Eating Out

Local Food

There are a number of dishes, most frequently bought and eaten at hawker stalls and Kopitiam coffee shops, which are considered "local dishes" - distinct from Chinese food. Though some local dishes have chinese origins, eg. Hainanese Chicken Rice , Singapoerans have put their indelible mark on them. The best net source of info on the local food scene is Makantime however if you are very keen, when you arrive, get a copy of the latest "Makansutra" guide which has extensive details on all the local dishes including where to eat. Some dishes are too exoteric to bother mention but for initiation, look out for:

• Hainanese Chicken Rice
• Fried Hokkien Mee - noodles with prawn
• Nasi Lemak - coconut rice
• Fishball Noodle - ask for "mee boh" noodles!
• Roti prata - Indian pan fried bread
• Indian Rojak - the Chinese version comes with a prawn paste sauce which is VERY pungent and not suited to the tastes of most foreigners
• Char Siew Noodle - your basic noodles with roasted pork
• Satay - grilled mutton, chicken or beef

Most local food is not very healthy - it's mostly fried, tends to be high in saturated fat and heavy carbs. The most healthy local dish I know of is Nor Hiang which is different types of tofu with fish or pork paste served in soup usually with noodles (you can get it without the noodles).

Places to eat Local Food

• Newton Circus is where most tourists are initiated into the world of Hawker stalls. The place is not as it was during its heyday but it is still buzzing. There have been a lot of complaints that dishes are overpriced there (and Japanese tourists in particular have reported being gouged) though this is probably being monitored. Certainly locals, even white ones, tend to get a discount off of listed prices for repeat business.
• Lao Pasat Festival Market in the financial district. It is a very clean hawker place but due to poor business it's also gone downhill somewhat. In the evenings they close off the street next to the market for satay stalls. Good fun.
• Kopitiam Stamford Swisshotel. This is local food served at 2-3 times hawker prices however you can enjoy the indulgence of sitting in a restaurant, getting service in aircon and having a menu to explore before making your choice. This is the civilised introduction to hawker food. You might opt for this first and once you see what items interest you on the menu... head out to a real hawker stall. There are several restaurants following the same concept including:
  • The Empire Cafe at Raffles Hotel next to Ah Teng's Bakery . Lovely decore in Raffles Hotel style complete with ceiling fans and marble top table (aircon too).
  • Chatterbox famous for their very expensive but tasty and well presented chicken rice. I think they're at the Mandarin Hotel now.

Otherwise there are MANY hawker food courts around the island, each with a few stalls famous for a particular dish.

Seafood

Be sure to get a taste of the local seafood cuisine.

It's also where you can practice picking up peanuts with your chopsticks (actually if you use your hands to grab a few, you'll probably get away with it and find that all the locals around you breath a sigh of relief and start using their hands too... thats for roasted peanuts - not steamed! For steamed it's chopsticks only!). Try the peanuts with the chili sauce laid out (it's actually for later dishes but it's a great combo).

• UDMC Seafood Center - this is a must see tourist location - it's where most tourists try their first chilli crab. My favourite places there are Jumbo and Longbeach. Jumbo has indoor seating if you prefer aircon (Longbeach also has a restaurant on the East coast with aircon: it's just down the road at the Tennis Center).

Make you you don't foresake a try of Pepper Crab for chilli crab: get both! Here's a menu suggestion:

• Fried Ikan Bilis - fried anchovies. Great starter snack usually served automatically when you arrive though in some places they only give you peanuts. At Longbeach they fry it with chili and onions. It's very moreish.
• Chilli Crab with fried and steamed "Man Toh" buns - try both. Each fried bun in about 500 calories by the way.
• Pepper Crab
• Baby Kailan a cousin of brocolli best fried with garlic.
• Kang Kong another cruciferous veg. Have it with garlic or be adventurous and have it with sambal chili or fermented bean paste.
• Yu Tiao - dough fritter filled with fish paste - very crunchy. At longbeach they tend to smother it in mayo and sesame seeds but it very nice just plain.
• Golden Pheonix Chicken - an amazing mystery food which is more seafood than chicken (seafood past covered by a crispy chicken skin)
• Special fried tofu If you don't like tofu, you will now.
• Mee Goreng fried noodles - best ask them to make it not too spicey for first timers
• Sweet and Sour Prawns - locals will give you that "oh a typical dish for a foreigner to order" look but they'll be glad you ordered it when it comes. The way they do it at these places is a bit different - big and crunchy. The best sweet and sour shrimp you'll find
• Drunken prawns - very fresh. Not a dish for animal lovers as they torture the shrimp in front of you by pouring alcohol on them causing them to jump about - this is supposed to be a test of freshness. If you can get past that, you'll enjoy very fresh steamed prawns.
• Fresh Fish - there's usually a very good catch of the day you can get steamed or fried with black sauce. Ask the restaurant what they recommend... get a few suggestions as they'll always quote the most expensive fish first. Ask for a price estimate because some fish can double your entire bill. For 4-6, get something in the S$25 range and you won't be disappointed.

Restaurants

Chinatown and Boat Quay

Western

• Brewerks at Riverside Point - American food and microbrewery. Excellent brunch. Book ahead especially if you want to sit outside.
• Book Cafe at the end of Mohamed Sultan Raod. Another good place for brunch. Eclectic selection of salads, sandwiches, entrees... try the strawberry lemonade
• Jerry's Bar and Grill

Asian

• Sundanese Restaurant Boat Quay, Suntec City and East Coast Road - this is a very particular type of Indonesian food. Service here is variable but food is always excellent. It's been a while but the dishes that still make my mouth water are:
  • dancing fish - they seem to have deep fried a fish on the verge of learning to walk
  • BBQ chicken
  • Udang Acar - prawns in Acar sauce
• Equinox on top of the Stamford Swisshotel. This place is overpriced by local standards however it's still worth a trip because this restaurant has the best views in the city. Book ahead and try get a seat by the window. Bring your camera if you go for lunch or brunch.

Little India

East Coast & Kallang

Western

• Margarita's Mexican, East Coast Rd at Telok Kuau - my favourite restaurant

Chinese and Local

• Lemongrass

Orchard Road

• Marmalade Pantry
• Raffles Hotel
• Chijmes - this isn't a restaurant but a courtyard full of different restaurants including Italian, Mediteranean, American, Chinese, French, Mexican and Japanese. There are also some nice shops to poke around in and several bars. Lots of outdoor seating. Often there are live bands. Highly recommended.

Holland Village and West Coast

• Original Sin
• Cha Cha Chas