Foodie's guide to Singapore🍜 [Sample]
Tips on dining in Singapore
Reservations
🌟If you haven't already, download the smartphone app 'Chope' - make reservations via Chope as far as possible so as not to be disappointed. This is useful for fancier places like restaurants and cafes. Good ol' hawker centres (which you MUST check out) will not be on this app of course. I'll indicate below if a recommended place is on Chope. Chope can also be used in other popular Asian cities such as Bangkok, Bali, and Hong Kong.
'Chope' culture
🌟If you're dining in a hawker centre or food court, learn about 'chope' culture first. I'm not talking about the smartphone app here. Instead, it's the informal system in Singapore where people use a relatively inexpensive item (usually a tissue packet, umbrella, water bottle etc.) to 'reserve' a seat in a crowded hawker centre/food court. This is not a formal reservation system but is well-respected across the country - so if you see a table or seat with a packet (a packet, not a used piece of tissue which is trash) on it, that means it is taken. Crime rate is low enough in Singapore that people don't mind doing this, but of course be wise enough about what you leave lying around. Folks generally use something they don't mind losing.
Tipping not expected
🌟Tipping is not expected in Singapore. The general rule of thumb is that restaurants and fancier eateries will charge a service charge of 10% (in addition to the government-imposed Goods and Service Tax or GST of 8%).
Cash or Cash-less?
🌟Many eateries have gone cash-less these days so be prepared to pay with NETS, credit/debit card, or an e-wallet (the most popular being GrabPay in Singapore). Conversely (and confusingly) the old-school/traditional shops in hawker centres may still be operating on a cash-only system so it's still good to have some cash on hand. The best way to avoid any awkwardness is to check on the payment mode *before* placing your order.
Clean up time
🌟It is now *mandatory* to clear your own tray (crockery, utensils etc.) after dining at coffee shops (not to be confused with cafes, in Singapore a coffee shop refers to an eatery at the void deck of public housing), hawker centres, and food courts. You can be fined if you fail to do so.
Take note of these days
🌟Many cafes, as well as stores in hawker centres close on Mondays or Tuesdays so do check the opening hours before heading over.
Must eats
➡️If I *had* to narrow down the list of must eats in Singapore to just four, these are my picks. You cannot 🙅♀️say you've been to Singapore without trying one of these dishes.
➡️Every Singaporean will have their own favourite haunt for each of these dishes so I've listed a couple of options you can check out depending on what might be closest to where you're staying.
Chicken rice 🐔🍚
A dish said to be created by Hainanese immigrants who arrived in Singapore but is now a staple for Singaporeans from all races. Who can resist the fragrant rice served with either roast or steamed chicken, and slices of cucumber? My pick is the steamed chicken which tends to be softer and juicier but why not try both!
[More options listed in the Full Version]
Chili crab🦀
🌟Chili crab is loved by locals and tourists alike. It can be a messy affair so don't be shy to eat with your hands, Jumbo also provides bibs and gloves to keep your clothes and hands clean. However, some Singaporeans would say that eating crabs with gloves on is just not the same as licking the sauce off your fingers - I'll let you be the judge on that.
Kaya toast🍞☕
The old-school order is simple - two slices of toast that sandwich a decent slab of butter and a pandan-coconut jam (known as kaya) + a cup of hot coffee + two soft-boiled eggs. Don't forget to do it the local way and dunk your toast into your hot coffee for an added kick.
🥚The eggs are generally served soft-boiled but if you do not like them runny, you can ask for it to be served hard-boiled too. The soft-boiled version is typically eaten with a few drops of dark soy sauce, and some white pepper - you add these on your own, to taste.
[More options listed in the Full Version]
⬆️Check out this guide on how to order coffee (also known as "kopi") in Singapore. Replace "kopi" with "teh" to order the tea-equivalent instead. [Take note: This does not apply to cafes where they serve the usual lattes and cappuccinos familiar to the western world.]
Peranakan food🫖
I feel like not enough guides out there mention Peranakan food in Singapore. This is such a unique part of Singaporean culture, which traces its roots to the ethnic group born out of intermarrying of early Malay and Chinese settlers in Singapore.
If you'd like to learn more about their history, check out the Peranakan Museum which I've mentioned in my other guide on Singapore for history & culture buffs ⬇️
[More options listed in the Full Version]
Everything else
Not any less delicious than the four dishes listed above, let's dive into all the other good food/drink in Singapore! 😋
🌟Legend🌟
💵Cost
💲Cheap as it gets in Singapore (under S$10/pax)
💲💲Mid-range (S$10-S$50/pax)
💲💲💲Splurge (S$50 and above/pax)
⌚Estimated waiting time
❗Barely any wait (<5 mins)
❗❗Expect to queue if you didn't reserve (<20 mins)
❗❗❗An hour or more is not unexpected (i.e. even locals would be deterred by the queue)
Nasi Lemak
👉P.S. This is also a good time for you to practise your 'chope-ing' skills to save yourself a seat in this busy Food Centre while you queue for your meal.
⌚Waiting time:❗❗
💵Cost:💲
⌚Waiting time: ❗❗(It's usually packed, so just make a reservation online and you won't have to wait)
💵 Cost:💲💲(If you only order one plate of nasi lemak per person. With drinks and dessert, add another💲)
🔗 Reservation:
[More options listed in the Full Version]
Indian Food
⌚Waiting time: ❗
💵: 💲
Bak Kut Teh (Pork Rib Soup)
Both chains have several outlets so it’s hard to say how long the waiting time might be.
💵 Cost: 💲
Prawn Noodles
⌚Waiting time: ❗❗️(though faster than Beach Road Prawn Noodle)
💵Cost: 💲
Popiah
[Included in the Full Version]
Hainanese Curry Rice
[Included in the Full Version]
Tze Char
🔷Tze Char (directly translated as "cook and fry" - which refers to home-cooked chinese food (often cooked in a wok) served in large communal portions.
[Included in the Full Version]
Sweet Stuff
[More options listed in the Full Version]
Hawker Centres
[More options listed in the Full Version]
Laksa
[Included in the Full Version]
Roti Prata
[Included in the Full Version]
Yong Tau Foo
[Included in the Full Version]
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