If you have just arrived, the fastest way to understand this country is through its plates. Singapore hawker food is affordable, unpretentious, and quietly world class: a single centre can serve you breakfast, lunch, and supper for the price of one restaurant meal elsewhere. This guide walks you through 20 of the most iconic hawker dishes, what each one tastes like, and how to order it without hesitating at the stall.
Think of this as your starter map to local food in Singapore. You will not love everything on the first try, and that is fine. Work through the list over a few weeks and you will soon have your own favourites.
A quick note on ordering: at most stalls you queue, say the dish and size, then either pay on the spot or take a number. “Small” (S) or “large” (L) usually refers to portion size, and prices are a rough guide only.
Rice dishes
1. Hainanese chicken rice. Poached or roasted chicken served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock, with chilli and ginger on the side. How to order: ask for “chicken rice, roasted or steamed,” and say whether you want it with rice or as a plate to share.
2. Nasi lemak. Coconut rice with fried anchovies, peanuts, egg, cucumber, and sambal chilli. How to order: pick your add-ons from the display, such as fried chicken wing or fish cake, and point.
3. Nasi padang. Steamed rice with a spread of curries, vegetables, and meats you choose yourself. How to order: point at three or four dishes over rice; the price depends on what you pick.
4. Char siew rice. Sweet barbecued pork, sometimes with roast pork or duck, over rice. How to order: ask for “char siew rice,” or “mixed” if you want more than one meat.
Noodle dishes
5. Char kway teow. Flat rice noodles fried over high heat with egg, cockles, Chinese sausage, and dark soy. Smoky and rich. How to order: say if you want it with or without cockles (“hum”).
6. Hokkien mee. Yellow and rice noodles braised in a prawn and pork stock, served with a squeeze of lime and sambal. How to order: ask for extra sambal on the side if you like heat.
7. Laksa. Rice noodles in a spicy coconut curry broth with prawns, cockles, and fish cake. Creamy and fragrant. How to order: the noodles often come pre-cut, so you can eat it with a spoon alone.
8. Bak chor mee. Minced pork noodles tossed in vinegar, chilli, and pork lard, with meatballs and liver. How to order: choose “dry” (tossed in sauce) or “soup,” and mee pok (flat) or mee kia (thin).
9. Wanton mee. Springy egg noodles with char siew and pork dumplings. How to order: ask for “dry” with the wanton soup on the side, or “soup” for everything in broth.
10. Fishball noodles. Noodles with bouncy fishballs and fish cake, in soup or dry with chilli. How to order: same as above, pick your noodle type and dry or soup.
11. Prawn mee (hae mee). Noodles in a deep, savoury prawn and pork broth, topped with prawns and pork ribs. How to order: ask for “soup” and add pork ribs if offered.
12. Ban mian. Handmade wheat noodles in a peppery anchovy soup with minced pork, egg, and vegetables. How to order: say “soup” or “dry,” and add chilli if you want a kick.
Bread, snacks, and small bites
13. Roti prata. Flaky griddled flatbread served with curry for dipping. How to order: “one plain, one egg” is a safe start; ask for extra curry if you want it.
14. Kaya toast. Toasted bread with kaya (coconut jam) and a slab of butter, usually with soft boiled eggs and coffee. How to order: order a “set” to get the toast, eggs, and a drink together.
15. Chwee kueh. Steamed rice cakes topped with savoury preserved radish and chilli. How to order: buy a portion of four or five pieces; add chilli to taste.
16. Carrot cake (chai tow kway). Steamed radish cake stir-fried with egg and preserved radish, not a dessert. How to order: choose “white” (plain) or “black” (with sweet dark soy).
17. Satay. Skewered grilled meat served with peanut sauce, cucumber, onion, and rice cakes. How to order: order by the stick, usually a minimum of ten, and say chicken, mutton, or beef.
Sides and comfort dishes
18. Chilli crab. Mud crab in a sweet and savoury tomato chilli sauce, best mopped up with fried mantou buns. Often found at seafood stalls and zi char places. How to order: this is a shared dish, so order it for the table and ask for buns.
19. Rojak. A local salad of fruit, dough fritters, and vegetables tossed in a dark, tangy prawn paste sauce with peanuts. How to order: ask for it “less sweet” or “more chilli” if you have a preference.
Sweets and drinks
20. Ice kachang and chendol. Shaved ice desserts: ice kachang is piled with syrups, red beans, and jelly, while chendol layers coconut milk, palm sugar, and green rice flour jelly. How to order: just name the one you want; both are meant to be shared or finished quickly before they melt.
A quick newcomer checklist
- Bring small notes and coins; many stalls are cash first, though card and app payments are spreading.
- Look for the longest local queue at breakfast and lunch; it is usually a good sign.
- “Dabao” means takeaway. Say it if you want your food packed.
- Ask for “no chilli” or “less spicy” if you are still building tolerance.
- Sit anywhere with a free seat, but read the room on reserving tables (more on that below).
Making the most of your hawker meals
Eating well here is less about finding one famous stall and more about building a routine: a kopitiam for breakfast, a favourite laksa auntie for lunch, a satay supper on a warm evening. The joy of local food in Singapore is how easily it fits into daily life.
When you are deciding what to eat in Singapore next, mix it up across the groups above so you taste the full range, from a comforting bowl of fishball noodles to a messy, celebratory chilli crab. Before long, ordering these hawker dishes will feel like second nature.
Explore more: Hawker centre etiquette · The best chicken rice in Singapore · How to order kopi like a local