It’s true — Singapore regularly ranks as one of the most expensive cities to live in worldwide, and gold-level dining is part of embracing this effervescent port city. Browsing the offerings at food courts and enjoying freshly prepared meals from food stalls at hawker centers are immensely popular dining options with locals. Enjoy the experience yourself at Tiong Bahru, one of the city’s oldest existing hawker centers. Best choices? Just look for the longest lines, and step into the queue.

Here are a few other top spots to sample the best in Singaporean cuisine:

• Wash down your yakitori and bak chor mee noodles with craft beers and Japanese cocktails at Hua Bee Restaurant and Bincho, serving lunch and dinner.
• Spanish-style tortillas and creative small plates draw locals and visitors to Esquina, where Chef Carlos Montobbio, who trained at El Celler de Can Roca and Zuberoa, presides over the kitchen. Seats at the bar are particularly popular, so reserve your spot in advance.
• Issan Thai food dominates the menu at Bird Bird, where you can fill up on chef Bjorn Shen’s Duckinator burger stuffed with green papaya salad and slippery som tum noodles.
• The “Experience Menu” loaded with progressive Singaporean fare is the not-to-miss choice at Restaurant Labyrinth, located on the Esplanade. Among the 14 dishes are spicy crab and curry puff.
• Authentic mookata (think fishy fondue with spices instead of cheese) should be required dining for every visitor to Singapore, and the city’s best can be found at Tom Yum KungFu, where tabletop charcoal cookers allow diners to cook up sliced pork on their own, and dip it in the restaurant’s signature red chili sauce.
• At Wild Rocket, Chef Willin Low’s Mod Sin menu is best enjoyed at the eight-seat chef’s counter, where you can gaze and sniff in gastronomical awe as your fried noodles in soy sauce crystals are cooked with fresh pineapple.