Guide to visiting Hawker Centers in Singapore

While I was in Singapore during my 4 days, I had a wishlist of all the hawker centers and within those multiple stands I wanted to visit. Of course then reality hits that I get tired from multiple stops a day, and I’m not as hungry as I hoped. I am going to give you the benefit of my wishlist and why each hawker center is unique as well as provide you my tips in my full guide to visiting Hawker Centers in Singapore.

Hawker centers are a possibly dying phenomenon in Singapore. Many of the hawkers are getting on in years. The oldest hawker in age was profiled here– she is 90 years old and still going! Many stalls will close when the current owners pass as their children will not be taking over. Some of this may be intentional as they want a better life for the next generation, and better education doesn’t usually lead to a hawker life. But, it is also a great loss that many recipes will be disappearing.

Many people are rightfully concerned whether there will still be the same thriving hawker centers for the next generation. Even if it endures with government help, it is doubtful that the insanely cheap prices being offered now can continue as food costs and rental costs of spaces rise. If you visit Singapore, don’t miss your chance to visit hawker centers while you can to try some of these original generation of stalls.

Now, let me share my biggest tips for visiting hawker centers based on my experience visiting ones in Singapore recently, as well as previously in Thailand.

Tips for Visiting Hawker Centers

1. Cash is king – most of the dishes range from $2-10, so don’t assume all stalls will accept card. It is polite to have small bills if possible or you better be ordering a big bill so you don’t demolish their change drawer. Some hawker centers are starting to modernize, but many old school ones are not there yet so be prepared with cash.
2. Walk around the whole hawker center to see what the offerings are. You don’t want to eat at the first stand you see and go a row down and see that same dish but with a line! I also look at what people are eating, not just the stands. If I see a lot of a certain dish being eaten by a lot of people, you bet I’m going to look for it or ask where they got it!
3. Look for a line. If there is a line, it is a testament to that it is good. Not only does that mean that there is a demand at this particular stall, but that others believe it is worth queuing for. I also have no shyness in asking people in the line what is the dish they are in line for, and what else is good in the center overall.
   
4. Fresh, made to order is best. I like to order where I see that what I am about to eat is going to be made fresh to order. This rule can’t always apply fully – obviously roast pork will have been roasted before – so look for cleanliness too, are they well organized? When the government moved street vendors into hawker centers they took care of health codes, but I think it reflects the attitude of attention to detail to the prep and cooking and serving.
   
5. Early lunch or dinner hours are better then later since some stalls sometimes run out and it will be easier to find a table, and the lines will be shorter. Keep in mind food stalls have various hours so if you have your heart set on a certain dish you may be disheartened to find out they are closed Mondays. So have backups rather then going out of your way to a hawker center for just one dish – or make damn sure that stall is open first.
6. Do initial research online for opinions of others. If you know you are going to a specific hawker center ahead of time, google and read listicles and blogs on recommendations of food stands there. Keep in mind of course food stalls can always change their menu offerings, quality may change, or maybe you have different taste then the food writer. I jotted notes on hawker centers down to help me remember, but would make the call based on what I saw when actually there. Sometimes when I’m walking around I will also see news clippings on some hawker stands, which may sway me too.
7. Look for the stall numbers. Some of the stall names may be hard to distinguish and some centers are huge, so look for a stall number to orient you on where to go or a photo to help you recognize it.
   
8. Drinks are separate. Drinks are a separate stand from the food. In some centers someone with a pushcart also comes around with beverages.
   
9. Bring your own napkins/tissue pack. If you are eating food with your hands consider wet-naps also. This is a given rule for me for when traveling overseas, carry your own travel tissue. If you do forget or run out, there may be a vendor walking around selling these packs for $1 or so – the food vendors themselves won’t have any. These tissues are useful not just for when you are eating, but some public restrooms did not have TP at every stall so good to have your own backup. Also look in the hawker centers for sinks to wash your hands.
10. Be aware of halal vs non halal utensils and trays. Many centers have separate tray stands to put away your food after depending on this designation – they do not want to mix the two, so please pay attention and respect it.
    
11. Note your table number. Some stalls hand you your food when your order (usually has a “self service” sign on it), but others may bring your food out to you and will ask your table number. So once you have a space for your party, have someone stay there or leave something non-valuable to mark it as taken – for instance a napkin pack, or I had a hotel umbrella extended across one, before you go to get your food. That said, this is a food court so depending on crowded it is you may be sharing tables with others.
12. Don’t feel guilted or intimidated by touting, aka hard sale pitches from some hawkers. Some food stalls are more aggressive at marketing to call customers in and if they see you even glance their way they will start their pitch. You are the boss here and you are on vacation and will never see them again . So keep in mind you make the calls, don’t feel forced or irritated. No reaction is the best reaction and keep enjoying your food adventure.

Now on to the summary list of hawker centers I had – there are a lot of hawker centers in Singapore, but I rounded up these for specific experiences, as described. Another key for me was that they had to be easily accessible by MRT line/public transit train as I was going to be use that as my means of travel, so some famous centers (like Old Airport Road Hawker Centre) did not make my list.

Singapore Hawker Centers List

• Tiong Bahru Food Centre. This hawker center is teeming with high quality hawker stalls, of the 80+ that includes ~20 stalls who started over 50 years ago as street hawkers.
  For a starter or breakfast check out Jian Bo Shui Kueh (Stall #2-05) serving up since 1958 shui kueh (steamed rice cake with diced preserved radish and say yes to the sambal chilli) at a bargain 8 pieces for $2.50. This dish is highlightedby many foodies, including during Anthony Bourdain’s Layover episode here.
  
  Head to the legendary Tiong Bahru Char Kway Teow (Stall #02-11) to meet Mr. Tay Soo Nam, who started frying noodles at the age of 24 and although isn’t doing the cooking now (he leaves it up to his daughter and husband) is still manning the hawker stall at 90 years old. The only dish to get here is the Char Kway Teow with chinese sausage, fishcake, cockles and beansprouts. They don’t have a $2 dish anymore but $3 and #4 is still pretty cheap.
  
  If you are here early enough, you might be lucky enough to catch the premium bu jian tian wanton noodles from Zhong Yu Yuan Wei Wanton Noodle (Stall #02-30) which sell out every day. The Bu Jian Tian Char Siew, which translates into never see the sky pork, are particulary tender as they come from the armpit of the pig.
  
  Ok one more stall recommendation – though there are even lots more that I didn’t experience but saw in many lists online for Tiong Bahru Food Centre. This one is for Tiong Bahru Lee Hong Kee Cantonese Roasted (Stall #02-60)- apparently now run by the son-in-law of the original founder from the 1960s. You are here for any of the roasted meat, which can include roast pork, roast duck, roast chicken, and char siew.
  
• Chinatown Complex. Ignore the trendy looking Chinatown Food Street with its al fresco street dining which is all looks and not necessarily memorable food. Instead head here to the not as photogenic (though recently renovated to be cleaner) but much tastier maze of 250+ options. This is also the original home of the world’s first Michelin starred hawker stall Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, also known as Hawker Chan (Stall #02-126). You are here, obviously, for Soya Sauce Chicken Rice (personally if I came again, which I would, I would get same chicken over the noodles instead though).
  
  Just FYI, there are multiple other Hawker Chan locations, including a standalone “fast food” like store across the street which is better organized with a number board. Apparently you can even get Hawker Chan delivered.
  
  Other things to look for here: patiently wait for the mixed rice (aka chicken and Chinese sausage) claypot rice at the Michelin mentioned Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice (Stall #02-198), satay at Shi Xiang Satay (Stall #02-79), or Tian Tian Porridge (Stall #02-185) for pork congee.
• Rasapura Masters. Located at the basement floor of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, you’ll find ~20 some stalls of curated hawker stands with air conditioning here. Although not as large or as cheap as some of the other hawker centers, you can’t beat the convenience if you want to grab some food before, between or after one of the light shows. The hawkers here are also more used to tourists, with many accepting credit card and the signage was easier to read for descriptions for many stalls. Easily walk able (all indoors through the mall) from the Bayfront stop.
  
• Satay by the Bay If you are looking for dining outside by Gardens by the Bay area rather then inside the ac at Rasapura, these eating pavilions are nearby. The area is cooled by sea breezes and big ceiling fans and has a huge seating area capacity of 1000 people. Per the name you’ll find satay being grilled out in the open. As a tradeoff the number of food stalls is smaller then other hawker centers (25 food stalls, 6 satay stalls). Also expect that and the prices a little higher, you are paying for the location.
• Tekka Centre This hawker center right around the corner from the MRT Little India stop is particularly bustling on Sundays – come earlier to avoid too much of the crowds on those days. This center has a wet market also, so those of you who are vegetarian/more sensitive to aromas just be aware (I didn’t notice the smells of the wet market at Tiong Bahru – probably because it was a separate floor vs sharing the same floor). That said, this center probably has the most vegetarian friendly offerings, as well as many Muslim and Arab influenced dishes then other hawker centers. Look for biryani, dosa, roti prata, teh tarik (pulled tea) or teh halia (pulled ginger tea).
  
• Newton Food Centre offers ~80 stalls and is located not far from the Orchard Road shopping district, has a reputation for its hawker offerings of seafood varying, from among many, Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelet (Stall #01-73), to Alliance Seafood’s Michelin mentioned chili crab (Stall #01-27). You will also find Heng Carrot Cake (Stall #01-28) in the Michelin Bib Gourmand guide, and Ah Gong Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice is recognized with a Michelin Plate (Stall #01-57). This is also the hawker center that Crazy Rich Asians used in the film. If I had one more day in Singapore, this hawker center would have been the second one on my list.
• Maxwell Food Center is only a short walk away from the Chinatown Complex, and here the claim to fame among more then 100 stalls is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (as made famous by Anthony Bourdain) or its rival Ah Tai (founded by a former cook at Tian Tian!). Check out also the fry-it-yourself Hum Jin Pang hawker stand (Stall #01-18) where you can fry your own plain five-spice salt fritters or sweet red bean filled dough fritters. This is a more then 30 year tradition from when the stall used to get busy so customers would help the owner’s dad (now close to 90 years old – the stand is now run by his mid-50s daughter) by frying their own fritters. Another 30 year hawker stall veteran is Zhen Zhen Fish Porridge (Stall #01-54,) with thick and creamy fish porridge that is popular all day long – personally I think putting the fritters and porridge together for a meal sounds like a win. If I had one more day in Singapore, this hawker center would have been the next one on my list.
• Lau Pa Sat with its 200+ stalls is the hawker center actually mentioned in the Crazy Rich Asians book. Around 7PM vendors set up their satay grills as well as outdoor tables right out in the closed street of Boon Tat Street. It’s bustling with everyone around you with platters of skewers and the plumes of charcoal and bbq scenting the air – here’s a glimpse of the scene. You’ll only have to follow your nose from the Raffles MRT station 5 minutes away. Get the prawn skewers from stands #7, 8, or 10.

Hope the above info was helpful! Which hawker center is the one you would pick as your top to visit/eat at?

Singapore Travel Posts

• Dinner at the world’s only Michelin starred Peranakan restaurant
• Singapore Sights: Old Hill Street Police Station, Singapore Chili Crab in Clarke Quay
• Peranakan Style Buildings in Singapore
• Guide to visiting Hawker Centers in Singapore (this post)
• Is visiting Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands worth it?
• Other sights in Singapore: things to do in Singapore 
• Things to see in Changi Airport