VI
EN
In this country, humble street food stalls are not just places to stop and enjoy delicious food, but also gathering points for all social classes. Here, diners come together, share meals and chat, fostering connection and interaction through simple yet sophisticated street food. Join Travellive in exploring the unique street food paradise of Singapore!
Minced Meat Noodles - Ba Chor Mee
Ranked at the top of the World Food Congress's list of street foods, Ba Chor Mee awaits your culinary exploration of Singapore. This dish combines rice noodles tossed with spicy sambal sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, minced pork, braised mushrooms, meatballs, and sometimes fried anchovies (ikan bilis). Each noodle strand is infused with flavor, the harmonious blend of ingredients awakening the taste buds.
The thick, golden, chewy and crispy noodles, combined with the rich soy sauce, finely minced pork, and tender pork liver, will make you feel like you're enjoying a gourmet meal.
Hill Street Tai Hwa is Singapore's most famous minced pork noodle stall, boasting one Michelin star. This means you might have to wait 30 minutes to an hour for your turn to enjoy this dish. However, the wait is definitely worth it once you start savoring the amazing flavor of Ba Chor Mee here.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
If you happen to come across a stall displaying a row of plump, appetizing whole cooked chickens, it means you're looking at one of Singapore's most beloved specialties – Hainanese chicken rice. This classy dish comes in two tempting versions: steamed and grilled. Whichever version you choose, the exquisite flavor, combined with rice cooked thoroughly with pandan leaves, ginger, and chili, and the sweet and savory taste of ginger soy sauce, is an indispensable highlight.
The recipe for this dish comes from the first Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island, on the southern coast of China.
In Singapore, there's a must-visit spot for those wanting to enjoy authentic Hainanese chicken rice – Tong Fong Fatt restaurant. Here, the rice is perfectly cooked, from the soft, fragrant grains to the flavorful, marinated chicken. Dipping the chicken in the delicious soy sauce further enhances this exquisite taste. Especially with a touch of spicy chili sauce, a spoonful of chicken rice will make you feel like you've stepped into culinary heaven.
Fried Instant Noodles / Hokkien Noodles - Hokkien Mee
Discover the unique flavor of Hokkien-style fried shrimp noodles – an indispensable culinary icon when you visit Singapore. The golden egg noodles are stir-fried to perfection, paired with prawns, pork broth, fish cakes, squid, and sliced pork. Of course, the signature spicy sambal sauce and a touch of lime balance the flavors.
This dish is usually served with sambal chili sauce and a squeeze of lime juice to enhance the flavor.
Each bite of crispy fried pork, combined with soft, chewy noodles, delivers an indescribable sense of satisfaction to the diner's taste buds. And to find this amazing flavor, Chomp Chomp Hawker Centre in Serangoon Gardens is a must-visit. You can find Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles discreetly tucked away in the food centre at stall 27. Open from 5:30 pm to midnight, it's a great option for a delicious late-night meal.
Laksa
The spicy flavor of rice noodles with fried tofu, fish cakes, clams, shrimp, and eggs, all blended together in a delicate coconut curry broth, has captured the hearts of many Singaporeans and become a culinary icon. Exploring Laksa at a hawker is an unmissable experience for every visitor to the Lion City.
Traditional Singaporean curry laksa (Katong Laksa) uses rice noodles, coconut milk, fried tofu, a few slices of fish, shrimp, and cockles.
Among the famous Laksa establishments, 328 Katong Laksa stands out. Its superb broth is infused with a blend of fresh prawn spices, not overly diluted by coconut milk. Remarkably, the Laksa at this restaurant even impressed renowned chef Gordon Ramsay in the SingTel Hawker Heroes competition. Thanks to its unique flavor and excellent quality, 328 Katong Laksa has achieved the number one spot among Laksa lovers in Singapore.
Stir-fried rice noodles - Char Kway Teow
As one of the most popular street foods in Singapore, the wide, flat rice noodles have captured the hearts of many diners. This dish is stir-fried over high heat with a variety of ingredients such as fish cakes, bean sprouts, clams, Chinese sausage, and eggs. The flavor of Char Kway Teow is especially enhanced when cooked in a large cast-iron pan. The sizzling sound of the pan as the oil boils, and the aroma emanating from the dish, will stimulate all your senses – sight, smell, and hearing – and all of this can happen even before you actually taste the dish.
In the past, stir-fried rice noodles (Char Kway Teow) were mainly made by fishermen and farmers in the evenings to supplement their income. They often used leftover food from meals to make this dish, so it has a very diverse mix of ingredients.
If you're in Chinatown, try the Outram Road Fried Kway Teow Mee at the Hong Lim Complex. It's famous for this delicious dish, so it's no surprise to see long lines if you visit during lunchtime. This is a testament to the popularity and appeal of this noodle dish in Singapore.
Pork Rib Soup - Bak Kut Teh
Bak Kut Teh – pork rib soup – is not only a nourishing dish but also has a delicious flavor, making it very popular and well-loved in Singapore. This dish is also known as "pork bone tea," although it doesn't contain tea. It's served with white rice or noodles, fried dough sticks, and green vegetables, and is often eaten for breakfast or dinner.
The soup is simmered for many hours in a sauce containing garlic, onions, and pepper, with a secret blend of herbs and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and coriander. All the ingredients combine harmoniously, creating a soup with a delicate aroma, a subtle sweetness, and a rich, savory flavor.
Bak Kut Teh, also known as pork bone tea or pork rib soup, is a popular dish in Singapore and Malaysia that originated in China.
Founder Bak Kut Teh is one of the highly-rated places to enjoy this dish. The restaurant has become a favorite among many customers, including the famous Taiwanese star Jay Chou. The spicy pork rib soup is truly an unmissable experience on any Singaporean culinary journey.
