Singapore is known for a lot of things, but its cuisine reigns supreme when it comes to providing tourists with a glimpse of the Singaporean experience. Even though this country is the smallest in Southeast Asia, it’s bursting with multicultural flavours that showcase Singapore’s local ingredients, culinary talents, and rich history.
Indeed, foodies everywhere dream about savouring the country’s best-tasting meals. However, with so many restaurants to choose from, these foodies often have a difficult time mapping out which fares to taste. That’s why we’re listing seven restaurants that take you from the ultimate Changi Airport dining experience to the local hotspots worth waiting in line for.
Yun Nans
If you have a few hours to spare before your flight out of Singapore, there are a lot of restaurants in and near Changi Airport that can satiate your appetite. One of the most popular is Yun Nans. Yun Nans is the largest casual dining restaurant chain from Yunnan, China, and the branch in Jewel Changi is the brand’s very first out of its home country. The restaurant’s speciality? Yunnan cuisine, of course!
Using the freshest ingredients sourced straight from Yunnan Province, Yun Nan creates delicious meals that combine tradition and comfort all on one plate. Yun Nan’s signature must-tries include steamed pot chicken soup with Yunnan red mushrooms and cross-bridge rice noodles. Other favourites include beef stew in a copper set, charcoal-grilled sea bass with lemongrass, and tossed rice noodles with shredded chicken.
Labyrinth
Singapore has plenty of multi-awarded restaurants that take the country’s traditional flavours and reimagine them into more modern dishes. Labyrinth, for example, explores Singapore’s age-old recipes and transforms them into neo-Singaporean cuisines that warrant the restaurant’s one Michelin Star rating.
Located in Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Labyrinth’s contemporary dining menu uses ingredients sourced from local farmers, fishermen, and fishery ports. Their lunch tasting menu features their signature chilli crab dish, as well as Singaporean fares like bak chor mee and ice kacang. Their dinner menu, on the other hand, features rojak, crispy roast chicken rice, and char kway teow.
Labyrinth is open for dinner on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, between 6:30 and 10:30 PM. It’s open for lunch from Thursdays to Sundays from 12:00 to 2:30 PM as well. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.
Cloudstreet
Helmed by award-winning, Singapore-based, Michelin Starred chef Rishi Naleendra, Cloudstreet offers an extravagant and intimate dining experience guests will never forget. Located in Amoy Street, Cloudstreet exudes the epitome of luxury and comfort. From the restaurant’s upscale décor to its sumptuous dishes, guests will definitely feel like they’re being treated to a once-in-a-lifetime meal that’s worth wearing their fanciest attire for.
What makes Cloudstreet unique is its six-course lunch and eight-course dinner tasting menus. These menus are ever-changing and seamlessly incorporate Singapore’s seasonal flavours. That said, you need to make reservations fast if you don’t want to miss the chance to taste Cloudstreet’s offerings.
328 Katong Laksa
Singapore has a lot of iconic dishes, and one of them is laksa. Laksa is a spicy noodle dish made from rice noodles, coconut milk-based soup, and toppings. The best place to get a bowl of this warm and comforting meal in Singapore is at 328 Katong Laksa.
328 Katong Laksa has several outlets in the country, but the one on East Coast is the most famous. Graced by chef and TV personality, Gordon Ramsay, 328 Katong Laksa at East Coast serves this simple yet delectable dish using Peranakan-based flavours to give it its signature taste. The restaurant’s founder, Lucy, and her son, Ryan Koh, have perfected their laksa recipe, which many patrons say can’t be beaten. After all, this mother-son duo was able to defeat Ramsay in a hawker food challenge in 2013.
Warong Nasi Pariaman
Nasi padang is another beloved dish in Singapore. This dish has Indonesian roots, and it features hot rice paired with various pre-cooked dishes. Though this meal is simple, the rice soaks in the country’s signature tastes, giving foodies a symphony of flavours that stretch from salty to spicy. If you want to get the best nasi padang in town, then you have to go to Warong Nasi Pariaman.
Warong Nasi Pariaman is located on North Bridge Road, and it’s the oldest surviving stall selling Nasi Padang. It’s a certified Halal restaurant where you can sit down and have a casual meal with the locals. Some of its notable fares include ayam bakar, rendang daging, and ikan goreng.
Aside from serving excellent nasi padang meals, Warong Nasi Pariaman has garnered accolades that include a spot in the 28 Best Restaurants in Singapore in 2019 list. In 2016, the restaurant was awarded the Heritage Award for preserving local culinary traditions.
The abundance of options makes choosing a place to eat in Singapore a challenging experience, especially when you want to taste the country’s signature flavours. Add these spots to your itinerary, and you’ll have an easier time sampling Singapore’s new, old, and most popular dishes during your stay in the country.
