Guide to the best hawker food in Singapore!
You can’t say you’ve been to Singapore if you haven’t filled your bellies with a variety of hawker food on your trip. For the uninitiated, hawker centers in Singapore are food complexes that house various food stalls! It’s the best place to go for delicious and cheap food when you don’t exactly know where to eat in Singapore.
With dishes usually costing anywhere from 2 to 6 buks to USD3.69, you’ll be able to fill your belly without breaking the bank at the hawker centers in Singapore.
Our best game plan would be to grab a bunch of your friends and buy a variety of dishes so you get to try all the dishes without bursting your pants.
P.S. We do not encourage reading this when you are hungry, Klook will not be held responsible for any hunger pangs or cravings.
1. Chicken Rice
Coined the national hawker dish of Singapore, Hainanese Chicken Rice is a must-try at hawker centers in Singapore. If you have never heard of the dish, Chicken Rice comes in two variations: steamed or roasted.
Whichever you pick, the dish comes with a mountain of fragrant rice cooked with pandan leaves and ginger and spicy chilli, and ginger paste dipping sauces. 🔥
Most noteworthy is the chicken rice at Tong Fong Fatt! Each grain of rice is nicely separated and coated with flavor, while the chicken meat remains tender and doused in a delicious soy sauce. It's like heaven on a spoon when combined with the spicy chilli dipping sauce.
With multiple locations around the island, find the nearest one and start feasting!
Tong Fong Fatt
Address: #01-57 Albert Market & Food Centre Singapore, Singapore
Getting there: Alight at Bugis MRT Station and take Exit A. Head towards Fu Lu Shou Complex which is right across the Albert Centre.
2. Fried Prawn Noodles (Hokkien Mee)
Fried Hokkien prawn noodles is a dish comprising yellow egg noodles sautéed in a rich prawn and pork broth and served with fish cake, squid, prawn, and pork slices.
Of course, the dish wouldn’t be complete without the spicy sambal chilli and a squeeze of lime juice.
For us, the best part of the experience is when you accidentally bite into a piece of deep-fried crispy pork lard!
While not exactly located in Central Singapore, Chomp Chomp Hawker Center in Serangoon Gardens is home to some of the best hawker food in Singapore.
You can find Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Noodles tucked humbly in the food center at stall 27. Only open from 5:30 pm till slightly past midnight, come here for your late-night tummy filler!
Stall 27 at Chomp Chomp Hawker Center
Address: 57 Garden Way, Chomp Chomp Food Centre Stall 27 Serangoon Gardens
Getting there: Take the MRT to Serangoon and take bus 315 or 317 and alight at Serangoon Garden Circus.
3. Minced Meat Noodles (Ba Chor Mee)
Coming up top at the World Food Congress’s top street food list, Minced Meat Noodles, more commonly known as Ba Chor Mee is a must-try dish and is available at most hawker centers in Singapore.
This tasty sambal chilli, vinegar, soy sauce, and pork lard-laced noodles come served with minced pork, braised mushrooms, meatballs, and sometimes fried anchovies will leave you slurping up every last strand of noodle.
While not exactly located at a hawker center, the Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle is the most famous minced meat noodle stall in Singapore. Awarded one Michelin star, expect to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour for these noodles. We promise it will be worth the wait!
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
Address: 466 Crawford Ln, #01-12, Singapore
Getting there: It is a 9-minute walk from Lavender MRT station.
4. Fried Carrot Cake
The Carrot Cake at Chomp Chomp Hawker Center is a must-try when deciding where to eat in Singapore. While its name is deceiving, this popular hawker food in Singapore has no carrots at all; it’s actually made of radish and rice flour!
This mixture is steamed, cut into cubes, and fried with garlic, preserved radish, and eggs. There are two variations, the black – tossed in sweet dark soy sauce — and the white.
The white carrot cake at Carrot Cake in Chomp Chomp hawker center is fried to perfection! Crisp and fragrant, this plate of carrot cake even has little pieces of shrimp inside to further bring out the flavor in the dish!
Stall 27 at Chomp Chomp Hawker Center
Address: 57 Garden Way, Chomp Chomp Food Centre Stall 27 Serangoon Gardens
Getting there: Take the MRT to Serangoon and take bus 315 or 317 and alight at Serangoon Garden Circus.
5. Satay
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Satay or grilled meat skewers are a great dish to order to share with the gang over some beers! Choose from either chicken, pork, beef, or mutton that’s seasoned and skewered before getting grilled over a charcoal flame.
Don't forget to dip each mouthwatering bite into the classic peanut sauce for an explosion of flavor!
Lau Pa Sat hawker center is one of the local hot spots for hawker food! A crowd favorite when it comes to satay at this hawker center in Singapore is Ina Satay at Lau Pa Sat.
These $2 a stick for chicken, beef, or mutton satay are great for those on a budget. More importantly, this sweetly flavored meat jazzed up with some black pepper will tickle your tastebuds and leave you craving more.
Ina Satay
Address: Boon Tat St, Stall 14 & 19, Singapore
Contact: +65 8375 0280
Getting there: Take the MRT to Raffles Place and head towards Exit 1. Follow along the signs to reach Cross Street to reach the hawker center.
6. Fried Kway Teow (Char Kway Teow)
One of the most loved hawker dishes in Singapore is Char Kway Teow which translates into stir-fried rice noodles. These flattened rice noodles are stir-fried over high heat with ingredients like fish cake, Chinese sausages, and eggs. One of the best indicators of a good plate of Char Kway Teow is if it’s packed with wok hei (charred flavors from the wok).
One of the best stalls packed with wok hei is the Outram Road Fried Kway Teow Mee at Hong Lim Complex in Chinatown. This plate of goodness oozes with wok hei and is therefore our top pick. As a result, as with all delicious things, expect a long queue if you’re headed there during the lunch peak hour.
Outram Road Fried Kway Teow Mee
Address: 531A Upper Cross St, Singapore 051531
Contact: +65 9838 7619
Getting there: Exit from Chinatown Station (NE4/DT19) exit F and the market is a 2-minute walk away.
7. Pork Rib Soup (Bak Kut Teh)
A Chinese soup dish found commonly at hawker centers in Singapore is Bak Kut Teh or pork rib soup. This directly translates to “meat bone tea” which does not contain any tea at all, but people usually drink a cup of Chinese tea with this dish.
The soup is a broth of simmered pork ribs, pepper, garlic as well as other herbs. Pair yours with a bowl of rice and fried dough fritters (you tiao)!
One of the best hawker centers in Singapore to have this dish is Founder Bak Kut Teh. Commended by the likes of Taiwanese stars Jay Chou and Emil Chau, this bowl of peppery rib soup is a must-have! They’ve since moved to a different location and opened up doors in China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Founder Bak Kut Teh
Address: 347 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329777
Contact: +65 6352 6192 | info@founderbkt.com.sg
Getting there: Exit from Novena MRT (NS20) then walk for another 14 minutes to the New Orchid Hotel
8. Nasi Lemak
This Malay dish, Nasi Lemak, translates directly to fragrant rice and is a must try if you’re looking for a hearty meal at a hawker center in Singapore. The rice is cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaves and is usually served with fried chicken, otah (fish paste in banana leaf), and sambal chilli.
Punggol Nasi Lemak is a popular chain to visit for the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore, perfect for those wondering where to eat in Singapore. With over 10 different side dishes, choose your favorite ones to pair with your fragrant rice.
Punggol Nassi Lemak
Address: 371 Jln Besar, #01-01, Singapore
Contact: +65 6293 0020
Getting there: Take the North East line and alight at Farrer Park MRT. It will be a 6-minute walk to Jalan Besar.
9. Kueh Pie Tee
Kueh Pie Tee is a thin and crispy pastry filled with a mixture of thinly-sliced braised turnips, eggs, peanuts, shrimp, and chilli. As a result, these little cups are truly addictive and you’ll unknowingly consume 10 at a sitting! The filling of the Kueh Pie Tee is also used for Popiah, a fresh spring roll made of the same simmered julienned vegetables, Chinese sausage, sweet sauce, eggs, and prawn.
You’ll find the best tasting and most authentic tasting popiahs and kueh pie tees at Glory Catering Pte Ltd! Located along East Coast Road which is also known to be the area where you’ll find most Peranakan food and even Peranakan motifs like colorful-tiled floors, spend the day walking about and learning about this unique culture.
Glory Catering Pte Ltd
Address: 139 E Coast Rd, 428829
Getting there: Take the MRT to Dakota station and take bus 99. Alight at the Holy Family Church and walk for about 300 meters.
10. Laksa
Laksa is a spicy noodle dish consisting of rice noodles, fried beancurd, fish cake, cockles, shrimp, and eggs in a coconut curry broth. This originally Peranakan dish has won over the hearts of many Singaporeans and can be found in most hawker centers in Singapore.
The most famous Laksa place is probably 328 Katong Laksa. Their delicious aromatic Laksa gravy is heavy in shrimp paste flavor and not overly diluted with coconut milk. In addition, this Laksa beat Gordon Ramsay in the SingTel Hawker Heroes, establishing themselves as the no. 1 Laksa in Singapore!
328 Katong Laksa
Address: 1 Queensway #01-60 Queensway Shopping Centre, Singapore 149053
Getting there: Hop on bus number 11519 and get off Opp Queensway Shop Ctr and go on a 3-minute walk to 328 Katong Laksa.
Singapore’s best Hawker Centers
1. Newton Food Center
If you’re looking to get all of the above-mentioned dishes in one place, your best bet would be going to a hawker center in Singapore. 🍽️ The Newton Food Center is famous for its barbecued seafood as well as a good mix of Chinese, Malay, and Indian hawker stalls. The open-air environment with a vibrant bustling atmosphere makes it a great night out with the gang!
Newton Food Center
Address: 500 Clemenceau Avenue North (S)229495
Getting there: Take Exit A from Newton MRT, then walk for another 3 minutes to Newton Food Center
2. Satay By The Bay
If you’re planning a trip to Gardens by the Bay, the best ending to your day out is a feast of Singaporean delights by the waterfront at Satay by the Bay! Enjoy authentic-tasting Singaporean cuisine and watch your food get prepared right in front of you at this hawker center in Singapore.
Satay By The Bay
Address: 18 Marina Gardens Drive #01-19 Singapore 018953
Getting there: It is a 10-minute walk from Bayfront MRT (CE1/DT16)
3. Chinatown Food Street
Located in the heart of Singapore, Chinatown Food Street is also a great place to get your hawker food fix. Most noteworthy is the decor of the food street which was modelled to resemble the olden day Chinatown, the Chinatown food street is where you’ll find all the local hawker delights in one place!
Chinatown Food Street
Address: Smith Street, Singapore 058938
Getting there: Take Exit A from Chinatown MRT station and walk for 3 minutes
Klook your food trail around Singapore!
The best way to taste the best hawkers around the island is with the Klook private car charter! Let your driver take you to some of the yummiest hawker food stalls around the island in comfort.
Klook Tip: Ask your driver for recommendations on his favorite hawker centers in Singapore.
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