6 Yummy Singaporean Breakfast Treats to Enliven Your Day

Singapore is a multicultural metropolis of many flavours. And with the hustle and bustle of daily life in the most prosperous island city of Southeast Asia, breakfast is often a light, cosy meal to kickstart the day, with flavours that can instantly invigorate your mood and senses. Here are 5 iconic Singaporean breakfast delights that you can make and savour!

Kopi with Kaya Toast

A combination of Western, Hainanese Chinese and Malay cuisines, the classic coffee and toast is a staple Singaporean breakfast at local coffee shops and hawker centres. The coffee is strong and rich with flavour options, while the buttered toast is soft, and spread with a coconut jam.

There are unique ways to order your coffee, too. The standard Kopi is coffee with sugar and condensed milk. Kopi Peng, the same flavour with ice. Kopi O is with sugar and no milk. Kopi O Kosong is the local espresso. Kopi C, with sugar and evaporated milk. And many more concentrations of coffee with different mixes of sugar and milk that give a myriad of nuanced flavours.

Yes, coffee is a big deal in Singaporean food culture! An aspect derived from the British colonial legacy.

Similarly, the toast was introduced by the Brits. But the bread is the fluffy Hailam bread, and the aforementioned coconut jam is called Kaya – made from beaten eggs, coconut cream, brown sugar and pandan leaves. It’s nutty and creamy sweet with a tantalising vanilla-like aroma. A traditional jam of Malay origin.

The Kopi and Kaya Toast combo is also often accompanied by steamy, runny half-boiled eggs, served with soy sauce and white pepper.

Nasi Lemak

Although famously a Malaysian breakfast, the Nasi Lemak actually has a plethora of variants across the Southeast Asian archipelago. The Singaporean Nasi Lemak often features a sweet Sambal paste made of belacan shrimp paste, tamarind peel, fresh and dried red chillies, onions and palm sugar. A less spicy yet complex, savoury flavour compared to the classic Malay Nasi Lemak. Also packed with the standard fried anchovies, peanuts, boiled eggs and cucumber for a satisfying breakfast!

Roti Prata

A flatbread of South Indian origin, Roti Prata is the cousin dish of Roti Canai, a Malaysian Indian Muslim staple food. Similarly made of ghee, flour and milk with a dash of salt and sugar, the Singaporean Roti Prata is denser with paper-thin layers, giving it a supple, chewy texture and savoury aroma. Best enjoyed with a creamy dhal curry or spicy Gulai-style curry. Fun fact: you can actually get premade frozen Roti Prata in Australia, known here as Paratha.

Chwee Kueh

Steamed rice cake with a richly savoury radish topping, the Chwee Kueh is a legacy of Teochew cuisine. The Teochew people are from the Eastern Guangzhou region, and among the Chinese migrants to Singapore during the British colonial era. Teochew flavours have long been integrated into Singaporean-style cooking. But the Chwee Kueh’s soft, bouncy bite and irresistible, cosy, savoury taste remains a beloved classic. A comforting breakfast to please your taste buds and lighten your mood. Try it with our recipe!

Fried Carrot Cake

Chai Tow Kway is another Teochew legacy dish and a popular Singaporean breakfast. Although often translated as fried carrot cake, it’s actually cube-cut cakes made from a daikon radish batter. Stir-fried with egg, bean sprouts, garlic and spring onions. Flavoured with light soy sauce, fish sauce, sambal, and preserved salted radish. Served hot off the stove to warm and tingle your taste buds with a delightfully savoury flavour!

Porridge with Savoury Toppings

Another beloved Singaporean breakfast that warms you up is rice congee or porridge with various toppings, including pork, fish, chicken, century egg and salted egg, tofu puffs, youtiao fried dough and more. Often garnished with fried shallots or chopped spring onions for extra aroma. A popular breakfast staple, with famed stalls at hawker centres across Singapore. Savour all of them with our linked recipes!

More Singaporean Delights

That is just a small fraction of the myriad flavours that Singaporean cuisine has to offer. Come check out our recipes collection for more Singaporean delights! Also explore the rich street food culture of Singaporean hawker centres in our special feature!