lemiA “salad bowl” rather than a melting pot of cultures, Singapore is a diverse city-state known as one of the world’s top destinations
Scrumptious S’pore Stopovers
Singapore
Singapore spoils you with cuisine fused with flavors from China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Whatever your Asian food-craving palate is looking for (Chilli Crab, curry, noodles, herbal soup, the list goes on), you’ll definitely find it here. Here’s your cheat sheet to the country’s best hawker food—and by “best,” we mean Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded! Ready your bellies and taste buds, it’s going to be a lip-smacking ride!
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A Noodle Story has captured the hearts of locals with its Singaporean-style ramen since opening in 2013. Inspired by modern European techniques and traditional Asian flavors, their recipe features thin egg noodles tossed in sweet chili oil and Sambal (a spicy Malaysian sauce), topped with braised Char Siu (barbecued pork), Hong Kong-style wontons, a potato-wrapped prawn, and an onsen tamago (traditional Japanese soft-boiled eggs). Spot the long queue of hungry customers in front of its kiosk in Amoy Food Centre, and you’ll know you’re in the right place.
- +65 9027 6289
7 Maxwell Road, #01-39 Amoy Food Centre, Singapore
- https://www.facebook.com/ANoodleStory
A bowl of Ah Er Soup’s herbal broth will simultaneously fill your appetite and cleanse your body. The humble husband-and-wife-run stall in ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre serves eight kinds of MSG-free, long-boiled Chinese herbal soups. Try their signature Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a collagen-rich shark bone stock that comes with the works: scallop, dried oyster, fish maw, abalone, chicken and mushroom. Rations run out quick, so come early!
Block 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-141 ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, Singapore
Feast on Singapore’s famous Chilli Crab at Alliance Seafood in Newton Circus Food Centre! The hawker's version of the national delicacy sets itself apart with an irresistible sauce that’s equal parts sweet, tangy, and spicy. For the best gastronomic experience, take a friend and order the set meal that comes with Cereal Prawns, Fried Rice, and Mantou (fried buns). Do as the locals do, and use the bread to scrape off every last bit of the dish from your plate!
- +65 9643 7234
501 Clemenceau Avenue North, #01-27 Newton Circus Food Centre, Singapore
- https://www.facebook.com/allianceseafood27
Housed in Whampoa Makan Place, Balestier Road Hoover Rojak shines the spotlight on Rojak, a traditional Malay fruit and vegetable salad. The eclectic mix includes local favorites, such as You Tiao (Chinese-style churros), Tau Pok (tofu puffs), and jellyfish, which perfectly complements the hawker’s well-balanced sauce. Add Century Eggs to your meal for a truly Asian experience!
- +65 6253 0137
Whampoa Drive, #01-06 Whampoa Makan Place, Singapore
Bismillah Biryani cooks up South Asian fare at its home in Singapore’s Little India. The Chicken Biryani (Indian rice dish) is a favorite among locals for its authenticity; the basmati rice and meat combo is dry—as it is originally—but bursting with flavor! Partner your meal with a glass of Mango Lassi (yogurt, mango, and milk drink), and end it with a serving of Kulfi (Indian-style ice cream).
- +65 6935 1326
50 Dunlop Street, Singapore
- https://www.facebook.com/bismillahbiryanisg
Head to Payoh West Market and Food Centre for authentic, homemade Chai Tow Kway (Fried Carrot Cake), a pan-fried pancake-like dish made of preserved white radish, carrots, eggs, and chili sauce. The two sisters who run the kitchen have been dishing out the family’s heirloom recipe for over 20 years, which locals continuously come back to for its just-like-mom-made-it taste. You’ll encounter Chai Tow Kway in almost every hawker center in Singapore, but this one takes the cake!
- +65 9816 9412
Block 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #02-30 Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre, Singapore
Take a detour to Chinatown’s Hong Lim Market and Food Centre for a delicious bowl of Laksa (Southeast Asian spicy noodle soup). Daniel Woo, owner of Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa, scoops out a light, rich broth made with less coconut milk, and adds premium ingredients like prawns and dried scallops for garnish. Add a plate of Mee Siam (stir-fried rice vermicelli) to your table, which is laced with a special blend of various fruit juices—instead of the usual tamarind water—for a zesty fragrance!
- +65 9750 8326
Block 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-66 Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, Singapore
For more than 50 years, locals have been coming back to Hong Kee Beef Noodle in Amoy Food Centre for a delectable bowl of Hainanese beef noodle soup. The savory stock is cooked for 24 hours, then mixed with slippery Kway Teow (rice noodles), salted vegetables, and tender beef balls and slices. There’s an option to take it dry, but who are we kidding? We live for that tasty broth!
- +65 8100 6218
7 Maxwell Road, #01-42 Amoy Food Centre, Singapore
A real bang for your buck, J2 Crispy Curry Puff gives you the cheapest Michelin-recognized treat in Singapore! Bite into the flaky golden puff and delight in the yummy fillings—from the usuals like curry potato and chicken to more creative options such as yam and durian. To maintain quality, the couple who runs the kiosk in Amoy Food Centre only produces 500 pieces a day, so hurry and snatch some up before they sell out!
7 Maxwell Road, #01-21 Amoy Food Centre, Singapore
For a scrumptious plate of braised duck, visit Liang Zhao Ji in Whampoa Makan Place. The Cantonese-style dish is prepared with a braising sauce that uses 12 different herbs and spices, then cooked with precision timing to produce the most tender meat. Enjoy a hearty meal and pair the duck with either a helping of rice or a bowl of porridge.
- +65 9450 0893
90/91 Whampoa Drive, #01-07 Whampoa Makan Place, Singapore
Huge fans of spicy food are going to love Na Na Homemade Curry’s menu of Peranakan-style Indian favorites. The branch in Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre exclusively serves curry of different variants: vegetable, pork rib, chicken, mutton, and fish (including the fish head). Have it with rice, unless you’re willing to take in all the heat. They also sell curry pastes, so you can whip up your own dishes at home!
- +65 9106 4316
Block 115 Bukit Merah View, #01-48 Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre, Singapore
- https://www.nanacurry.sg/
Getting to Mei Ling Market and Food Centre may be a bit of a mission, but the trip will all be worth it once you get a taste of Shi Hui Yuan’s Ipoh-style Hor Fun (Malaysian stir-fried noodles). The thin rice noodles are smothered in gravy made from stews of chicken feet, braised pork rib, and mushroom. Choose from a variety of meat toppings or order the Blissful Plate, which has a little bit of everything.
159 Mei Chin Road, #02-33 Mei Ling Market and Food Centre, Singapore
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Hainanese Chicken Rice, the quintessential Singaporean dish, comes alive at Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice in Maxwell Food Centre! The rice is undoubtedly the shining star, cooked in chicken stock to warm, fluffy perfection. World-renowned gourmand Anthony Bourdain even praised it, saying it’s so fragrant that it could be consumed by itself. The chicken also deserves your attention, as well as its secret sauce that ties the dish together. That said, we’ll just have to keep guessing as to how it’s so delicious!
- +65 6448 0120
4 Kadayanallur Street, #01-10/11 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore
- https://www.facebook.com/Tian-Tian-Hainanese-Chicken-Rice-344208003809
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