SL's Top Hawkers - Singapore
In one of the opening scenes in Crazy Rich Asians, Nick takes Rachel to his favorite place for dinner. No, it’s not a high-end restaurant in some posh area of Singapore; it is a hawker center, resplendent with satay, chili crab, and cheap bottles of ice-cold beer. Singaporeans and Malaysians are incredibly proud of their hawker culture, and rightfully so, as they are probably the best places in the world to eat a multitude of amazing dishes at ridiculously low prices.
The value is unbelievable, and that was the point when they started and why they’ve evolved the way they have. Originally, hawker stalls were just street vendors who sold their special dish from a cart or movable stall on the street, much like the hawker stalls in Malaysia today. Over time, areas developed where multiple street vendors would meet in a specific area, each selling their own amazing specialty.
Because the country is such a melting pot of Chinese, Indian, Malay, and Indonesian immigrants, the wide variety of dishes became the calling card of all hawker centers, though many of the centers have specialties they are famous for. On any given trip, you can order nasi kandar, chicken rice, murtabak, bak kut teh, to name a few, or order them all at once for a group to share. After Singapore felt the need to regulate street vendors in the 1960s, hawker centers became stalls in a food court style, often found on the ground floor of HDBs (residential buildings built by Singapore’s Housing and Development Board).
Note: Singaporeans take a lot of pride in their hawkers, especially their favorite centers—it can be a heated topic for debate. Deborah and I have been to over 70 hawker centers in Singapore, and while we love most of them, especially well-known locations like Tekka, Old Airport Road, Newton, Golden Mile, and Tiong Bahru, the six below are OUR list of the hawkers we love the most. The list is based on a combination of reasons, mainly a favorite stall or stalls, but also other factors like setting (East Coast Lagoon), ease of access (Albert Center), and the general feel, such as the history of a place (Lau Pa Sat).
Maxwell
Centrally located at the intersection of Maxwell Road and South Bridge Road, Maxwell is one of the most popular and well-documented hawker centers in Singapore. Originally an outdoor market that opened in 1928, the first family restaurant opened at Maxwell in 1946, selling meals for 8 cents a plate. Chinatown, Ann Siang Hill, Duxton Hill, and Tanjong Pagar are all adjacent neighborhoods that feed the hawker center, and recently, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) opened a new Maxwell station, making it even easier for Singaporeans to reach one of their favorite spots to eat.
Chinatown
Enormous in size, with stalls extending in multiple directions across several wings, Chinatown Complex Food Centre offers numerous options, many of them some of our favorite stalls in Singapore. We highly recommend Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao. The line for the Xiao Long Bao can be daunting, but once you get your giant pile of hot and steamy soup dumplings, which you paid next to nothing for, you will never look at another order of Xiao Long Bao the same way. We recommend Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice as well, which can also have a long wait, but is totally worth it. SL Tip: Make sure you walk all the way to the southeast corner for a table that overlooks the beautiful Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
Albert Centre
Not known as one of the top hawker centers in Singapore, but one of our favorites based on its proximity to our home and the presence of two of our favorite stalls in the city. Albert Centre is located between Bugis and Bencoolen, and is surrounded by malls, condos, and commercial businesses. Li Fang Congee is our favorite congee in Singapore (maybe anywhere). Bai Nian Niang Yong Tau Fu has a permanent line to experience their version of the soup, and the chicken wings that accompany the order are to die for. Perfectly crisp and piping hot, a pile of 5 sets you back a couple of dollars.
Lau Pa Sat
Lau Pa Sat is one of our favorite hawker centers to visit. It’s located in the heart of the financial district and is one of the most festive hawker centers to go to at night. The market’s structure features an octagonal, cast-iron structure designed by James MacRitchie, who adopted George Drumgoole Coleman’s original octagonal shape from the original market. The cast-iron structures were crafted in an iron foundry in Glasgow, Scotland, and then shipped to Singapore. Lau Pa Sat has amazing stalls to choose from, a microbrew station, and on most evenings, don’t miss Satay Street right outside the hawker center.
Amoy Street
Located between the financial district and the popular nightlife of Telok Ayer and Amoy Street, Amoy Street Food Centre is mostly a breakfast and lunch destination. With its two levels of outstanding hawkers, many of which have won many awards, it’s absolutely slammed during lunch hours during the week. Amoy Street has also been infiltrated by Singaporean hipsters, creating exquisite hawker dishes that might be a little more expensive than your typical stall, but absolutely worth it. SL Tip: Make sure you find your way to the back of the downstairs area, where you will see wonderful murals painted on the walls.
East Coast Lagoon
This is our absolute number one hawker center to go to, and the food is just half the story. Located in East Coast Park, a long stretch of park running alongside the waterfront and the beach, the hawker center is the perfect end to an evening of long walks, biking, skateboarding, water skiing, or a myriad of other activities. We have our spot on the farthest northeast side of the tables where you can enjoy the water views. We grab piles of food, a couple of Tiger beers, and settle in. It’s also great for people-watching, and the breeze off the water usually keeps the temperature mild. The best thing to order is the ikan bakar, which translates to “grilled fish” in Malay, but is actually fish wrapped in banana leaves and grilled to spicy perfection.
