Sights from
Uniquely Singapore

On Hawker Centres

Undoubtedly, eating out in Singapore isn't complete without a visit to a hawker centre – a collection of individual stalls selling food at very reasonable prices, in an open-air arrangement.

This no-frills experience that's common in Singapore and unique in Asia is probably the best way to sample some of Singapore's yummiest perennial local favorites such as the best Chili Crabs in the world!

A Gastronomic & Cultural Experience

From Patricia Schultz, author of 1000 places to see before you die:

"Locals and visitors alike take advantage of these concentrated spots, where seemingly hundreds of stalls and booths prepare a staggering variety of food, all under stringent health inspection.

"Here among the din of clanging trays, the shouted orders, the tropical heat, and the smells of fermented fish paste, ginger, and curry is a gastronomic and cultural experience that can be had only in Singapore. Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian and Chinese cuisines and re-blended into Pacific Rim fusions at its most glorious.

"Even Hong Kong runs a distant second."

Singaporeans are passionate about food and eating.

Look around you will find an endless variety of food, served hot or cold, at any hour of the day (or night)! In this cosmopolitan and multicultural and the proof is everywhere! Almost in every corner of the island, city, you can expect nothing less than a melange of flavors from around the globe. It’s not just East-meets-West when it comes to feasting in Singapore; it is a tasty tale about a country’s unique cultural tapestry woven in with its distinct influences to capture the essence of Singapore’s multicultural heritage.

Breakfast: Most hotels include breakfast, but each neighbourhood has its own open-air restaurants or hawker centres.

A plate of roti prata (fried flat bread in curry sauce) or nasi lemak ( rice cooked in coconut milk served with chicken, fish, eggs and cucumber with chilli sauce) is barely US$3. Add a cup of teh tarik (sweet tea poured from a great height to make it cooler and frothy) and you have not just a meal, but something to tell the people back home, too. Alternatively, more western breakfasts are at MacDonald’s, Delifrance, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Spinelli’s and Starbucks – but at western prices.

Lunch and dinner: The budget option is always to eat Asian rather than Western; local food is excellent value, and prides itself on being clean, safe and good. Stallholders at hawker centres and foodcourts speak enough English to help you choose; or just point to a picture above the stall and see what comes.

There are not many hawker centres in the middle of town, but there are plenty of other inexpensive places. Shopping malls often have foodcourts, where you can choose dishes from around the region (Korean barbecue sits alongside Turkish kebabs and Japanese noodles) for US$5. They can be busy, so travel in pairs: One of you sits at a table to reserve it, while the other chooses the stall from which they want food, queues, orders, pays and brings the food to the table. Afterwards, it’s polite to clear your tray away to the tray-drop point.

Nightlife

Most of the tourist nightlife is around Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, and tourist prices apply.

Generally, alcoholic drinks are expensive (from US$5 to$US12 for a cold beer, and US$7 to US$15 for a glass of wine, and US$35 to US$100 for a bottle of wine in a bar or restaurant). But it’s free to walk around and watch the colourful crowds.

The less expensive evening options are Little India, Chinatown and Kampong Gelam for a taste of Singapore’s varied ethnic cultures.

The Singapore nightlife scene has picked up, with one legendary club, Zouk, and the new St James Power Station with nine music and drinking venues packed into one place. Great, but not so budget friendly.