Singapore's ethnic mix of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Eurasian translates to an exciting range of culinary styles and dishes. Experience glorious local food at coffee shops, hawker centres and air-conditioned food courts, all serving mouth-watering options. Be sure to try out the favourites listed below:

Hainanese Chicken Rice - Whole chickens are prepared using a closely-guarded recipe, then sliced and served with rice cooked in chicken stock and other ingredients. The meal is completed with a special chilli sauce and thick soy sauce to bring out the flavour of the meat.

Satay - Our very own kebabs, where marinated mutton, beef and chicken pieces are skewered and grilled over burning charcoal. These kebabs are served with freshly cut onions and cucumber as well as a dip made of chilli and peanuts for additional "oomph".
Roti Prata - The cook places a piece of dough on a well-oiled marble slab, then presses it flat before enlarging it to a wafer-thin crepe using a flipping motion. The edges of the crepe are then folded in before it is grilled on a hotplate until it turns golden brown. It is then served wtih either curry or sugar.

Laksa - Rice noodles are served in a thick! soup of spices, laksa leaves, coconut milk and of course, chilli. Condiments like clams, prawns and "tou-pok" (dried tofu) complete the formidable taste.
Ice Kachang - Shaved ice is shaped into an ice mountain with jelly cubes, red beans and corn kernels lying at the bottom. Thick syrup is poured evenly on the ice, creating a colourful coat of red, green, yellow and brown. The perfect ice-cold dessert.

Coffeeshops - These can be found in most housing estates outside the city and are usually located on the ground floor of apartment blocks or in 2-storey shophouses.Even till today, Singaporeans gather at coffeeshops not just to eat and drink, but also to chat or even play a game of checkers. Although the older coffeshops are slowly being phased out, they are still the place to go if you want to get cheap and good food served with a slice of true Singapore life, not forgetting the thick, bla! ck local coffee that comes in a porcelain cup.
Opening hours: Early morning to about 10pm, though some may be open 24 hours.

Hawker Centres - Probably the most distinctive eating places in Singapore, hawker centres house dozens of food and drink stalls under one roof. The best advice is, walk around the whole place and take in everything before ordering. Prices are cheap and comparable to those in coffeeshops,although tourist favorites like Newton Hawker Centre and Lau Pa Sat are more expensive. When ordering, tell the hawker your table number and you should get your food within 10-15 minutes.
Opening hours:10am to about 10pm, though the bigger ones like Newton open till about 4am.

Foodcourts - Together with hawker centres, food courts are the people's main eating choice when dining out. They are usually found in shopping malls, and are air-conditioned and thus more expensive. For example,a plate of noodles that cost $3 in a hawker centre may cost $4 in a foodcourt. The choice of food is also more cosmopolitan, with some food courts even offering Italian, Korean, Japanese and Greek cuisine all in the same place. Be warned: at the more popular food courts, you could find people ! waiting behind you for your seat, so if you like to take your time, go during off-peak hours. Unlike hawker centres, you have to carry your own food to your table.
Opening hours: 11am to about 10pm

Fastfood - A favourite with children and teenagers, fast food arrived in Singapore in the late 70s and is today a familiar sight everywhere.There's McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Dunkin' Doughnuts and much much more.
Opening hours: 7am to about 11pm (weekdays); midnight (weekends)

Cafes - A growing favourite with the young working crowd. Designer coffee places like Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Coffee Club have become the "in" places to hang out with friends. Most cafes serve Western food like sandwiches, pizzas and pasta.
Opening hours: 10am to about 11pm (weekdays); midnight (weekends)

Restaurants - These range from the cheaper and more informal, like Spaggedies or La Smorfia (Italian) and Ponderosa (Western) to the decidedly posh and budget busting, like The Pinnacle. Whatever the cuisine, the budget or the occasion, there's definitely more than a few to choose from.
Opening hours: 11am to about 11pm (weekdays); midnight (weekends)