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Singapore A guide to the best hawker centres Introduction Singapore is one of Asia's gourmet capitals and although it is home to many of the continent's fanciest restaurants, it also boasts thousands of cheap food joints, where you can indulge on a variety of local delicacies for a fraction of what it costs to dine in a restaurant… Many of those cheap and fabulous eateries can be found in the city's numerous hawker centres. Hawker Centres, for those of you who still don't know, are one of the best things Singapore has to offer to its visitors, and visiting the city-state without eating at one of them is as unthinkable as visiting Paris without dining in a "Bistro", or visiting Istanbul without having a Döner Kebab in a small bazaar stall..... These 'institutions' started to spring up almost fifty years ago, when spanking clean Singapore decided to move its food hawkers from the streets and regulate them a bit… The "Singapore City Pass" makes a good choice for those of you who want to explore the city by themselves, with a full day of unlimited Hop On Hop Off Bus sightseeing, as well as well as a trip on an amphibious vehicle… The concept is quite simple : A number of different food stalls are grouped under one roof and share a common seating area, which works out great for groups, as each one can fetch his food from a different stall and share it with friends...
Hawker Centres are frequently visited by health inspectors, which means they are reasonably clean and eating in them should not be a problem at all... The atmosphere, obviously, is unpretentious and there is nothing much in the way of glitzy décor or perfect table settings... On the other hand, you are in Singapore, which means you are not likely to find a place that is too messy or rowdy... (Not to mention filthy), and you do have a chance to get to know some locals, who will be happy to lend you some advice on the food... As already mentioned, Hawker Centres are also very reasonable on prices and make a great evening-out for most Singaporeans, who normally prefer to have their dinner-out-of-home in those centres. (In some cases, SG$ 10 will be enough to buy you a meal you can't even finish...) Discover Singapore with those who know it best! Click here to view our choice of city-tours and activities.
What are 'food courts' and what is the difference between them and 'Hawker Centres' ? Unlike Hawker Centres (which are also sometimes called Food Centres), Food courts are normally located within modern shopping malls (mostly on the lower floors) and are quite similar to what is known as 'Food Courts' in Europe and North America (although you can find a wider range of authentic food options here... Mainly thanks to those successful Hawker-Centre folks who decided to span their wings...). . Food Courts are typically more expensive (and somewhat less authentic) than Hawker Centres, and their main advantage is their location within the city's large shopping malls, which means they make a good lunch break option for shoppers (and they are air conditioned). And what about 'Kopitiams' ? What the heck are they ? The popular Kopitiam (or Kopi tiam) is a traditional breakfast-joint and coffee shop that can be found in almost all residential areas, as well as in many industrial and business districts. The menu of the average Kopitiam will typically feature simple offerings, such as toasts (served with the locally popular Kaya spread, or with other stuff), a variety of eggs, coffee, tea and Milo. Singaporean coffee is pretty sweet (prepared with condensed milk) but the folks at the Kopitiam can also make it to your taste... One more think you should try is Teh tarik (Frothy and bubbly Malaysianstyle tea, with condensed milk) The "Singapore Flexi Pack" allows you to save over 40% on Singapore's BEST attractions and sightseeing.
How does it work ? How do you order your food in a 'Hawker Centre' ? Many Hawker centers are busy, so if there's a group of you, ask one of the friends to seat at the table and keep it for the rest of you (to "chope" in local jargon), then stroll around the whole centre and see what the different stalls have on offer (and which one of them has the most appetizing aroma), before you place your order...
In many Hawker centers, food will be first served to your table (you will have to tell them your table number when placing the order) and you will pay only after you've been served. However, in an increasing number of Hawker centres you are expected to pay as you order and carry your food to the table. What can you order in a 'Hawker Centre' or at a local eatery ? There are so many different delicacies you can order in Singapore's Hawker Centres and local eateries, I can't even describe a quarter of them‌ I will, however, tell you about the most popular of them‌ Hainanese Chicken Rice, one of "Singapore's national dishes", is named after the island of Hainan, in South China, where it originates from. This popular dish contains sliced chicken, which is prepared in traditional Hainanese methods and served with aromatic rice that has been prepared with pandan leaves. The dish is then served with a variety of sauces, including chili, ginger and dark soy sauce. Singapore Chilli Crab is one of the city-state's iconic dishes, made with hard-shell crabs, cooked in a thick spicy gravy, with a piquant tomato chili base, garlic and mixed spices. It combines both Chinese and Malay influences and has been a favorite among Singaporeans and visitors from all over the world (Singapore Pepper Crab is also very popular). Laksa, a well-known Peranakan favorite and a serious candidate to the "Singapore's national dish" title, is a rich, coconut-based curry soup, with tofu puffs, fish sticks, shrimp and cockles. Some places may serve Chicken Laksa, which uses chicken instead of shrimp. Yong Tau Foo is the Hakka's most significant contribution to Singapore's cuisine. This soup-based dish consists of tofu cubes heaped with minced meat (usually pork) and herbs, then fried until golden brown, or sometimes braised. Bak Kut Teh (Pork Rib Tea Soup) is a popular Chinese soup that consists of meaty pork ribs in a complex broth of herbs and spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui and garlic), boiled together with pork bones for hours...
Char Kway Teow (fried flat noodles) is a popular Southeast Asian dish, consisting of flat rice noodles which are fried over very high heat with light and dark soy sauce, chilli, prawns, cockles, egg, bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Sometimes slices of Chinese sausage and fish cake are also added. It is fried in pork fat, with crisp croutons of pork lard, which give it its characteristic taste. Prawn Mee is a popular dish from neighboring Malaysia that consists of prawns in a rich and scrumptious stock of prawns and pork, with Hokkien (Fujian) fried egg noodles and flavorful ingredients, like fried shallots and spring onion, dried shrimps, white pepper, garlic and other spices… Wan Ton Mee is a dish of Mee (noodles) and wanton dumplings, with Char siew (BBQ pork) and veggies… Ipoh Hor Fun is another Malaysian favorite that consists of wide Chinese rice noodles with loads of crayfish and prawns… Popiah is a Peranakan-style fresh spring roll (looks more like a rolled crêpe) stuffed with stewed turnip, Chinese sausage, shrimps and lettuce. Fish Head Curry is the most significant contribution of the local Indian community to Singapore's culinary scene. The head of a red snapper is semi-stewed in a thick curry of assorted vegetables, like okra and brinjals, and usually served with either rice or Roti bread. Rojak is an assortment of potatoes, eggs, beancurd and fruits (and sometimes prawns) fried in batter and served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce. Curry-puff is an Indian-Singaporean style savory snack that consists of a pastry pocket, filled with different stuff (chicken, tuna and so on...), something between a Samosa and a Pie. Fishball Noodles - This Teochew-style dish consists of either egg or rice noodles, served either in a light fish-flavored broth or "dry" with the soup on the side, with balls from raw fish flesh, fishcake, beansprouts and lettuce. Mee Pok; a type of flat and yellow Chinese noodle, is normally used as the base for this dish.
What are Singapore's top hawker centres (and what stalls are worth queuing for) ? There are literally dozens of Hawker Centers and Food Courts throughout Singapore and most of them are pretty good, but the ones on this list are exceptionally good (and you can also find particular stall recommendations in each of the recommended centres): Explore Singapore's less known "gems" through our range of Unique Day Trips and GuidedWalks !
1. Chinatown Complex Food Centre on Smith Street (off New Bridge), a short walking distance from MRTChinatown, was renovated just a few years ago... Together with the street-side eateries on Smith Street (Which is commonly known as Chinatown's food street), it boasts an excellent selection of Chinese food-stalls and eateries. Five minutes' walk from MRT-Chinatown. Open daily until late. Recommended stalls include: China La Mian Steamed Buns (#02-135), Teochew St. Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle (#02-23), Hai Seng Ah Balling (#02-59) and Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu (#02-87/88)
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2. Maxwell Road Food Centre is another extremely popular Hawker centre in Chinatown. Located along Maxwell Road, between URA building and South Bridge Street (a short walk from Tanjong Pagar, as well as from MRT-Chinatown). This centre is particularly famous for its wide choice of traditional snacks and finger foods (although there are more than a few 'serious dishes' to choose from) Recommended stalls include: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (#10), Hup Kee Ngoh Hiang (#97) and China Street Fritters (#64)
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3. Makansutra Gluttons Bay is an initiative of Makansutra, Singapore's most reputable publisher of street-food guidebooks, where the city's 12 most highly-rated hawkers have been given an exclusive space, just by the Esplanade Theatres (the "Durian") in Marina Bay. Open daily, 6 pm till 3 am
6. Chomp Chomp Food Centre has been around since 1972 and although it was renovated, it still maintains its old days charm… The food here is great, and so is the ambience, and you are likely to be one of the only tourists (although there are more than a few expats who come here for dinner…)
To get there: Direct link from Esplanade MRT Station, as well as from City Hall MRT Station (The stalls operate from the open space, near the waterfront)
Recommended stalls include: Ang Sa Lee Fried Oyster (#33), Lucy BBQ Seafood (# 6) and Boon Tat Street BBQ Seafood (#8) are both famous for their Grilled stingray, Ah Hock Hokkien Fried Noodles (#27) specializes in Hokkien Mee, and Carrot Cake (#36) has been serving its splendid carrot cake since the 1970s… To complement the meal, grab a cold sugarcane juice at "Ralli" (#2, #7, #22)
4. Tiong Bahru Market is a newly reopened complex, relatively more spacious and pleasant than the ordinary Hawker Centre, and with a wider selection of excellent stalls (almost one hundred...) and some nice 'alfresco' and indoors seats. Although it is not on the ordinary visitor's track, it houses some of Singapore's most popular stalls and is, therefore, worth knowing about... Open daily until late. Getting to Tiong Bahru Market is not too difficult : A 10 – 15 minutes' walk from MRT-Tiong Bahru (or just take a cab, it will cost you peanuts…) How to find the best deals in Asia ? Instantly compare the world's leading hotel-websites and get the BEST rates for accommodation in Macau, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Taipei and elsewhere in Asia!
To get here: Chomp Chomp is located at 20 Kensington Park Road (next to Serangoon Gardens Circus): Take bus nos. 315, or 317 from MRTSerangoon, No. 73 (from MRT-Toa Payoh, or MRTAng Mo Kio) and No. 136 (from MRT-Ang Mo Kio)
7. Golden Mile Food Centre on 505 Beach Road, near Arab Street and Kampong Glam (just a few steps away from Hajjah Fatimah Mosque), is where you can find many stalls that specialize in fabulous Muslim foods, both Malay and Indian, alongside a decent variety of other southeast Asian delicacies. Open daily, until fairly late.
5. Lau pa sat Festival Market: Originally built in 1894 as a fish market, Telok Ayer Market (as it is better known) is one of the best and most popular Hawker/Food centres around this side of Chinatown. The imposing cast-iron structure of the market was prefabbed in Glasgow, Scotland, more than a century ago and shipped to Singapore in pieces, before being erected on site. Open daily: from 12 noon till the wee hours of the night. (Some stalls, like the Kopi-Tiams, are open from morning...) During the evening, neighboring Boon Tat Street is closed to give way for hawkers, who set their openair BBQ Satay stalls out there… Getting there: From MRT Raffles Place Station: Take exit F to Cecil Street, turn back as soon as you come out of the station and walk a few steps to the corner, where you turn right to Robinson Road. After a few minutes' walk you will see the market on your right.
The "Singapore City Pass" makes a good choice for those who want to explore the city by themselves, with a full day of unlimited Hop On Hop Off Bus sightseeing, as well as well as a trip on an amphibious vehicle. 8. Geylang Serai Market, one of Singapore's most popular and authentic markets, has reopened in its new location just a few years ago and is one of the main draws for travellers around this part of Geylang. Being the main market for Singapore's Muslim-Malay community, it boasts many spice shops, as well as small boutiques where traditional clothes are sold, alongside cheap jewelleries and a wide choice of stalls selling scrumptious street foods and snacks… Recommended stalls include: Hajjah Mona Nasi Padang (#02-166) and Geylang Beryani Stall (#01-327)
9. East Coast Lagoon Food Village and East Coast Seafood Centre: Along East Coast Parkway, on Singapore's East-Coast, are probably the city's best places for seafood. Singaporean "culinary icons" like Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab are the must-tries around here, but the menus present plenty of other local delicacies... East Coast Lagoon Food Centre, for example, houses numerous satay stalls, as well as some that sell cold sugar cane juice... The ambience here is really lovely and you can have your food 'alfresco', under the swaying coconut palms... Open daily, from late afternoon until fairly late. (both centres can get extremely busy on weekends). Recommended stalls include: Leng Heng BBQ Seafood & Claypot Deluxe (Stall #6 East Coast Lagoon Food Village), Meng Kee Satay Bee Hoon (Stall #17 East Coast Lagoon Food Village). Getting there: From Katong: Walk down to the bottom of Joo Chiat Road, turn left to Marine Parade Road and board any of the following routes: 31, 43, 48, 196, 196-e, 197 or 853-c. Alight at a bus stop called 'Opposite Laguna Park' (also on Marine Parade Road) and walk back a few steps, to the corner, where you turn left to Siglap Link and after 2 – 3 minutes left again, to East Coast. Almost immediately you will see an entrance to an underpass on your left, through which you cross under the road and into the park. From the City: Travel to MRT - Bedok Station. From the adjacent bus Interchange (next to exit B), take No. 197 to Laguna Park and proceed by foot (see instructions above) On Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, you can take line 401 from Bedok Bus Interchange directly to the lagoon and the food centre. You can also take a taxi from Bedok: It is not a very long ride and won't cost you much.
Although Singapore has one of the best publictransport systems in the world, taking the Singapore City Hop-on Hop-off Tour is highly recommended, as it takes you directly to the various attractions and saves you the time and hassle of waiting for a bus or walking‌
10. Tekka Centre : The relatively large complex of Tekka Centre houses a wet market, a food centre and some authentic shops. The huge wet market, on the ground floor, specializes mainly in fresh seafood and vegetables, while the hawker centre boasts a good selection of vegetarian food stalls serving different Indian cuisines, as well as vegetarian Malay and Chinese delicacies. In the shops, you can find a wide range of stuff, from Indian fashion and inexpensive casual clothes to Taoist and Buddhist paraphernalia, and from tailor shops to henna salons...
11. Al Jilani - 24 hours roti prata: This extremely popular food-court-style eatery/Kopitiam has long become a culinary institution, serving some of the best Roti-pratas in Singapore, 24 hours a day... Roti Prata is a Muslim-Indian dish of pan-fried dough (looks like pancake), served with either curry or sweet stuffings (chocolate, durian and even ice cream). A plethora of variations are available and it is extremely popular for both breakfast and late night meals. Other than Roti-prata, you can get some lovely fried rice and noodle dishes. Located on 127 Bencoolen St., between Sim Lim Square and Fortune Centre How to find the best deals in Asia ?
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12. Takashimaya Food Court is an excellent option for those Orchard Road shoppers who want to have a delicious meal at a relatively low price. With more than thirty outlets, you'll probably find something to your liking. Located at Takashimaya (Ngee Ann City), just a short walk from MRT Orchard. Another fantastic food court in Orchard Road (probably even better than the one in Takashimaya) is Food Republic on Level 4 of neighboring Wisma Atria (directly linked to MRT-Orchard, as well as to Ngee Ann City and ION Orchard).
11. Marina South Hawker Centre, the last (but not least) centre on our list, is popular for its seafood and steamboat (hot pot) stalls. Open from around 12 noon till after midnight. To get there: take the MRT to Marina Bay Station and transfer to SBS bus no. 400
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