Exploring Singapore Food Culture One Cuisine At A Time

I love Singapore for many reasons, and Singapore food is one of them. It’s also one of the top things I will miss dearly once I pack up my life as an immigrant in Singapore and move on. Among many, these are

My favourite Singapore food

South Indian Cuisine ━ Gandhi Restaurant, 29/31 Chander Rd, Little India

If I could only eat in one place and one place only in Singapore, it would be Gandhi Restaurant in Little India. The food here is amazing, but more so are the memories I have accumulated in this restaurant. From taking my Uni classmates here to countless meals with Amma and then with my workmates. You can’t go wrong choosing any dishes in Gandhi.

My favourite, and a must try if you have the stomach for it, is the Village Style Kudal Curry (goat Intestine curry). My other recommendations are the quail egg curry and prawn curry.

The way to eat is on a banana leaf, with a mountain of free-flow rice drizzled with curries and rasam with a side of papadam pickles. Don’t forget to finish off this hearty meal with Teh Tarik.

Ps. cancel the rest of your appointments for the day as you will want to take a nap after.

Hunan Cuisine ━ Chilli Up (formerly known as Old Yang Kee), 53 Temple Street, Chinatown

This is Fafa’s favourite Chinese restaurant in Singapore because they serve really spicy Hunan dishes. And we both like spicy Chinese food.

We found it on a random day of exploring Chinatown in Singapore. The waiters are full of smiles and attentiveness, which is pretty rare in Singapore. The food will be cooked according to your wish (extra spicy, less oil, etc.). Some of our favourites are the Three Chili Beef and Green Chili Frog, both stir-fried. I recommend washing the spicy aftertaste with a pot of hot green tea.

Malay Cuisine ━ Punggol Nasi Lemak, 965 Upper Serangoon Road, Kovan

I have taken every single friend who visited Singapore here. Most of the time, drunk and usually past midnight. I’d tell them that it’s a tradition, and yes, it is. Nasi Lemak is a local delicacy. It’s a rice dish cooked in coconut milk and served with varied condiments. Usually eaten for breakfast, it serves its purpose well at 3 AM. Here you can choose your own nasi lemak mix and pay accordingly.

We would party until morning or until someone called the night off before heading to Kovan to have it. I am not sure they would recognize the sober me, but then again, they are always crowded, and sometimes, the queue reaches the street, so they wouldn’t remember me anyway.

If you decide to come here, do note that they don’t open on Thursdays. If you are taking a taxi, tell the “uncle” to take you to Nasi Lemak Punggol near Kovan MRT and don’t forget to try their iconic chilli paste.

Hainanese Cuisine ━ Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice, Various Outlets

The Hainan-origin dish contains a plate of poached chicken served with seasoned rice, chilli sauce, and garlic paste.

The national dish of Singapore, Chicken Rice, is an integral part of the Singapore food culture. We can get it almost everywhere on the island, and the price starts at as cheap as a dollar. We can da boa (takeaway) to be eaten later as the gravy, chicken broth soup, and the garlic chilli condiment is packed separately.

Sichuan Cuisine ━ Chong Qing Grilled Fish, Liang Seah Street, Bugis

Yin and I found this place long before it was as famous as it is now. It has ever since become the place for a celebration; Birthdays, Christmases and pay-rise. It’s also my go-to place to wind down whenever I have to work late on Fridays or weekends, as it is near the office.

Specializing in Sichuan food, their most famous dish is grilled fish. You can then choose the spiciness level from mild to numbing and add many side dishes to it. One regular-size fish is enough for three people.

Make sure to call first if you are going on a weekend, as they are almost always full.

Pakistani Food ━ Usman’s Place, 238 Serangoon Road, Little India

I was taken to Usman on a date years ago. It’s a roadside restaurant on a crowded corner in Little India serving Pakistani and North Indian food. It wasn’t an ideal to-impress-your-date kind of restaurant, but I loved it.

I thought there was no difference between Pakistani food and Indian food for the longest time. Until Fafa explained it to me and introduced me to Achari Chicken. Achari Chicken is pickled curry chicken packed full of flavours.

If you are at Little India and have had enough Indian food, try Usman’s, it’s really, really good! And order their Teh Tarik; it’s a killer combination of local style.

I will update this post to add more Singapore food in time. Meanwhile, I hope you get to eat and enjoy more Singapore food while visiting Lion City.

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