Singapore-Table-Manners

Singaporeans are accepting of variations in etiquette but there’s a few things to remember:
Traditionally, food is served family style - all placed at once on the table so everyone can eat hearty,
but for more formal meals, food is served one course at a time, with diners taking their share of food from a single dish.
Recently, however, some restaurants are dispensing with tradition and are now serving individual portions.
When eating with chopsticks, dip them in tea before wiping them with a tissue to clean them;
Never leave them upright in a rice bowl as this resembles a grave marker which is considered a bad sign or omen.
It's a sign of respect for a Singaporean to serve you during a family-style meal.
It's polite to reciprocate the gesture when their bowl is nearing empty.
It's not a big deal to start eating before your companions have been served; waiting is a western concept.
Many locals may have religion-based dietary restrictions, such as only eating vegetarian or halal (Muslim) food.
If arranging a meal with Singaporeans, you should be sure to clarify their eating habits before choosing a restaurant.
Smoking is banned in air-conditioned restaurants but many have outdoor patios and seating areas for smoking.

Dining Singapore   ...it's not just restaurants.

Hawker Centers are where you will find a veritable feast of Chinese, Malay and Indian treats. It is best to find yourself a seat before you order. Placing a packet of tissue on the table will signal to others that the table has been reserved. Sharing a table with strangers is fine if you cannot find a vacant one.

Place your orders at each stall, state your table number & your selections. Most hawker centers have numbers on each table, however self-service is practiced in some hawker centers and food courts. It is also a good way to ask Singaporeans about their favorite food or stall. Chinese dishes are served with chopsticks, though a fork and spoon will be made readily available upon request.

When ordering seafood, you should ask for the exact price you will be charged for the dish to avoid any misunderstanding. Some favorite hawker centers in the city area include Bugis Street, Lau Pa Sat, Chinatown Food Street and Maxwell Road Market.

What?
"Hawkers" originally referred to wandering food vendors who advertised their arrival by sounding horns, knocking bamboo sticks, or shouting. Once alerted, people dashed over to place their orders. Several years ago Singapore's strict government hygiene regulations collected hawkers into large centers, where everything is very clean. At these centers you can sample colorful local eats on the cheap.

How?
Feel free to sit anywhere: tables don't belong to particular stalls. Sharing tables is common when it's busy. Vendors will bring your order to you in some centers, while in others you'll have to wait for the food to be prepared. Sometimes drink vendors wander between tables taking orders. Paying when you order is the norm, though in some places you'll pay post-meal. Most dishes cost S$4 or slightly more; for around S$12 you can get a meal, drink, and fresh fruit dessert. Specify your desired portion when you order; most dishes have several sizes priced accordingly. Generally, credit cards aren't accepted at hawker centers.

Where?
Experience the raucous 24-hour Newton Circus (Newton, Scotts, and Bukit Timah Road, near Orchard Road, but avoid the seafood stalls, which are notorious for fleecing tourists. Instead, opt for stalls that have prominently displayed prices and offer traditional one-dish meals. The financial district's historic Lau Pa Sat Festival Market (18 Raffles Quay, Raffles Place) is an outdoor center. There's also the Maxwell Road Hawker Centre (Maxwell and South Bridge Roads), near Tanjong Pagar. In an effort to revive the old tradition, roads like Chinatown's Smith Street close at 7 nightly so that modern-day nomadic hawkers can roam the area.

Major shopping centers have "food courts," which are indoor, air-conditioned, and slightly pricier hawker centers. In the Orchard Road area you can visit Picnic, in Scotts Centre's basement, or the Food Chain, in the basement of the Orchard Emerald, which faces the Meritus Mandarin Singapore hotel. The food court in Tanglin Mall's basement has a baby grand piano.

Typical Hawker Foods

char kway teow: flat rice noodles fried with chili paste, fish cakes, and bean sprouts.

chicken rice: chicken served with rice cooked in chicken stock. Often voted Singapore's favorite local dish, it's also called Hainanese chicken rice.

Hokkien prawn mee: wheat noodles in prawn-and-pork broth.

laksa: rice noodles in coconut gravy served with a garnish of steamed prawns, rice cakes, and bean sprouts.

rojak: a Malay word for "salad." Chinese rojak consists of cucumber, lettuce, pineapple, bangkwang (jicama), and deep-fried bean curd -- tossed with dressing made from salty shrimp paste, ground toasted peanuts, sugar, and rice vinegar. Indian rojak consists of deep-fried lentil and prawn patties, boiled potatoes, and bean curd, all served with a spicy dip.

roti prata: an Indian breakfast pancake served with curry sauce or sugar.

satay: small strips of meat marinated in fresh spices and threaded onto short skewers.

thosai: an Indian rice-flour pancake that's popular for breakfast and eaten with curry powder or brown sugar.

Prices in Singapore fill a wide range of differently priced menus to suit the needs of travelers. Local fare found at hawker centers and open-fronted coffee shops are very reasonably priced indeed while luxurious meals served at 5-star establishments are still an excellent value.

Dress Code finds smart casual dress is the rule for most restaurants in the city. At open-air food centers, you'll probably find dressing in shorts and sandals far more comfortable.

Credit Cards, such as Visa, are widely accepted at Singapore restaurants, with the exception of the more simple establishments, food courts and hawker centers, You may wish to call ahead to confirm that your card will be accepted.

Service Charges (gratuities) at most hotel restaurants and dining establishments are 10%, plus there's a government tax of 6%. Some eating places and most hawker centers and food courts do not add this charge. Tipping is at your discretion above the service charge amount.
You'll find that whether you are dining at Singapore's 5-star restaurants or eating at the hawker centers and food courts, you'll quickly get attached to the great smells and tastes that Singapore cuisine has to offer.