Best Hawker Food in Singapore

What are hawker favourites?

Hawker food is everyday cooked food sold at small stalls, usually at low prices. A hawker centre is a large food court, often open at the sides, with dozens of stalls under one roof. Our hawker favourites include well-known food centres, single stalls, coffee shops and zi char kitchens. UNESCO lists Singapore's hawker culture as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage. A meal at a hawker centre is one of the best ways to get to know the city.

Hawker dishes to try first

• Chicken Rice: poached or roasted chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock. Try Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre.
• Laksa: rice noodles in a spicy coconut curry broth. 328 Katong Laksa is in Katong.
• Bak Kut Teh: pork ribs in a peppery or herbal soup. Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (New Bridge Road) serves the peppery style.
• Satay: grilled skewers of meat with peanut sauce. Try Haron 30 Satay in East Coast and Bedok.
• Char Kway Teow: flat rice noodles fried with dark soy sauce, egg and cockles.
• Bak Chor Mee: noodles tossed with minced pork, vinegar and chilli. Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle is a popular stall for it.
• Nasi Lemak: rice cooked in coconut milk, served with sambal (a chilli paste), fried anchovies, peanuts and egg.

For plain-English notes on more dishes, see Hawker Dishes Explained.

Best hawker centres by area

City centre

Maxwell Food Centre, Amoy Street Food Centre, Hong Lim Market & Food Centre and Chinatown Complex Food Centre are all close to Chinatown and the CBD. Amoy Street and Hong Lim fill up with office workers at weekday lunch. Lau Pa Sat sits among the office towers nearby.

Tiong Bahru and the west

Tiong Bahru Market sits in one of Singapore's oldest housing estates. Walk around the Tiong Bahru Estate after breakfast to see its pre-war flats. Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre is in the Dempsey, Tanglin and Holland area.

The east

Old Airport Road Food Centre is one of the larger centres, in the Geylang and Paya Lebar area. Bedok 85 Fengshan Food Centre is popular for supper, a late-night meal. East Coast Lagoon Food Village sits by the sea in East Coast Park.

Little India and Newton

Tekka Centre in Little India is a good place for Indian and Malay dishes, such as biryani. Adam Road Food Centre is in the Newton and Novena area.

Zi char and sit-down places

Zi char means home-style Chinese dishes cooked to order and shared by a group. Keng Eng Kee Seafood in Tiong Bahru and Alexandra and Kok Sen Restaurant in Chinatown are both zi char spots. Seroja in Bugis and Kampong Glam serves Malaysian food.

How to eat at a hawker centre

1. Find a seat first. At busy times, locals 'chope' (save) a table with a tissue packet. If a table has one, find another.
2. Order at each stall. Queue, say your dish and pay. Some stalls bring the food to your table, so tell them your table number.
3. Carry some cash. Many stalls take QR code or card payments, but not all.
4. Return your tray. Take trays and crockery to the tray return point. Halal and non-halal items have separate return points.
5. Check halal status. If you need halal food, look for the MUIS halal certificate at the stall. MUIS is the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.
6. Time it well. Weekday lunch in the CBD is very busy. Popular stalls may sell out early or close on some days.

Read Hawker Centre Etiquette in Singapore: 9 Simple Rules for more tips.

FAQs about hawker favourites in Singapore

Which hawker centre should I visit first?

Maxwell Food Centre and Lau Pa Sat are easy first stops in the city centre. Old Airport Road Food Centre and Tiong Bahru Market are also well loved by locals.

How much does hawker food cost?

Most single dishes cost around S$4 to S$8. Prices change, so treat this as a rough guide.

Are hawker centres open every day?

Most centres open daily, but each stall sets its own days off. Centres also close for cleaning a few times a year. Check the listing before you make a special trip.

What is the difference between a hawker centre and a food court?

Hawker centres are mostly open-sided and cheaper. Food courts are usually inside malls, with air conditioning and slightly higher prices. Read Hawker Centre vs Food Court: What's the Difference? for more.