The Ultimate Guide to Local Breakfast in Singapore

From Nasi Lemak, to Roti Prata and Kaya Toast, here’s a list of our favourite spots for the best local breakfast in Singapore

Your mama was right: breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. Not only does it get your metabolism going, but it can also give you a serious boost to carry you right through your crazy mornings. The Americans have their Eggs Benedict, the Parisians their baguette; we Asians have our own signature morning meals, too. These delish treats are bound to start any day on the right foot. Dig in!

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery for Kaya Toast
To any old passerby, the powder blue exterior, tiled walls and rickety wooden chairs are just regular parts and furnishings of an old bakery. But to those in the know, this nostalgic East Coast bakery has been an institution for generations of families to get their dose of coffee and fluffy kaya buns. All the bakes, pastries and kaya at Chin Mee Chin are made in-house; as soon as you get within five metres of CMC, the waft of delicious kaya greets you. Order their signature buns, slightly toasted with a nice dollop of butter with black coffee, and find a cosy spot to relish your simple, quintessentially Singaporean breakfast.

 Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, 204 East Coast Road, Singapore 428903, (+65) 6354 0419

Selera Rasa for Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak is like the Asian version of Bacon and Eggs. There are carbohydrates, protein and the works all loaded onto a plate to give you that morning boost to get through the first part of your day. A set comes served with fragrant coconut rice, a crispy chicken wing or fish, an egg, some cucumber and peanuts with a dollop of sambal; there are many strong contenders for cooking up a mean Nasi Lemak but our money is on Selera Rasa’s iteration at Adam Road. Using Basmati Rice (not many places use Basmati Rice for Nasi Lemak), the light texture and flavour of coconut is enhanced, and when paired with their homemade sambal and sambal cuttlefish (optional) – it’s super shiok! We even heard from a little bird that the Sultan of Brunei loves the Nasi Lemak here. Well, if Selera Rasa’s Nasi Lemak is good enough for royalty, it sure is good enough for us, too!

Selera Rasa, 2 Adam Road, Singapore 289876, (+65) 9843 4509, www.selerarasa.com

Sin Ming Roti Prata for Roti Prata
Perhaps one of the most versatile recipes around, Roti Prata (Roti means bread and prata means flat) is an Indian bread that’s tossed around (no kidding!) and cooked over a flat grill. Inexpensive, fuss-free and delicious, Roti Prata is best served with a side of fish curry but also works well with other dips such as chicken curry or sugar, and even tastes amazing on its own. Because the dough of the Roti Prata at Sin Ming is made in-house, the texture of the bread is soft on the inside and crispy on the outside and is not overly oily. Order a glass of teh tarik (pulled tea) to complete your meal!

Sin Ming Roti Prata, Blk 24, #01-51 Sin Ming Road, Singapore 570024, (+65) 6453 3893

Rochor Original Beancurd for Youtiao and Soya Bean
Warm your tummies with some hot soya bean milk and dunk that crispy youtiao into your soy pudding while you’re at it! That’s how we like our youtiao and soy bean drink and pudding! The beancurd is fresh and its texture is very creamy and smooth, and you can choose to have it warm or cold with your preferred dose of sugar syrup. The youtiao (flour frittter), on the other hand, is a tasty treat on its own. While it seems like the perfect accompaniment to your drink, do give the other fried dough-y items a try, like butterfly buns or egg tarts.

Rochor Original Beancurd, 2 Short Street, Singapore 188211, (+65) 6741 7358, www.facebook.com/pages/Rochor-Original-Beancurd

Bedok Shui Guo for Chwee Kwai
Another popular staple among Singaporeans is chwee kwai; rice cakes topped off with fried radish. A must-eat for people who dine at Bedok Interchange’s hawker centre, Bedok Shui Guo is known to serve one of the cheapest-priced chwee kwai‘s in Singers and is dubbed to be the best in the east with its uber soft rice cakes. The friendly store owners cook up a mean fried radish and are happy to oblige your request for more chye poh, despite its low price.

Bedok Shui Guo, Blk 207, New Upper Changi Road, #01-53, Singapore 460207

Fhoul Madinah Istimewa for Kacang Pool
A simple Mediterranean stew, kacang pool is made from boiled broad beans — and that’s it! Topped off with a runny egg sunny side up, green chillies and diced onions, the homemade recipe hailing from Hadramaut is Fhoul Madinah Istimewa’s specialty as they literally only serve fhoul, fhoul and more fhoul. Tuck into your warm plate of kacang pool with a slice of baguette and smear your bread with the beans. The hint of green chillies and onions will remind you of tangy mexican salsa.

Fhoul Madinah Istimewa, 1 Geylang Serai, #02-114, Singapore 402001

Chey Sua Carrot Cake for Fried Carrot Cake
Famously known as one of the best carrot cake stalls in Singapore, Chey Sua Carrot Cake has even been invited to Sydney for Singapore Day! The humble carrot cake dish is essentially fried rice cake with black sauce (optional), plus radishes and egg. The version at Chey Sua is made up of tiny pieces of rice cakes in small aluminium bowls, fried to perfection with dried turnips on the side.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake, Blk 127, Toa Payoh Food Centre, #02-30, Singapore 311125, (+65) 9816 9412

Anandha Bhavan for Thosai
Thosai is the pretty sister of roti prata. Beneath her thin veneer of tanned crispy skin lies a generous mixture of ground lentils and rice flour. As the oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant in Singapore, Anandha Bhavan is the spot to hit for this South Indian and Sri Lankan dish. The pastry is crispy and soft at the same time, and rolled into a delicate and delicious map. Served with three dipping sauces: chilli, coconut chutney and sambar, the thosai is an understated beauty that delights many.

Anandha Bhavan, 95 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore 207671, www.anandabhavan.com

No Name Teh Sarabat Stall for Teh Tarik & Roti Kahwin
Yes, this stall literally has no name but it’s a favourite spot of many who love teh tarik (pulled tea with milk) and roti kahwin. The hole-in-the-wall stall is hard to miss in the busy area of Kampung Glam with its blue exterior, not to mention its iconic elderly owner with his long white beard. Roti Kahwin is literally translated to ‘Marriage Bread’, which is essentially a combination of two slices of bread that sandwiches kaya and butter. A taste of the hot piping tea and bread for breakfast is all that one needs in the morning. Comfort food at its best!

No Name Teh Sarabat Stall, 21 Baghdad Street, Singapore 199660

Home-Make Pau Specialist for Buns
Steamed buns and pastries for breakfast? Yes, please! Home-Make Pau Specialist makes adorable and tasty bite-sized buns that are great if you’re in a hurry and need to just grab a little something on the go. Classic favourites are the barbecued pork, lotus paste and red bean paste. There are also mini coffee buns for those who can’t live without their coffee! Other dishes that get the love here are the siew mai, lor mai kai (glutinous rice with chicken) and fan choy (rice with meat and vegetables).

Home-Make Pau Specialist, 34 Cassia Crescent, #01-86, Singapore 390034, (+65) 8115 2747

Once you’ve made it to these iconic Singapore eating spots, mama, make sure to commemorate your meal and give us a shoutout on @Instagram with the hashtag #SassyMamaEats!