Dining out in Singapore
One of the best ways to learn about a new country is through their food! Food gives you a personal view of the culture. Singapore is a melting pot of cultures with the main influences from the Chinese, Malay and India. One of the best places to experience this is to eat where the locals eat, hawker centers!
These are usually open air areas with many stalls selling freshly cooked food. Fresh seafood, Chinese food, great curries, Malay food and of course the national dishes , Chicken Rice and Chili Crab! You will be spoiled for choice and the prices are very reasonable! Singapore offers something for everyone.
A trip to the local market will also be an adventure! All kinds of fruit, vegetables, seafood, century eggs and much more is on offer. For westerns some of the items will be unusual but don't be afraid to ask questions on how to prepare it!
For people who want more western food many celebrity chefs, like Daniel Boulud, Wolfgang Puck and others have restaurants in Singapore. A word of warning, they are not cheap! One of the more affordable restaurants and consistently good is Jamie Oliver. He has a restaurant in Orchard Road as well as one at Sentosa.
Singapore has no shortage of great chefs and award winning restaurants! If you are on a quest to eat at as many Celebrity chef restaurants as possible then there is no better place to start than at Marina Bay Sands!
Celebrity Chef Restaurants
Wolfgang Puck of the iconic Beverly Hills restaurant , Spago, has brought his talent to fine dining in Singapore. CUT by Wolfgang Puck in the Marina bay Sands offers arguably the best steak in town!
SPAGO
by Wolfgang Puck is located on level 57 of Marina Bay Tower 2. This fine dining restaurant offers breathtaking views of the city and the iconic infinity pool. This is definitely the venue to celebrate a special occasion.
Nostra Cucina by Mario Batali. Great Italian cuisine and fresh house made cheeses.
PIZZERIA MOZZA by Mario Batali. Brick oven pizza and more.
db BISTRO & OYSTER BAR by Daniel Boulud. The French chef has brought together an exciting mix of French bistro fare and contemporary American cuisine. This restaurant offers fresh seafood such as oysters, caviar and Maine lobster as well as classic American burgers.
ADRIFT by David Myers. Modern Asian in a beautiful setting. The menu offers everything from brunch all the way through to late night dining. Salads with an Asian twist are prepared from fresh Californian produce. Tender meats are grilled on a traditional robata grill and cocktails are created by an expert mixologist.
LONG CHIM by David Thompson. Long Chim means to come sample and taste. Traditional Thai dishes and Bangkok street food transports you to Thailand with its Thai curries, basil, lemongrass and chillies not to mention the Thai inspired cocktail menu!
Located in a prime spot by the waterfront this restaurant offers traditional British fare such as Fish & Chips and Pork Pie. On the weekends you could enjoy brunch featuring Eggs Benedict, Buttermilk Pancakes or an English Breakfast.
JAMIE'S ITALIAN by Jamie Oliver.
In typical Jamie Oliver style the food is not fussy and pretentious! The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. Good quality ingredients are cooked to perfection. The pasta is homemade on site and dishes are cooked with attention to detail. Best of all Jamie's offers great value for money!
Hawker Centres
OK, so you had your fair share of celerity chef restaurants now how about trying the other end of the spectrum? Hawker Centres! This will give you a real taste of local life. No frills, no fuss, no air conditioning but great food at great prices.
There are too many hawkers centres to name them all (most HDB developments have there own) but here are a few favorites.
Newton Hawker Centre for arguably the best butter chicken in the world,served at the Indian Palace. Other great dishes from some of the other stalls are giant garlic prawns, stingray with sambal sauce and sweet and sour chicken.
Chinatown Complex Food Centre is the largest hawker centre in Singapore with over 260 stalls. The prices are great because there are many stalls selling similar foods. Chicken rice, frog porridge and dim sum are firm favorites. Try the carrot cake, which contains no carrots and is not a cake!
The Holland Village Hawker Center offers good laksa and Hokkien prawn noodle. As a bonus Haagen-Dazs is right around the corner for fabulous ice cream treats!
Chomp Chomp Food centre is great for late night dining. The centre opens at 6 pm and serves until late. The satays, chicken, beef, pork and mutton which are served with peanut sauce are a must try!
Singapore is known as a foodies paradise. To maintain this reputation the National Environmental Agency (NEA) has instituted a grading system to all eateries from very high end establishments to hawker centres. Establishments are graded on overall hygiene, cleanliness and housekeeping of their premises.
All establishments must prominently display their grading certificate:
A = a score of 85% or higher
B = a score of 70% - 84%
C = a score of 50% - 69%
D = a score of 40% to 49%
This grading system allow patrons to make an educated choice on where to eat.
