There's a running joke about how eating is a favorite national pastime in Singapore. Personally, I think it's funny because it's true: Singaporeans are absolutely in love with food. My friends and I are constantly checking out new restaurants, cafés, bars, and hawker centers, and we're willing to stand in long lines and wait (queuing is our second-favorite pastime).
The culinary scene in Singapore is interesting because so many different ethnic groups call the city home. On top of modern restaurants dishing out global plates, we also have beloved hawker centers — open-air complexes that house rows of stalls selling local creations at wallet-friendly prices — making the island-state a paradise to every gastronome out there. As a former food writer and full-time foodie, I still go out of my way to hunt down the best of the best. Here are my picks for visitors who want a little bit of everything.