Stuck for ideas for presents and souvenirs from Singapore to give your family and friends back home? What’s better than one that you can eat!! And since Singapore is an absolute food paradise, there’s plenty of choice. I’ve listed below my favourite Singaporean food and drink gifts, from the incredibly addictive Irvins Salted Egg Fish Skin to Singapore’s favourite toast spread kaya. All the items below are from Singaporean brands and are made in Singapore.
Irvins Salted Egg Fish Skin
Since it was launched in 2016, Irvins Salted Egg Fish Skin has continually sold out daily at each of it’s outlets. Salted egg yolk flavour food has been a huge craze in Singapore over the past couple of years and this dangerously addictive crunchy fish skin snack is intensely flavoured with salted egg yolk and curry leaves. If you’re not so keen on fish skin, they also have just as addictive salted egg potato chips. The fish skin and potato chips come in two sizes and are $16 for a large bag or $8 for a small. I’d definitely recommend getting the large 🙂
Where to buy:
VivoCity B2-K25, Raffles Xchange B1-59, Plaza Singapura L6, Orchard Gateway L1-K3
Merlion Monaka from Hashida Sushi Restaurant
These cute Japanese monaka in the shape of Singapore’s iconic symbol the Merlion are a favourite amongst Japanese expats and tourists. Monaka is a Japanese sweet usually consisting of red bean paste inside a wafer shell, however these Merlion monaka are filled with kaya (coconut jam) flavoured bean paste. A box of 6 costs $30 and if you buy 3 boxes you can get 10% off.
Where to buy:
Hashida Sushi, 333A Orchard Road, #04-16 Mandarin Gallery, Singapore 238897
TWG Tea
$25 for a box of 15 teabags may seem like a lot but these individually packaged hand sewn cotton teabags from luxury Singaporean tea brand TWG will be greatly appreciated by any tea lover. They have hundreds of exclusive tea blends to suit all tastes and the teas are sold as loose leaf in tins or paper bags too. TWG also have a selection of tea flavoured cookies, macarons, chocolates and jam which make great gifts as well.
Where to buy:
Republic Plaza, 9 Raffles Place, #01-22, Singapore 048619
ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #02-21, Singapore 238801
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, B2-65/68A, Singapore 018972
Takashimaya Singapore, 391 Orchard Road, B2, Singapore 238873
Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1/2/3/4
T Galleria, 25 Scotts Road, Level 3, Singapore 228220
Ette Tea
Another tea brand from Singapore, Ette tea has a range of tea blends in local flavours such as chicken rice, bak kwa, ice kacang, nasi lemak and pandan chiffon. I haven’t managed to try all the flavours yet but what I have tried is absolutely yummy and makes a lovely unique tea gift. It costs $8 for a pack of 5 teabags, $18 for a 50g packet of tea leaves and $26 for 50g of tea leaves in a caddy.
Where to buy:
Ette Tea Shop & Atelier, 333 Kreta Ayer Road #03-25, Singapore 080333
The Cookie Museum Cookies
The Cookie Museum has delicious cookies in flavours such as Singapore chilli crab, chicken rice, satay, nasi lemak, shrimp laksa, pandan chiffon and durian. Prices start at $25 for 15 cookies that come in a beautiful tin.
Where to buy:
Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, #02-280, Singapore 039594
Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-49, Singapore 179103
Takashimaya, 391 Orchard Road, #B209-3, Singapore 238873
Janice Wong Singapore Signature Series Chocolates
Asia’s Best Pastry Chef 2013 & 2014 Janice Wong has created a range of chocolates with local inspired flavours . A box of 5 chocolates is $25 and a box of 9 chocolates is $36 where you can choose from flavours such as chilli padi, gula melaka pandan, kaffir lime caramel, laksa leaf lemongrass, BBQ bakkwa pork praline poprocks, jasmine milk tea, gingerflower, mango curry and kopi coffee.
Where to buy:
Janice Wong Singapore, Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, B1- K28, Singapore 238859
Janice Wong Singapore, National Museum Singapore, 93 Stamford Road, 01-06, Singapore 178897
2am: dessertbar, 21a Lorong Liput, Singapore 277733
Kaya
Kaya (coconut jam) is a Singaporean breakfast staple, bring back a jar of it for your loved ones and they’ll surely ask for it again on your next trip back home, it’s that yummy! You can pick up a jar at any supermarket for around $2.50 or cafes such as Ya Kun Kaya and Toast Box sell their own brand of kaya too. For a more indulgent kaya, Udong Gourmet have kaya in different flavours such as butterfly pea & pandan, coconut caramel & sea salt and saffron & wild flower honey.
Where to buy:
Ya Kun Kaya: branches islandwide (for more information see Yakun.com)
Toast Box kaya: branches islandwide (for more information see Toastbox.com.sg)
Udong Gourmet: Naiise.com, Redmart.com, Gryphontea.com
The Kettle Gourmet Popcorn
Local popcorn company The Kettle Gourmet makes popcorn in delicious flavours such as Teh Tarik and Bak Kwa. You can get 10 small packs of popcorn for just $30 which are great for giving as presents!
Where to buy: Thekettlegourmet.com
Bak Kwa
This might be a tricky one to bring back home especially if there are strict rules about what food you’re allowed to bring into your home country. Otherwise the sweet barbecued meat called Bak Kwa that you’ve probably seen selling everywhere and looks similar to jerky, makes a very tasty gift. I usually get my Bak Kwa from one of the many branches of Bee Cheng Hiang around or another local favourite Lim Chee Guan.
Where to buy:
Bee Cheng Hiang: branches islandwide (for more information see Beechenghiang.com.sg)
Lim Chee Guan: 2 Orchard Turn, #B4-37 The ION Orchard, Singapore 238801
People’s Park Complex #01-25, 1 Park Rd, Singapore 059108
Fudai-Yaki from Sin-Nagoyaki
Another favourite amongst Japanese expats, local pastry shop Sin-Nagoyaki makes unique Japanese confections with a local twist. Their Fudai-Yaki which are cakes in the shape of Japanese lucky pouches have fillings such as pineapple paste and snow melon seed paste which are sure to please your friends back home.
Where to buy:
1 Jalan Dusun, #01-07, One Dusun Residences, Singapore 329363
Heartland Mall, Level 1, Atrium, Kovan MRT Station, Singapore 530205
