It is true that you can ask ten different people to name the best hawker center in Singapore and get a different response each time. Since Singaporeans are devoted to their food, the only way to determine which hawker center is the best is to visit all of them. However, we have compiled this list with locations, recommendations for what to eat, and a general explanation of prices based on our extensive experience eating at hawker stalls throughout Singapore.
For those unfamiliar, Singapore hawker centers are essentially large food courts with stalls serving everything from full meals to snacks and beverages around the perimeter. Most of the time, you’ll find dishes from the area as well as international flavors like Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western. The atmosphere is lively, the food is reasonably priced, and having lunch in a crowded hawker center is an authentic Singaporean experience that should not be missed.
1. Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre
It’s possible that your taxi driver won’t tell you that Lau Pa Sat is the best hawker center in Singapore; instead, they’ll probably say that it’s too crowded and not as popular as it used to be. However, it is definitely the most popular. It’s additionally the greatest, seating up to 2,500 individuals.
This 120-year-old building has huge cast-iron frames that were shipped from Scotland. It is right in the middle of the Central Business District, close to Chinatown and Marina Bay. Also, the place is big, so you can expect to find food from all over the world. Costs are expanded somewhat because of its closeness to the CBD and ongoing redesign, however, most fundamental rice and noodle dishes come in at around $S5-7. It’s otherwise called Telok Ayer Market.
2. Old Airport Road Food Centre
Although this is not a contest of beauty, the Old Airport Road Food Centre is not particularly attractive. Found a little external the downtown area and not that very much visited by travelers, this 30-year-old food place is broadly considered by local people to be the best peddler community in Singapore, both regarding worth and all the more critically: taste.
Satay noodles, char kway teow (a noodle dish), and rojak (an Indonesian fruit/vegetable salad) are among the restaurant’s specialties. A basic noodle soup costs less than S$5, but larger meat-based dishes can cost as much as S$10, which is in line with the rest of Singapore’s hawker centers.
3. Maxwell Road Hawker Centre
Situated in Chinatown, Maxwell Street Food Center is definitely one of the most amazing spots to come to in Singapore for modest Chinese food. Must-attempt dishes incorporate the exemplary Hainanese chicken and rice, as well as the broiled clam omelet, and generous fish stock.
There are more than one hundred stalls, but there isn’t much room for sitting, so you might have to wait for a seat during busy times (during lunch on weekdays). A bowl of noodles or a plate of rice and chicken probably won’t cost much more than S$4, whereas stalls that sell grilled meat and specialty seafood typically charge between S$8 and S$10 for certain dishes.
4. Chinatown Food Street
It’s uncommon to find a terrible seller community in Singapore concerning the nature of the food, yet some will generally be somewhat harsh with regards to appearance. But Chinatown Food Street isn’t one of them. This row of renovated shop houses and stalls is an extension of the popular Chinatown Night Market and is covered in a shiny new glass roof.
The choice dish is roasted duck served with rice or noodles, with Chinese flavors firmly in focus. However, grilled meat and seafood as well as satay skewers prove to be popular as well. Expect to pay a few dollars more than you would at your typical Singaporean hawker center due to the large tourist crowd.
5. Tiong Bahru Market
One of the best hawker centers in Singapore for breakfast and brunch is Tiong Bahru Market. It is the ideal location for your first meal of the day because many of the stalls here open as early as 7 a.m. and close as early as well.
Having said that, the majority of Tiong Bahru’s offerings are based on meat, so you might want to wait until lunchtime to enjoy them. You can’t go wrong with roasted duck, pork ribs with noodles, boiled pork leg, or simple Hainanese chicken over rice. Basic noodle and rice dishes start at $S3 and are reasonably priced.
6. Tekka Centre
This 3-story complex lies at the doorway to Little India on Serangoon Street, and is one of the most outstanding seller places in Singapore to track down modest and liberally divided curries, with the staggering dish of decision being Biryani.
The local Indian crowds that come here to eat their fill are a sign of the quality of the food, despite the place’s rough exterior. Biryani dishes typically cost between $S6 and $S8 and include rice, poppadum, chicken or mutton, and sauces. If you’re brave, you can also literally try to eat as the locals do: Instead of using a spoon, use only your right hand to scoop the curry into your mouth!
7. Singapore Food Treats
The Singapore Food Treats is a contemporary hawker center that has a 1960s Singapore theme and is located in the shadow of the Singapore Flyer, which rises into the sky above.
The scope of food slows down isn’t the most far reaching in Singapore, yet this spot is certainly worth a visit only for its focal area and fun climate. Under the Flyer, in addition to the delicious food, there is a charming garden area and a miniature antique shop.
8. Chomp Chomp Hawker Centre
Eat Singapore – otherwise called the Serangoon Nurseries Food Center – is one of the renowned peddler communities in Singapore among local people. Chomp Chomp isn’t usually mentioned in a typical Singapore travel guidebook because it’s out of the city center, near Bishan.
However, that doesn’t mean Chomp Chomp doesn’t get busy. If you come in the evening, you will be able to witness the bustling atmosphere as chefs prepare freshly grilled stingray, barbecued chicken wings, noodle broths, and juicy satay sticks right in front of you.
9. Makansutra Gluttons Bay
Makansutra Gluttons Bay is probably the best hawker center in Singapore if you like to eat with a view. The location of Glutton is the restaurant’s primary selling point, despite the solid menu (must-try items include the rotis, oyster omelette, and chili crab). Arranged right by the straight, the perspectives across the water are incredible.
In addition, regular street performances are staged at the nearby Esplanade Theatre to keep you occupied while you eat. Since this open-air hawker center is one of Singapore’s last to close at night, Makansutra Gluttons Bay is a good option if you want to eat until 3 a.m. on weekends.
10. Satay by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay, with its renowned SuperTree Grove and more recent additions of the stunning Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, is one of Singapore’s best attractions. On the off chance that you’re traveling along these lines – which you should no less than once in Singapore, remember to save space for an excursion to Satay by the Straight, which is situated inside the recreation area. Obviously, satay skewers are the house specialty.
Barbecued pork, chicken, and beef are all served with a generous helping of that rich peanut sauce, and their aromas fill the air. There’s likewise an on-location bar and a lot of other food slows down on the off chance that you hate satay. You can find it by taking the free entrance to Gardens by the Bay and following the marked path along the water’s edge, or you can take the free shuttle bus.
Conclusion
You can’t say that you’ve visited Singapore without having examined nearby food at the city-state’s best vendor place.
Visits of any length are fragmented without tasting the nearby food and associating with local people at any of the best vendor habitats in Singapore.
Even if you don’t visit all of these food courts, just a few will let you experience Singapore’s fusion of cultures.
Eat the dishes that unite the nation and savor the flavors of the area.
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FAQs
What is Singapore’s most popular hawker food?
Any of the best hawker centers in Singapore will have dishes to satisfy even the pickiest eater, such as barbecue pork and char siew rice or Hainanese chicken rice.
Which Singaporean hawker center is the largest?
Chinatown Complex Food Place is the biggest seller community in Singapore. It has over 260 stalls that serve Singaporean food with Chinese, Indonesian, and Malaysian influences.
Which hawker center has both traditional and contemporary hipster stalls?
Timbre+ in west Singapore is probably the most hipster of the country’s hawker centers, despite not being on our list of the best in Singapore. It’s a metropolitan compartment-like food park with around 43 food slows down serving combination and conventional dishes to a diverse dishes swarm.
