Singapore has quickly become one of the popular destinations in Southeast Asia for its amazing cuisine. It may be a small island nation in landmass, but the number of great dining spots at every turn makes up for it!
Singaporean cuisine is defined by a wide range of food choices ranging from affordable but heavenly hawker stall meals to popular, Michelin-starred restaurants. You will never run out of cheap dining options during your short stay here!
If you’re planning to visit this island soon, here’s a quick guide on where to eat in Singapore! Add any of these dining places to your itinerary to eat like a local.
Bali Nasi Lemak
Considered a guilty pleasure, nasi lemak is one of the most popular dishes among locals. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as a midnight snack, if you don’t keep track of your calorie intake.
Founded in 1985, Bali Nasi Lemak is where you’ll find one of the best nasi lemak on the island. It's most famous for its kecap manis fried chicken which is dipped in a sweet and savoury dark sauce.
Other popular dishes among its customers are the golden crispy fried chicken, sambal petai, and chicken curry, which you can get for less than $3 each!
Jumbo Seafood Restaurant
Since October is chilli crab season in Singapore, you should check out at least one chilli crab restaurant while you’re here!
Jumbo Seafood is among the go-to restaurants for delicious chilli crabs and other kinds of seafood on the island. Since chilli sauce is what makes or breaks a chilli crab dish, we’re glad that it lived up to our expectations - thick, sweet, and slightly spicy.
Compared to other chilli crab restaurants, its chilli sauce is just the right amount of spicy, which is probably why it’s a favourite among Western expats and tourists.
Other best-sellers here include sambal kangkong, steamed bamboo clam, fried rice with diced chicken and salted fish, and salted egg prawn. Its meat and vegetable dishes are worth trying too!
Janggut Laksa
Every local has their favourite laksa place, but for us, nothing can beat the creamy, nutty, and mildly spicy laksa of Janggut Laksa!
For only $6, you can treat yourself to a large bowl of laksa with a moderately spiced soup but still packed with flavours. Unlike other laksa, it doesn’t leave an overwhelming taste in the mouth, so it’s great for those who love curry soups with the right amount of spice and tanginess.
Janggut Laksa also serves small and medium laksa bowls for $4 and $5 respectively if you can’t finish a large bowl on your own!
Since the soup is mildly spicy, you can add a spoonful of its tasty sambal chilli to bring the spice level to your liking. You might also want to try the chicken curry, which is just as good as the laksa.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
It’s not hard to find a place that serves chicken rice in Singapore since it’s basically everywhere, but it can be difficult to find great chicken rice.
In our opinion, Tian Tian serves the best chicken rice because its rice is just as flavourful as its chicken, something that many dining places tend to miss. Its fragrant and tasty rice is cooked to perfection in chicken stock.
The chicken is tender and juicy, and packs just the right amount of flavours, meant to be complemented by the chilli and dark soy sauces. Tian Tian’s special sauce is what makes its chicken rice all the more irresistible.
Tian Tian is located in Maxwell Food Centre. It’s non-airconditioned and crowded most of the time, but that’s the ultimate hawker experience!
