How to Experience Singaporean Cuisine Like a Local

Quite contrary to its reputation as a hyper-developed business hub, Singapore has a rich mix of cultures. All over this compact, highly regulated city, you’ll find remnants of the British era. There’s one other thing that keeps tourists coming back for more: food! The city has a unique dining scene, celebrating both local and Western cuisines. 

Singaporean Cuisine 

You’ll find Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Peranakan traces in Singaporean dishes. If you want a safer introduction to Asian food, Singapore is where you’ll find it. You have hawker centres as well as City Hall restaurants in Singapore offering up the best and the finest. Some of these restaurants are featured by hotels like Grand Park City Hall – it’s a great combo where you get to enjoy comfortable accommodation and delicious food!

For Singaporeans, meals aren’t just about filling up their bellies. It’s a celebration of culture! Family and friends sit around the dining table, enjoying food and company. Eating out is super common too, and food isn’t all that expensive unless you want to dine at a fine, upscale restaurant. You’ll find so much variety here, and the quality is top-notch.

Hawker Centres 

Most Asian destinations have street markets and, Singapore, always being a tad different from its neighbouring countries, has hawker centres. What are they? They’re a big part of Singapore’s dining scene. Hawker centres are not places Singaporeans go to only when they have time off work; they are part of their daily routine. Want some breakfast? Stop by the nearest hawker centre and you can find a variety of breakfast items. What about lunch? You’re sure to find a hawker centre near the office. And after work, you can grab some dinner with your colleagues before you go home to save yourself the trouble of cooking. The energy is a bit chaotic at hawker centres, but that’s part of the charm. Food is super affordable too, and don’t worry about quality; hawker centres are highly regulated, and they’re big on keeping their standards high.

Here’s something to remember: to save a seat for yourself while ordering food, just leave a tissue or any small item on the table.

Restaurants 

On the other hand, you have restaurants. They’re not all high-end – you have a range from affordable to fine dining spots. If you want a taste of the familiar, you’ll find several places offering European dishes too. Needless to say, these places are more expensive than hawker centres, but they’re worth every dollar you shell out. 

What Are Some Dining Practices in Singapore?

There aren’t many hard and fast rules to follow, but being polite and saying thank you is always a good idea. For example, Singaporeans thank the person who prepared their food, which is something you’ll notice at hawker centres. You don’t need to tip, though, as it’s not customary and a service charge is included in the bill. You’ll notice that Singaporeans tend to eat fast, especially when they dine at hawker centres. This is because these places tend to be super busy, and there’s always someone waiting for your spot, so finish your meal and let the other person grab some food. The atmosphere at restaurants is much more relaxed, however. You can linger, have a chat, pour a glass of your favourite beverage, and enjoy your meal.

So What’s Cooking? 

Singapore has a wide variety of dishes for you to try. These are some of the must-tries: 

Chilli crab: This is a great dinner option. Singaporean chilli crab is cooked in a spicy sauce and served with bread.

Hokkien Mee: Singaporeans love their noodle dishes, and Hokkien Mee is a favourite. It’s stir-fried noodles made with prawns and squid.

Kaya toast and egg: Drop by a hawker centre in the morning for some kaya toast and coffee. Kaya toast is more or less like your regular toast but with coconut jam. Singaporeans love to have a soft-boiled egg with it too.

Rojak: A salad of veggies and fruits. They also add a bit of spicy sauce made from shrimp to really complement the flavour profile.