Singapore is known for itz buzzy food scene. Singaporeans live to eat so it's no surprise there are many different options for the most important meal of the day! Here are the best Singapore breakfasts, as recommended by a local (me.)
One thing to note is that Singaporeans, like most Asians, are big fans of savory breakfasts so you may be surprised by how hearty some of our breakfast foods are. (To learn to cook some of these dishes, check out these Singapore cooking classes.)
Here's what we eat in the morning in the little red dot:
Sweet
Traditional Kaya Toast
Skip the peanut butter and go for crispy kaya toast instead, 1 of Singapore's most beloved street foods.
An affordable everyday Singapore breakfast, this traditional and popular Singaporean breakfast consists of fluffy white bread which is toasted and spread with kaya and thick slabs of salted butter. The kaya is coconut jam made from coconut milk, eggs, yolks, sugar and aromatic pandan leaves.
Kaya toast is found in almost all coffee shops (kopitiams), hawker centres, food courts and cafe chains. It is sometimes served as a set with soft-boiled eggs and kopi (Singaporean coffee).
Where to go: A popular place for this is Chin Mee Chin confectionery or Heap Seng Leong. (Heap Seng Leong is located next to the only Michelin-starred hawker stall in Singapore, so you could combine the 2. The coffee here is very rich as it's serve with a slab of butter in it!)
Tip: if you enjoy this local coconut jam spread, you can buy it in sachets or glass jars to bring home.
Savory
Bak Kut Teh
This garlicky pork soup and rice was a common breakfast dish in Singapore a few decades ago. These days, it's more popular as lunch or dinner but I'm still including it on the lsit envertheless!
Tip: don't forget to have it with dark soya sauce and fried dough fritters!
You can also buy packets of the spices for this soup so you can cook it at home (you just need to add water, pork ribs, and garlic.)
Soft Boiled Eggs
Soft-boiled eggs are very runny eggs- some tourists are concerned about salmonella when they see the runny yolks. However, I've never heard of a Singaporean who has gotten salmonella from half-boiled eggs, and we've eaten it since we were kids.
Don't forget to season the eggs with some dark soy sauce or white pepper for the best flavor.
This is a very popular breakfast dish in kopitiams and hawker centres.
A great spot for this is at a Ya Kun or Killiney cafe, which is found all over Singapore.
Chee Cheong Fun
This Chinese dim sum dish is made from steamed rice noodle rolls- it can be plain or stuffed with char siew (barbecued pork), shrimps or you tiao (dough fritters), then flavoured with soy sauce or hoisin sauce with sprinkles of sesame seeds on top.
ou can find it at both a hawker stall or fancy restaurants in Singapore
Chwee Kueh
This traditional snack was popularized by Chinese immigrants.
It is made from steamed rice cakes. When translated, it means water rice cakes as the rice flour and water are steamed in small metal bowls. This small cake-shaped breakfast treat is topped with chye poh (shredded preserved radish) and fried garlic and comes with chili paste. This combination of ingredients makes it savoury and sweet.
Soon Kueh
Soon Kueh is a popular Teochew snack.
It is a steamed dumpling filled with traditional stuffings of shredded bamboo shoots, turnip and dried shrimps, wrapped in smooth chewy skin. The dried shrimps add a savoury and umami flavour to the filling.
The rice flour makes the skin soft and chewy whilst the tapioca flour adds to the smoothness and elasticity of the skin. The ingredients are stir-fried with a mixture of oyster sauce, light soy sauce, salt, sugar and pepper.
The filling is then wrapped in the rice and tapioca flour skin and steamed. This dish is best enjoyed with sweet soy sauce and chili paste.
Chai Tow Kway (Fried Carrot Cake)
Despite its name, there are no carrots in this dish. Radish (the Chinese name is translated as white carrot) is used instead, mixed with rice flour, steamed, and then pan fried with eggs, garlic, preserved radish, soy sauce and chilli paste, if preferred.
There are 2 versions of this dish:
- black (with dark soy sauce)
- white
Both are delicious!
Roti Prata
Roti Prata is a soft and crispy flatbread that originated in India but is very popular in Singapore and Malaysia today.
It is made from a dough of flour, water, ghee and salt and is found in coffee shops and hawker centres.
It can be eaten plain with sugar on top or as cooked with egg (original version).
However, there are various versions now. It comes with side dishes: Dahl curry, chicken curry or cheese.
Congee
Congee is a staple Chinese breakfast dish. It is a rice porridge that is cooked with garlic, ginger and comes with various toppings like century egg, slices of fish, pork or chicken and you tiao (fried dough fritters).
As it is easily digestible, it is known as a comfort dish and is popular as a meal for the sick or people with an upset stomach.
Economic Bee Hoon
Economic bee hoon is a simple dish consisting of stir fried thin rice vermicelli cooked with soy sauce and garlic.
As is, it's usually 1 of the cheapest dishes at a hawker centre. However, you can also pay to top it with fish cakes, luncheon meat, fried eggs, fried chicken, bean sprouts or tofu.
Nasi Lemak
Another hearty meal to start the day, Nasi Lemak is a traditional Malay dish.
It is made of fragrant coconut rice cooked in coconut milk (sometimes pandan leaves) topped with sambal, anchovies, peanuts, sliced cucumber, fried chicken wing, and a hard-boiled egg. The fragrant rice may also be served with additional sides of curry chicken or beef rendang (which will increase the cost.)
Drinks
Soya Bean Milk
In Singapore, you can get soy milk freely made from soya beans and served hot or cold, so don't settle for the bottled stuff!
Tip: there are a few types in Singpaore. You can add grass jelly, or ask to have it without sugar at dedicated soya milk shops.
Kopi
“Kopi”, the Singaporean name for coffee, is a very popular traditional drink in Singapore. It is dark, full bodied brew and aromatic. In a traditional stall, you'll see it made with a coffee sock!
There are many variations of this beverage:
- “Kopi O”: black coffee with sugar (no milk)
- “Kopi O Kosong”: black coffee (no sugar, no milk)
- “Kopi Peng”: with ice
- “Kopi C”: coffee with evaporated milk and sugar
- “Kopi C Kosong”: kopi C with evaporated milk, no sugar
- "Kopi Gau": Thicker coffee
Teh
Teh, which is the Singaporean word for tea, is another popular drink (at all times of the day.)
My favorite is Teh Tarik, which is a sweet and rich tea. Like Coffee/ kopi, you can also find other types of Teh, such as:
- Teh O Kosong: no milk, no sugar
- Teh Peng: with ice
- Teh Halia: with ginger
Any questions about what Singaporeans eat for breakfast? Let me know in the comments!
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