Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Where to Dine
in Singapore
Singapore claims an estimat ed
2,000-plus eating establishments, so you'll
never go hungry. But to simply say, “If you
like food, y ou'll lo ve S ingapore!” doesn 't
do justice to the modern concept of eating
in this city. Here you'll find a huge selec-
tion of local, r egional, and international
cuisine, served in settings that range fr om
bustling hawker centers to grand and
glamorous palaces of gastr onomy. The
food is authentic, and many times the din-
ing experience is entertainment in its own
right. Various ethnic r estaurants, with
their traditional decor and ser ving styles,
hold their own special sense of theater for
foreigners; but S ingaporeans don 't stop
there, dr eaming up ne w concepts in cui-
sine and ambience to add fr
choices at
hawker centers
(large gr oup-
ings of informal open-air food stalls).
The r estaurants r eviewed her e offer a
crosscut of cuisine and price ranges, and
were selected for superb quality or authen-
ticity of dishes. Some were selected for the
sheer experience, whether it 's a stunning
view or just plain old fun. Beyond this list,
you're sur e to disco ver fav orites of y our
own without having to look too far.
A good place to star t is right in y our
hotel. Many of Singapore's best restaurants
are in its hotels, whether they're run by the
hotel itself or operated by outfits just rent-
ing the space. Hotels generally offer a wide
variety of cuisine, and coffee shops almost
always have Western selections. S hopping
malls hav e ev erything fr om food cour ts
with local fast food to midpriced and
upmarket establishments. Western fast-
food outlets ar e always easy to find—
McDonald's burgers or S tarbucks
coffee—but if you want something a little
more local, you'll find coffee shops (called
kopitiam
) and small home-cookin ' mom-
and-pop joints do wn ev ery back str eet.
Then ther e ar e hawker centers and food
courts, wher e, under one r oof, the meal
choices go on and on.
esh dimen-
sions to the fine art of dining.
In this chapter , I'll begin b y providing
an o verview of the main types of tradi-
tional cuisine to help you decide, and also
list those signatur e dishes that each style
has contributed to the “local cuisine, ”
dishes that have crossed cultures to become
time-honored fav orites—the S ingaporean
equivalent to bangers and mash or burgers
and fries. These suggestions ar e especially
helpful when navigating the endless
1
TIPS ON DINING
In many foreign destinations, the exotic cuisine isn't the only thing that keeps you guess-
ing. Here, I give you the ground rules on Singapore dining.
HOURS
Most restaurants are open for lunch as early as 11am but close around 2:30pm
or 3pm to giv e them a chance to set up for dinner , which begins ar ound 6pm. Where
closing times are listed, that is the time when the last order is taken. If you need to eat at
odd hours, food centers ser ve all day and some hawker centers ar e open all night—see
the section “Hawker Centers,” later in this chapter.
