Hawker centres are part of the social fabric of Singapore. Here are some of the best examples around the island.
Officially called food centres, hawker centres were rapidly built from the 1970s onwards to re-home street food vendors, and many have flourished to become institutions. Today, it is where you can find prime examples of local dishes including chicken rice, bak chor mee, roti prata, nasi lemak, laksa, and much more. In the recent years, younger hawkers have also stepped in to offer more international flavours from ramen to pasta.
This guide is not exhaustive – we’ll be adding more as we cover them – but here’s a guide to some of the best hawker centres in Singapore.
(Hero and feature image credit: Choo Out Shing/Flickr)
Best hawker centres in Singapore and what to eat there
Michelin has been long clued in on the delights at Chinatown Complex, resulting in the world’s first hawker stall with a star, and numerous Bib Gourmand and Plate winners here.
(Image credit: Hawker Chan Singapore / Facebook)
No other hawker centres can match Tekka Centre for its breath of Indian cuisine, from tandoor-cooked dishes and appam, to nasi biryani and Indian rojak. The prawn noodles from 545 Whampoa, however, is equally fantastic.
(Image credit: @felie_lim / Instagram)
This CBD institution houses over 130 stalls, some backed by Michelin. Famous dishes include bak chor mee, fish soup, bak chang, and Hokkien braised duck.
(Image credit: Kin Men Seng Heng / Facebook)
Telok Blangah Crescent Food Centre
From a family making fishcake by hand for more than two generations, to mee hoon kway created by a MasterChef Singapore finalist, Telok Blangah is highly worth a visit.
(Image credit: @jiak_song / Instagram)
As Bugis gets trendier, Albert Centre stays resolutely – and charmingly – old school with its honest fare of Cantonese porridge, fishball noodles, pig organ soup, and more.
(Image credit: Fatt Kee Shou Shi)
Seah Im neighbours Singapore’s largest shopping mall, but the hawker centre holds its own with excellent renditions of duck rice, epok-epok, yong tau foo, fried chicken rice, and Indian rojak.
(Image credit: @thesilverchef / Instagram)
Made even more famous with a cameo in “Crazy Rich Asians,” Newton barely needs any introduction. While the crowd is predominantly tourists, there are plenty of culinary gems here from chilli crab to carrot cake. It is mostly unsheltered, so visit when the skies are clear.
(Image credit: 31 Heng Heng BBQ / Facebook)
The sleek Margaret Drive Hawker Centre is home to a number of long-serving stalls like Tong Kee Chicken Rice. Joining it are Hakka Thunder Tea and Queenstown Lontong, which moved from the now-closed Tanglin Halt Hawker Centre.
(Image credit: @w3nbin89 / Instagram)
No trip to Pulau Ubin – or to Changi Beach – is complete without a visit to this hawker centre. Nasi lemak is arguably the icon here, but don’t miss the goreng pisang, Ipoh hor fun, and satay bee hoon.
(Image credit: @ailinlim / Instagram)
One of the oldest hawker centres in Singapore, People’s Park represents the changing spectrum of residents thanks to the growing number of Mainland Chinese food stalls. At the same time, Straits Chinese dishes still hold their own with dishes like soon kueh and loh mei.
(Image credit: @fattsoonkueh / Instagram)
This hawker centre presents the ABCs of local food through wanton noodles, handmade bao, chye tow kway, and traditional desserts. Heritage Penang cuisine and affordable Western dishes are also available, as well as ayam penyet from a famous brand.
(Image credit: @ahxuncorner / Instagram)
Also known as Beach Road army market, this hawker centre houses Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly, which still makes the dessert by hand. Other noteworthy stalls Deen Tiga Rasa and its mutton bone soup, and Charlie’s Peranakan Food.
(Image credit: @zhaoangrannygrassjelly / Instagram)
At this hawker centre, sample Michelin-backed chee cheong fun and Hokkien mee, herbal duck kway chap, prawn noodles in a sweet-umami broth, and traditional peanut pancakes made fresh daily.
(Image credit: Pin Wei Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun)
Chong Pang is synonymous with nasi lemak, but the neighbourhood’s hawker centre is home to stalls cooking great examples of Teochew noodles, braised duck, chicken rice, and ayam penyet.
(Image credit: @gabriel_goh / Instagram)
Bendemeer brings a taste of nostalgia with a beef noodle stall run by a descendant of the famed Odeon Beef Kway Teow. You’ll also find kuehs pan-fried carrot cake style, Indonesian curry rice with tender beef rendang, and Sarawak kolo mee.
(Image credit: @ahneo / Instagram)
This hugely popular hawker centre sees crowds waiting for Cantonese roast meats, curry puff, rojak with charcoal-grilled youtiao, and crispy oyster omelette. While you’ll find Nyonya Chendol in other hawker centres, the original stall still exists here.
(Image credit: @foodieekol / Instagram)
This culinary destination is home to Michelin-recommended stalls serving laksa, Cantonese soups, and soy sauce chicken. It’s also popular for its xiao long bao, Hokkien mee, crystal dumpling, wanton noodles, and avocado shake.
(Image credit: Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa / Facebook)
Diners flock to Bukit Timah for the carrot cake and satay bee hoon, as well as perennial favourites such as durian chendol, Hokkien mee, mutton soup and kway chap. Leave space for durian chendol and beancurd with taro balls.
(Image credit: @full.of.yum / Instagram)
From famous bak chor mee to a Michelin-recognised satay bee hoon, Bedok 85 is a culinary destination in the east. It’s also famous for Cantonese pork porridge, xiao long bao, Fuzhou oyster cake alive, peanut soup with rice balls.
(Image credit: @bedok85bcm / Instagram)
Small in stature but big on gourmands’ minds, this food centre boasts famous nasi lemak, prawn noodles, and mutton soup. Pork leg bee hoon is also a draw, as is the mee soto and ice kacang, laksa, and Indian rojak.
(Image credit: goofytwocooks / Instagram)
As one of the earliest hawker centres built in Singapore, Hong Lim is full of culinary gems including fish head bee hoon, curry chicken noodles, kway chap, and bak kut teh. Younger hawkers also offer international fare from Japanese-inspired lunch bowls to duck confit.
(Image credit: Heng Kee Curry Chicken Noodles/Facebook)
Tian Tian’s chicken rice dominates the headlines at Maxwell, but other stalls serving fish soup, chee cheong fun, xiao long bao, and Cantonese roast meats are just as worthy. Old school snacks come in the form of tapioca cake and ham chin peng, then finish off with local craft beer.
(Image credit: @RenMin.sg / Facebook)
Located in between Tiong Bahru and River Valley, Beo Crescent is popular for its lor mee, char kway teow, and claypot rice. The ban mian is also noteworthy, as well as Teochew braised duck, and fried rice from an ex-Din Tai Fung chef.
(Image credit: @sg.foodbuzz / Instagram)
Head to this food centre for Michelin-recommended braised duck and char kway teow. There are also dripping plates of Hokkien mee, crispy appam, and fluffy chwee kueh.
(Image credit: @thesillygirlsays / Instagram)
Here's where you can read the latest news and stories from Lifestyle Asia and our sister titles PrestigeOnline and Augustman, curated from all of our editions in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and India.
Most Popular
