How Tough Are You? Food Challenges in Singapore to Test Your Mettle

You've likely seen competitive eaters devouring tons of food and liquids during challenges. Also known as speed eating, competitive eating is when participants take each other on to see who can eat the most amount of food in a given time.

While competitive eating is usually done with others, taking on food challenges can be done on your own, although the activity is still timed. We're not competitive eaters and you probably aren't either, but we won't lie that we love food just as much as the next serious foodie and, sometimes, gobbling down lots of food sounds like a crazy fun idea.

If you're up to test your mettle in this arena, we suggest you attempt these food challenges in Singapore and see how you'd fare (if you’re brave).

Spaghetti From Hell at Southwest Tavern

How badly do you love spicy food? Before you answer that, get your tush over at Southwest Tavern along Boon Lay Way and take on its "Spaghetti From Hell" challenge first. Believed to be 20 times spicier than chili padi (bird's eye chili), this spaghetti contains ghost peppers, along with chili flakes and chili padi. Those who have the courage to eat and beat this challenge in 10 minutes are either given two towers of Heineken beer or a S$100 dining voucher from the restaurant.

Competitive eater Raina Huang recently took on the "Spaghetti From Hell" challenge during her visit to Singapore last month and even she had to bow down to it thirty seconds in.

Location: Southwest Tavern, 8 Boon Lay Way Tradehub, 21, #01-33

Pho King Challenge at Lang Nuong Viet Nam

Lang Nuong Viet Nam is the first-ever traditional Vietnamese barbecue restaurant in Singapore and is loved for its street-style, charcoal-grilled skewered meats and hotpots! Even if you weren't here for its Pho King Challenge, you'll surely love its gastronomic offerings. Nevertheless, for those who do want to challenge themselves with this undertaking, get ready to eat this monstrous bowl of beef pho. It has a kilo and a half of pho noodles, 500 grams of juicy meat, a hundred grams of herbs and veggies, and almost two litres of beef broth! Finish this S$39.9-worth bowl in 30 minutes or less and you get the honour of being featured on Lang Nuong's Wall of Fame!

Location: Lang Nuong Viet Nam, 18 Foch Road

Curry Challenge at Lagnaa Barefoot Dining

Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Lagnaa along Upper Dickson Road in Little India has a challenge for all the curry lovers out there, too. This restaurant's "Chilli Ladder" is likely the only Chilli Challenge in the world that has not been conquered. The highest partakers of this challenge can skip to is Level 6 or Level "I Dare You." Those who are able to finish the whole bowl without any dairy products will get the honour of being included on Lagnaa's Wall of Flame. Survivors of this challenge will also get monthly invites to Lagnaa's Full Moon Party so they can take on other higher levels until they reach the top.

"If you are unable to taste the sweetness of the tomato and onion in the curry, you have gone too high on the ladder," Lagnaa advised in a Facebook post on July 25, 2020. "We sincerely recommend you to enjoy the curry at a level of your own comfort. 

Location: Lagnaa, 6 Upper Dickson Road

Magma Ramen at Ramen Champion Singapore

To those who can't get enough of ramen, there's a spicy one you should sample at Ramen Champion! What say you? The Spicy Magma Ramen is a deadly concoction of hot broth that has been boiled for over eight hours daily accompanied by strings of flat noodles. It's stopped with an ajitama egg, mixed veggies, and ground meat, and its special magma sauce comprising six different kinds of spices, namely capsicum peppers, Japanese black pepper, chili padi, chili oil, Korean chili flakes, and Japanese chili flakes. This spicy ramen goes up to level 20, so make sure you bring some tissues!

Location: Ramen Champion, 201 Victoria Street, Bugis

Hall of Fame Shots Challenge at Chupitos

Most alcohol is made from grains and plants, and these are things we eat, yes? If the answer is in the affirmative and you're all about that island living life, head on over to Chupitos along River Valley Road for its Hall of Fame challenge! How it goes: you must down 10 different shots in 60 seconds or less. Winners of the challenge get all the shots for free and an induction to Chupitos' Hall of Fame (which you always brag about to your friends). If you do embark on this challenge, only do so with a full stomach. Good luck!

Location: Chupitos, 3E River Valley Road #01-01 The Circuit, CQ @ Clarke Quay