A foodie's paradise, get a taste of our local culture by visiting the hawker centre to sample a wide array of dishes. Here we have compiled some iconic hawker centres in Singapore for you to try while you're on your trip here.
LessIf you caught the Hollywood hit Crazy Rich Asians, you’re likely to find Newton Food Centre familiar. Featured prominently in one of the movie’s earlier scenes, this buzzing hawker centre has long been a popular eating spot, with close to 100 hawker stores. We suggest chowing down on the barbeque sambal stingray from Halal-certified Guan Kee Grilled Seafood (#01-53) or digging into a plate of savoury duck noodle from Kwee Heng (#01-13).
A favourite lunch spot of professionals and white-collar workers from around the vicinity, Amoy Street Food Centre is home to both traditional hawkers and modern fusion fare at affordable prices. While you’ll certainly find a trove of traditional hawker stalls selling classics like fish porridge and lor mee— yellow noodles in a thick, savoury gravy—you may also want to try some of the modern dishes sold here such as Michelin Bib Gourmand wanton noodles at A Noodle Story (#01-139).
Maxwell Food Centre is nestled in a storied neighbourhood of pre-war shophouses and various places of worship. Located at the foot of Ann Siang and Club Street, you’ll find local dishes like chicken rice by Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (#01-10/11)—which was recommended by the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand—as well as Eurasian meals like shepherd’s pie and devil’s curry (spicy curry flavoured with candlenuts and vinegar) by Popo & Nana's Delights (#01-70).
This historic market was designed by George Coleman in the 1830s and has since been carefully restored. Home to local favourites and international cuisines like North Indian, Korean, and Vietnamese, Lau Pa Sat is the go-to location for good hawker fare in the Central Business District. Singapore's famous Satay Street runs parallel to Lau Pa Sat, where Stalls 7 and 8 arguably sell the best rendition of the street’s namesake grilled beef and chicken skewers (satay).
The epicentre of Little India’s bustle, Tekka Centre was formerly named "Kandang Kerbau" after its buffalo pens, and is now named after the bamboo that used to grow there. Ethnic garments and accessories are sold on its upper floor, while food like dum briyani (Indian spiced rice with meat or vegetables) and Indian rojak (mixed fritters of dough, potato and shrimp) sold below are touted as some of the best in the country. The food centre also boasts a variety of halal-certified hawker stalls.
Adam Road Food Centre is a stone’s throw from the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Adam Road’s acclaimed hawker centre is known for its nasi lemak (fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, accompanied with an array of side dishes like omelette, fried fish and anchovies) at Halal-certified Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak and sup kambing (mutton soup) at Bahrakath Mutton Soup King.
Tiong Bahru Market resides in a heritage neighbourhood of Art Deco style apartments and great eats. Get your share of local delights like delicious wanton mee (egg noodles with dumplings) and chwee kueh (steamed rice cakes topped with preserved radish). Don’t miss the famous roasted pork buns at Tiong Bahru Pau too. Afterwards, you can head to one of the many modern cafes in the area for coffee and dessert.
Walking distance from Hort Park, Henderson Waves bridge and the many art galleries of Gillman Barracks, ABC Brickworks Food Centre is named after the Archipelago Brewery Company and the brickworks factories that used to populate this neighbourhood. The ABC Brickworks Market is well maintained as a modern and popular venue today, whose claypot rice, consisting of chicken and preserved sausages, and Bib Gourmand-winning Ah Er herbal soup attracts foodies from across the country.
In the residential neighbourhood of Serangoon Gardens, make Chomp Chomp your pit stop for mouthwatering grub before you explore Coney Island or Seletar Aerospace Park. This market’s satay bee hoon (thin rice noodles in satay sauce) and Hokkien mee (fried prawn noodles) are top sellers. Wash your meal down with sugar cane juice - available in an extra-large glass too!
With a history that dates back to the 1970s, this hawker centre is known among local east-side foodies for its sheer variety of stalls. Friendly rivalries are abound here, with multiple wanton mee, lor mee and char kway teow hawkers, each touting their own delectable versions of these local staples. Be sure to make multiple visits and see if your taste buds can discern the difference in taste!