Built up an appetite exploring Singapore’s Chinatown? Tackle your hunger with gusto on Chinatown Food Street!
Chinatown Food Street assembles an eclectic collection of 24 hawker stalls and restaurants. They’re settled in and sprinkled among graceful Chinese merchant houses. For sampling tasty Singaporean food this extraordinary historical setting can’t be beat.
Not sure where to start? Discover the best dishes, street kiosks, and restaurants with this quick & easy Chinatown Food Street guide…
Looking for more great ideas for your Singapore trip? Check out our Singapore Travel Guide for recommendations on when to visit, where to go, what to eat & where to stay!
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What to expect
Chinatown Food Street is officially known as Smith Street. It’s semi-official name, however, is the more fitting of the two.
The street has long been a popular haunt for street food in Singapore. After a recent redevelopment project though, it’s popularity kicked into high-gear.
The re-design of Chinatown Food Street added glass canopies and a cooling system. And, as you may know, anything that shields you from oppressive daytime heat of Singapore is a big win!
The road was also fully-pedestrianized. It’s created a more inviting, spacious, and relaxing atmosphere for an evening meal or drink.
Already been busy eating delicious local cuisine at Singapore’s hawker centres? You’ll have an idea of what awaits at Chinatown Food Street.
Like at the nearby Chinatown Complex Food Centre, you’ll enjoy all the local favourites here. Menus feature popular dishes like satay, BBQ stingray, char kway teow, and roast duck. It’s the perfect setting for enjoying Singapore’s unique interplay of Chinese, Malay, and Indian flavours.
Where & what to eat: The best stalls & dishes
Chinatown Food Street stretches along Smith Street between New Bridge Road and South Bridge Road.
No matter which end of the street you start on, you’ll quickly fid dishes appealing to your tastes.
Here are a few of the best places to eat…
- Boon Tat Street BBQ Seafood (#1/#3): If you’re a fan of seafood, don’t miss the opportunity to devour BBQ stingray while visiting Singapore. This is one of the best places in Chinatown to try it. The succulent stingray here starts at around S$10. It’s a reasonable price considering what formal sit-down restaurants around Singapore would charge.
- Food Street Fried Kway Teow Mee (#8): For me, char kway teow was love at first bite. The dish tosses together silky fried noodles doused in a smoky & savoury sauce with ingredients like cockles and pork. It’s filling and simply magical. And at this popular food stall, it’s budget-friendly, too, at only S$5.
- Old Airport Road Satay Bee Hoon & BBQ Steamboat (#2): It would be a shame to leave Singapore with tasting a juicy skewer of satay. While the satay here is of note, noodle nuts will love this stall’s satay beehoon. The dish combines their homemade spicy satay peanut sauce with thin vermicelli noodles. Prices start at just S$5.
- Geylang Lor 9 Fresh Frog Porridge (#10): Got adventurous eating in your Singapore trip plans? Check out the claypot frog porridge at the Chinatown location of this legendary Geylang hawker stall. Choose between one of the stall’s two specialities. If you’re craving a dash of spice, go for the kung pao. Otherwise, the ginger spring onion is great choice for enjoying sweet & savoury flavours.
- Katong Keah Kee Fried Oysters (#5): The orh lua (Teochew fried oyster omelette) at this popular stall is one of the best in Singapore. Starting at just S$8, the orh lua here are light and fluffy on the inside. It’s also got the right amount of crispy finish on the outside, and is topped with chunky & juicy oysters.
- Tiong Bahru Meng Kee (#7): You don’t need to head over to Beijing to get some of the world’s finest roast duck. Like the parent hawker stall in Tiong Bahru Market, the duck here is perfectly cooked and juicy. Topped with its classic thick sweet sauce, it’s simply divine.
Where to stay
Thanks to the area’s popularity, there are plenty of accommodations options near Chinatown Food Street. Some of the best places to stay in Chinatown include…
- The Southbridge Hotel: One of the best budget picks in Chinatown, this hotel offers simple rooms in a great location. Staying here will put you close to all the top places to visit in the area.
- Oasia Hotel Downtown: Located south of Chinatown in Tanjong Pagar, this 4.5-star hotel is the perfect choice for mid-range travellers. Not only is its exterior an eye-catching architectural masterpiece, the accommodations are stylish. There’s a breadth of superb amenities here including a pool and sun terrace.
- Parkroyal on Pickering: One of the top luxury picks in the city, this 5-star hotel stuns inside and out with its next-level design. There’s a full range of amazing amenities here including a spa and infinity pool with skyline views.
Getting there
Chinatown Food Street is located in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown. The closest MRT station is Chinatown MRT.
From Exit A, walk two blocks south to Smith Street to access the hawker stalls & restaurants.
