Dining in Singapore

Singapore cuisine is a hybrid of many surrounding cultures, though perhaps most heavily influenced by Chinese immigrants who have settled on the island over the past several hundred years. Eating out is one of the great pastimes in Singapore, as much for locals as it is for visitors. In this melting pot of a city you can pretty much find any cuisine that appeals to you—from gourmet French to cheap local fare.

Even if the majority of your meals are white tablecloth affairs, make it a point to visit a hawker centre at least once during your holiday. These groupings of open-air food stalls sell inexpensive local favourites that stand up to (and usually surpass) the same dishes on the menus of upscale eateries. Hawker centres like Chinatown Food Street, Fisherman’s Village, and Maxwell Food Centre offer dishes such as Hainanese Chicken Rice—arguably the most popular local food—which consists of cooked rice, your choice of steamed or roasted chicken, chili sauce, soy sauce, and ginger. Other must-try dishes include Bak Kut The, which are pork ribs in a garlicky broth; the Singapore version of Laksa, consisting of rice noodles, prawns, and chicken in a coconut gravy; and fried carrot cake, which isn’t a dessert but a fried cake of radish (white carrot), soy sauce, eggs, and garlic.

When it comes to dessert, western visitors soon learn that traditional Singaporean selections are very different from the usual pastries they are used to. Among the most-popular desserts is an Ice Kacang, which is created from red beans, herbal jelly, and Attap seeds. The whole thing is then covered with shaved ice and doused with flavoured syrups and perhaps condensed milk. It’s a refreshing dessert, rather than a rich ending to a meal, which makes sense given Singapore’s tropical climate. Interestingly, one of the best places to get an Ice Kacang is in the Kopitiam Foodcourt in the Changi Airport.

If you put “drink” and “Singapore” together, most people come up with a Singapore Sling. This worldwide phenomenon began at the Raffles Hotel, where the gin-cherry brandy-Benedictine-club soda concoction was created in the early 20th century. It’s tradition to sample the cocktail at the Longbar inside Raffles Hotel, though most bars in the city will make one for you. On the non-alcoholic side, tea is popular throughout the day. For a special treat, try a teh tarik, which is a Malay tea with evaporated and condensed milk. Get a cup at Mr Teh Tarik in the Far East Square.

For a gourmet dining experience in multi-cultural Singapore, head to one of these epicurean delights:

Au Petit Salut
40C Harding Road, Singapore 249548
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Gourmands line up for the unpretentious dishes offered at Au Petit Salut on Harding Road. The menu consists of French country dishes like pan-seared duck foie gras and Atlantic royal seabream that are simple and elegant—much like the restaurant’s interior, which offers wonderfully scenic views.

BLU
22 Orange Grove Road, 258350, Singapore
$$$-$$$$
If eclectic and modern are what you’re craving, journey to the 24th floor of the Shangri-La Hotel for the culinary nirvana of BLU. Let your eyes wander over the décor, which features art by several contemporary masters, before settling down to innovative dishes such as beef with onion ice cream.

Forlino
One Fullerton #02-06, 1 Fullerton Road (S)04921304, Singapore
$$$-$$$$
This aesthetic powerhouse at One Fullerton features fine Italian dining at its best. Forlino combines haute cuisine—like duck breast with seared goose liver and cauliflower cake with fig sauce—with a sophisticated interior that boasts decorative touches from stylish trendsetters like Philippe Starck.

Inagiku
Swissôtel The Stamford, Level 3, 2 Stamford Rd., Colonial Singapore, Singapore
$$$-$$$$
The Historic District is home to the exceptional Inagiku, a Japanese restaurant that earns kudos for its softly lit décor and dining options that are highlighted by a separate sushi bar and tempura area. Among the dishes to look forward to are teppanyaki prawns and a sashimi plate of salmon, prawns, and clams.

Jade
The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Square, CBD, Singapore
$$$-$$$$
Inside the opulent Fullerton Hotel is Jade, one of the very best Chinese fine dining restaurants in the city. The rich, gilded accents throughout the dining room transport guests back in time, and the dim sum is so outstanding that weekend lunches have been transformed into dim sum buffets by popular request.

Li Bai
39 Scotts Road, Singapore 228230
$$$-$$$$
This sleek Cantonese restaurant has pride of place in the Sheraton Towers, where its modern design sensibility includes black leather seating and red lacquer accents. The impeccable menu features traditional fare like shark’s fin soup that’s tempered with fresh creations like jasmine tea leaf-smoked duck.

Raffles Grill
Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673
$$$$
This signature restaurant of the iconic Raffles Hotel is a gourmet treat for fans of Continental cuisine—and haute French cuisine in particular. Dining at the Grill is more an experience to be savoured than simply dinner, so take your time choosing between dishes on the constantly changing menu. A sure bet is a bottle of wine from the extensive list, with some bottles dating back a century.