Singapore has long been a hotspot for the incredibly wealthy, most recently showcased in the film Crazy Rich Asians, it’s a stunningly beautiful airport, and now its amazing street food scene. You might think that a trip to Singapore will cost you a pretty penny, but if you do it right and eat at some of the hawker centers and markets you will have some of the best food of your life and save big. But knowing where and what to eat can be hard if you do not have a local guide. Often each vendor will only make one dish which is their specialty and has sometimes been in their family for generations which have led to its perfection. Here are three of the dishes you have to try.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
This recipe, which you can tell hails from Hainan in China has been a street food dish for a long time. It is known for the specific way in which the chicken is poached and then blanched which is how it is never overcooked. If yours is not juicy then you know you did not luck out in the street food vendor department. Remember if there is no line of locals then it is probably not the ‘best.’ The chicken is then served as a meal with rice that has been steamed with a chili sauce, ginger, and garlic which gives it some added flavor without overpowering each other.
Chilli Crabs
Not all crabs are the same, which is evident when you start asking around about the best chili crab hawkers. Only the ones that use crabs from Sri Lanka are considered worth eating. The crab is accompanied by a spicy sauce and buns so you can sop up all the sauce when you’ve finished the crab meat.
Sambal Stingray
Another seafood favorite fillets of stingray are frilled on an open barbecue and then slathered in sambal which has a Malaysian and Indonesian origin depending on who you talk to. The word itself is Javanese. Instead of a plate, this should be served on a banana leaf, but be prepared for some heat. You may want to wash this down with some pineapple juice as the sweetness cuts the spice.
Best Street Food Spots
There are A LOT of street food complexes for you to check out, but if you are looking for one with nice views and a ton of choices then head over to the East Coast Lagoon Food Village. The Lau Pa Sat Festival Market is also a walk back through time since the structure was built in Scotland and sent to Singapore in the late 1800s. Find your favorite dish!