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Eat Your Fill at a Hawker Centre in Singapore
Published by Camilla Cheung, Writer
Country: Singapore 
The Experience
Of the best places to eat in Asia, Singapore ranks among the top international cities. This city of English-speaking, Western-influenced Asian culture, boasts a populace that is cosmopolitan and sophisticated (Singapore is the fourth largest financial centre in the world), and greatly enamoured for good food. Known as a nation of foodies, delicious gastronomic delights await visitors of all budgets in Singapore. The best (and cheapest) way to experience foodie culture in Singapore is to make a trip to one of the city's famous hawker centres.
These hawker centres are conglomerations of many food stalls, usually outside with a roof over them, and with each stall specializing in its own version of a Singaporean dish. Here, you can sample dishes with Malaysian, Chinese, and Indian influences, among others. The busy crowds at hawker centres, the sound of oil sizzling and the scent of spices in the air, along with the experience of sitting among crowds of locals to eat, makes visiting a hawker centre in Singapore one of the most authentic experiences you can have in Singapore.
The most famous hawker centre in Singapore is the Newton Hawker Center at the Newton MRT station; although this hawker centre is one of the tourist favourites in the city. There are many other hawker centres dotting the metropolis, and you won't have to go far to find the closest one. Once you arrive at a hawker centre, you'll want to claim a seat at one of the tables by placing a tissue-paper packet on the table. Be aware that you'll probably have to share tables with other diners, as seating is limited. Then scout out the food stalls, picking out your choices of delicious Singaporean food. Once you choose a dish, order at the stall, and return to your seat to wait for your food to be delivered. You'll have to pay the server on delivery (cash only, of course).
As for what to eat, one of the most famous Singaporean dishes is the Hainanese Steamed Chicken with Rice. A whole chicken is slowly steamed in broth, making the meat incredibly tender with a pure chicken flavour. It is served with rice cooked in the same chicken broth, and an aromatic chili sauce. Look for long lines at the most famous stalls serving Hainanese Chicken for the best results.
Try other authentic Singaporean dishes such as laksa, a spicy seafood-coconut stew with noodles; Hokkien mee, fried noodles with fresh seafood; and popiah, a crepe filled with a variety of fillings, like seafood, sausage, and vegetables. Clay pot rice is a particularly flavourful preparation of rice and meat cooked in an individual-sized clay pot, which augments the natural flavours. Roti prata is an Indian-influenced flatbread stuffed with sweet or savoury fillings. There are so many dishes to choose from, you can never try them all! I recommend washing down all of these luscious offerings with a cold refreshing drink of green sugarcane juice or a mug of teh tarik (or sweet “pulled” tea).
With extremely reasonable prices ranging from US $2-$6, you can eat your fill at a hawker centre every night, even if you're travelling on a budget, and you’ll experience true Singaporean foodie culture right at its origins.
These hawker centres are conglomerations of many food stalls, usually outside with a roof over them, and with each stall specializing in its own version of a Singaporean dish. Here, you can sample dishes with Malaysian, Chinese, and Indian influences, among others. The busy crowds at hawker centres, the sound of oil sizzling and the scent of spices in the air, along with the experience of sitting among crowds of locals to eat, makes visiting a hawker centre in Singapore one of the most authentic experiences you can have in Singapore.
The most famous hawker centre in Singapore is the Newton Hawker Center at the Newton MRT station; although this hawker centre is one of the tourist favourites in the city. There are many other hawker centres dotting the metropolis, and you won't have to go far to find the closest one. Once you arrive at a hawker centre, you'll want to claim a seat at one of the tables by placing a tissue-paper packet on the table. Be aware that you'll probably have to share tables with other diners, as seating is limited. Then scout out the food stalls, picking out your choices of delicious Singaporean food. Once you choose a dish, order at the stall, and return to your seat to wait for your food to be delivered. You'll have to pay the server on delivery (cash only, of course).
As for what to eat, one of the most famous Singaporean dishes is the Hainanese Steamed Chicken with Rice. A whole chicken is slowly steamed in broth, making the meat incredibly tender with a pure chicken flavour. It is served with rice cooked in the same chicken broth, and an aromatic chili sauce. Look for long lines at the most famous stalls serving Hainanese Chicken for the best results.
Try other authentic Singaporean dishes such as laksa, a spicy seafood-coconut stew with noodles; Hokkien mee, fried noodles with fresh seafood; and popiah, a crepe filled with a variety of fillings, like seafood, sausage, and vegetables. Clay pot rice is a particularly flavourful preparation of rice and meat cooked in an individual-sized clay pot, which augments the natural flavours. Roti prata is an Indian-influenced flatbread stuffed with sweet or savoury fillings. There are so many dishes to choose from, you can never try them all! I recommend washing down all of these luscious offerings with a cold refreshing drink of green sugarcane juice or a mug of teh tarik (or sweet “pulled” tea).
With extremely reasonable prices ranging from US $2-$6, you can eat your fill at a hawker centre every night, even if you're travelling on a budget, and you’ll experience true Singaporean foodie culture right at its origins.
When to Go to Hawker Center Singapore
If you're interested in learning more about Singapore's foodie culture, there is no better source than Singapore's resident foodie hero, Mr. KF Seetoh, who has appeared on TV with Anthony Bourdain, Top Chef, and more. His guidebook, Matansutra Singapore, is the definitive guide to the city's culinary gems.
The Singapore Food Festival in July is a month-long annual festival devoted to Singapore's delicious food. It’s the perfect time of year for foodies to visit.
The Singapore Food Festival in July is a month-long annual festival devoted to Singapore's delicious food. It’s the perfect time of year for foodies to visit.
Odds n' Ends
If you do tend to visit the tourist hub hawker centres, such as the Newton Centre, be wary of unscrupulous hawkers trying to take advantage of naive visitors. Although the Singapore Tourist Bureau runs a tight ship, there have been cases where foreigners have been overcharged. A stall at the Newton Centre was shut down because they charged a group of Americans almost $300 for a dish of prawns!! Just make sure you agree on the price (seafood is priced per kilo) before ordering, and you'll be fine. The majority of vendors are honest and you should encounter no problems.
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- The best hawker food stalls in Singapore - CNNGo.com (television)
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