If you’d like to take off your shoes while you eat, try Lagnaa, Bare Foot Dining. You’ll be instructed to leave your footwear behind, after which you’ll be led up a flight of stairs to a sparse room with hardwood floors, floor pillows, round tables and metal lanterns. Prices start at $4 for a plate of fried crispy chicken seasoned with basil. Owner/chef Kaesavan, affectionately known to regulars as “K7,” looks over each and every bit of the operation, right down to the music. What’s more, he runs spicy curry eating competions when there’s a full moon.

Don't miss: Treadfin fish curry. It's one of I-S Magazine's 50 things to eat in Singapore before you die (2012).