My Favorite Food Places around Chinatown in Singapore

Cheap Eats

1. Ya Kun Kaya Toast (Must-eat)

Suitable for: Breakfast, tea time, snack

Ya Kun Kaya Toast

@carrine

Classic Singaporean breakfast. Kaya toast & soft-boiled eggs. The set comes with bread, eggs, and a drink. I love the steamed bread set as well. How to eat: Generally, locals love to dip their toast into the broken eggs. Personally, I eat them separately. Ya Kun is a local brand founded in 1944. There are over 70 stores city-wide. They did a great job preserving the local identity and taste while expanding commercially. So you will see its filled with locals everywhere. Learn how to customize the drink you want. Photo reference link below. ps- I drink Teh C Siew Dai (I'm not a coffee person)

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2. Chili Pan Mee

Suitable for: Lunch

Chilli Pan Mee (Batu Rd)

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One of my favorite noodle places in Singapore. It is a bowl of Malaysian dry pan mee (flat flour noodles) served with minced pork, anchovies, fried onions, and topped with a poached egg. I really love this dish and would recommend it if you can take the heat. The chili is customizable, chili flakes are stored separately for you to add according to your level. So give it a try! Nonspicy option and a vegetarian option are also available but it is a dish with meat so...

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3. Maxwell Food Center

Suitable for: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Maxwell Food Centre

@carrine

Get a variety of local food here. You can pretty much score the major items you'll need. Linked a list below. My reccos: - 1 - Old Nyonya: Rendang Chicken Set - 6 - Tian Tian Chicken Rice: Roast Chicken Rice (famous) - 8 - The Green Leaf: Mee Rebus / Laksa (creamy spicy) - 11 - MS Dessert Shop: Mung bean soup called tau suan (its a HOT dessert) - 25 - Mr Appam: South Indian pancake Original Appam In this list, you get items from all 3 races and 1 from Peranakan.

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4. Tong Ah Eating House

Suitable for: Breakfast

Tong Ah Eating House

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Toast bread & eggs set. Suitable for breakfast / snack.

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5. Shake Shack

Suitable for: ANYTIME haha

Shake Shack 89 Neil Road

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This is here in case you crave for some western fast food :)

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Premium Cheap Eats

6. Kok Sen Restaurant

Suitable for: Dinner (Best to reserve)

Kok Sen Restaurant

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Michelin Bib Gourmand list. This restaurant serves zichar - economical food with a wide selection of local & home-cooked dishes. It is not suitable for solo, since it is a communal dining style, so gather a few friends if you can. Dish reccos: - Big Prawns Horfun - Cereal Butter Prawns - Eggs Crispy Noodles

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7. Dong Bei Ren Jia

Suitable for: Lunch, dinner

Dong Bei Ren Jia

@carrine

Its a local favorite among Singaporean Chinese and China Chinese living here. A lot of my friends and colleagues love eating here. You definitely need to eat spicy if you're here. Otherwise, choose another place. This place serves food originating from Sichuan province, China. Their food specializes in numbing spicy, strong & salty flavors. Communal dining style, so please get more friends and don't eat 1 dish per person, you need to share. :) Staff may not speak good English. So, attempt if you want to be out of your comfort zone. Dish reccos (Good for 4-5 pax): - Spring onion pancake 葱油饼 - Pan-fried dumplings 东北饺子 - Dried Chilli Chicken 辣子鸡 - Stir-Fry Tomato Egg 番茄炒蛋 - Rice 饭

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Mid-Range Cafe & Restaurants

8. Free the Robot

Suitable for: Breakfast, brunch, coffee, drinks

Free the Robot

@carrine

A hole-in-a-wall cafe that I like to visit mainly for the ambience and quietness at off-peak hours. Food is considered ok for the price, but they're getting expensive due to the rent in this area. Its still my pick, since I've tried others for worse quality at the same price. They become a cocktail bar at night called Bitters & Love.

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9. Kazbar

Suitable for: Lunch, dinner

Kazbar

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Great Middle Eastern cuisine. I've never been disappointed by the service and the food here. Highly recommend.

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10. Birds of a Feather

Suitable for: Dinner

Birds of a Feather

@carrine

Brought different groups of friends here and most of them loved it. It's a slightly fancier place for Sichuan-fusion (numbing spicy style) food. The space is cozy and immaculate. Check the menu below to see if it fits your budget. Ala carte prices are at the bottom.

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Upscale Restaurants

12. Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh

Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh (Singapore)

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It's pinned on my map. I've yet to try. Mexican-Indian fusion.

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13. Tambi

Tambi Restaurant

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It's pinned on my map. I've yet to try. Indian-Korean Fusion.

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Dessert 

14. Nesuto @ Tanjong Pagar

Nesuto @ Tanjong Pagar

@carrine

My favorite place to get cakes. Their whole cake slices are very good. (Better than the mini cakes IMO) My sliced cake favorites: - Praline Noisette Gateau - Yuzu Raspberry - Hojicha ~ SGD 10/slice

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Drinks

15. Jigger & Pony

Jigger & Pony

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Currently my favorite cocktail bar. Reservation is recommended. ~ SGD 30/drink It's located in the Amara Hotel, first floor.

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I'm Carrine – A spirited female solo traveler with a passion for adventure, exquisite cuisine, and the thrill of exploration.

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