Street Eats in Singapore

Food, food, food. You always hear people talking about the food culture in Singapore, and it does not disappoint. The best way to explore the food culture of Singapore is to visit one of the many Hawker centers scattered throughout the city, just as the locals do. Hawker centers are food courts where former street food vendors sell their enticing treats. The variety is enormous, with Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, and Indian food stalls abound. Look for the long line, Singaporeans take their food very seriously, so it's your safest bet.

Hawker centers developed when the Singaporean government decided it was the best way to regulate street vendors and ensure proper hygiene. There are no longer street vendors, it all takes place at these hawker centers, where prices remain cheap and the food is safe to eat.

View from Mia's flat.

We were extremely fortunate to hosted by Mia, a Swedish friend of Martin's that he hadn't seen since high school graduation! For us weary travelers, it was such a treat to be at someone's home, especially one that came with such knowledgable and friendly tour guide. Mia and Fredrik, her boyfriend, love the Singaporean food culture and spend lots of time exploring various hawker centers and trying new food.

Satay at La Pasat.

Simon liked it too!

One highlight was the satay at Lau Pa Sat. Freshly grilled chicken, beef and prawns dipped in a spicy peanut sauce that Martin and I were slurping up at the end. We tried chicken rice, one of the most quintessential Singaporean dishes at the Maxwell Street hawker center. In Chinatown we indulged in delicious pan fried and Szechuan dumplings, and sampled other local flavors at the nearby Tiong Bahru hawker center.

Koay teow...yum!

 

Delicious dumplings!

The hawker centers are all well run and pretty clean, but nothing posh or fancy. But you could leave a hawker center, then walk around the corner to a chic coffee shop for coffee and dessert. Now that's my kind of night!

Simon and his new buddy, Mia.

In our four days in Singapore we stuffed ourselves silly. You could spend weeks exploring the food culture and hawker centers there, but it's definitely a great city to pass through for a few days and enjoy the good grub.

 

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