Hawker centres are an integral part of life Singapore because these foodie hubs offer high-quality dishes at affordable prices. And much like Singapore itself, hawker centres are incredibly diverse, multicultural and vibrant. Peruse the stalls and you’ll find tons of Singaporean favourites like chilli crab, bak kut teh, chicken rice, and BBQ stingray. Throw in international dishes like salads, ramen, and great coffee, and you have everything you need for a feast. If you want to eat like a local without breaking the bank, we’ve rounded up the best hawker centres in Singapore.
Maxwell Food Centre
Located across from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown, Maxwell Food Centre offers some of the best hawker food in Singapore. The most famous stall by far is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (Stall 10 & 11), which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation for its fluffy, fragrant rice topped with glossy slices of chicken. Other popular stalls include Zhen Zhen Porridge (Stall 54) for congee and Jin Hua Sliced Fish Bee Hoon (Stall 77) for soup with vermicelli noodles and fried fish in a creamy broth.
1 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069184. Open daily 8am – 2am
Tiong Bahru Market
Tiong Bahru Market is a two-storey space with a wet market on the ground floor and a hawker centre on the upper floor. We love that there’s an outdoor area for al fresco dining. If you come for breakfast, a stop at Jian Bo Chwee Kueh (Stall 5). The specialty is steamed rice cakes topped with oily preserved radish with sesame seeds and spicy sambal. If you love dim sum, try Tiong Bahru Pau (Stall 18 & 19). Lor Mee 178 (Stall 23) is famous for its springy noodles with deep fried shark fritters in a thick gravy.
30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898. Open daily 7am – 8pm
Chinatown Complex Food Centre
With over 260 stalls, the Chinatown Complex Food Centre is the biggest hawker centre in Singapore. This is also the home to Hawker Chan (Stall #02-126), the world’s first Michelin-starred hawker stall. Try the succulent Cantonese style soya sauce chicken rice and hearty char siew noodles. Lian He Ben Ki Claypot Rice (Stall #02-198/199) earned a place on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for its excellent claypots. Wash down your meal with a craft beer from Smith Street Taps.
335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335. Open daily 7am – 10pm
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Some of the best hawkers in Singapore got their start at Old Airport Road Food Centre. Opened in the 1970s, this historic centre is your one-stop spot for tasty local eats like char kway teow, BBQ seafood, curry puffs, and wanton mee. With over 168 stalls, you’re definitely spoiled for choice. Some of our favourites include Whitley Road Big Prawn Noodles (Stall 98), Lao Ban Soya Beancurd (Stall 107), and Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee (Stall 32).
51 Old Airport Road, Singapore 390051. Open daily 6am – 11pm
Amoy Street Food Centre
If you’re in the CBD and want an easy-going, reasonably priced lunch, Amoy Street Food Centre is your spot. This vibrant hawker centre offers traditional and modern dishes, and has six different stalls with Bib Gourmand designations. A Noodle Story (Stall #01-39) earns rave reviews for its wanton noodles with Japanese style chashu, onsen egg, dried shrimps, prawn fritters, and lemongrass oil. If you’re on a healthy eating kick, try one of the halal poke bowls from Big Bowls Project (Stall #02-90).
7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111. Open daily 6:30am – 9pm
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
Opened in 1978, Hong Lim Market & Food Centre is long-time favourite Chinatown hawker spot. The line-ups can get quite long at some stalls, but that just tells you how good the food is. Hokkien Street Bak Tut Teh (Stall #01-66) offers what is arguably one of the best hawker breakfasts in Singapore. Think meaty pork ribs in a dark broth scented with herbs. Other popular spots include Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist (Stall #02-49) and Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa (Stall #02-66).
531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531. Open daily 7am – 9pm
Tekka Centre
Located in the heart of Little India, Tekka Centre offers tasty, affordable Indian eats and some of the best vegetarian hawker food in Singapore. Start at the Anna Dosa Stall (Stall 244) for dosa packed with marsala potatoes or curried vegetables. Meat lovers can try the delicious mutton biryani served on a banana leaf from Allauddin’s Biryani (Stall 232). For dessert, head to Ar-Rahman Cafe (Stall 247) for iced chendol adjusted to your preferred level of sweetness.
665 Buffalo Road, Singapore 210665. Open daily 6:30am – 9pm
Chomp Chomp Food Centre
Chomp Chomp Food Centre is only open in the evenings, so it’s a great place to hit up if you’re craving late-night bites. The food is a mix of snacks like carrot cake and satay alongside heartier plates like hokkien mee and Hainan beef noodles. Start with some BBQ chicken wings from Chong Pang Huat (Stall 28). If you’re still hungry, hit up Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee (Stall 27) for fried noodles in a rich broth with plump prawns and squid. The lineups may be long, but the noodles are worth the wait.
20 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557269. Open 4pm – 12:30am
