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.
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.
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
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 😉
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!
