EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN
Singapore Social
Hawker-centre classics on Avenue A — laksa, satay, roasted chicken rice, nasi lemak and kaya toast.
Singapore eats in hawker centres, under fluorescent light and ceiling fans, and its cooking borrows freely from Malay, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian neighbors. Singapore Social, which opened on Avenue A in 2026, brings that crossroads menu to the East Village, just above Houston Street — one of very few Singaporean kitchens in the city.
Begin with chicken satay and its thick peanut sauce, then the laksa, a coconut-curry noodle soup heavy with lemongrass and galangal. The chicken rice here is the roasted version rather than steamed, and the nasi lemak — coconut rice with a spiced chicken leg, anchovies, peanuts and a fried egg — is the plate most tables end up ordering. Finish with kaya toast and a cendol, or a hot Milo if you grew up on one.
Editor’s tip
Order the laksa and the nasi lemak to share, and ask for the dessert list — the Southeast Asian sweets are the quiet highlight.
Make an evening of it — beautiful stops nearby
Also in the neighborhood
Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 13, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.