The best hawker centres in Singapore for first-time visitors

Hawker centres are open-air food halls full of small stalls, each cooking one or two dishes very well. A plate costs about S$4 to S$8, and some stalls have a Michelin Bib Gourmand. In 2020 UNESCO added Singapore’s hawker culture to its list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. Here is where to go and what to order.

Seven hawker centres worth the trip

1. Maxwell Food Centre (Chinatown): famous for Hainanese chicken rice, with long queues at lunch. Also try fish porridge and the fried carrot cake.
2. Lau Pa Sat (CBD): a Victorian cast-iron market in the middle of the office towers. In the evening the street next to it becomes Satay Street, with grills and outdoor tables.
3. Chinatown Complex Food Centre: one of the biggest hawker centres, with more than 200 stalls upstairs above a wet market. Good for claypot rice and noodles.
4. Tekka Centre (Little India): Indian and Malay food, with biryani, roti prata and teh tarik, next to a busy wet market.
5. Old Airport Road Food Centre: a locals’ favourite in the east, with famous stalls for char kway teow, Hokkien mee and satay.
6. Tiong Bahru Market: go for breakfast, with chwee kueh (steamed rice cakes), noodles and coffee, then walk the Art Deco streets around it.
7. Newton Food Centre: open late, with barbecued seafood and satay. Seafood is sold by weight, so ask the price before you order.

• Hawker Food Trail: Maxwell to Lau Pa Sat: Eat your way through Singapore’s UNESCO-listed hawker culture with a local foodie. (3 hours, from S$103 per adult, S$72 per child)
• Tiong Bahru Art Deco & Kopi Breakfast: Curvy 1930s flats, hidden bomb shelters, indie bookshops and a proper kopi breakfast. (2 h 30 min, from S$68 per adult, S$47 per child)
• Little India & Kampong Glam Evening Food Trail: Curry on a banana leaf, murtabak and teh tarik as the lights come on in two of Singapore’s most colourful quarters. (3 hours, from S$99 per adult, S$68 per child)

Ten dishes to try

• Hainanese chicken rice: poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock, chilli and ginger.
• Laksa: noodles in a spicy coconut curry soup, best in Katong.
• Char kway teow: flat rice noodles fried in a hot wok with egg and cockles.
• Satay: grilled skewers of chicken, mutton or beef with peanut sauce.
• Hokkien mee: prawn noodles fried in a rich prawn stock.
• Roti prata: crispy Indian flatbread with curry for dipping.
• Nasi lemak: coconut rice with fried chicken, egg, anchovies and sambal.
• Bak kut teh: pork rib soup with pepper and garlic.
• Fried carrot cake: not a cake, but fried radish cake with egg, white or black (sweet soy).
• Kaya toast: toast with coconut jam and butter, with soft-boiled eggs and local coffee (kopi).

How to eat at a hawker centre

1. Find a table first. A packet of tissues on a table means someone has saved it (locals call this “chope”).
2. Note your table number, then order at the stalls. Some stalls bring the food to you; others ask you to wait.
3. Pay at the stall. Many take PayNow or NETS by QR code and some take cards, but carry some cash for small stalls.
4. Drinks come from the drinks stall: try kopi (coffee), teh (tea), or fresh sugar cane and lime juice.
5. When you finish, return your tray and dishes to the tray return point. It is the rule at every hawker centre.

Tip: Go before 12 noon or after 1.30 pm on weekdays to avoid the office lunch crowd. Many stalls close one day a week, often Monday or Tuesday.

Eat with a local guide

On a food tour a licensed guide orders for you, explains each dish and its history, and takes you to stalls you would not find alone. Our food walks cover Chinatown and the CBD, Katong’s Peranakan food, Little India and Kampong Glam in the evening, a halal food trail, and a heartland breakfast at a wet market.

• Katong & Joo Chiat Peranakan Food & Heritage Walk: Pastel Peranakan houses, Nyonya kueh and a bowl of Katong laksa in Singapore’s charming east. (3 hours, from S$93 per adult, S$61 per child)
• Halal Heritage & Food Trail: Kampong Glam & Geylang Serai: Malay and Arab heritage with halal food all the way, from Sultan Mosque to Geylang Serai Market. (3 h 30 min, from S$89 per adult, S$62 per child)
• Heartland Breakfast & Wet Market Walk (Toa Payoh): Start the day like a local: kaya toast and kopi, a busy wet market and life in Singapore's public housing estates. (3 hours, from S$75 per adult, S$52 per child)

Frequently asked questions

How much does a meal at a hawker centre cost?

Most dishes cost about S$4 to S$8, and a drink about S$1.50 to S$3. Seafood dishes sold by weight cost more, so ask the price first.

Is hawker food safe to eat?

Yes. Every stall is licensed and inspected by the National Environment Agency. Busy stalls with a queue are a good sign.

Is there halal food at hawker centres?

Yes. Look for the halal certificate at the stall. Tekka Centre, Geylang Serai Market and Adam Road Food Centre have many Muslim-owned stalls.