Singapore's TidbiTs

For people staying in the east, particularly at or near Tampines east, Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats Block 201 also known as Tampines N2 Shopping Street is impressive with its varied offerings. especially food. While not visually stunning, it is after all a typical housing estate, it is a bustling neighbourhood with blocks and the blocks stretching from Block 201C to Block 201E, is a feast to behold with its eateries. Starting with Afghanistan Restaurant located along Tampines Street 23 at Block 201E and just across Tampines East Community Centre (CC), this busy coffeeshop style restaurant with 10 stalls attract morning breakfast goers with its delicious local offerings such as kacang phool , mee soto , nasi lemak and the many kueh or snacks. The kacang phool shown below complete with baguette and a cup coffee is $7. Perfect for breakfast. Tampines N2 Shopping Street At Block 201D at Tampines St. 21, there is a restaurant popular for its briyani, roti prata and murtabak c...

Two of Singapore's most beloved noodle dishes — mee rebus and mee siam — sit side by side on hawker stall menus across the island. One is thick, sweet, and hearty; the other tangy, spicy, and light. Both are affordable, deeply satisfying, and quintessentially Singaporean. Here is everything you need to know about these two classics, from what goes into the gravy to where to find the best bowls. 📋 Quick Facts Mee Rebus "Boiled noodles" — thick yellow noodles in sweet-spicy gravy Mee Siam "Siamese noodles" — thin rice vermicelli in tangy, sour gravy Origin Malay & Peranakan (Straits Chinese) Typical price (2026) $3.50 – $5.50 at hawker centres; $7+ with satay or at cafés Where to find Virtually every hawker centre and food court in Singapore 🍜 Mee Rebus: The Hearty Classic Literally "boiled noodles" — mee being the Hokkien word for noodles and rebus the Malay word for boiled — mee rebus is a delicious d...

The kaya toast set is Singapore's quintessential breakfast: two slices of crisp toast slathered with coconut jam and cold butter, a pair of wobbly half-boiled eggs drizzled with dark soy sauce and white pepper, and a cup of thick, fragrant kopi or teh . It is comfort food at its simplest and best — eaten in kopitiams (local coffee shops) from dawn till dusk, and increasingly recognised around the world. So iconic are these dishes that "kaya toast" and "half-boiled eggs" have both made their way into the Oxford English Dictionary . 📋 Quick Facts What it is Toasted bread + kaya jam + butter + half-boiled eggs + kopi/teh Origin Hainanese kopitiams in colonial Singapore Price (2025–2026) $2.50 (school canteen) – $6.30 (Ya Kun) – $7.40+ (Toast Box, tourist areas) Best time to eat Breakfast, but served all day at most chains Where to find Kopitiams, hawker centres, food courts, and chain cafés islandwide 🥥 What Is Kaya? ...

Barbequed marinated or seasoned meat on stick that some may likened like kebab. Meat is usually mutton , beef or chicken. Less common ones are babat (beef tripe) or prawn. Satay dipped in peanut sauce. Eaten with ketupat or rice cubes and slices of cucumbers and onions. The ketupat rice cubes (shaped like squarish cubes as can be seen in the below photo) are not glutinous rice but rice cakes packed traditionally in diamond-shaped woven palm leaf pouch then cut into rice cubes. The ketupat taste is similar to rice cakes in gado-gado , soto ayam or lontong . Thought to be originally from Indonesia, satay is commonly found in South-East countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and of course Singapore. You can find satay in most hawker or food centres and they are usually sold by the Malays. (L-R) Beef, chicken, mutton and babat (tripe) satay My favourite satay meat is mutton. Some may not like the smell of mutton, but I love mutton satay! When you put the meat, rice cube, cucumber ...

Popiah or spring roll. It can be the whitish wet version or the brownish deep-fried ones. These spring rolls are popular local delicacies. The ingredients can include but not limited to eggs, prawns, turnip, carrots, peanuts, lettuce, parsley, garlic, bean sprout, sweet sauce, chilli paste (the quantity of chilli paste depends on the spiciness that you want it to be) that are wrapped in popiah skin which is paper thin wheat flour to hold all or some of these ingredients! Many people think it is the skin that makes or break a popiah. And the filling of vegetables, seafood, eggs and chilli, which is optional, need to be well-drained before being tightly rolled or wrapped. The popiah still need to be moist but not soggy. Some vendors will add a dash of crushed peanut bits to make it crispy. Kway Guan Huat Popiah at Joo Chiat You can get popiah at most hawker or food centres . The popiah can be the deep-fried version or the wet types, depending on personal preference. You can get a wet ty...

Pasar malam — the Malay term for "night market" — is a quintessential Singaporean experience. These temporary, open-air bazaars pop up in neighbourhoods across the island, filling the evening air with the sizzle of deep-fried snacks, the aroma of grilled meats, and the buzz of bargain hunters. Whether you are after a quick dinner, a late-night sugar fix, or a cheap phone cable, the pasar malam delivers. 📋 Quick Facts Meaning Pasar = market, malam = night (Malay) Type Temporary / pop-up outdoor market Typical hours 12pm – 10pm (varies by location) Entry fee Free Payment Cash preferred; some stalls accept PayNow Best time to go Weekday evenings (6–8pm) to avoid crowds 📖 What Is a Pasar Malam? Pasar malam literally means "night market" in Malay — pasar being market and malam being night. In the old days, these markets operated only in the evenings when the tropical heat had subsided. Today, many open as early as mi...