A visit to Singapore is not complete without dining at the infamous hawker stalls. If you’re an Anthony Bourdain fan or if you’ve ever watched Crazy Rich Asians, you’ve surely heard of these popular yet inexpensive food stalls. These hawker stalls were in fact what we were MOST excited for on our first visit. After spending two days eating our way through Singapore, we’ve narrowed down six Singapore hawker stalls you shouldn’t miss!
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What You Need To Know Before Visiting Singapore Hawker Stalls
Hawker centres are large open-air complexes filled with rows of stalls each selling their own local cuisine and specialty. These casual and inexpensive giant food courts are a huge part of Singaporean culture and you will find them all throughout the country.
If it’s your first time visiting a hawker centre, here are some things you should know:
- They get extremely hot and stuffy inside. Come prepared with a cold drink and a handheld fan.
- Be prepared to wait in lengthy lines, especially for the most popular stalls.
- Double check the opening hours of any must-visit stalls as some are only open earlier in the day.
- Bring cash as most stalls don’t accept cards.
- Tipping is not necessary.
- Bring your own tissues as most stalls don’t provide napkins.
- Use a pack of tissues to save (“chope”) your seat at a table.
- Don’t be afraid to share a table with strangers as this is normal.
- Make sure to clear your table when you’re done eating. Return your tray and throw your garbage.
6 Singapore Hawker Stalls Not To Miss
When planning our first Singapore trip, we received a lot of hawker centre recommendations. However, each hawker centre was filled with endless options and it felt overwhelming to narrow down exactly which stalls to try.
Considering how long the lines get at certain stalls, we knew we had to choose wisely as we only had limited time (and limited room in our stomachs).
Tip: If traveling as a couple, split up and line up at different stalls separately to save time.
After trying out a number of the top hawker stalls, here are the six stalls we recommend you don’t miss!
#1 – Hawker Chan
This hawker stall may already sound familiar to you as it has gained a lot of fame since becoming the world’s first hawker awarded a Michelin star and the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred meal.
This was the very first hawker stall we visited in Singapore and it set the bar high. We visited at 11:00am on a Friday and the line was only just beginning to grow. Luckily, it only took a total of 25 minutes.
The person lining up in front of us even came prepared with a collapsible stool to get comfy during the long wait. Brilliant idea as I actually started to feel faint from the heat and would have loved to sit.
While waiting in line, check out the menus on display so that you are ready to order when you reach the window. There are a few different options to choose from, but we recommend you stick with the star: the Soya Sauce Chicken Rice.
We ordered one to share and this was a mistake! Each of us definitely could have polished off our own plate. It was so delicious that I was tempted to line up again for more!
If you’re wondering if Hawker Chan is really worth it, we can honestly say it was the best chicken rice we had in Singapore! I couldn’t imagine what all the hype was about, but now I get it. The chicken rice looks so simple, it’s hard to understand just how delicious and flavourful it is until you take that first bite yourself.
Total cost: $3.50
Location: Chinatown Complex, 2nd floor, 335 Smith Street
Stall: #02-126
Hours: 10:30am-3:30pm Monday-Saturday, closed Sunday
Closest MRT Station: Chinatown (4 minute walk) or Maxwell (5 minute walk)
#2 – The 1950s Coffee
While I waited in line for Hawker Chan, Ryan was drawn to this stall while looking for a refreshing drink. Judging by the long line, it looked to be a popular spot so he joined the queue.
This Michelin-recommended stall is known for its traditional kaya toast and kopi. However, Ryan decided to go for the Ice Milo drink to try something different.
If you’re in need of a delicious caffeine hit or wanting to try Singapore’s famous kaya toast, try this place out!
Total cost: $1.90
Location: Chinatown Complex, 2nd floor, 335 Smith Street
Stall: #02-048
Hours: 7:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Sunday, Closed Monday
Closest MRT Station: Chinatown (4 minute walk) or Maxwell (5 minute walk)
#3 – Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
This is a very popular, family-run stall that has been in operation since 1939. It wasn’t hard to spot as it had the longest, snaking line in the building!
We arrived right at 12pm and joined the queue. While in line, someone came along to take our order so it was ready for us as soon as we reached the counter. Thankfully, the line moved quicker than we expected and we had our food in hand after only 35 minutes.
They only serve one thing here: their famous char kway teow. It comes in two sizes: small ($4.50) or large ($5.50), with the option to add chili or egg (for an additional cost). Anytime we see only one dish on the menu, we know it’s going to be good!!
We ordered it with chili and it was the perfect amount of spice. The noodles had a nice smokey flavour and the perfect balance of salty and sweet.
It was our first time ever trying char kway teow so we weren’t sure what to expect. The dish consisted of noodles, bean sprouts, cockles, egg, pork lard and fish cake coasted in a sweet dark soy sauce. Ryan absolutely loved it!
Don’t be scared of the line – definitely check this place out!
Total cost: $5.50
Location: Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, 2nd floor, 531A Upper Cross Street
Stall:#02-17
Hours: 6:00am-3:00pm Monday-Saturday, Closed Sunday
Closest MRT Station: Chinatown (3 minute walk)
#4 – Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
This Singapore hawker stall was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations in 2008 and quickly rose to fame. It has now even been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand.
We are huge Anthony Bourdain fans and always try to eat at restaurants he’s recommended around the world. So, Tian Tian obviously had to be on our list!
It was dinnertime when we visited, which turned out to be a less busy time to line up. There was still quite a long queue but it moved very quickly. We got in line at 6:30pm and had our food by 6:45pm.
The prices here are a little higher than other chicken rice stalls but it is still very affordable and worth it. We ordered a medium chicken rice to share and gobbled it up in no time. Wish we had gotten a large.
If you can’t get enough of Singapore’s most famous dish, definitely come here.
Total cost: $6.00
Location: Maxwell Food Centre, 1st Floor, 1 Kadayanallur Street
Stall: #01-10/11
Hours: 10:00am-7:30pm Tuesday-Sunday, Closed Monday
Closest MRT Station: Maxwell (3 minute walk)
#5 – Rojak Popiah & Cockle
We noticed a line at this stall and had no idea what it was they were serving. Intrigued, we joined the queue to try something new and obviously popular.
When we arrived at the window, we noticed the stall is actually Michelin-recommended!
We watched as the cook prepared what we thought was some sort of stir-fried noodle dish. It looked good so we ordered it (rojak) along with the popiah, which looked to be similar to a salad roll.
As soon as I took my first bite of the rojak it was like a flavour explosion in my mouth! Wow! Not what we expected and nothing like anything we’ve ever had before.
Turns out rojak is not noodles haha – it is a fruit and vegetable salad with a sweet, spicy and tangy sauce. The salad is made with sliced cucumber, pineapple, fried dough fritters, turnip, mango and bean sprouts sprinkled with peanuts. All of it is tossed with a thick sauce that tastes like a combination of shrimp paste, chili and a hint of sweet.
Honestly, every bite was packed with flavour and I loved the crunchiness of it combined with the chewy pieces of fried dough. So unique. We really liked it, but I’m not sure it’s for everyone.
As for the popiah, it’s a large salad roll filled with turnip, bean sprouts, cabbage, egg, carrots, and peanuts spread inside with a sweet sauce. It personally wasn’t my favourite dish I tried in Singapore, but Ryan enjoyed it.
If you want to try something new and super flavourful, we highly recommend you come to this Singapore hawker stall to try their rojak!
Total cost: $8.40
Location: Maxwell Food Centre, 1st Floor, 1 Kadayanallur Street
Stall: #01-56
Hours: 11:30am-8:30pm Thursday-Tuesday, closed Wednesday
Closest MRT Station: Maxwell (3 minute walk)
#6 – AR Rahman Cafe and Royal Prata
This popular hawker stall in Little India is known for its murtabak and prata. We love Pakistani food so we were excited to try out this stall for dinner.
We ordered the murtabak and an onion prata. The murtabak was quite hefty and definitely filled us up.
I absolutely loved the onion prata – so yummy!
There is a neighboring drink stall by the same name where you can get delicious drinks to pair with your meal.
We ordered the mango lassi and a teh tarik. Both were huge, refreshing, and the perfect accompaniment to our meal. The mango lassi may have been one of the best I’ve tried!
For dessert, we ordered a chendol. It was our first time trying it and it was very interesting, but in a good way! Quite sweet and rich, but felt like the perfect ending to our meal.
If you love South Asian flavours, definitely come here!
Total cost: $17.30
Location: Tekka Centre, 1st floor, 665 Buffalo Road
Stall: #01-247/248
Hours: 7:00am-10:30pm Tuesday-Sunday, Closed Monday
Closest MRT Station: Little India (4 minute walk)
Top Singapore Hawker Centres
As mentioned above, there is an abundance of great hawker centres in Singapore. If you’re looking for the best hawker centres in general, we recommend the following:
- Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North – this is the hawker centre featured in the movie Crazy Rich Asians!
- Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Road – a long-time favourite on the island
- Adam Road Food Centre, 2 Adam Road – a smaller hawker centre known for its halal-certified food, come here for their famed nasi lemak!
- Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Road – popular with office workers due to its location in the Central Business District, this centre serves up traditional dishes as well as modern fusion fare
- Tiong Bahru Market, 30 Seng Poh Road – located in a hip heritage neighborhood, there’s a busy wet market on the bottom floor and over 80 hawker stalls on the 2nd floor
- Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, 20 Ghim Moh Road – a little out of the way, come here to get off the tourist trail and experience a more local feel
- Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street – as mentioned above, has popular Michelin-recommended stalls!
- Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre, 46 Smith Street – as mentioned above, home to the famous Hawker Chan!
- Tekka Centre, 665 Buffalo Road – as mentioned above, the place to go for the island’s best Indian food! Over 100 stalls, many halal-certified.
- Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur Street – as mentioned above, famous for its chicken rice stall visited by Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay!
Singapore Hawker Stalls Video Tour
Map of Singapore Hawker Stalls Not To Miss
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