SINGAPORE
Food & Wine:
 The cuisine of Singapore is often viewed by her population as a prime example of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore. The food is heavily influenced by Malaysian, Chinese, Indian (specifically southern Indian styles), Indonesian, and even Western traditions since its founding by the British in the 1800s.
The cuisine of Singapore is said to be similar to the diverse cuisine of Penang at North Malaysia as most of the foods in Singapore can also be found in the state of Penang. In Singaporean hawker stores, for example, chefs of a Chinese ethnic background might experiment with Indian influences such as tamarind, turmeric and ghee, while an Indian chef could serve a greater amount of coconut products.
This phenomenon makes the cuisine of Singapore significantly rich and a cultural attraction. Most of the prepared food bought outside home is eaten at hawker centres or food courts, examples of which include Lau Pa Sat and Newton Food Centre, rather than at actual restaurants. These hawker centres are relatively abundant which leads to low prices and encourages a large consumer base.
 Local foods are diverse, ranging from Hainanese chicken rice to satay. Singaporeans also enjoy a wide variety of seafood including crabs, clams, squid, and oysters. One such dish is stingray barbecued and served on banana leaf and with sambal or chili.
Amongst locals, popular dishes include bak chor mee, mee poh, sambal stingray, laksa, nasi lemak, chilli crab and satay.
Restaurants:
Singapore offers a wide variety of full-service restaurants as well, catering to every taste and budget. Being a maritime city one common specialty is seafood restaurants, offering Chinese-influenced Singaporean classics like chilli crabs. While Chinese restaurant food is certainly closer to authentic Chinese fare than hawker food is, it too has not managed to escape local influences and you can find many dishes little seen in China. These are much more fun to go to in a group, but be careful what you order: gourmet items like Sri Lankan giant crab or shark's fin can easily push your bill up to hundreds of dollars.
 Menus typically say "Market price", and if you ask they'll quote you the price per 100g, but a big crab can easily top 2 kilos. The best-known seafood spots are clustered on the East Coast, but for ambience the riverside restaurants at Boat Quay and Clarke Quay can't be beat.
Singapore also has its share of good Western restaurants, with British and American influenced food being a clear favourite among locals. Most of the more affordable chains are concentrated around Orchard Road and prices are around $10-20 per person for the main course. French and Italian food is also readily available, though prices tend to be on the expensive side.
Thai and Japanese food are also rather popular among Singaporeans so such restaurants are widely available, though good Japanese food tends to come at a very high price. Good Thai food though, is available for reasonable prices and is very much worth a try.
Top of Page | Destination Menu | Circuit Page |
