What to eat in Singapore

Question 1

Where should I eat chilli crab in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Our pick is Jumbo Seafood at Riverside Point: mud crab in chilli sauce, with mantou, the fried bread buns, to mop up what's left. Book ahead, since good tables go. Roland Restaurant is the no-frills alternative in Marine Parade, and Long Beach is the name for black pepper crab.

Question 2

What is laksa, and where should I try it in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Laksa is rice noodles in a spicy coconut-based curry broth, topped with shrimp, fish cake, tofu puffs and cockles. Katong's version has short noodles you eat with a spoon, and 328 Katong Laksa is the famous bowl. For a lighter, less oily broth, we'd try King of Laksa in Aljunied.

Question 3

Where can I eat chicken rice without the Tian Tian queue?

Accepted Answer

Chicken rice is poached chicken with fragrant rice, chilli sauce and a tangy ginger and garlic paste, and you can skip the Tian Tian queue without missing it. We'd have a weekday lunch at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, where a few of the city's most argued-over stalls share one hall, and try two. Maxwell Food Centre has neighbouring stalls too.

Question 4

What is a kaya toast breakfast, and where should I have one?

Accepted Answer

Kaya toast is toast with a sweet coconut jam, usually served with a soft-boiled egg and local coffee, and it's the centrepiece of a traditional Singaporean breakfast. We'd have the set at Chin Mee Chin, the tiled 1925 confectionery in Katong, and take Killiney Kopitiam when you want the old Killiney Road shophouse.

Question 5

Which bak kut teh should I try first in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Start with Song Fa on New Bridge Road, which sells pork ribs in a hot, peppery soup and began as a Johor Road pushcart in 1969. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and it's a sit-down shop where you queue, order and pay. For a sharper white-pepper bowl, we'd cross town to Ng Ah Sio on Rangoon Road.

Question 6

When is durian season in Singapore, and where can I eat it?

Accepted Answer

Expect the main season from about May to September: the Singapore Food Agency says June to September, and NParks puts the primary season in May to June. Durians are sold whole, or opened and packed into sealed takeaway boxes. For a plate on the spot, we'd head to the late-night stalls in Geylang.

Question 7

What should I order at a Peranakan restaurant in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Order ayam buah keluak, which Michelin names as a signature at True Blue Cuisine on Armenian Street, and let the table pick the rest from the Peranakan classics. Peranakan, or Straits Chinese, cooking is built on spice paste. For a museum lunch we'd book National Kitchen by Violet Oon, and to learn the paste, try the Peranakan Cooking Class.

Question 8

Where should I eat roti prata in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Roti prata is a flaky, crispy flatbread served with curry, and modern versions are stuffed with cheese, onions and other toppings. We'd eat it late at night at the shops along Jalan Kayu in the north-east, where several kitchens compete. On the east side, Haig Road Market & Food Centre has prata nearby.

Question 9

What do people in Singapore eat for breakfast?

Accepted Answer

Kaya toast with a soft-boiled egg and coffee is the classic, and hawker centres add nasi lemak and chwee kueh. Nasi lemak is rice cooked in pandan leaves and coconut milk, often topped with anchovies and fried chicken wings; chwee kueh is steamed rice cake under preserved radish. We'd eat chwee kueh at Tiong Bahru Market and nasi lemak at Changi Village Hawker Centre before the boat to Pulau Ubin.

Question 10

What desserts should I try in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Start with chendol, a mound of shaved ice with white coconut strips, green jelly and palm sugar that is sweet, creamy and cooling. For something hot, Ah Chew Desserts serves tang yuan, glutinous rice balls in sweet soup, and mango desserts, which makes it a good stop after dinner.

Question 11

Where should I eat char kway teow in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Char kway teow is flat rice noodles stir-fried in a hot wok with garlic, soy sauce, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts and cockles. Our pick is Outram Park Fried Kway Teow at Hong Lim Market, in business since 1953 and listed by Michelin as worth queueing for. Go early on a weekday, and ask for extra cockles or egg.