Here’s what to eat if you’re visiting Singapore. I’ve eaten at all these places, and they’ve all been pretty damn great.

STREET FOOD / LOCAL FOOD

Where: Maxwell Food Center

What to eat:

1. Tian Tian Chicken Rice – this is the place Anthony Bourdain made famous. The queues are ridiculous, but the food is really good.
2. Hong Kong Roasted mixed meat noodles
3. Zhen Zhen Porridge w/ century egg and chicken
4. Char Kway Teow – very Singaporean – flat noodles with cockles, eggs and prawn / pork

Where: East Coast Park Seafood Laguna

What to eat:

1. Stingray Forever (BBQ Stingray w/ sambal)
2. BBQ Crayfish with garlic
3. Carrot cake

Where: Toa Payoh hawker center

What to eat:

Char Siew – probably the best pork in Singapore

DIMSUM
Victor’s Kitchen (Sunshine Plaza) eat – salted egg custard bun, pork ribs, prawn and chive dumplings
Dimsum Buffet – Red Star (Outram Park) – dimsums only at lunch
Late Night – Swee Choon Restaurant

MUST-DO

Traditional Singaporean breakfast at any hawker center / local cafe (Toast Box / Yun Kaya Toast)
Kaya toast, two soft boiled eggs w/ soy sauce and white pepper

RESTAURANTS

1. My Grandma’s Kitchen – Mosque Street, Chinatown (Blow your head off spicy Sichuan food – not for the faint hearted)
2. Momma Kongs – Chilli Crab
3. Uncle Leong’s at Punggol – order the Shimmering Sand Crab and the Black Pepper Crab
4. Long Beach at Dempsey – (Black Pepper Crab, Fried bread, Whole Deep Fried Duck, Prawns in Salted Egg)
5. Hot Pot – Jpot, Hai Di Lao (long wait – get a token and go out for a drink, amazing food. try the Mala (spicy) broth; the handmade noodles are a gimmick but good fun to watch)
6. Honeymoon Dessert (Vivo City Mall) – unique desserts from Hong Kong. try the mango / durian / banana pancake
7. Wang De Bak – Korean BBQ – great beef, drink Makgeoli
8. Over Easy – (Modern western food, brilliant view of MBS)
9. Masa (high end, Japanese beef and whiskey place)
10. Hipster coffee: Soon Huat Trading Company – great cold brew

 

BOOZE

Mixology Bars:

1. The Spiffy Dapper – bespoke cocktails, chill vibe, 20’s jazz music
2. Operation Dagger – very cool underground bar, order the Gomashio
3. The Horse’s Head – great Japanese inspired cocktails
4. Native – excellent bespoke cocktails
5. The Library – ultra hipster speakeasy

Others (if you have the time):

1. Populus Cafe – good drinks, pretty great desserts
2. Bingki Dessert – fun Korean dessert – shaved milk ice with fruit toppings
3. The Old Hen – hipster joint selling good coffee
4. Satay Street near Lau Pa Sat – lots of stalls selling roadside satay

Over and out.