Best dishes in Singapore – and where to eat them

Singapore is a haven for foodies in search of big, bold flavours. Dishes in Singapore draw upon Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisine and the result is a mix of flavours well worth travelling for. From hawker centre classics like char kway teow to street food staples given a Michelin makeover and creative concoctions you won’t find anywhere else, there’s a stunning bite around every corner in Singapore. 

Here are the dishes you have to eat next time you’re in the Lion City – and where to find them. 

1. Rosemary smoked organic egg at Odette 

Three Michelin-starred Odette is recognised as one of Asia’s best restaurants, and chef Julien Royer’s signature rosemary-smoked organic egg is now arguably one of the best dishes in Singapore. An egg carton arrives at the table, billowing with dry ice and filled with fresh sprigs of rosemary and sous-vide eggs served in the shell, accompanied by a bowl of potato puree and chorizo. You’ll smell the dish long before the smoke clears – and then the flavours follow. 

1 St Andrew’s Road, Singapore; +65 6385 0498 

2. Sambal stingray at Newton Food Centre

Each centre is known for its speciality hawker dish – and at Newton Food Centre, it’s barbecue. Satays are one of the mainstays at Newton’s hawker stalls, but you’ll find grilled and barbecued meats and seafood of every description. If you’re looking for something a little special, go for the sambal stingray from Sun Sun BBQ Seafood . This meaty fish is grilled whole and slathered in a tangy sambal chilli sauce. Your meal would be incomplete without a side order of roti paratha to soak up all that sauce. 

Stall 66, Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North, Singapore 

3. Black pepper crab at Long Beach Seafood 

Chilli crab is one of Singapore’s national dishes: mud crabs wok-fried in a tomato and chilli sauce, served piping hot and best eaten by hand. However, its cousin, the dry-fried black pepper crab, shouldn’t be forgotten. Sample it at Long Beach Seafood , the restaurant that invented the dish. Contrary to the name, neither chilli crab nor black pepper crab is particularly spicy, making them great sharing dishes. A word of warning: don the bibs you’re given, as this finger food is equal parts moreish and messy. 

Various outlets around the city 

4. Local wild-caught crab at Labyrinth

You can find countless versions of chilli crab across the island, but few have reinvented it like chef Han Li Guang of Labyrinth . At this one-Michelin-starred restaurant, the name “local wild-caught crab” is a deceptively simple name for a dish that conceals an array of techniques, textures and flavours. Morsels of tender, sweet flower crab – no shelling necessary here – are served alongside salted fish powder, ribbons of egg white and the showstopper: a scoop of vivid orange chilli crab ice cream. 

Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Avenue, Singapore; +65 6223 4098 

5. Laksa at 328 Katong Laksa 

Laksa lemak is one of the quintessential Peranakan – Straits Chinese – dishes in Singapore: noodles in a rich, spiced coconut broth, the kind that warms the heart even on a sweltering day. Toppings and noodle varieties vary, but ultimately, it’s all about that sweet, spicy soup. You can’t walk the streets of Singapore for too long before stumbling across a bowl of laksa – but 328 Katong Laksa on the corner of East Coast and Ceylon Road serves one of the very best. Here, the rice noodles are cut up small, so all you need is a spoon. Order up a bowl and – depending on your appetite – a side of otah, mackerel cooked in banana leaf. 

51 East Coast Road, Singapore; +65 9732 8163 

6. Buah keluak ice cream at Candlenut

Peranakan food is hardly limited to the cheap-and-cheerful classics. Singapore is home to the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant. Candlenut honours the cuisine by using fresh, seasonal produce and merging classic Singaporean dishes with contemporary cooking techniques. Take buah keluak: this indigenous nut, which is poisonous until safely prepared, is typically used in savoury cuisine, but at Candlenut, its rich, intense flavour is used to balance dark chocolate tones in a house-made ice cream. 

Block 17A Dempsey Road, Singapore; +65 1800 304 2288 

7. Kaya toast at Tong Ah Eating House 

As ubiquitous as jam on toast may be across much of the world, kaya toast is Singapore’s answer to breakfast on-the-go. A slice of thick, crustless white toast is the humble vessel for a hearty spread of kaya – a decadent jam made from eggs, pandan, sugar and coconut cream. It’s often served as a sandwich with a surprisingly large slab of butter in between. For a more substantial breakfast, head to the utterly photogenic Tong Ah Eating House and dip your kaya toast fingers in a side of soft-boiled eggs, seasoned tableside with soy sauce and white pepper. 

35 Keong Saik Road, Singapore; +65 6223 5083 

8. Spicy Oriental Bolognese at Birds of a Feather 

Singapore’s reputation as a cultural melting pot is best illustrated through its food. Amoy Street, in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown, is home to Birds of a Feather – a hip, greenery-packed bar and restaurant which blends classic Western fare with Sichuanese ingredients and spices. There are few better examples of this than the Spicy Oriental Bolognese, their take on the classic zhajiangmian – noodles with soybean paste. A rich pork ragù is peppered with lip-numbing Sichuan spices, served over a delicate angel hair pasta and topped with an onsen egg. 

115 Amoy Street, Singapore; +65 9755 7115 

This article was originally published in November 2020 and updated in June 2026.