Best restaurants and what to eat
Singapore
Singapore’s food culture is a celebrated crossroads of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Peranakan traditions, refined through hawker-centre cooking and high-level culinary craftsmanship. The city-state is especially known for fragrant rice dishes, rich coconut curries, noodle soups, chilli crab, and an impressive range of coconut, pandan, and gula melaka desserts.
A deeply savory dried shrimp condiment with a spicy-sweet, umami-packed intensity. The texture is finely shredded and crumbly, making it ideal for sprinkling over rice, noodles, toast, or congee. It is one of Singapore’s most distinctive pantry staples, prized for adding instant depth and aroma.
A pungent chili paste blended with fermented shrimp paste, delivering heat, funk, and a lingering savory finish. It is traditionally used as a table condiment with rice, grilled seafood, and vegetable dishes. In Singapore, it is a foundational flavor of Malay and Peranakan cooking.
A silky coconut-egg jam perfumed with pandan, butter, and caramelized sugar notes. Smooth, lush, and delicately sweet, it is most famously spread on toast and paired with soft-boiled eggs and strong coffee. Kaya is one of Singapore’s most iconic breakfast flavors.
An airy, vivid green sponge cake scented with pandan leaf. It has a feather-light crumb, gentle sweetness, and a floral, vanilla-like aroma that makes it distinctly Southeast Asian. It is a beloved modern classic in Singapore bakeries.
Small glutinous rice balls filled with molten gula melaka and coated in grated coconut. The bite gives way to a burst of smoky palm sugar syrup, balanced by chewy dough and fresh coconut. These are among Singapore’s most treasured kuih sweets.
A soft, sticky glutinous rice cake stamped in a tortoise-shell shape and usually filled with sweet mung bean or peanut paste. Its texture is pleasantly chewy, with a delicate sweetness and a symbolic festive heritage in the Chinese Singaporean tradition. It is commonly offered at celebrations and family gatherings.
A famous gin-based cocktail created at Raffles Hotel, blending citrus, cherry, herbal, and tropical notes into a long, refreshing drink. It is typically served over ice with a bright, ruby hue and a celebratory presentation. The drink is one of Singapore’s most internationally recognized alcoholic signatures.
A pale lager originally brewed in Singapore, known for its crisp carbonation and clean, lightly bitter finish. It is designed for tropical weather and is commonly served ice-cold. Tiger Beer has become one of the city-state’s best-known export brands.
A classic Singapore-brewed lager with a straightforward, refreshing profile and gentle malt sweetness. It is widely associated with everyday drinking culture and local casual dining. Best served chilled, it pairs easily with hawker fare.
A locally brewed beer with a smooth, accessible character and a light-bodied finish. It is a familiar Singapore name in casual pubs and neighborhood eateries. The style is straightforward and thirst-quenching rather than heavily hopped.
A dessert-inspired liqueur evoking pandan cake aromas, creamy sweetness, and soft vanilla-like notes. It is generally served chilled or as a cocktail component, leaning toward confectionery rather than spirit-forward intensity. Its identity reflects Singapore’s affection for pandan-based sweets.
A Singapore-made gin expression that often emphasizes bright botanical and tart fruit accents. It is commonly used in cocktails, where its clean juniper structure and aromatic lift stand out. Served with tonic or citrus, it suits the city’s modern bar scene.
Singapore’s most iconic seafood dish, featuring crab coated in a thick, sweet-spicy tomato-chili sauce. The sauce is rich enough for mantou to soak up every last bit, making the dish as much about bread-dipping as shellfish. It is festive, messy, and unmistakably Singaporean.
A bold crab dish tossed in a dark, peppery sauce with deep savory heat. Compared with chili crab, it is drier, more aromatic, and more assertively spicy, with black pepper driving the flavor. It is a classic companion to a cold drink and plenty of shell-cracking.
Poached chicken served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat, ginger, and stock, accompanied by chili sauce and soy-based dips. The dish is prized for its simplicity and balance, with silky chicken and aromatic rice forming a perfect pair. In Singapore, it is a national staple and hawker benchmark.
A rich noodle soup built on coconut milk, aromatics, and shrimp or seafood stock, with a spicy, creamy broth. Singapore’s versions are known for their lush texture and layered heat, often finished with cockles, tofu puffs, and noodles. It is one of the city’s signature bowls.
A Singapore laksa style famous for its shorter noodles cut to be eaten with a spoon. The broth is creamy, spicy, and fragrant, with a concentrated coconut character that clings to each bite. It is especially associated with the Katong district and Peranakan food culture.
Wok-fried flat rice noodles cooked with dark soy sauce, egg, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, and often seafood. The dish is prized for smoky wok hei, glossy noodles, and a rich savory-sweet profile. In Singapore, it is one of the most beloved hawker specialties.