4 Best Restaurants in Singapore

Malaysian Food Street

$ | Sentosa Island Fodor's choice

Who wins the great debate over which country has the best hawker food, Singapore or Malaysia? Judge for yourself without crossing the causeway at this cluster of hawker stalls (thankfully air-conditioned), which has all the signature Malaysian hawker noshes in one spot. The variety (and aromas) can prove overwhelming, so your best (and safest) bet is opting for the places with the longest lines. Prices are higher than at a standard hawker center, but a little extra can be justified at standouts like the KL Jalan Alor Hokkien mee heun (stir fried noodles), famous for its secret dark sauce and 30-year-old recipe, the wok hei-filled kee claypot chicken rice cooked over charcoal, and the famous Penang Lim Brothers' char koay teow (stir-fried rice cake strips).

Chilli Pan Mee (Batu Rd)

$ | CBD

The lines outside this small noodle shop on a weekday at lunchtime speak for themselves. Owned by a Malaysian restaurant group, Restoran Super Kitchen, with locations also found in Kuala Lumpur, the simply-fitted, compact restaurant is often crowded, but turnover is quick. Try the dry chilli pan mee (noodles with egg, minced pork, dried anchovies, and spring onion) and adjust the spice levels to your palate. There’s a range of add-on extras, including rice dishes, soft drinks, and tea and coffee to complete your meal.

Hjh Maimunah Restaurant

$ | Geylang Serai

One of the most beloved Malay restaurants in Singapore offers more than 40 tasty dishes at any one time, which you can have with steaming white rice. It’s easy to tailor a plate to your palate, since the range includes everything from more adventurous recipes like sambal goreng pengantin (stir-fried offal with prawns and spices) to tamer but no less tasty favorites like chicken curry.

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Island Penang Kitchen

$$ | Clementi

On the ground floor of a quiet residential corner on the west coast, this spot serves traditional Penang dishes in a lively café-style setting. Well-respected as one of Malaysia’s best cuisines, food from Penang is similar to many of the local dishes you’ll have seen in hawker centers around the island. Here, though, variations using spices and ingredients local to the Penang region are exemplary, including Penang fried kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles with bamboo shoots) and Penang rojak (fruit and vegetables with a spicy prawn sauce).

Singapore

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