Sensational Singapore: Where to Eat!

Singapore – what a city! I loved this place. It’s a visually arresting city with fantastic food, friendly people and it was so easy to manage. I had really high expectations and Singapore exceeded them – it goes straight onto my “Cities I Want to Live In Please” list! 

I went really hard in Singapore. I had so many recommendations from friends and family and so many places I had read about or seen on food writer’s blogs and Instagram posts – an organised and planned attack was necessary! I planned my days based on where I was eating and drinking and then slotted some tourist attractions in around that. Google Maps was my friend; with all my “To Eat” and “To See” and “To Drink” places saved as favourites, I could easily plan and navigate my way around. 

I’ve got loads of recommendations and tips for you, so I’m going to break this up into a couple of smaller blogs. First up, food! 

Treat yourself spots

Cloudstreet

My last meal in Singapore was my best meal in Singapore – Cloudstreet. Over five+ courses, I chatted with owners and designers and chefs and quickly fell in love with this restaurant and the people who clearly care about it so much.

Rishi Naleendra is a Sri Lankan-born chef, who started cooking in Melbourne and Sydney and has been in Singapore since 2014. His previous restaurant in Singapore, Cheek by Jowl earned a Michelin Star and he was the first Sri Lankan chef to do so. Together with Gareth Burnett (South African, via the UK and Australia – most recently restaurant manager at Amaru in Melbourne), he opened Cloudstreet 7 weeks before I dined there. 

The 40 seat restaurant was designed by Grey Matters and the designer just happened to be sitting next to me! He told me the driving concept behind the eclectic, quirky and warm space was that Chef Rishi wanted people to feel like they were coming for a meal at his home, that people would feel welcome as soon as they entered the space. They succeeded. The restaurant’s design is a mish mash of lots of Chef Rishi’s favourite things – it’s very much a reflection of him, down to the finest detail including the chopstick rests that were made by him and the other chefs one afternoon. 

I was flying home later that evening, so I elected to be a little restrained with my food and wine consumption. After watching other diners, I will do the seven courses and matched wines for sure next time I go. Oh my, the food. From the first snack of grilled oyster, betel leaf, coconut and finger lime through to the dessert of goat’s milk, fermented watermelon and mushroom (yes, mushroom), every dish was thoughtful and different and just plain tasty.

Western Australian Marron & Sri Lankan curry was a perfect balance of expertly cooked marron and a delicate curry that still allowed the marron to taste like marron. Barbequed Turbot was served in two parts, first the fillet and then the “ribs” that just came with a napkin…to think these moreish bits of crispy goodness that you literally sucked off the fish bones are normally thrown out! 

If the ribs had me looking up flights to return to Singapore, the bread ensured this is a fait accompli. Oh. My. Lord. Savoury, sweet, sticky,  heavenly. It’s like a dense rye bread, with Singapore stout, liquorice and glazed with molasses. It was just…I’m not sure I have the words. I was very happy to be a solo diner because I definitely got a serving for two people and I ate the bloody lot. 

The care I was shown here from Chef Rishi, Gareth and all their staff was exemplary. From a confirmation Whatsapp message the day before, to the fact everyone I spoke to knew I was flying out that night and needed to be out by 8.30pm (happily, my delayed flight meant I could relax), to the little bit of extra attention because I was a solo diner and they picked up I loved talking about food, to the recommendation of exactly what after dinner cocktail to order at Native when I finished, every interaction I had was proof of a true commitment to genuine, next level hospitality. 

If you’re in Sinagpore, just go. This place and it’s people are special. I can’t wait to return. 

Burnt Ends

More Australian connections – Burnt Ends is owned by chef Dave Pynt. It sits at number 10 on the Asia’s Best 50 Restaurants List and has been collecting accolades since it opened in 2013. The small space is dominated by the huge 4 tonne, 2 oven brick kiln and open coal grills. Take a seat at the line of seats packed tight along the kitchen and watch the action. These guys are only working with the best quality meat and vegetables and they are not messing around with them. Almost everything interacts with the fire in some way. It’s great for solo dining, the only down side being you will get to try less of the food. Order a flat iron steak by the 100g, a beer or a glass of red and some veges and have fun!  

Candlenut

Candlenut is the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, serving refined versions of traditional Chinese Malay food. It’s located in the Dempsey compound which is a converted British Army base, now packed with dining options and bars. The soaring ceilings and traditional Peranakan tiling in an old colonial style building make for a pretty space.   

I opted for the great value set menu, over lunch. This meant I got to try lots of different foods. The service was polite and quietly competent. The waiters and sometimes the chefs provided lots of information about the various dishes, most of which were totally unfamiliar to me. It really felt like a great exploration of a cuisine I knew little about. That said, the wagyu beef rib rendang, the blue swimmer crab curry and the sambal tiger prawn were familiar, I just hadn’t realised they were Peranakan! It was lovely to enjoy this traditional food in such a beautiful space.  

Cheap and Cheerful Hawker Stalls 

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle

Walking distance from the Kampong Glam district, this noodle stall takes out my number 1 hawker food spot in Singapore! With a Michelin Star, the queues at Hill Street Tai Hwa are inevitable, but those noodles were worth the 45 minute wait. The flavour packed into the dry noodle dish of perfectly cooked firm noodles, pork mince, dumplings, black vinegar and chilli was unbelievable – I’ve never had a meal quite like it anywhere else in the world. Order the medium, dry bowl (not the soup, the flavour is in the sauce on the dry bowl I was reliably informed) and be happy. 

Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (now called Hawker Chan)

Liao Fan Hong was the first hawker stall in the world to be awarded a Michelin Star for its Cantonese Chicken Rice. The original stall is in the Chinatown Complex food hall (Stall #02-126 – the food hall is on the second floor of the market, look for the stall numbers on the signage to find your way) but with the success of the stall, chef-owner Chan Hong Meng has now expanded to restaurants, including one in Melbourne! Chef Chan makes the marinade from scratch everyday, steeps whole chickens overnight and then braises them until the skin is deep brown and glossy. The stall opens at 10.30am and I waited 45 minutes from 10.15am to try the moist chicken and flavour packed marinade. I would recommend you head to the original stall for the best experience rather than the restaurant on Smith St outside the hawker centre, even if the wait is a bit longer! Grab a sugar cane juice and watch the crowds do their thing. 

Impian Wahyu – Ox-tail soup

A Singaporean foodie waiting in line with me for Hill Street noodles told me about the ox-tail soup at Impian Wahyu and I had to take up the local recommendation! I was served by the stall owner, Batman, who was delighted to hear I had been recommended to try his soup. An Indonesian delicacy, the broth was rich and deep in flavour and the oxtail was unctuous and tender. Worth a little detour if you’re in Jalan Besar or Little India areas. 

328 Katong Laksa

328 Katong Laksa has a few different outlets, but East Coast Road is the place to head for the Peranakan spicy coconut-based soup. I was lucky enough to have my own personal tour guide, Alice (my brother’s soon to be mother-in-law) who is a Singaporean now living in Melbourne who showed me this place. Make sure you get a side of otah, a spicy fish cake that is grilled in banana leaves. 

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot 

Another Alice recommendation, this stall in the Chinatown Complex food hall (#02-198) serves up a must try Cantonese delicacy, claypot rice. The claypots are made while you wait – you put your order in and wait about 10 minutes at a nearby table and someone will find you! The claypots are placed over hot coals to make sure the rice is crispy on the bottom and then topped with greens, chicken, lop cheong (sweet Chinese sausage) and maybe some dried pork belly. You can add some chilli or soy and then you scrape the crispy bits of rice around the edges of the pot and make sure you get a mouthful of everything! 

Other Spots to Eat 

Tekka Centre – fresh food market in Little India with a hawker centre. Head here for great prata (roti bread) with curry dipping sauce. 

Chijmes Centre – beautiful setting in a heritage listed 19th century convent & school,  now housing restaurants, bars & event spaces. Lots of places to choose from, but I had some great Singapore Chilli Crab at New Ubin. 

Din Tai Fung – several outlets around the city for great dim sum. Excellent place for a quick, good quality meal if you need some air con and are a bit hawker stalled out! 

Food Republic – usually located in shopping malls, Food Republics are essentially hawker style food courts serving lots of traditional foods. A great option for trying lots of different dishes in air-conditioned comfort! 

The Banana Leaf Apolo – I had a great lunch here with Alice’s family to try the delicious and famous fish head curry. Also some of the best butter chicken I’ve ever tasted! Load up on roti to mop the curry up. 

With a total of 5 days in Singapore I barely scratched the surface of this fabulous food city. I will be back to add to the list! Next up, Where to Drink!