Malay food is bold, spicy, and aromatic, mixing the complex flavors of Southeast Asia’s many plants and spices. It is one of Malaysia’s three major cuisines, along with Chinese and Indian cuisines, and it never ceases to wow visitors with its extraordinary variety and flavors.
Thus, it is frequently consumed with the hands. There are no tools required. Diners scoop mouthfuls of rice mixed with curries, veggies, or meat onto their hands, then ladle it into their mouths with the backs of their thumbs. Keeping the rice from escaping through the fingers is an art that can be mastered with enough effort.
Furthermore, Malay food is a vital piece of Singapore’s cultural history. These foods are not only tasty, but they are also reasonably priced. Because of the great variety, you’ll be spoilt for choice! To assist you, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best Malay restaurants in Singapore, all of which you will not be sorry to try and visit.
Top 10 best Malay Restaurants in Singapore
Hjh Maimunah Restaurant & Catering Pte Ltd
Hjh Maimunah Restaurant & Catering Pte Ltd genuinely embodies the essence of Malay cuisine. They offer meal catering services tailored to your needs in addition to servicing crowds of hungry diners at its four locations.
Hjh Maimunah, pronounced ‘Hajah,’ is a 5-minute walk from the landmark Sultan Mosque, and visitors to Singapore should explore the culturally rich and colorful Kampong Glam neighbourhood while they are here.
Hjh Maimunah is a casual Nasi Padang restaurant that serves more than 40 dishes.
For those who are unfamiliar, Nasi Padang is steamed rice served with a variety of pre-cooked foods, generally displayed in a window with rows of stacked food.
In a Nasi Padang restaurant, there are often two methods of serving: ‘pesan’ (ordering) and ‘hidang’ (service).
Customers are frequently surprised by the large menu of Nasi Padang meals. Choosing just a few selections from a sea of colors and fragrances is a difficult task.
If you’re still hesitant, the Beef Rendang and Sambal Goreng are must-tries. Tauhu Telur is another one of their signature meals.
They have a large assortment of traditional Malay desserts and pastries in addition to savory mains. Remember to sample the several Keuhs and Goreng Pisang!
Address: Jalan Pisang 11 & 15 Jalan Pisang Singapore 199078
Tel: +65 6297 4294 (Kampong Glam) / +65 6348 5457 (Joo Chiat)
Website: www.hjmaimunah.com
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat, 7am – 8pm (Kampong Glam); Tue to Sun, 8am – 9pm (Joo Chiat)
Reviews: 72 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.4/5.0 stars)
Recommended: McDonald’s Singapore Outlets for an Extra Value Meal
Warong Nasi Pariaman
Warong Nasi Pariaman is a restaurant that lives true to its name. Mr. Isrin founded the company, which has since been passed down to his children, who have maintained the original formulas and flavours.
The tidy, casual-chic dining area at Warong Nasi Pariaman is bathed in yellow light and furnished with basic wooden tables and chairs. The atmosphere is simple and lighthearted.
Warong Nasi Pariaman, Singapore’s oldest nasi padang restaurant, has been serving the Indonesian rice dish since 1948. Today, the restaurant stays faithful to its roots, serving delicacies like ayam bakar (barbecued chicken in a rich, moderately flavored coconut stew) and sambal goreng (a spicy stir-fry of long beans, tempeh, and diced beancurd).
With so many years of experience in the food and beverage sector, you can be sure that their flavors have been tried and true.
The Ayam Bakar, in particular, is something you should try. The chicken meat is draped and infused with a delicious coconut gravy, creating a bite that is quite full.
Those wanting for a little extra heat might ask for more of their handmade chilli paste.
Address: 738 North Bridge Rd, 198706 Singapore
Tel: +65 6292 5898
Website: https://www.facebook.com/PariamanMasakanPadang/
Opening Hours: Everyday except Wednesday, 7 am – 4 pm
Reviews: 567 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.2/5.0 stars)
Rumah Makan Minang
Full-bodied delicacies that will tantalise your taste senses and leave you with a happy belly may be found here.
Expect to wait in line at lunchtime, but don’t worry, the lines move quickly and food will be brought to your table after you’ve ordered and paid. After all, isn’t queuing one of our favorite national pastimes?
On the other hand, it would be difficult to choose four or five items for a dinner at Rumah Makan Minang because the menu is so diverse. Here are some things to keep an eye out for to make your decision a little easier.
Terung Belado (chili fried eggplant) is a must-order! The smooth texture of the eggplant, along with a tasty spice blend, tingles your taste receptors.
Another dish that will make you exclaim wow is the Ayam Belado Hijua – green chilli chicken. The sauce has a hint of heat and sourness to it, and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever eaten before.
Don’t forget to get the Beef Rendang as well. A nice Beef Rendang makes a great first impression. You can count on it to knock you off your feet!
Address: 18 & 18A Kandahar Street – Singapore 198884 / Our Tampines Hub – 1 Tampines Walk, #B1-47A, Singapore 528523
Tel: Kandahar Street – 6977 7064 / Our Tampines Hub – 977 7065
Website: https://minang.sg/
Opening Hours: Kandahar Street – Daily, 8 am – 6 pm / Tampines Mon to Sun, 10 am – 7 pm
Reviews: 793 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.3/5.0 stars)
Muslim Delights Malay Food and Noodles
Eating at Muslim Delights is like coming home to a warm dinner — the cuisine is prepared with love and care, and the environment is relaxed and unpretentious. More than just a narrative, more than just a nasi padang booth; come to Muslim Delights not just to sample great Malay cuisine at rates that verge on ludicrous affordability, but also to taste the history of its legacy.
Furthermore, did you know that Taufik Batisah, Radio DJ KC, and Orange CEO Syah Ibrahim all had Muslim Delights cater their weddings? Despite their enormous popularity, they are famous for their honey flavors.
The Ayam Goreng is a delicious combination of spices and crunch that will leave you wanting more.
Try the Asam Pedas Ikan Pari as well. This spicy stingray dish readily falls off the bone, demonstrating how fresh their cuisine is.
Customers frequently request their Beef Rendang, which is one of their most popular dishes. To improve the flavors, they go through a time-consuming process and add their own pounded coconut.
Address: 117 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, Singapore 534834
Tel: 9633 0261 / 9487 4055
Website: https://muslimdelights.com/
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 6:30 am – 6 pm
Reviews: 291 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.4/5.0 stars)
Pu3 Restaurant
Pu3 Restaurant serves platters instead of individual portions to encourage social dining. Various plates can each serve up to four people!
Various meals were served up in the same manner as we would see at our daily nasi padang vendors. If you like it freestyle, you may select your favorite meals to have with rice. However, if you order the nasi ambeng, keep in mind that the dishes will be adjusted.
Because peak meal times might be quite crowded, it’s advisable to get a table first and then place your orders at the counter. Food will be delivered to your table, and payment may be made after the meal.
The Rendang is unquestionably the show’s star. They cook it so that the texture is a little softer and tender than usual.
Make sure you don’t overestimate your hunger because the amounts are enormous.
Address: 111 Somerset Rd, #02-20 TripleOne Somerset, Singapore 238164
Tel: 9272 0034
Website: https://pu3restaurant.oddle.me/en_SG/
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11 am – 8 pm / Friday to Sunday, 11:30 am – 9 pm
Reviews: 627 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.3/5.0 stars)
Kampong Glam Cafe
This street-side alfresco cafe is easy to miss with its enormous maroon banner. It is well-known for serving authentic and reasonably priced Malay cuisine such as nasi goreng, mee rebus, lontong, and roti kirai. Customers come here for a relaxing escape from the neighboring costly restaurants – and a delicious cup of hot teh tarik!
Simple. Affordable. Amazing. That pretty much sums up Kampong Glam Cafe.
This one is for you if you don’t like to wait in large lines or eat at the most popular eateries.
The Nasi Padang offers a wide variety of dishes, all of which are reasonably priced.
Customers praised other meals such as Nasi Goreng and Mee Rebus.
Address: 17 Bussorah St, Singapore 199438
Tel: 6294 1697
Website: http://kgglamcafe.ec-platform.net/
Opening Hours: Every day except Monday 8 am – 3 am
Reviews: 2203 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.2/5.0 stars)
Coba coba
Coba Coba is a vintage-style cafe with rustic wooden furnishings and vintage exhibits. It also provided a pleasant atmosphere, with plenty of open space for ventilation and fans in every available corner.
Whether you’re looking for a quick nibble or a family supper on the weekends, Coba Coba should be on your list of places to visit.
The word “coba” means “try.” Their name pretty much sums up their approach to eating.
You must “Coba” with your family or friends their Nasi Ambeng. Many people have never had the pleasure of just eating into the same dish as their loved ones.
Their Deluxe Nasi Ambeng includes a whopping 14 different side dishes! Bergedil, Ayam Lemak, and Sambal Goreng are a few of the most notable ones.
If there are some foods you particularly enjoy, you can ask the helpful staff to substitute them for others.
Address: 156 Yishun Street 11, #01-106, Singapore 760156
Tel: 6382 2622
Website: https://www.cobacoba.sg/
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8 am – 8 pm
Reviews: 1133 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.2/5.0 stars)
Rumah Sayang
Rumah Sayang is a Halal restaurant that serves Halal dishes in the Nasi Padang style. Some claim it’s Peranakan-themed, but in any case, their cuisine is just comfortable and wonderful! The semi-self-service restaurant provides traditional Malaysian dishes such as Mee Rebus, Lontong, Mee Siam, Nasi Lemak, and Biryani.
They also just added Nasi Ayam Penyet, Nasi Ayam Merah, Nasi Ikan Penyet, and Nyonya Curry Chicken Rice to their menu. Aside from that, Rumah Sayang takes pleasure in their trademark meals. Nasi Pattaya, Penang Fried Kway Teow, Nyonya Chap Chye, and Nonya Fried Rice are examples. On the menu are Singapore fried Bee hoon, Sambal Sotong, and Sambal Prawn.
Rumah Sayang aspires to make high-quality Malay food more accessible to the general public.
Unlike other well-known restaurants where you may have to go out of your way to discover them, Rumah Sayang offers a more practical option.
They are well-known for their curry fish head, in addition to the traditional Nasi Padang and Nasi Lemak selections.
Address: 50 Jurong Gateway Rd, #B1-41/42 Jem, Singapore 608549
Tel: 6339 0938
Website: https://food.grab.com/sg/en/restaurant/rumah-sayang-jem-delivery/4-CZEFTY3ZEY42CA
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8 am – 10 pm
Reviews: 315 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.0/5.0 stars)
Rahim Muslim Food
The eye-catching Nasi Padangs and exquisite Beef Rendangs are central to Malay cuisine. Rahim Muslim Food, on the other hand, made a name for itself in the market with just one dish: Mee Rebus.
If you’re looking for a wholesome supper to share with your loved ones, we know precisely where to take you. Rahim Muslim Food serves classic foods such as Mee Rebus, Mee Soto, and Satay.
They use a lot of ingredients and are really generous with them. In the sauce, customers may expect to discover large portions of chicken thighs, as well as a drumstick.
Crushed peanuts lend a unique texture to the meal as well.
The serving size is ridiculously large. If you’re a picky eater, bring a companion!
Address: 453A Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Chong Boon Market, #01-01, Singapore 560453
Tel: 97867362
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Rahim-Muslim-Food-223792860986155/
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 12:30 pm – 7 pm / Sunday – closed
Reviews: 266 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.3/5.0 stars)
Hajjah Mariam Cafe
Hajjah Mariam Cafe, conveniently located near Westgate Shopping Mall, offers a more modern take on Malay cuisine. They offer standardised set meals rather than an unending array of items.
Hajjah Mariam Cafe is famous for their Nasi Ambeng, a fragrant rice dish made with white rice, beef, veggies, fried coconut flesh, sambal goreng, and other ingredients.
It is a typical Javanese-Malay food that is served on a large dulang (tray) for communal dining for up to six people, though solo servings are also usual.
It’s a grab-and-go situation. This kind of menu simplification relieves diners of the burden of deciding what to order.
Having said that, Hajjah Mariam Cafe does not make any compromises in terms of quality.
Customers rave about their Sambal and Beef Rendang meals.
Address: 3 Gateway Dr, #B2-08 Westgate Shopping Mall, Singapore 608532
Tel: 9141 6629
Website: http://hajjahmariamcafe.com.sg/
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 10 am – 9 pm
Reviews: 374 Google Reviews (Average rating: 4.0/5.0 stars)
Which is the Best Malay Restaurant in Singapore?
Traditional Malay dishes in Singapore are as diverse and plentiful as the community itself. Examples include nasi lemak, a fragrant coconut-infused rice dish, satay, skewered and grilled chicken and beef served with a spicy sauce, and laksa, a spicy noodle dish.
These dishes often make use of herbs and spices, such as tumeric, tamarind, lemongrass, and ginger. Other dishes popular among the Malays in Singapore include rendang, a slow cooked beef or lamb dish simmered in a coconutty sauce, and gado-gado, a green salad with peanut sauce.
The famous sambal, a spicy condiment made with red chilli, shallots, and tamarind, is served with many of these dishes and is essential to many Malaysian meals.
Malay food in Singapore is unique in comparison to the cuisine found in other parts of Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Singapore’s unique version of the cuisine is a result of its perfect fusion of the traditional Malay spices and flavours with imported cooking techniques and ingredients from India and China.
A classic example of this fusion is the dish known as Nasi Goreng, which is a blend of various spices and sauces — often sweet, salty, and spicy — with fried rice and veggies.
Singapore restaurants offer a vast range of Malay dishes, from classic favourites like rendang and ayam percik to modern creations like the teh tarik (sweet tea with condensed milk) and laksa (noodle soup).
Other regional dishes include satay (barbecue skewers), popiah (a springroll-like snack with a savoury filling), and the rich-tasting, coconut-infused Mee Siam. Malay food has a distinct aroma which is difficult to replicate, and it has become a cherished part of Singapore’s gastronomic identity.
Nasi lemak is a dish that is beloved in Singapore. It is a dish made of rice cooked in coconut milk with a variety of different side dishes, including anchovies, cucumber, egg, and sometimes chicken or beef.
The combination of flavors, textures, and colors make it a favorite amongst both locals and tourists.
Moreover, due to its convenience as a dish that can be quickly prepared and consumed, it has become a popular street food and is commonly seen in hawker centers around the city.
Furthermore, the availability of regional variations and ingredients make it a dish that evokes nostalgia for many Singaporeans. As a result, nasi lemak has become one of the most beloved dishes in the country.
Top 10 Malay Dishes to try in Singapore
- Nasi Lemak
- Laksa
- Chicken Satay
- Mee Siam
- Mee Rebus
- Curry Puff
- Nasi Padang
- Mee Soto
- Tahu Goreng
- Roti John
Malay Food Singapore
Malay food refers to food prepared by ethnic Malays in Southeast Asia, particularly in the countries and regions of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand, and the Philippines. The majority of the time, halal food is served, but this is not always the case.
Malay food is a vital feature of the Malay community’s social and culinary activities, as well as Singapore’s culinary legacy. It is still popular, practiced, and loved by the general public in Singapore.
We hope that our guide will assist you in making an informed selection when looking for the best Malay cuisine in Singapore.
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