Singapore: Hands-on Cooking Class with Cultural Immersion
Dive deep into Singapore's food culture and enjoy a hands-on experience cooking up family recipes passed down through generations.
Symmetry is a modern australian restaurant in Kampong Glam, Singapore.
Editorially verified May 28, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: ['Truffle eggs', 'Grain bowl', 'Mushroom toast']
Tip: Dog-friendly terrace makes this a favourite for expat brunches on weekday mornings when it is quieter than weekends.
Dive deep into Singapore's food culture and enjoy a hands-on experience cooking up family recipes passed down through generations.
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Address: 9 Jalan Kubor, #01-01, Singapore 199206
A Dempsey institution since the 1960s, Samy's Curry serves banana-leaf spreads of fish head curry, masala chicken and free-flow biryani in a breezy colonial dining room. The spice blends trace back to founder Mr M. Veerasamy and have barely changed since the founding generation. Loved equally by office workers, families and visiting chefs.
Order: ['Fish head curry', 'Masala chicken', 'Mysore mutton']
Tip: The S$4.50 rice set gets you free-flow white rice, papadum, vegetables and curry. Arrive before 1pm on weekday lunches to avoid the queue.
New Ubin Seafood began on the island of Pulau Ubin as a kelong restaurant; this CHIJMES incarnation brings its zi char-meets-modern-kitchen philosophy to a striking Gothic Revival building. The US Black Angus rib eye with heart attack fried rice and the Hokkien mee are the non-negotiables.
Order: ['Heart attack fried rice', 'US Black Angus rib eye', 'Hokkien mee']
Tip: Open until 1am, making it one of the more civilised late-night dining options in the city centre. The Gothic courtyard at CHIJMES is beautiful at night.
A Michelin Bib Gourmand zi char kitchen that has been operating since the 1970s and once fed Anthony Bourdain. The Bukit Merah dining room is loud, fluorescent and wholly unpretentious. Order the cereal butter prawns, claypot ee fu noodles and baby kailan with preserved egg for a table that will not stop talking about the food.
Order: ['Cereal butter prawns', 'Claypot ee fu noodles', 'Baby kailan with preserved egg']
Tip: Open for lunch and dinner daily. Weekday lunches are slightly calmer but expect a wait at dinner on weekends. No reservations for walk-in groups under 8.
A 12-seat counter in a quiet Serangoon residential neighbourhood where chef Gan Ming Kiat reimagines Singapore's national dishes through a Japanese omakase lens. The 8-course menu changes every two months, turning laksa, rojak and chilli crab into something both familiar and surprising. One of the hardest reservations in Singapore.
Order: ['8-course omakase (full menu)', 'Laksa course', 'Singapore sling dessert']
Tip: Reservations open on the 1st of each month at 10am for the following month and sell out in minutes. Single-diner spots available on select days.
Chef Ivan Brehm's 'crossroads cooking' draws maps of ingredient migration and cultural exchange across a single tasting menu. The Amoy Street dining room is calm and precise; the food is intellectually ambitious without being cold. Ranked 64 in Asia and holding a Michelin star, Nouri is the city's most thought-provoking dinner.
Order: ['Crossroads tasting menu', 'Bread with cultured butter', 'Any fermented course']
Tip: Book the chef's counter seat for the most engaging evening. Lunch is available Wednesday to Sunday and offers slightly better value.
The Balestier Road flagship of Singapore's most acclaimed chicken rice chain, Michelin Bib Gourmand recognised. The bird is silky-poached and served at room temperature with three dipping sauces; the zi char side menu of steamed fish and vegetables is equally strong. Open since 1983 and the standard to which other chicken rice is compared.
Order: ['Hainanese chicken rice', 'Steamed fish with ginger', 'Kai lan with oyster sauce']
Tip: The lunch hour between 12pm and 1.30pm gets very busy on weekdays. Order a large whole chicken for groups. Bib Gourmand recognised since 2025.