A trip to a certain place wouldn’t be complete without experiencing its local food scene and trying out local cuisines. Many travellers even visit a certain location to try its famous dish. A new market research report shows the global culinary tourism is likely to post an over 9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during the 2019 to 2023 period.
If you’re planning your next gastronomy tour, include Singapore to your list. The city-state has a rich food culture, cuisine, and history you can’t miss.
A Destination for Food Lovers
Singapore is one of the top destinations for travellers who love to eat. Food is a vital part of its culture. Skipping out Singapore cuisine during your trip is like missing out a huge part of the travel experience.
Singapore food is more than how it tastes. Significant dishes carry a history and age-old recipes that have been adapted from one generation to another to incorporate local flavours. This is why its cuisine is not only delicious, but also distinct among other places.
The city-state has a diverse food scene, giving you plenty of options to fuel yourself up as you explore. Chicken dishes, for example, is popular among tourists, from Singapore’s chicken rice to Korean fried chicken.
What to Eat in Singapore
You’ll never run out of places to eat when you visit Singapore, from affordable hawker stall meals to trendy envelope-pushing dining concepts. It has a variety of food choices, so better come prepared so you don’t miss out the best Singapore food experience.
Here are the top five dishes you must try while you’re in Singapore:
- Laksa – This is one of the most popular dishes in Singapore. Its curry noodles are rich, creamy, and full of zing that will make you eat more. It features a combination of Chinese noodles and Malay spices. Enjoy a bowl of thick noodles with spiced coconut milk broth, shrimp, bean curd skin, fish cakes, and a dollop of sambal chilli topped with a dash of chopped laksa leaves.
- Char Kway Teow – This is a stir-fried rice noodle meal, which is a local hawker dish you might enjoy. Each stall serves unique Char Kway Teow because most of them fry the dish plate by plate. Some serve a semi-wet, eggy version of this dish, while others add a special mixture of soy sauce and fish sauce.
- Chicken Rice – This is another all-time favourite Singapore dish. It consists of poached chicken and fluffy rice, which is usually cooked with chicken stock. Restaurants often serve this with minced garlic, cucumber, chilli sauce, and dark sauce. The rice is also full of flavour you can eat it on its own.
- Roti Prata – This is a dough soaked in vegetable, chicken, or fish curry. As it is heavy, it is perfect for breakfast to give you the energy to go around. Prata is available for takeaways, and while waiting for your order, enjoy watching the prataman toss and slap the dough onto the griddle.
- Satay – This seasoned meat comes with peanut sauce and rice cakes. You can have it in chicken, pork, beef and mutton. The meat is typically skewered and has a nice smoky taste, complementing the traditional peanut sauce.
The city-state celebrates Singapore Food Festival, which happens around mid-year annually. This is an ideal time to go here if you want to experience Singapore’s rich food culture. In case you miss this event, you can still find authentic and delicious local food in every corner.
