Comprised of a blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian influences, the culinary world in Singapore has plenty to offer. From spicy rice dishes to flavourful noodle soups, here are the best Singaporean dishes to try.

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Hainanese Chicken Rice

This is one of the national dishes of Singapore and is a must-try when visiting the nation. It is made of steamed fluffy rice served with poached chicken, minced garlic, cucumber, dark sauce and chilli sauce.

Chilli Crab

This is yet another representative dish of Singapore featuring hard-shelled crabs cooked in gravy with a tomato chilli base. When prepared the crab is partially cracked and cooked in a combination of chilli sauce, eggs and ketchup. The dish is usually served with bread for soaking up the gravy and is best enjoyed using one’s hands.

Cendol

This is an iced dessert that serves a mixture of ingredients including coconut milk, palm sugar, green rice flour jelly, sweet corn and red bean. After it was named among the top 50 dishes in the world, Cendol has grown to be a popular dessert.

Char Kway Teow

This is a popular street food found in most hawker centres. It consists of rice noodles fried in black soya sauce with bean sprouts, clams, Chinese sausage and fish cakes. There are many variants of the dish and diners may never receive the same dish across multiple food stalls.

Hokkien Mee

This is another local hawker favourite that typically serves yellow noodles and rice vermicelli with slices of squid, prawn, pork lard, pork belly and egg. It is often served with sambal sauce and lime for an added citrus flavour.

Claypot Rice

This is a traditional Chinese dish which requires the rice to be cooked directly in the clay pot along with several other ingredients. In some instances, the dish is prepared over a charcoal fire that gives it a unique distinctive flavour. Claypot rice can be found in several stalls and some of the best restaurants in Singapore that serve Asian-based culinary dishes like the Entrepôt.

Bak Kut Teh

Also known as Pork Rib Soup, this is one of Singapore’s iconic dishes that has three varieties. One features a dark soy sauce and Hokkien soup base, the other is of a Teochew style with pepper and garlic, and the third is of the less commonly found herbal Cantonese style. Bak Kut Teh is often served with steamed rice.