The Ultimate Food Guide to the Foodie in You

Just like Love connects people, Food keeps us bonded. Do you think it’s coincidental that a first date is usually coffee, great conversations are done over lunch, most proposals happen over dinner? and that’s not it. Today even interviews and business proposals happen over coffees & lunches. All of this isn’t just random. I believe that it’s the power of food that brings two people together and eases the situation. While we are on the topic of food, have you ever thought about the fact that whenever you visit a new place, food is always among the must explore things. Mostly everyone’s a foodie or at least has a soft corner towards it. No matter what you’re doing, whether you’re on a diet, you just had a fight or anything at all, food always makes its way to reach you; or rather we make our way to it. So, when you land in a new place, to top it up may be a culturally different city/country, the curiosity about the local food is at its peak. You want to try everything the city is known for; doesn’t matter if it’s just a special coffee, the urge to try out something new is something we all have. By now you must have understood that this article is Perfect for the Foodie in You. Singapore has a wide range of food varieties and it’ll be impossible for you to not fall in love with the food here. I’ll be covering everything from what to eat to which is the best place to eat it. Also, will just drop in some special mentions and tips.

Most Important

Special Mention

Singapore hosts a lot of hawker centres, also known as food courts. Known for not just reasonable prices, hawker centres offer food from different cuisines at affordable and reasonable prices. You can get a fulfilling lunch from S$2 and trust me, the quality is just fine. It so happens that at times the food you get in these food courts are much better than restaurants and at half the price. There are food courts placed all over Singapore that it’s so convenient, not just for tourists but also for locals. Here’s a list of the top 3 food courts that are my personal favorite. 

Maxwell Food Court, Chinatown

Superb location and easily accessible. It hosts a lot of famous stalls. My favorite is the Basil Chicken Rice @$4.5 at Sisaket Thai Food stall. Other known ones are Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice stall (famous for the Chicken rice, duh!), China Street Fritters and even the Zhen Zhen Porridge. 

 

Chinatown Complex Food Centre

Largest hawker centre in Singapore. Very Cheap food (a meal for S$2.5-S$3). Some of the most famous dishes served here are Chicken Rice, Chilli Crab, Dim Sum, Satay, Prawn Noodles and a lot more. It also has stalls selling the local desserts like Ice Kachang, Soya Bean curd & Chendol.

 Tiong Bahru Market Hawker Centre )

Cleanest and spacious food courts in Singapore. Very airy and comfortable atmosphere (thanks to the recent renovation!). The specialty? The Chwee Kueh (steamed rice cake) sold at the Jian Bo Chwee Kueh stall is just the best in Singapore. 

MUST TRY FOOD

Do check them out

Ma-la

Made of 2 Chinese characters, Ma and La, the dish rightly justifies its literal translation of ‘Numbing Spicy’. The moment you sense the ‘Ma’ in your mouth, it seriously numbs your mouth in no time depending on the spice level you choose. The Ma La sauce is oily, spicy, and also has Sichuan Pepper which is the main cause of the numbness. Despite being crazy about spicy food, I was skeptical about trying Ma La. Luckily, I tried it one day at ‘Ma la Xiang Guo’ stall in People’s Park Complex Food Centre, Chinatown. One of the best I have had till date. To be honest, my experience was pretty funny. I’m someone who loves spicy food and me being me, I opted for the maximum spice level. Well, for the first few bites I was pretty okay and thought that it wasn’t that spicy (I was sure that the hype around the spiciness was too much). However, it took me a few more bites to realise that it would take a few minutes to blow my mind and numb my taste buds for the rest of the day. (Don’t worry, I still recommend you to take the spiciest level :P)

Chicken Rice

Obviously right!!! I mean if you have come to Singapore and not had Chicken Rice, what are you even doing? The simplest, yet the most beautiful combination of boiled Chicken and flavorful rice and sauce, Hainanese Chicken Rice is one of the most eaten and beloved dishes in Singapore. Almost every stall has its own version, extra sauce? Little oilier? Different flavor of the rice? lots of little variations, yet it never disappoints a hungry stomach. For me, the most satisfying Chicken Rice is, as mentioned before, the one served at ‘Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice’ at Maxwell Food Centre.

Carrot Cake

Are you the artistic type? Or even the photography person? This is a must-see for you! Get to Everton Road and walk down the road to explore different artwork by Mr. Yip Yew Chong who spent more than 20 years around that area. It’s his expression of his life in Singapore which shows you an incredible history of S’pore. These are not just any wall paintings, rather they are made in a way which gives you the 3D feels and makes you feel a part of the art. It’s a classic example of nostalgia. Whether or not you are from Singapore, there are going to be things you can relate to in these paintings because these artworks are a great depiction of our childhood.

Kaya Toast

How can I not mention this low-key Singaporean version of bread-jam which is as famous as the bread-jam. Made of coconut cream, sugar and pandan leaves, Kaya is traditionally spread on toast and served with coffee and soft-boiled egg. Available in all coffee shops, Kaya Toast is a popular breakfast/snack that’s served in these coffee places which are meant to be like a hangout place. Not to mention that you get a fulfilling toast, coffee and eggs for $5-$6 (yup! pretty reasonable). My favorite places to get a Kaya toast are ‘Fun-Toast’, ‘Ya Kun Kaya Toast’ which are located everywhere (you can save the trouble of searching for them). It’s not just breakfast for me, Kaya for me is a snack, lunch or dinner sometimes and I might go to the extent of calling it, even, my comfort food.

Ice Kachang

: Also known as Ais Kacang (in Malaysia), Ice Kachang literally means bean ice and it’s basically a shaved ice dessert. Traditionally made of shaved ice and red beans, ice kachang today comes in many varieties with different colors and flavors. Wondering how exactly it’s made? So, the bottom includes jellies and red beans, followed by shaved ice and some syrups and finally topped with condensed milk and sweet corn. It’s a must eat if you’re in Singapore and if you’re looking to try one that’s closest to the authentic taste, ‘Berseh Ice Kachang’ is the place to go. Wanna hear something more exciting? You can get it here for just S$1.5.

 

Durian

Infamously famous for its smell, Durian is a fruit that’s actually grown in Malaysia. However, some of the most tasty and fresh ones of this fruit are available in Singapore and it’s almost an obsession in the country. Well, as common as it sounds, it’s a serious and important process in buying the fruit as you need to go to a reputable and honest seller to buy the best. ‘Combat Durian’, ’99 Old Trees’, ‘Sindy Durian’ are few of the top selling shops.

Thai Food

This is just a special mention because I’m in love with Thai Food in Singapore. Leave alone being affordable, the taste is so addictive that I might have eaten the Basil Chicken Rice for a week every day (no regrets). Despite being picky about food, it just took one try to make me fall in love with Thai food. The fried omelet on top of it just makes the meal complete. I enjoy the Basil Chicken Rice and the Chicken Fried Rice. I strongly recommend you to not eat in restaurants. All they do is serve you at a higher price, lesser quantity and slightly disappointing tastes. The best place to eat is only and ONLY hawker centres. Especially if they serve nicely minced chicken, trust me, it’s the icing on the cake. Go to ‘Sisaket Thai Food, Maxwell Food Court’, ‘Northern Thai, Berseh Food Centre’, ‘SAP Thai food, Amoy Street Food Centre’, ‘Bangkok Express, Newton Food Centre’.

So, that was the list of top 7 famous food in Singapore. Make sure you give them a try and I would say, ‘avoid restaurants’ if you want to get the authentic feel of these dishes. Also, do keep a tab on us for the next upcoming article. What will it be? More food? Shopping? Life Hacks? Well, stay tuned to us to know.

 

 

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