Famous Food in Singapore: 5 Dishes to Try

What to eat in Singapore, and what each dish is.

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Quick answer

The food to try in Singapore includes Chilli Crab, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa and 2 more.

Best time to visit Singapore: February – April.

Chilli Crab

Singapore's national dish — whole Sri Lankan mud crab stir-fried in a tomato-egg-chilli sauce that's simultaneously spicy, sweet and savoury. Scoop it up with deep-fried mantou buns. The best versions are at Long Beach or No Signboard Seafood — expensive but unmissable.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Poached or roasted chicken sliced over rice cooked in chicken broth and served with ginger sauce, chilli sauce and dark soy — Singapore's ultimate comfort food. Tian Tian at Maxwell Food Centre has had a Michelin Bib Gourmand for years; the queue tells you everything.

Laksa

Singapore's most complex noodle dish — egg noodles and rice vermicelli in a rich coconut-spice broth with prawns, cockles, fish cake and a dollop of sambal chilli. Katong laksa (spoon-ready, no chopsticks needed) and Marine Parade's 328 Katong Laksa are the legendary versions.

Kaya Toast & Soft-Boiled Eggs

Singapore's quintessential breakfast — charcoal-grilled bread spread with kaya (coconut jam) and cold butter, dipped into barely-set soft-boiled eggs seasoned with soy and white pepper. Consumed with extremely strong local coffee (kopi) at Ya Kun Kaya Toast. S$6 for the whole set.

Char Kway Teow

Flat rice noodles wok-fried with Chinese sausage, cockles, bean sprouts and eggs in dark soy over extreme heat — the 'wok hei' (smoky charring) from a hawker master's seasoned wok is irreproducible at home. Order the version with extra cockles; order it extra dark.

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Singapore food questions

What is the most famous food in Singapore?

Chilli Crab is the dish most travellers start with. Singapore's national dish — whole Sri Lankan mud crab stir-fried in a tomato-egg-chilli sauce that's simultaneously spicy, sweet and savoury.

What should I eat in Singapore?

Try Chilli Crab, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa, Kaya Toast & Soft-Boiled Eggs, Char Kway Teow.

Is it easy to find vegetarian food in Singapore?

Tell us about dietary needs when you book. Trripah plans meals and restaurant stops around vegetarian, Jain and other requirements.

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