What Kind of Chinese Food to Try in Singapore

Chinese food is obviously popular in Singapore. One might even argue it’s a pillar of the island’s cuisine, along with Malay cooking.

The only problem with it being so ubiquitous on the island is that you end up absolutely spoiled for choice! There are so many Chinese restaurants in Singapore that you may end up overwhelmed when trying to choose what to try.

Today, we’ll help you out with that. Here, we’ll give you a quick rundown of what kind of Chinese food you should definitely try in Singapore.

The Globally Recognised Staples

There are some dishes that most people associate immediately with Singapore despite their being of Chinese origin. For us, these are among the first Chinese dishes you should try on the island, as they represent Singapore’s take on quintessential Chinese cooking

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a good example. Redolent with the aromas and flavours of good food cooked unpretentiously, this is known the world over as a Singaporean staple.

There is also the famous Hokkien dishes Bak Kut Teh (pork ribs in broth) and Hokkien prawn mee (prawn with stir-fried noodles). And, of course, the ever-popular char siew, or Cantonese barbecued pork.

All of these give you an idea of what Chinese food is like at its core in Singapore. Moreover, they’re very easy to find, as they’re served just about everywhere on the island!

The Dishes That Fuse It with Your Other Fave Cuisines

Now, if you want more of a twist in your Chinese food in Singapore, you should look at the fusion dishes on the island. Some will argue that nearly all Singaporean food already has some degree of fusion, but it certainly shows up more clearly in some dishes than others.

Some of the best examples of such food have Peranakan influences - for obvious reasons. Peranakan culture was born of the intersection of Chinese, Malaysian, and Indonesian cultures, after all.

This type of cooking, also known as Nyonya cuisine, typically boasts bold and bright flavours. Expect ingredients like lemongrass, coconut milk, and galangal.

There are many other takes on Chinese fusion on the island, of course. In fact, there’s no reason you should restrict yourself to ones that marry it to other Asian styles - char siew burgers and Szechuan fries aren’t unheard of, for example!

The Unique and Exotic Options

And finally, if you’re the adventurous type, we recommend exotic options.

Think of Chinese food that’s fallen out of the mainstream because of the effort and resources needed to prepare it. Think smoked duck breasts with Chinese mushrooms and chestnuts - crab in a broth with scallops and conpoy - even crocodiles’ claws and er, private bits (really!).

These are part and parcel of the Singaporean Chinese culinary experience too, rare as they may be. The rarity may even make them more desirable experiences to the intrepid foodie, actually.

So go on and venture out into Singapore’s exciting world of gastronomic delights. There’s much to taste and discover on the island!