Hawker centres are food courts serving multicultural cuisines at budget-friendly prices, and they can be found all across Singapore. As most hawker centres in Singapore do not have air conditioning, it is helpful to bring a portable fan.
One of the things I love most about Singapore is that it’s possible for everyone to eat out without spending a lot of money. Although Singapore is one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in, particularly with regard to housing, healthcare and cars, there are still plenty of activities to enjoy for free or at an affordable price. Eating at hawker centres is definitely one of my favourite things to do here!
In this post, I’ll share details of some of the most popular hawker centres in Singapore, including the more touristy ones. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re visiting Singapore for the first time. At more traditional hawker centres, you may encounter vendors who only speak Mandarin, which can sometimes make communication challenging.
To help you decide what to order, I’ve written a guide to the most popular local dishes. It’s perfect for reading before you visit hawker centres in Singapore:
For each of the hawker centres listed below, I have also included my favourite stalls, although this is very much a matter of personal taste. For instance, I tend to prefer Vietnamese or Thai food to the more traditional Singaporean dishes, which are heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine.
Also, make sure you read the section on payment methods in my post Before travelling to Singapore. Card payments are not always accepted in hawker centres in Singapore, so it’s best to carry some cash with you.
📌 Tips for visiting a hawker centre:
Here is my list of the best hawker centres in Singapore. The first three are absolute must-visits!
This is one of the most popular hawker centres with tourists in Singapore, and in my opinion, it is also one of the most beautiful. To get here, simply take the MRT to Telok Ayer station and exit via Exit C onto Cross Street.
I’ve tried several stalls here and had a great experience every time, from banh mi at the Vietnamese stall, to butter chicken from the Indian stall, and popiah from stall #1B.
The most famous attraction here is Satay Street, which is closed to traffic daily from 7pm (earlier at weekends). The street is filled with stalls serving grilled meat or prawns skewers with peanut sauce and sticky rice. Stalls #7 and #8 are the most popular, but you can enjoy a good meal at any of the stalls.
Photo 1: Interior of Lau Pa Sat
Photo 2: Satay Street
Photo 3: Prawn and mixed meat satays served with peanut sauce and sticky rice
This is one of the most traditional hawker centres in Singapore and a must-visit if you want to experience the authentic local atmosphere. Located just a 3-minute walk from Exit A of Chinatown MRT station, it can easily fit into a visit to the area. Check out the post:
In the basement, there is a wet market selling fruit, vegetables, fish and meat, which is well worth a visit. The ground floor has souvenir stalls, while the food centre is located on the second floor.
Photo 4: Main entrance of Chinatown Complex
A good indicator of quality in hawker centres in Singapore is the length of the queues. Here are two recommendations:
🍜 Hawker Chan (Liao Fan Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle) #02-126
This is the most popular stall in the food court. The chef was the first hawker to be awarded a Michelin star. Specialities include char siew (Chinese-style roast pork) and soy sauce chicken, which are served with rice or noodles. Check out here for other Hawker Chan’s locations in Singapore.
Be prepared to queue if you want to try it.
Photo 5: Hawker Chan at Chinatown Complex Food Centre
🍜 Ann Chi Popiah #02-112
Popiah is a fresh, crepe-like roll filled with vegetables and peanuts, among other ingredients. You can choose whether or not to have it with chilli. The popiah here is excellent, and you can also order packs to takeaway, perfect as a snack.
Photo 6: Ann Chi Popiah at Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Maxwell is probably the most touristy of the hawker centres in Chinatown. It has even been visited by celebrities such as Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga during their Singapore tours.
If you don’t mind queuing, be sure to try the most famous stall here:
🍚 Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken rice #10-11 (closed on Mondays)
It is widely considered to be one of the best chicken rice spots in Singapore, and I agree, it’s excellent. However, if you’d rather skip the queue, there are plenty of other stalls here serving equally good chicken rice.
Photo 7: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre
Photo 8: Chicken rice (roasted version) served with stir-fried vegetables
Although it’s not technically a traditional Singaporean hawker centre, I’ve included it because it’s an open-air food court offering many local favourites.
It’s an ideal place to have dinner, especially when combined with an evening stroll along the Esplanade and Helix Bridge. The satay here is a great choice.
Check here how to find Makansutra Gluttons Bay. (Closed on Mondays; opens from 4pm.)
This hawker centre in Singapore became even more popular after featuring in the film Crazy Rich Asians. You’ll find a wide range of local dishes here, all served in an open-air setting. This is less ideal if it’s raining, or during the day when it can get very hot!
Photo 9: Entrance to Newton Food Centre
Photo 10: In Singapore, you’ll find roosters in the most random places
Photo 11: Food court empty due to the intense heat
Photo 12: Food stalls at Newton Food Centre
Known as one of the hawker centres in Singapore where younger chefs experiment with modern takes on classic dishes. While some stalls are slightly more expensive, you’ll still find plenty of traditional options.
The last time I visited, I tried Noodle Story, , which serves a Singapore-style ramen, highly recommended.
Photos 13 & 14: Singapore-style ramen from the Noodle Story stall at Amoy Street Food Centre
And that wraps up this list of the best hawker centres in Singapore to visit if you want to experience this unique and vibrant food culture.
Read more Singapore travel tips and guides here on the blog ✈️🍜
