Jin Jin Dessert, ABC Brickworks Food Centre
Though not exactly a street food of Singapore, Singapore Sling is a cocktail which was discovered here and is a must-try. This refreshing cocktail is popular for its mix of tropical flavours and exciting palate. Made with gin, brandy, pineapple juice, syrup and other special brews, this cocktail is a must-have during your night out!
Singapore Sling in Singapore Adrift by David Myers, Bayfront Avenue (open 7:00 AM - 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM) Post Bar, Fullerton Square (open 12:00 PM - 2:00 AM) Halia, Raffles Hotel (open 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM)
Approximate Cost for two: Upwards of SGD 20
16. Fish Bee Hoon
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Originally from Guilin, China, this dish is popularly eaten and served in Singapore as well. It is a soupy noodle dish mostly made of noodles, fish and fish bones. It is marinated with vegetables, milk and light spices which add on to the flavour of the dish.
Where to eat Jing Hua Sliced Fish Bee Hoon, Maxwell Food Centre; Beach Road Fish Bee Hoon, Whampoa Drive Makan Place; Fai Kee Fish head Bee Hoon, Commonwealth Crescent Market
17. Orh Luak - Oyster Omelette
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Typically a dish of Southeast Asia and Thailand, this famous dish is also popular in Singapore. The dish consists of fried potato starch batter with eggs and bean sprouts. Orh Luak is then garnished with fresh Oyster and is generally served raw. Due to oiliness and high-calorie factor, this omelet, this dish is generally eaten occasionally, but its taste completely deserves to be in your must-eat bucket list.
Where to eat Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette, Toa Payoh Lor 7 Food Centre Stall; Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette, Newton Circus Food Centre; Ang Sa Lee Fried Oyster, 20 Kensington Park Road
18. Roast Meat
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Singapore has a wide range of roast meat, including chicken, duck, pork, and pork belly. They are served along with rice and are seasoned with different herbs and spices, providing almost a perfect taste and flavor. You can eat a combination of all sorts of meat topped on rice or can have a separate platter for each. The roast meat of Singapore is widely acclaimed as the unique fusion of Chinese, Malay and Thai cuisine.
Where to eat Kim Heng Roasted Meat, Serangoon Avenue; Hua Fong Kee Roasted Duck, Serangoon Ave 4; Kay Lee Roast Meat, Upper Paya Lebar Road
19. Rojak
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Rojak means ‘eclectic mix’ in Malay and clearly shows Singapore's fusion of food cultures. It is a fine blend of different vegetables, fruits and dough fritters, giving it a salad-like look. Finally, the dish is garnished with black sauce, ginger shreds and chopped peanuts. The dish is widely known for its strong flavours and its rich nutritional value.
Where to eat Soon Heng Rojak, Lor 6 Toa Payoh; Brothers Rojak, Clementi Ave; Balestier Road Hoover Rojak, Whampoa Dr
20. Durian
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Although Durian is not a cooked dish, the fascination for this strange fruit completely justifies its position in this list. It is a spiky, circular fruit having the aroma of sweet jungle honey and tasted sweet, buttery and creamy. Originally a Malay fruit, Durin has now largely grown in Singapore also.
Where to eat Combat Durian, Balestier Road; Mao Shan Wang,Temple St; Ah Sheng Durian, Ghim Moh Road
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It is an Indonesian dish served along with rice. Nasi Patang is a dish consisting of various curries like Redang, made of different kinds of vegetables prepared and served with sambal chilli sauce.
Where to eat Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang, Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre; Tamako Meal, Casuarina Road; Sari Ratu, Pahang Street
22. Nasi Lemak
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Nasi Lemak is one of the most signature dishes of Malaysia and is also an integral part of Singaporean culinary culture. The most important part of the dish is rice, which is slightly different from regular steamed rice and is fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk, salt and pandan leaves. This rice is served with sambal chilli sauce and fried anchovies. Some restaurants also offer Redang curries with this dish. Nasi Lemak is a traditional breakfast dish.
Where to eat Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak,Adam Road; Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre, Upper Serangoon Road; Chong Pang Nasi Lemak, Sembawang Road
23. Murtabak
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This dish is yet another perfect example of a unique fusion of Arab and Indian Cuisine, which is also popular in Singapore. It is a kind of ‘tandoor’ chapati stuffed with different kinds of vegetables or meat. Initially, covered with a layer of egg, a customised spread of spices, meat and onion gives this dish a fine taste and flavour. Some restaurants also offer a side dish such as curry etc. along with this dish.
Where to eat Singapore Zam Zam, Bridge Road; Victory Restaurant, North Bridge Road; Pancake Boss, North Bridge Road
24. Peranakan Food
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This dish is named after the Peranakan people from Malay origin who are known for their unique food culture that blends Chinese, Malay and even Western culinary. Throughout Singapore, there are several restaurants and food joints that are preserving this culinary tradition brilliantly. Their dishes mainly consist of chillies, curry paste, shrimp paste and a wide variety of local fruits and vegetables.
Where to eat Daisy’s Dream Kitchen, West Coast Road; Tingkat PeraMakan, Owen Road; The Peranakan Restaurant Singapore, Orchard Road
25. Hokkien Mee
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Carrying with itself the Chinese originality, this noodle dish is one of the most widely-eaten meals. It is a combination of fried egg noodles or rice noodles cooked along with prawns, pork fat, squid and fish cake. However, some food centre offers garnishing of pork strips too to add more flavour to the dish.
Where to eat Original Serangoon Fried Hokkien Mee, Serangoon Road; Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles, Kensington Park Road; Eng Ho Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee, Ang Mo Kio Avenue
26. Curry Puff
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It is considered one of the traditional dishes of Singapore. It is a baked pie in the shape of a puff pastry typically filled with chicken, curry, potato and egg. Fillings vary from vendor to vendor, and many innovative experiments include filings of yam, durian etc.
Where to eat Tip Top Curry Puff, Ang Mo Kio Ave; 1A Curry Puff, Orchard Road; Amk Curry Puff, Toa Payoh Central
27. Dim Sum
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Showcasing a typical Chinese cuisine and dining sharing custom, Dim Sum is not a single dish but a set of several dishes, including BBQ Pork Buns, Xiao Long Bao, Siew Mai, Chee Cheong Fun and many more. Dim Sums are a popular Singaporean dish.
Where to eat Swee Choon Tim Sum, Jalan Besar; Wen Dao Shi, Sims Ave; Tim Ho Wan, Toa Payoh Lorong
Things to Keep in Mind While Eating in Singapore
Be mindful of the different cutlery used in the cuisine - from chopsticks, spoons and forks. Some dishes even require you to use hands
Be careful about nut and soy allergies, and lactose intolerance - most dishes use nuts, soy and dairy
If you do not have a high tolerance for spice, ask your chef beforehand to go easy on the spice
Street-food joints in Singapore sell out fast or have long lines, so reach the joints quickly and avoid the long waiting period
Don't forget to Instagram your food! #FoodPorn much?
From sweet to sour, this list covers all the popular street food in Singapore, favoured by the visitors as well as the locals. It is not an exhaustive list and covers the delicious meals inspired by all ethnicities of Singapore, be it Malaysian, Indian, Chinese or Singaporean itself. Many of the dishes were invented during times of war and poverty, created with whatever ingredient was available at that time. Thus, Singapore's cuisine and street food forms a part of its history, culture and tradition. Some people would probably think that these aren't Singaporean but Singapore adopts the best flavours from all cultures.
Which food did you enjoy the most? Which dish are you most eager to try? Comment below, and let us know! #FoodLove all the way!
~ Written by - Devyani Makan and Nivedha Narayanaswamy
