If you want to try eating like the locals do in Singapore, you’ll definitely want to immerse yourself in the experience of hawker culture here. Hawker Centres, Singapore’s food courts, are the way to go when you are looking for excellent local cuisine at a miniscule price. You’ll find hundreds of stalls with the best hawker dishes the city has to offer, with more choices than you can imagine. We have put together a list of 7 of the best hawker feasts Singapore has to offer.
Best Hawker Centres in Singapore
Maxwell Food Centre
1 Kadayanullar Street, Singapore 069184Average price for a feast: SG$6
Angie M. on Tripadvisor says:
“Fantastic food choices at a great price point (super cheap)!
Must try the Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice made famous when featured by the late and great Anthony Bourdain (May he rest in peace).
They more than live up to their reputation.
As with all hawker centres you also have various food/drink & sweet stalls available to satisfy any craving so be sure to come with an empty stomach!”
Maxwell Food Centre Recommended Stalls
- Lagi Best Nasi Lemak, for its nasi lemak.
Nasi lemak is considered the national dish of Malaysia. Fragrant rice is cooked in coconut milk and lemongrass to create a very flavorful dish.
- Tian Tian, for its Michelin starred chicken rice (shown above).
One of the rare Michelin Star hawkers in Singapore, their poached chicken and seasoned rice is covered in chilli sauce, dark soy sauce, minced ginger and a special secret housemade dressing to bring out the flavors of the chicken. - Zhen Zhen Porridge, for its congee.
Rice porridge is combined with meat, fish and flavourings to turn a traditional side dish into a delicious and satisfying main meal.
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Average price for a feast: SG$6
Hondymondy on Tripadvisor says:
“We find that it is hard to tried all the food there in one meal, unless you have to be there at least 3 full days. It was amazing food taste and quality that what we ate. And they cook their dishes were using traditional ways to present you what was the old time Singapore food taste like.”
Old Airport Road Food Centre Recommended Stalls
- Mattar Road Seafood BBQ for its barbequed seafood, like chili crab (shown above) featured on Food Network Asia’s Food Wars Asia.
- Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun for its Hong Kong style chee cheong fun.
Chee cheong fun is a Cantonese dish of thin crepes filled with beef or shrimp and then drizzled with soy sauce.
Toa Payoh Block 127 Market and Food Centre
Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310127Average price for a feast: SG$6
Garrett L on Google Reviews says:
“A lovely mix of food stalls on the top floor (second storey) and a wet market that has traditional stalls.”
Beng Tat A on Google Reviews says:
“Authentic Singapore food ! Awesome! Quite a number of famous stalls here.”
Photo Source: Yelp
Toa Payoh Block 127 Market and Food Centre Recommended Stalls
- Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee for their Hokkien mee (shown above).
Noodles are braised with soy sauce and cooked with pork, fish cake, cabbage and squid. Then crispy fried pig fat is added to the mix. - 135 Fishball Noodle for their Youtube-famous fishball noodles.
Noodles are mixed with lard and chili and complimented by delicious fish balls.
Check out this review of 135 Fishball Noodle on Youtube.
Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre
110 Pasir Ris Central, Singapore 519641Average Price For a Feast: SG$5
Larissa T on Google Reviews says:
“Very vibrant. Food spread is also different from that of your traditional hawker centre. Will definitely come back to this place.”
And Damn Worth It on Facebook has this review of the Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre.
Recommended Stalls
- Feng Feng Chicken Rice, for their chicken rice.
Fragrant rice and steamed chicken meat are topped with delicious soysauce.
Photo Source: HungryGoWhere
- The Stew House, for their beef bourguignon (shown above).
Originally a French dish, beef bourguignon is a beef stew with red wine, onions and mushrooms.
Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre
30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898Average Price For a Feast: SG$4
AnSingapore on Tripadvisor says:
“Great food, fun ambiance, cool w fans and clean! I am a regular at Tiong Bahru market. Still fillled with a good mix of old classic hawkers with pride in their cooking and decent prices.”
Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre Recommended Stalls
- Jian Bo for their chee kueh.
Normally enjoyed as a breakfast item, steamed rice cakes are topped with preserved radish and complimented with chili sauce.
Photo Source: Burrple
- Tow Kwar Pop for their Chinese rojak (shown above).
A fruit and veggie salad flavored with prawn paste and sprinkled with chopped peanuts, it’s a sweet and sour delight!
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531Average Price For a Feast: SG$6
Alan Y on Tripadvisor says:
“This is where a typical Singaporean dine for lunch, a hawker centre. It’s very local and a one-stop solution to your group lunch. Each one is able to order what they like and the prices are very economical. This hawker centre has been here for many many years!”
This blogger has great things to say about Hong Lim Market & Food Centre.
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre Recommended Stalls
- Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon for their curry chicken noodles.
Thick noodles and poached chicken are topped with potatoes, fishcake and taupok, then served with a housemade chili sauce that really sets it off.
Photo Source: HungryGoWhere
- The Old Stall Hokkien Street Famous Prawn Mee for their prawn noodles (shown above).
Noodles are stir fried with rich prawn paste and complimented with lime and spicy chili paste.
Amoy Street Food Centre
7 Maxwell Road MND Building Annexe B, Singapore 069111Average Price For a Feast: SG$5
Ice Q on Google Reviews says:
“One of the best places for sheer variety! Love that there are 2 floors of choices. Everything from won ton mee to Thai goodness, sweet and refreshing fruit drinks and oh man, so much more. A standout for me personally is that the aromas of all the cuisines is absolutely gravitating. Pulls you right in to discover what they have.”
Amoy Street Food Centre Recommended Stalls
Photo Source: Michelin Guide
- A Noodle Story for their Michelin rated noodle dishes, including Singaporean-style ramen (shown above).
Flat noodles in a dark sauce are mixed with crisp wontons and pork, then topped with a soft-boiled egg.
You can see a great review of this dish on Vice Magazine Online. - Authentic Thai for their fried chicken basil rice.
This Thai street food favorite is chicken stir-fried with Thai basil, then served on rice with a fried egg.
Conclusion
Hawker centres serve some of the best dishes in Singapore, and all for an affordable price! There is so much to eat at Hawker Centres, why not check them out right now! Singapore is a spectacular country for new experiences, and a comfortable lifestyle. Experience the local culture to the fullest and eat to your heart’s content. You might even find the food here comparable to our neighbour Malaysia’s.
