Check out 10 of Singapore's most popular hawkers at the River Hawker Festival
And sample signatures like soto ayam, satay and bak kut teh from these famous stalls.
Next time you want some restaurant bragging rights and Michelin-starred brownie points, go to these celeb chef outposts.
Gordon Ramsay’s bustling London restaurant is just as buzzing as its Singapore branch. The casual and industrial bistro serves up traditional English classics with an upscale price tag---popular mains span from the hearty shepherd's pie, fish and chips to lamp chops and short rib beef burger. For those with dietary restrictions, there is a gluten-free menu, too.
Renowned restaurateur Wolfgang Puck’s Singapore outpost is a contemporary steakhouse that sports an impressive menu of beef. Diners can look forward to scrumptious house-made sauces like the signature Argentinean chimichurri or wasabi-yuzu kosho butter.
Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud’s impressive, well-oiled machine is chic and yet decidedly unpretentious. Expect well-executed French classics including seared foie gras and traditional coq au vin, as well as delectables like the quintessential original DB burger and steak frites.
This casual and rustic bistro, borne out of a partnership between celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his Italian mentor, chef Gennaro Contaldo, offers a range of affordable everyday eats like prawn linguine and lamb chops scottaditto cooked using fresh and sustainably-sourced ingredients.
One of the grand-daddies of fine cuisine, this guy's got a huge stash of Michelin stars (25 to be exact), so it's no wonder his flagship restaurant in Resorts World Sentosa isn't afraid to charge a pretty penny. It's all about the degustation menus here with an ever-changing roster of prettily-plated dishes like truffled langoustine ravioli and roasted guinea fowl and foie gras with potato confit. Wine lovers will rejoice, too, with over 1000 labels of wines from all over the world.
Lofty expectations are warranted at this slick establishment. Opt for the eight-course desgustation decouverte menu, which brings a seemingly endless procession of elevated dishes inspired by Japanese and Spanish cuisines.
San Pellegrino-lauded chef David Thompson offers a posh spin to Thailand’s street food in a stylish and trendy setting at Marina Bay Sands. The menu comprises mostly small places like Chiang Mai larp of chicken, Wagyu beef skewers, toasted coconut with dried prawns and ginger, and bigger dishes such as noodles, curries and a variety of meats served with rice—these are best accompanied with the bar’s tropical cocktail offerings.
This is fine dining with an alternative view. A view of the huge S.E.A Aquarium that is. As one of the first female Iron Chefs to open a place in Singapore, expect lots of delicious seafood-centric signature dishes like smoked eel on sunchoke jelly and shaved duck liver terrine and sous vide salmon with salmon mousse, citrus minestrone, ikura and a shaved fennel salad.
The jovial Italian-American chef is unmistakable: Mario Batali's welcoming personality, hearty food and love for cheese is something we can all relate to. A dimly-lit space with lots of granite counters and dark wood, the fine dining side of Mozza presents options like agnolotti with butter and sage, as well as grilled quail wrapped with pancetta in sage and honey. Don't miss the grilled octopus with potatoes, celery and lemon, and the creamy burrata cheese with asparagus and guanciale.
You'll find some killer pizzas here, wood-fired, of course. Get wheels of dough topped with fennel sausage, panna red onion and scallions; prosciutto, rucola, tomato and mozzarella; or alternative versions like egg guanciale, bitter greens and bagna cauda. If you're not in the mood for pizza, opt for paninis, salads or the rotating dish of the day.
Australian celeb chef Luke Mangan sure knows how to pick his spots. Perched on the 54th floor of ION Orchard, his unique fusion take on modern Australian food is the star of the show. The menu is a melting pot of inspiration from the crab omelette with mushrooms and miso mustard broth to the pork belly and lobster with garlic cream, tofu, enoki in a ginger jus.
The Australian chef also does his take on tapas. Everything super affordable here and the happy hours are great for CBD after-work drinks. Share a bunch of plates like the patatas bravas with spicy sauce and garlic aioli; eggplant, haloumi cheese, chickpea, dried tomatoes and tahini dressing; Sumac spiced pork and veal meatballs with fontina mash; and BBQ pork ribs with mash and pickles before downing some martinis, beers and sangria.
Look forward to top-notch, personalized service, and a 10-course degustation menu with a distinctive Japanese sensibility that uses premium ingredients such as seasonal Japanese river fish, grade nine Wagyu beef and Hokkaido sea urchin in an understated and elegant space.
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This family-run diner at Shaw Tower is perpetually packed with crowds, so make a reservation in advance, or queue early for a table. Popular items on its menu are the tom yam seafood soup, pandan chicken, phad thai and butter calamari.
Those hankering for Thai food late at night should head to this no-frills restaurant. It's open until 6am daily, and serves typical Thai fare at low prices and can get pretty crowded at lunch and dinner.
Possibly Golden Mile's crown jewel (its name basically means Little Thailand), this is definitely a hotspot for good and affordable Thai food. They started out serving Thai food out of a truck but now boast a large following of people who love their green curry, pineapple fried rice and even catfish salad. The best part? It's open 24 hours a day.
This unassuming eatery nestled among a row of HDB shops got a solid menu, with dishes like papaya salad, fish cakes to all manners of curry. Find Joe's at #01-182 Block 125 Bukit Merah Lane 1, 6270-8484, www.joesthaikitchen.com. Open daily from 11am-3pm and 5-10pm.
Located in the seedy Orchard Towers (which makes an interesting spot to people-watch), this unfussy spot is known for its killer glass noodles seafood salad and flavorful tom yum soup. Everything comes in pretty generous portions and prices are incredibly affordable.
Thai hotpot and barbecue specialist Mookata needs no introduction. This sister outlet holds no surprises—you cook cook your ingredients on a dome-shaped metal grill over charcoal fire and surrounded by a moat for the soup stock. Supper runs until 6am so it's a great late night spot, too.
A popular chain that has various outlets at Pasir Panjang, Holland Village, Hougang and Ang Mo Kio, dining at Nahkon Kitchen is perhaps the closest you'll get to an authentic experience. Here, you'll be seated in a sparsely furnished space, with rolls of toilet paper serving as napkins on each table. Order cheap and reliable classics like tom yam soup, sambal kang kong, pandan chicken and green curry, and skip the ambiguous Chinese-inspired dishes.
Another Golden Mile gem, this humble eatery (all the good ones are always humble) serves excellent pad thai that's equal parts moist and well-fried. Be warned, this place is known to pack in the heat.
If you're in the mood for a fancier treat, this ION Orchard restaurant is great for family dinners and power lunches. Prices are a steeper than what you'll find at a grittier outfit, but the food is reliable. Some must-haves include the deep-fried pork neck, cha om omelette and stir-fried soft shell crab in yellow curry.
Set in a pretty, lemongrass-scented space, dine on fine modern Thai dishes such as lemongrass-marinated New Zealand rack of lamb with spicy green papaya salad. Not the cheapest of the lot, but it has the right ambience for formal occasions.
Retaining its coffeeshop look, this restaurant offers classic Thai dishes like steamed catfish, barbecue pork neck, mookata and jim jum, a charcoal claypot hot pot. Finish your meal with a dessert like the aloe vera lemongrass jelly, or wash it all down with Thai iced tea.
Want to feel like you're in Thailand? This resort-like establishment will have you feeling the holiday vibes. Set in a historic colonial building at Labrador Park with Asian-inspired decor, it serves sophisticated and modern Thai plates like deep fried lobster in tamarind sauce courtesy of Thai-Canadian chef Thiti Thammanatr, who's cooked for personalities like Bill Clinton and Chow Yun Fat.
A unanimous favorite of the SG team, this kopitiam-style eatery in Orchard Towers will have you dining in smoky hallways lined with questionable discotheques. The food, however, is excellent. Dishes like green curry, deep fried pork belly, pineapple fried rice and tom yam fish soup do not disappoint. Find Thai Tantric at #03-23 Orchard Towers, 400 Orchard Rd. Open daily from 11am-3pm and 6pm-3am.
As one of the pioneers of fine Thai dining in Singapore, this place hardly disappoints. While the dishes are not uncommon, the restaurant is famed for serving authentic Royal Thai cuisine. Price's a little steep, but the quick and efficient service and the food more than make up for it.
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