Top 10 Singapore Food Experiences For All Budgets and Tastes

Discovering The  Top 10 Food Experiences In Singapore

A modern world city like Singapore automatically attracts visitors from around the world both for business as well as tourism and offers  lots of shopping and food choices.  A city buzzing with global voices is bound to be a hub of world cuisine and Singapore offers you every cuisine under the sun from desi Aloo Parathas to Japanese Sushi, Chinese Street Food to Mexican Tapas. From nano technology fuelled molecular gastronomy to Chinese street food and faux meat for vegetarian we tried everything during our visit to Singapore.

To be honest I was a bit more focused on food that  desi Indians will like and here is my list of  Top 10 Singapore Food experiences for a world traveler ( With a clear bias towards desi taste buds ).

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Have you read my mouth watering post on  Ramadan Food Festival in Singapore, about Singapore Food served during Ramadan ?

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1. Molecular Gastronomy at SAHA:  Started  by  Chef  Abhijit  Saha  in  the  tonier part of Singapore, Duxton Hill, know for both Shopping and fine Dining. SAHA caters  to  the  evolved  foodie, who is willing to try not only new cuisines, but also new ways to enjoy food.  The Chef here makes your day-to-day foods in amazing ways using techniques that seem straight out of NASA space food program.The  restaurant  was started by  celebrated  desi  Chef  Abhijit  Saha  and on veg menu are stuff like fried Okra that don’t drip oil,  Baby Idly’s that are given  a  bath  of  Sāmbhar emerging from a Kettle. The street side Chat gets a sci-fi makeover here to give you taste bud nirvana.
   

   The Classical Neighborhood of SAHA Singapore 

   

   SAHA is one of the most refined Fine Dine Restaurant in Singapore

   

   Classical desi Food in New Avatar at SAHA Singapore     

   

   The desserts take a new meaning, flavor and taste at SAHA

   The restaurant is as hi fi as they come and the décor etc. take you to the time when food was to be enjoyed leisurely without worrying about posting pictures first on Instagram. No wonder the pictures clicked by me on cell phone do not do justice to the excellent preparations at SAHA. As we enjoyed the food, we met Preetam Sodi – Resident Senior Sous Chef, who turned out to be from the city of Nawabs Lucknow. More  details here:   Saha Singapore  For reservations  call +65 62237321   or click here

    

2. Punjab Grill: This one is for Punjabi /FrontierTanoori dishes lovers. They have set menus as well as a la carte. The food caters to an international audience and is not spicy when you compare to the Tandoori items you get in India. But you can always ask for some customization to the spice level.
   

   The HOT Tandoor : Punjab Grill, Singapore   

   Situated at the atrium level in the shopping mall attached to the Marina Bay Sands hotel you will enjoy the excellent service and delicious veg and non veg dishes direct from the hot tandoor.  For bookings contact through website of Punjab Grill Singapore  

   

   Veg Platter at Punjab Grill Singapore

   
   

   

   The Non Veg kebab at Punjab Grill Singapore

   

   desi desserts in Punjab Grill Singapore

3. Real Food for Vegetarians: As I mentioned my bias is towards veg food and normally when we desi people talk / think / drool about desi food we mean daal makahani, shahi paneer, or for the adventurous ones Veg Au Gratin. But Real food is not about desi food, Real food is about global vegetarian food. Hence you get pizzas, pastas, salads, sandwiches and other dishes that cater to global palate.  Real food also retails wholesome foods, beverages, herbs, spices and condiments from their outlets.  Besides one of the most delicious pasta, I loved the fresh aromatic hot tea that I ordered. They have multiple outlets in Singapore and visit their site to find the one close to you: Real Food Singapore
   

   Real Food For Vegetarians: Global Taste of Vegetarian Food

   

   Veg food is more than Daal Makhani, Dhokla and Dosa 🙂

    

   
   

4. Banana Leaf in Little India: Though Banana leaf has more branches; I loved the one in Little India for more reasons than one. It reminds you of those typical Indian old school restaurants that have mastered the art of making and serving many dishes. So while you get some good North Indian and South Indian food with a bias towards Kerala /TamilNadu style of cooking you alsogettheoddChindian dish like Fried Baby corn. The chances are you willstumbleontheirlocation in Little India and visit more than once.
   

   As Indian As it gets, Banana Leaf Singapore – Little India

5. Mediterranean Food at Artichoke: This is how the Artichoke Café and bar defines itself: MIDDLE EASTERN | DUDE FOOD | LOUD MUSIC | CHUMMY SERVICE | NO PRETENTIOUS BULLSHIT. This one is more for those who prefer to sit and talk over their food and discuss intellectual things. Popular with European Expats and budget travelers from western countries, Artichoke serves mostly Mediterranean food with a good mix of dishes from Arab countries like Jordan, Lebanon Syria etc. There are not very many vegetarian choices but if you are odd vegetarian in the group you will still find a something to suit you. I enjoyed some of the Jordanian vegetarian dishes specially the humus and Baba ghanoush with Pita Bread. Location:  161, middle square, sculpture road, Singapore. Website: Artichoke.  The Artichoke has very different timings so check them before going.Tuesday Friday it serves only Dinner, Saturday only Brunch and Dinner and Sunday only Brunch.  Contact number:  6336 6949 works only from3pmonward from Tuesday to Saturday.
   

   It is all about music, Mediterranean and meeting friends at Artichoke

6. Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Now this multiple award-winning vegetarian restaurant in Singapore is an extreme vegetarian restaurant. The food it serves borders on Jain food with no onions, or garlic and even no MSG. But the name it gives to the dishes is totally non vegetarian. Like Mutton Masala, Sea Food fried rice, Butter chicken. All the food is made using authentic spices and soybean nuggets. I no longer eat non vegetarian food, but I ordered the day’s special Mutton Masala and Sea Food fried rice. And I must say I could not tell the difference between real mutton and the soybean mutton served at Gokul Vegetarian restaurant in Singapore. The sea food in the Sea Food Fried rice tasted real good minus the smell of sea food.  I also tried some Butter Chicken (again chicken from Soya) from my friends’ plate and liked it a lot. But one thing now I am 100 % convinced it is the spices that make the food taste and not the meat or chicken or the potatoes. Give a good chef some wonderful spices and he will make even cardboard taste good.  Though Gokul primarily caters to those looking for Indian Vegetarian they serve enough dishes with Thai, Malay and Indonesian flavors and spices.  Head to Gokul if you are in mood for some really different yet tasty vegetarian or faux non vegetarian food.  Check the website for more details:  Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant
   

   A Vegetarian Restaurant Serving Sea Food ? 🙂

   

   Gokul Vegetarian serves Faux Meat made from Soybean and cleverly uses spices to make them good

7. Chinese Food Street, China Town Singapore: Chinese Food Street inChinaTownSingaporemust be the most organized food street anywhere in Asia.  In true Singapore style everything is neat and clean orderly with the vendors displaying the food in glass cabinets. There is no traffic on the Chinese Food street so you don’t have to worry about dodging motorcycles and cars while enjoying your food.  While most of the food is chinese there is enough representation of Indian, Malay, Thai and some other Asian cuisines.  The best part of the Chinese Food street isthatmostplaceshave sit outs right on the road so you don’t have to eat standing, though I am guessing during busy evening hours you will need to wait for a long time to get a seat. But the food will be worth waiting. Location:Wellithasto be China Town in Singapore.
   

   Chinatown Food Street Singapore

   

   Red Hot Chili Peppers : Chinatown Food Street

   

   Well Even The Chinese Can’t Resist Indian Food 🙂

   

   Chinese Street Food : But hey does it look like Garlic Bread ?

    

8. Coffee Shops in Singapore: I am not talking about that character less chain coffee shops that sprout from every street corner selling over priced mud concoction. I am talking about the real deal the elixir of life, the aromatic Robusta and Arabica that will rejuvenate your spirit without taking any spirit. Well there are not one but countless coffee shops in Singapore from the very busy Orchard road, traditional Haji Lane and Kampong Glam to the leisurelybutultrahipTiongBahru Neighborhood every neighborhood, has its own favorite Coffee Shop in Singapore. If you need a good cup of coffee and some snacks to go with it, you are never more than a 100 meter away from a good Coffee Shop.  Singaporeans love their coffee (not to say they don’t enjoy Tea).  Take your pick from traditional Chinese Coffee houses to the ultra chic modern coffee shops and you will keep pace with the energy that Singapore exudes.
   

   Singapore is home to thousands of Coffee Shops

   
   

   

   Coffee shops are great places for a quick bite

   

   Nanyang Old Cofee – Chinatown has some amazing old Chinese style coffee homes

9. Barbecue Grill at the beach: Now this is a very special food experience for the “Do it yourself” kind of folks. Singapore has many beaches and national parks where you can rent a Barbecue pit from the National Parks Board. Once you rent the Barbecue pit by making online payment you can use it from the booking time to next day morning. So you have the night to enjoy barbecue right next to the beach where you can camp. The only glitch is you need to be a Singapore resident with a NRIC/FIN number, so if you are a visitor to Singapore and want to rent a Barbecue Pit you will need help from your friends / family in Singapore who are residents of Singapore. I checked this with the National Parks Board of Singapore and they are fine with the same as long as booking is done by a local. So enjoy the barbecue with your friends as what is a barbecue without some friends and as they say the more the merrier in a Barbecue. So here is the online link to Book A Barbecue Pit in Singapore.    
   

   You can rent a Barbecue Pit on beaches and parks in Singapore

10. Your Choice or What readers want: Well I can give a lot of other things here like the street food in Little India the giant Dimsums at Tangs, or the awesome veg Biryani I had at the Moroccan looking restaurant at Universal Studios, but dear reader let me leave point no 10 for you to fill. If you have been to Singapore what is your favorite food experience in the City of Merlion? Was it a lunch you shared with a colleague or a drink you could not finish as it spilled as you laughed at the joke your friend made or it was the sandwich you grabbed hurriedly between meetings or two attractions. Or it was a candlelight dinner in a posh restaurant with your sweetheart. Come on spill the beans (pun indented) share the special meal you had in Singapore and may be somebody else will love to go there and enjoy the same.

So if you enjoy food you are spoiled for choices in Singapore, and though I love my desi Vegetarian Thali, I think it would be a good idea to try few other dishes while you are in Singapore and I can assure that you will enjoy the experience.

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Note: I was in Singapore on an official Invitation from Singapore Tourism Board and Tigerair.