The 12 Street Foods That Define Singapore

Singapore is a country of unexpected contrasts. While it's a hyper-modern, industrialized nation that has aggressively embraced Westernization, it's also a proudly multicultural community where Chinese, Indian, Malay, and European populations have co-existed and shared their food cultures for centuries.

This cultural mix gifted Singapore with a vibrant food culture that draws visitors from around the world to sample its distinct dishes, which typically combine influences from the country's different populations. When it comes to food, Singaporeans make flavor their top priority. While the country boasts an educated populace of well-paid professionals who could easily afford white-tablecloth meals, serious food lovers among them will tell you the best food comes from humble stalls run by specialists who've mastered the nuances of a single dish or two. As a result, Singapore's traditional street food culture is thriving. However, don't expect to find any food in the streets — actual street vending has long been outlawed, and vendors moved into dedicated, government-run hawker centers where diners can choose from an array of treats and enjoy them at tables maintained by the centers. As you can imagine, it's a lot to take in. Here are a few classic dishes to know and look out for.

Don't let the name of this dish throw you off: There are no carrots (nor cream cheese frosting, nor nuts) in this Singaporean street food classic. Rather, the dish's English name is the result of sloppy translation. The Hokkien Chinese name of the dish, chai tow kway, can be literally translated as "carrot cake," since chai tow can mean either "radish" or "carrot" and kway refers to a cake or pastry. Thus, this so-called carrot cake is actually a savory pudding made with shredded daikon, preserved turnip, rice flour, and seasonings. 

While the dish is thought to have been introduced by immigrants from south China, the versions served in Singapore differ from the original in a number of ways. While the Chinese version typically includes meats such as chopped, Chinese-style sausage and minced, dried shrimp, Singaporean versions are typically vegetarian-friendly. While the mixture is cut into chunks and pan-fried until crispy on the outside in both versions, Chinese turnip cakes are cut into playing card–sized rectangles, while Singaporean carrot cake comes as a platter of fried, bite-sized cubes. In addition, Singaporean cooks offer the option of ordering carrot cake black (sauteed in dark soy sauce) or white (fried without soy sauce, but sometimes with egg).

Here's a secret that hardcore seafood lovers keep to themselves: The very tastiest morsels in any fish are, in fact, in its head. This is why ingredients such as halibut cheeks and yellowtail collars have been making appearances on high-end menus, often commanding steep prices. Fish cheeks are known to seafood lovers for their juiciness and tenderness, and fish collars — the bony cut directly behind the gills — are popular in Asia for their richness and flavor. 

Chinese diners have long appreciated all that fish heads have to offer, and instead of viewing them as discards or desperation food, they historically saw them as treats for the elite. One legend says that some nobles refused to eat any part of a fish that wasn't the cheeks. Singapore's fish head curry is a characteristic product of the country's penchant for cross-cultural fusion: In the 1940s, a restaurant owner with roots in south India added fish heads to a spicy, Indian curry to appeal to his Chinese customers. The dish has since become a hit with diners of all backgrounds, winning over the country's fish-head doubters.

Another must-try local classic, laksa, can be described as Singapore's geography in a bowl. This hearty, soupy dish is a bowl of Chinese noodles (wheat, rice, or a combination of both) in a spicy, coconut-based broth laden with seafood, fried bean curd puffs, and crunchy bean sprouts. It showcases the culinary contributions of the country's Chinese and Malaysian communities, as well as the island nation's fondness for seafood.

Laksa is one of many favorite dishes rooted in Singapore's Peranakan culture and cuisine,  which evolved from the intermarriage of Chinese and Malaysian Singaporeans and the melding of cooking techniques and ingredients from both cultures. The most popular version of the dish features a curry-like, coconut milk broth flavored with powerful ingredients such as garlic, chilis, lemongrass, dried shrimp, galangal, and a range of spices. Another version first created in Penang features a tangy, tamarind broth. The popular coconut-based laksa itself comes in numerous variations, with the spice profile, broth thickness, and choice of toppings varying with each cook. If you visit Singapore and want to seek out a good bowl of laksa, ask around — Singaporeans are not afraid to share their opinions when it comes to food,  and the suggestions you get will be as varied as your many dining opportunities.

Much of Singapore's famed street food is strongly influenced by, if not directly borrowed from, Chinese cuisine. This is unsurprising, given that Singapore's population is 77% ethnic Chinese (per Guide me Singapore). But, Singaporeans of Malaysian and Indian descent have also helped define Singapore's unique food scene, and they too have introduced dishes from their ancestral countries that all Singaporeans now embrace as part of their shared culture.

Among these is roti prata, a flaky, chewy, crispy Indian flatbread that's typically served hot and freshly made with a bowl of curry (which can contain meat, chicken, or vegetables). Diners savor the roti prata and curry together by tearing off bite-sized pieces of the bread and dipping it into the stew. The flatbread's distinctive, flaky texture comes from its ultra-thin, nearly translucent layers created by carefully stretching and folding the dough. Making it requires skill and practice, which is why Singapore's food lovers turn to hawker stall specialists when a craving hits. 

If you frequent Thai restaurants in the U.S., you've probably encountered satay, which are grilled skewers of meat or chicken with a tantalizingly sweet glaze. Diners in Singapore love it for all the same reasons we do: The smell of the smoke-kissed, faintly caramelized meat skewers being grilled over a live fire is irresistible, as is their flavor. 

Like much of Singapore's food, satay had to take a roundabout journey to become a local favorite. It was thought to have been invented by street vendors in Java, Indonesia, and inspired by Indian kebabs (Indian traders had a regular presence in Indonesia and may have introduced some of their food culture). From there, satay spread and became popular throughout the region, and Singapore's cooks and eaters were happy to embrace it. Traditionally made and sold by Chinese, Malay, and Indian Muslim vendors, satay is now enjoyed by Singaporeans of all backgrounds. In Singapore, the spiced meat (or seafood) skewers are served with a range of dipping sauces (including a peanut-based sauce and a pineapple puree), along with cubes of compressed rice, cucumber, and onion slices. Because the skewers are typically sold by the dozen, satay is a dish meant for sharing.

Singapore's summers can be hot and humid, which means even eaters devoted to the country's many flavorful soups and stews may need something cold and refreshing to keep them comfortable. Even in cooler weather, sometimes a cold, sweet treat is just what you crave after a hot meal. For this, Singaporean food lovers turn to ice kachang, a decadent shaved ice dessert of Malaysian origin.

While the base of a serving of ice kachang is indeed a big pile of shaved ice in a bowl, this dessert is far more substantial than a typical snow cone. The dish's Malaysian name, ais kacang, translates as "iced beans," and yes, there are actual beans (the sweet red beans common in Asian desserts) piled onto the ice. In addition, the dessert typically includes cubes of grass jelly or agar along with your choice of toppings, which can include peanuts, sweet corn, condensed milk, durian, and even ice cream. Both rehydrating and filling, it's a dessert you might be tempted to make into a hot-weather meal in itself.