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7 Must-Try Singapore Street Noodles in 2025: Sizzling Culinary Bliss
Singapore boasts a lively food landscape that mirrors the diversity of its multicultural populace. It provides culinary journeys that showcase its rich heritage, inviting exploration and appreciation.
In the bustling culinary landscape of this vibrant city, Singapore street noodles are a cherished favorite among both locals and tourists.
If you are looking for Singapore street noodles that are flavorful and robust, you are in the right spot. With the hundreds of different noodle dishes, it is often difficult to pick the right dish while on a trip here.
I am a local foodie, and have most of my meals in Singapore hawker centers and food centers where the street hawkers are now located. I will show you 7 noodle dishes such as Laksa and Chay Kuay Teow that will provide a taste of Singapore’s finest street noodles.
Let’s kick off with the culinary journey that will be the centerpiece of your trip to Singapore. Be adventurous and tingle your taste buds.
Updated 01/Jan/2025
Singapore Street Noodles
Singapore Fried Rice Noodles (Sing Chow Mai Fun)
Singapore rice noodles, also known as Sing Chow Mai Fun, are a delightful dish that represents the fusion of Chinese culinary techniques with local flavors.
It features thin rice noodles (rice vermicelli) stir-fried with eggs, a combination of shrimps, Char Sui (Chinese barbecue pork), and vibrant vegetables like red capsicums, bean sprouts, julienned carrot, and cabbages. It is lightly seasoned with curry powder that gives it a distinctive taste.
The bean sprouts tend to make the dish tastes crunchier and provide a bouncier texture and flavor of rice noodles. This dish is fried with chicken as an option.
Frequently, it is accompanied by a chili sauce crafted from a blend of fresh chili and garlic, which is crushed and then mixed into soy sauce. A slice of lime adds to the fragrant taste.
If you have tried fried rice noodles outside Singapore, you will like the lighter taste of our curry seasoned noodle here, as lesser curry powders are used.
Ramble Travelers Tips: Squeese the lime juice into your plate of noodles. It adds a limey taste to the dish. Ask for more lime if you like that flavor.
Where to eat: Rong Liang Restaurant, Block 725 Clementi West Street 2 #01-190/192. The name of the dish is Xing Zhou Mee Fen. Price S$5/plate
Char Kway Teow
Char Kway Teow is a classic stir-fried noodle dish crafted from flat rice noodles, eggs, cockles, beansprouts, chye sim (mustard greens), and chives. This dish is often enhanced with additional ingredients, such as fishcake, shrimp, or lap cheong (Chinese sausage), creating a rich and flavorful experience.
The noodles are cooked in a large wok over high heat with a generous amount of sweet dark soy sauce and chili paste, giving the disk a slightly sweet flavor. The intense heat seals in a smokey flavor, while keeping the ingredients wonderfully juicy and tender. In Singapore, we called this smokey flavor “Wok Hay”.
The cockles are the last to be added to the wok and quickly scooped out, leaving it slightly raw and shining. The cooked dish is served piping hot garnished with scallions and a one-half of a lime.
This is one dish you have to try. It boasts a rich flavor and texture, making it a beloved local delicacy.
Ramble Travelers Tips: If you prefer your cockles to be thoroughly cooked, simply request the seller to cook them well. They will appreciate your request, as many of us favor the cockles thoroughly cooked.
Where to eat: One of the best Char Kway Teow I have eaten is in Pasir Panjang Foodcourt. Stall No. #01-36, Heng Huat Fried Kway Tiao. Served with lots of Chye Sim (mustard greens) for $5 per plate. Closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday.
Singapore Hokkien Noodles
Singapore Hokkien Mee, or affectionately known as Hokkien Fried Noodle or just plain Hokkien Noodle in Singapore, is a delightful mix of rice noodles and egg noodles, served in a fragrant shrimp broth that has been gently simmered for hours to achieve its rich and hearty taste.
This dish is typically garnished with pork strips, prawns, squid, and fish cake, along with a sprinkle of fried shallots, scallions, and a squeeze of lime juice.
The disk is served with some broth, hence retaining the flavor. You will probably tend to slurp the noodles with the rich broth together for the best taste. Don’t be bashful to slurp. It’s something we all engage in.
Some sambal chili paste is added to the side of the disk. If you like chili, this sambal chili is a perfect match for the noodle. Try it and feel the kick.
Ramble Travelers Tips: For a unique twist, try adding a small dash of black vinegar to your plate of Hokkien noodles. It adds a tangy and slightly sweet flavor that complements the rich savory taste. Some stalls may not have it.
Where to eat: Seng Kee Local Delights at Lau Pa Sat Food Center. Price around $5 per plate.
Singapore Laksa
Singapore Laksa is a spicy noodle soup and a favorite among the local.
Laksa features thick rice noodles in a coconut curry based broth made with dried shrimps, galangal, and chili paste. Some places will use thin vermicelli, egg noodles, or mee tai mak (Rice Pin Noodle or Rat Noodle make of rice flour).
The noodles with beansprouts are cooked and topped with prawns, tau pok (tofu puffs), boiled eggs, and fishcakes. Often a spoonful of sambal chili is served together for that added flavor.
To deliver the final touch to the Singaporean Laksa dish, finely chopped Laksa leaves, an aromatic herb is sprinkled onto the cooked disk, making the taste and flavor truly unique.
Ramble Travelers Tips: Ask for more Laksa leaves for the garnish. You will like it. If you prefer the soup to be tangier, ask for a twist of lime. Taste the Laksa broth before you add in the extra sambal chili, in case it is too fiery for you.
Some vendors may add a few cockles to the dish, which are frequently undercooked. If you’d rather not have cockles in your Laksa, simply let the vendor know.
Special Mention: Laksa is not Curry Noodles. Curry noodles are characterized by their vibrant, spicy broth, enriched with a robust infusion of curry powder, setting this noodle soup apart with its distinctive flavor. This gives the soup a more “reddish” hue and the noodles used are often yellow egg noodles.
Where to eat: 328 Katong Laksa @ 51 East Coast Road
Singapore Bak Chor Mee (Minced Pork Noodles)
Bak Chor Mee is a delectable dish that is loved by many, and it has gained popularity far beyond Singapore. This dish features thin egg noodles tossed in vinegar, minced pork, thin pork slices, fishcake slices, braised mushrooms, and meatballs. Top of with some pieces of dried flatfish.
The tenderness of the minced pork, and the chewiness of the springy noodles all come together to create a satisfying and flavorful experience. The trick to the flavor here is the unique addition of chili paste and black vinegar.
One of the local favorites is the addition of crispy lard pieces. It is an acquired taste. Took me a while before I started to like it. Now I die by it. Try it. I bet you will ask for more.
The noodle is served with a small bowl of rich pork broth on the side.
Ramble Travelers Tips: If you’re feeling bold, ask for extra chili paste and mix it into your noodles for an extra kick of spiciness. Eat like a local, go for the fire!
Where to eat: There are many Bak Chor Mee stalls around Singapore, but one notable and popular one is Tai Hwa Pork Noodle located in Block 466 Crawford Lane. Be prepared to wait in line, as their stall is always bustling with customers. But trust me, the delicious Bak Chor Mee is worth the wait!
Hokkien Hae Mee (Hokkien Prawn Mee Noodle Soup)
Hokkien Hae Mee or Prawn Soup Noodle is a savory and hearty noodle dish that features prawns, pork slices, fish cakes, egg noodles and rice vermicelli (or other type of noodles such as yellow noodles) in a flavorful prawn broth. The dish is then topped with fried shallots, scallions and sambal chili for an added kick of heat.
You can enjoy it either dry, with the soup served separately, or as a soup-based dish. If you prefer a stronger kick of sambal with your noodles, the dry option is the perfect choice for you.
The key to the deliciousness of this dish lies in the broth, which is made by boiling prawn heads and shells for hours to extract every bit of flavor. This results in a rich and flavorful soup that will make your taste buds dance.
For an extra indulgence, some stalls also offer options to add additional toppings, such as fish balls, squids, or even pork ribs. And don’t forget to squeeze a lime over your bowl of Hokkien Hae Mee to elevate the flavors even more.
Ramble Travelers Tips: Many customers will ask for extra soup, even after they have finished the bowl of noodles. For this hearty dish, the soup is the centerpiece. A true Singapore noodles with prawns. Sweet taste and nutritious.
Where to eat: One highly recommended place to try this dish is at Liang Zai Prawn Noodle, 304 Orchard Road (Lucky Food Centre, Lucky Plaza) , B1 #95-101 Singapore 238863. You can opt for the Jumbo Prawn or pork ribs. Price from S$5 to $10.50 per bowl. I am not a jumbo prawn guy, but you will be amazed how huge the jumbo prawns are (photographs above show regular sized prawn). Now, don’t forget to try this SG Prawn Noodle, probably one of the best Prawn Noodle in town !!
Wantan Mee (Dumpling Noodles)
Wantan Mee, also known as Wonton Mee, is a classic Singapore noodle dish, featuring thin egg noodles tossed in dark soy sauce and chili sauce, accompanied with slices of char siu (barbecue pork), and topped with fried wontons (dumplings) filled with seasoned minced pork.
The key to this dish is the perfect balance of the dark soy sauce, which lends a slightly sweet and savory taste to the noodles. Some stalls also offer the option to add vegetables, such as chye sim (mustard greens) or baby bok choy (Chines cabbage) to make it a more balanced meal.
Don’t forget to mix in some chili sauce and pickled green chilies for added flavor. And if you’re feeling adventurous, ask for a side of crispy fried pork lard, a local favorite.
Ramble Travelers Tips: When ordering this dish, you can also choose between “dry” or “soup” versions. The dry version will have the noodles tossed in sauce, and for the soup version, all the noodles and ingredients are served in a flavorful broth.
In my opinion, the dry version tastes much better.
You can also order extra servings of the fried wantans. These crispy dumplings taste good.
Where to eat: For a unique and delicious twist on this classic dish, head over to Eng’s Wantan Noodle located at 287 Tanjong Katong Road. The owner is a third generation hawker who has perfected the recipe for their signature wanton noodles with fiery chili oil sauce. You won’t be disappointed!
Where To Eat
In this guide, I’ve carefully selected dining recommendations for each dish, based on personal experiences where I found the taste and quality to be exceptional. However, I recognize that for tourists, finding these spots could occasionally be difficult.
The good news is that these dishes are available at many of the popular hawker centers or food courts in Singapore. Three of the popular food centers, which are easily accessible by MRT / Buses are:
- Lau Pa Sat @18 Raffles Quay, Singapore
- Maxwel Food Centre @1 Kadayanallur Street
- Amoy Street Food Centre @7 Maxwell Rd
Read more about Hawker Centres in Singapore and Best Hawker Centres in Singapore
Final Thoughts
There you have it, a comprehensive guide to some of the most iconic and must-try street noodle dishes in Singapore. These dishes not only showcase the diversity of flavors in Singapore cuisine but also provide a glimpse into the vibrant and bustling food culture of this city-state.
So next time you visit Singapore, be sure to add these delicious Singapore street noodles to your list of must-eat dishes, and let your taste buds embark on a flavorful journey.
Noodles, noodles everywhere – which one will be your favorite? You’ll never know until you try them all. Keep exploring, keep discovering.
Remember, in Singapore, food is not merely sustenance; it’s a way of life, a topic of conversation, and a bridge to understanding the local ethos. Happy exploring, and may your culinary journeys be as enriching as they are delicious!
See you on the streets of Singapore! Happy Eating !
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of noodle dishes in Singapore, as there are many more delicious choices out there waiting to be discovered. These are just some of our personal favorites and recommendations for travelers looking to experience the best of Singapore’s street food scene.
If you’re craving Singapore hawker delights that go beyond the usual rice and noodle dishes, you’re in luck. Singapore boasts a huge selection of sumptuous cooked dishes without rice or noodles, including the delectable Orh Luak (fried oyster omelette), mouth-watering Satay, flavorful Rojak, and much more.
Explore a wide array of Singapore Desserts to indulge your sweet tooth and perfectly conclude any sumptuous meal.
You can also choose to join a guided food tour and explore the best of Singapore’s UNESCO hawker culture. Click here Singapore Guided Street Food Tour At Night
Getting To Know Singapore Before Your Visit
If this is your inaugural visit to Singapore, ensure you peruse these two articles to familiarize yourself with the city-state and maximize your experience during your trip.
If you’re in Singapore for a short stay, let me guide you. Our guide showcases top spots and hidden gems, blending iconic sights with local culture. Enjoy tips for seamless navigation, finding delicious food, and must-try experiences. Make the most of your memorable two-day tour. As a local, I’m thrilled to share my top picks for an unforgettable two days in Singapore.
Click here Your Singapore in 2 Days: Itinerary For An Unforgettable Trip in 2024 to start planning your trip today!
FAQ
Are bee hoon and vermicelli the same?
Yes. They are the same. Rice Vermicelli is called Bee Hoon in Singapore.
What is Singapore noodles?
Singapore noodles refer to Rice Vermicelli, or otherwise called Bee Hoon. Many also call it Singapore rice noodles.
Why are Hokkien noodles yellow?
Hokkien noodles, made from wheat flour, are a type of fresh wheat noodles known for their robust, chewy texture and distinctive yellow hue, achieved through the use of alkalizing agents.
What is Laksa Leaf?
Laksa (Persicaria odorata), also known as Laksa Leaf or Vietnamese Coriander, is a fragrant herb pivotal in flavoring soups. It stands as the quintessential spice in the dish that shares its name.
