Very little gets Singaporeans riled up, but engage them in a discussion on hawker food and watch a debate wage on.
And who can blame them? With a mind-boggling array of hawker food available, how does one decide who has the best char kway teow? Or which laksa is the most lemak? And if a plate of nasi lemak warrants a 20 minute wait?
To help trim down the gorging process, we’ve scoured the island to bring you inSing.com’s compilation, our 10 favourite hawker dishes, and our personal recommendations.
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| Cockles and lard, what’s not to like? A plate of char kway teow may be a nutritionist’s worst nightmare but a well-fried dish of cholesterol-filled flat rice noodles-and-cockles (optional for some) in sweet black soy sauce, is the stuff that drives us across the island just for a whiff of its “wok hei.” Recommended:Hill Street Fried Kway Teow, Blk 16 Bedok South Road, #01-187 Bedok South Market and Food Centre. |
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| Westerners eat their carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting, Singaporeans prefer ours fried with garlic, fish sauce, chai poh (preserved turnip), egg fried ala minute, a sprinkling of spring onions, and with a choice of white or black (doused in a thick dark soy sauce). Recommended:Chey Sua Carrot Cake, 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #02-30 Toa Payoh West Market and Food Court. |
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| Early Teochew immigrants to the island created the dish and locals have loved it so much, there’s even a podcast about it. Noodles tossed in a piquant mix of chilli-vinegar sauce with slow-cooked mushrooms and a liberal dash of lard oil. The sign of an unforgettable bowl often lies in its chilli-vinegar sauce. Recommended:High Street Tai Wah Pork Noodle, 12 Prince Edward Road, #01-16 Bestway Building. |
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| Whether you prefer the original Malay style or Chinese version, the taste of fluffy rice made richer by coconut cream, spicy homemade sambal and crispy ikan bilis/sausage/fried chicken, is one yummy way to start the day. Recommended:Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre, 965 Upper Serangoon Road. |
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| The trademark yellow-orange basmati rice is hard to miss: saffron and spices tease your tastebuds while the marinated meat (chicken or mutton, depending on your preference) provides the “bite” of the dish. Recommended:Abak Briyani Dam, 10 Jalan Pisang. |
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| Whether you’re into the famous Katong version, or laksa in a thick coconut-y broth, or the tangy Penang version, there is no doubting laksa is a true blue Singapore dish. Scissor-cut noodles in a soupy gravy made with dried shrimp, a bowl is never incomplete unless topped by freshly-chopped laksa leaves. Recommended:Sungei Road Laksa (Jalan Berseh), 27 Jalan Berseh, #01-100 Jin Shui Kopitiam. |
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| Literally translated to mean “meat bone tea”, this Chinese delicacy consists of peppery pork rib soup, rice and a variety of side dishes. Who serves the best bowl of bak kut teh remains a hotly debated topic among foodies. Recommended:Rong Cheng, 22 Sin Ming Road. |
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| It never ceases to amaze us how versatile the humble prata can be. There’s the standard kosong (plain) or telur (egg) version, but it also comes with cheese, onions, chocolate sauce – not altogether - and even ice-cream wrapped up in its dough-y goodness. Recommended:Sin Ming Roti Prata, Blk 24, #01-51 Sin Ming Road. |
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| Ah, satay! Marinated strips of spiced beef, mutton and chicken dipped in chunky peanut sauce, this is one hawker delight you won’t mind arriving a little ‘burnt’. Recommended:Best Satay, Stall #07/08, Boon Tat Street, Lau Pa Sat. |
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| A humble addition to the list, but much cherished nonetheless. Raw fish flesh finely minced and beaten into a circular bouncy form mixed in with sambal-infused noodles and a variety of condiments. Recommended:Li Xin Chao Zhou Fishball Noodle, 2 Orchard Turn, Food Opera, B4 of ION Orchard. |
See also: Best Hawker Food and Tried & Tested series
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