Going out for dinner is one of the most popular pastimes in Singapore. Food is a constant topic of conversation among Singaporeans who like to comment on the food they have eaten and the restaurants they visited, and that is no surprise really, as the tiny country is a gastronome's paradise and its restaurants offer a wide variety of cooking styles, flavors and aromas...
As a matter of fact, there are not too many places on earth where you can find such a choice of excellent restaurants, giving such good value for money.
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The secret of Singaporean cuisine lies, first and foremost, in the country's ethnic diversity. Each of the ethnic groups brought its own styles and flavors to the small island and, along the years, the groups started to mingle with each other, creating new and exciting dishes that eventually formed a unique, distinctive Singaporean cuisine... Add to this an immense variety of fish and seafood that can be found in the waters around Singapore, and the great variety of unique food products that pass through this prosperous trading point, and there you got the best formula for a fantastic culinary variation.
Food in Singapore is heavily influenced by Malaysian, Chinese, Indian (especially southern Indian) and Indonesian traditions ... European and British influence can also be found, as Singapore was under British rule for more than 150 years.
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A touch of "old English charm" right in the tropics...
After being under the British flag for more than 150 years, it is only natural that the Singaporean cuisine will have some British-English influence... As a matter of fact, it can be said that High Tea in Singapore's classiest hotels is almost more English than it is in England herself...
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The city is home to thousands of restaurants that offer a plethora of styles, tastes and aromas... From simple Hawker-centre-stalls that cook fabulous traditional dishes, to world class establishments that host the jet set. Singapore's cuisine provides an unlimited variety in every class.
Most of the prepared food bought outside home is eaten at Hawker centres or Food courts, rather than at actual restaurants. These hawker centres are relatively abundant, which means that prices are on the low side, while variety and quality are high...
Alongside the Singaporean cuisine, China's various cuisines (Cantonese in particular), are pretty much dominating Singapore's culinary scene. And that is no surprise, as more than 75% of all Singaporeans are of Chinese descendant.
You can also find many restaurants that specialize in Southeast Asia's cuisines, such as the Peranakan (Nonya) cuisine, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese. Other Far East cuisines, such as Japanese and Korean are also very popular and, obviously, the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent have a strong presence as well, thanks to Singapore's large Indian community.
European and Western cuisines made it big in Singapore. The city's connoisseurs, together with travelers and businessmen from all over the world, created a healthy demand that resulted in the establishment of numerous world-class international restaurants... From American grills and steakhouses to French bistros, Italian restaurants and sophisticated Fusion and Nouvelle cuisine establishments.
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