Singapore is an easy country to overlook when planning a visit to this region. It may seem too small, too expensive, or even boring compared to its larger neighbours, but surprises await if you know where to look. There are some things that you can only find in Singapore because of its unique environment, culture, and history. Here’s a list of our favourite Singapore experiences.
Have a Singaporean breakfast any time you want
Here’s a breakfast you just can’t find anywhere else in the world. Two pieces of bread toasted on a grill then covered with a thin layer of coconut spread called kaya and a small piece of butter. Two runny half-boiled eggs that you crack into a little saucer, then top it off with as much or as little dark soya sauce and pepper as you prefer and eat with a little teaspoon. Wash that all down with your choice of kopi (coffee), teh (tea), or milo. There are entire F&B chains such as Ya Kun and Toast Box devoted just to serving this breakfast set all day long.
Eat Michelin Star food for cheap in a hawker centre
Singapore is the first place where a street food stall has been awarded the coveted Michelin Star, and there are several other hawker stalls who have since also received Bib Gourmand awards. It’s always easy to tell which stalls have these awards by the never-ending long queues that snake through the hawker centres they are located in. Be prepared to queue if you want quality food for cheap.
Drink a dinosaur
There is an entire local lingo to learn when it comes to ordering drinks in Singapore. Pop into your local coffee shop or kopitiam and listen closely to what the drinks servers shout out when they take your order. In Singapore, coffee is ‘kopi’, tea is ‘teh’, and you can order it ‘gao’ (thick), ‘siew dai’ (less sugar), or ‘O’ (no milk). A ‘tak giu’ (literally ‘kick ball’) refers to Milo, a chocolate malt drink that usually has a soccer player on its packaging. Milo Dinosaur, on the other hand, has an extra decadent layer of Milo powder on top. A ‘Michael Jackson’ is a black and white drink that’s a mix of dark grass jelly chin chow and white soy bean milk, while old men love ‘diao yu’ – fishing, which is what you look like when you jiggle the tea bag in a glass mug.
Eat an actual ice cream sandwich with bread
Skip the fancy gourmet brands – Singaporeans love the simple ice cream carts that you can find at busy street corners or near traffic light junctions. Often run by an older uncle or auntie, a slab of your preferred flavour of ice cream is cut from a block for you and sandwiched between traditional rainbow coloured bread or crispy wafer. There’s chocolate and vanilla, but more local tastes like durian and sweet corn are available as well. Down it quickly before it melts. It only costs S$1 – S$1.50, a fraction of what your fancy ice cream costs these days.
Eat chilli with just about everything
Whenver you order food in Singapore, you’re likely to get one simple question: chilli? Chilli in Singapore comes in many different forms depending on what type of food you are eating. Common are the bright orange garlicky paste that goes with chicken rice, freshly sliced little red or green chillies in soy sauce, or a thick belachan shrimp paste. It’s quite common to add a little (or a lot) chilli sauce to whatever food you order, and hawker stalls usually have a condiment section at the front where you can help yourself to as much as you need. Note that you rarely need to pay for extra sauce in Singapore.
Reserve your seat with a tissue packet
If you are in a crowded hawker centre and see a table with no one but tissue packets neatly placed on the chairs or table, that means the seats are taken. This practice is called ‘Chope-ing’ and is commonly used in very busy hawker centres and food courts to allow everyone at the table to get their own food in the quickest amount of time. This saves them the trouble of leaving one person to wait for someone to come back before they could get their own food. The practice is a bit controversial as some people think it’s rude, so they just sit down anyway. Others think it’s practical, especially when you have a limited lunch hour.
Have a ‘Western’ meal
You can get just about any Asian cuisine from a hawker centre, but one curiosity to visitors is often the Western food stall. ‘Western food’ isn’t an actual category of food anywhere else in the world, but in Singapore that means they are likely to serve things like chicken chop, beef steak, and pork cutlet. And instead of rice it comes with sides of french fries, coleslaw, and baked beans. Other common items you might find at a Western food stall are spaghetti, fish and chips, and mushroom soup.
Get called ‘uncle’ or ‘auntie’ by perfect strangers
In Singapore, someone older than you is usually referred to as uncle or auntie in informal conversations, whether or not you are related to that person. Children are often told to use it to refer to their parents’ friends, or for adults, when someone is obviously older than you are. It is usually used in a respectful manner, so don’t get offended if someone calls you that. It can have a connotation of being frumpy or out of touch with the modern generation depending on how the word is used. So if in doubt, just always assume someone is younger than they are to be polite.
Enjoy that famous rooftop pool view
Only hotel guests are allowed to use that famous infinity swimming pool 57 storeys up on the roof of Marina Bay Sands, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying to sneak up. The next best thing is to buy a ticket to the Sands Skypark Observation Deck or have a drink at the Restaurants and Bars up there, where you can still enjoy that spectacular view, just without the pool.
Go midnight shopping at Mustafa
If jet lag hits you hard and you’re up at an odd time at night, head down to Mustafa Shopping Centre in Little India to do a little midnight shopping with other night owls. This is a 24-hour shopping centre that sells just about anything you need. It’s one way to avoid the crowds and is quite a local Singaporean experience.
Experience the weird at Haw Par Villa
Haw Par Villa was built by the rich brothers who created the Tiger Balm brand, and at one point was quite a successful theme park in Singapore before being slowly forgotten and ending up a rather derelict shell of its former self. It is known for its many statues and life-size dioramas that depict Buddhist ethics and values. Some of these are just downright strange in today’s context (look out for the Statue of Liberty) but it’s an interesting place to see an alternative side of Singapore.
Wander around in flipflops and shorts without judgement
With the weather as hot and humid as it is in Singapore, outfits tend to be a bit more informal. Typical beachwear like singlets, shorts, and flipflops are commonly worn by locals even while walking around shopping malls or hanging out with friends. Some people think Singaporeans are sloppy, others feel it’s just a practical response to the unforgiving weather. But unless you’re headed somewhere with a dress code or dressing to impress, most people aren’t too fussed about what you choose to wear.