I’m not implying by the title of this blog post that it’s the only reason – but it sure could justify a trip to Singapore – if you were looking for one (you’re welcome). The food here is awesome – and after arriving from the terribly (mind-blowingly) expensive Australia, food here is delicious and cheaper than what you’d pay for a can of Coke down under.

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That’s right. An ENTIRE MEAL (food, drinks, maybe even a side of Satay Chicken if you’re feeling it) costs the same at a Singapore Hawker Food Court, as one can of Coke in Australia. Singapore isn’t exactly known for being a cheap city either – so these food courts (you’ll find them scattered all across the city) are great for keeping the budget down even more than planned. But don’t just go for the cheapness – go for the awesome food and local cuisine. You’ll be dining with locals, eating the local food and paying the local prices. Winning all round then? Yep.

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The photo above shows the famous Singapore Chicken Rice – a decent (and safe) food choice if you’re a bit unsure of what to get. The chicken was pretty good – but the rice was actually the star of the show. It was all garlicky and sweet – and probably the nicest rice I’ve ever had. In my whole life. Which is a pretty big deal.

Other yummy options?

DimSum

Anything with duck (we are huge duck converts after Singapore)

Anything on a hot sizzle plate

Sweet and Sour Pork

Satay Chicken or Beef

Singapore Noodles

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Don’t expect 5* dining in the food courts though – it’s usually a bit hot and sticky (temperature-wise) and you’ll probably have to have hawk eyes to grab your own table. Sharing is fine though – most locals don’t mind sitting with us tourists – they might even take a photo for you 😉

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Our favourite food court was Maxwell in Chinatown, but we also found a lovely outdoor-style one in the Gardens by The Bay too, which had a lovely little seating area near the lake and lots of choices. And the best Satay Chicken ever. Good for a stop-off if you’re in the gardens, and probably worth a taxi down even if you’re not.

If you like the whole AirCon situation (and who doesn’t when it’s 35 degrees outside?) then a lot of the shopping malls have little food courts in them too which serve up similar (if not the same) options as the more traditional hawker street markets. You’ll pay a bit more to eat in these indoor ones with AC, but not by much. You’d be looking at around $8-10 singapore dollars instead of $3.50 for a main meal. We found this website pretty useful when tracking down other options, so take a look for more suggestions.

Oh – also. Try the fresh fruit juices too that they serve up in the food courts. They squeeze them right infront of you into these big plastic take-away cups and cost the equivalent of about 50p. Biggest bargain of the trip!