A hawker centre is something that’s undeniably Singaporean.
There are multiple rows of stalls squeezed together under one roof, all selling or offering something different from its neighbouring vendor. It’s communal, affordable, multi-racial and multi-religious (you even have separate sections for our Muslim vendors and friends), and everything is oh so delicious.
We’ve done many hawker guides over the years, but we’ve never attempted to collate it all into one article… Until now.
Here is our ultimate compilation of hawker centre guides in Singapore (Part 1 – A to H). We’ve sorted it alphabetically so you can find your favourite hawker centre with ease.
1. ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre
ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre is one of the older hawker centres around, dating back to the 1950s. My colleague swears by it, saying that it has stood the test of time and is easily one of the best hawker centres in Singapore.
Located at Jalan Bukit Merah, this hawker centre is famous for stalls such as Wow Wow West, a quaint little Western stall that’s run by a young couple and dishes out crispy and flaky Fish & Chips (S$8). They even pair it with their own housemade mayonnaise sauce—talk about effort!
Be sure to also try Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee, which started out as a push-cart stall and has now evolved to become a full-fledged hawker stall, with waiting times going up to an hour long!
ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre: Blk 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006 | Opening Hours: 8am – 11pm (Daily)
2. Alexandra Village Food Centre
Alexandra Village Food Centre is one of those hawker centres that isn’t located near a train station but still gets crowds no matter the day or time. That speaks volumes about its stalls, as well as how yummy the food is.
Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa is a must-try when you’re at Alexandra Village Food Centre. It’s a humble stall that sells laksa in a claypot for just S$4, and it even snagged the Michelin Bib Gourmand for four years in a row (from 2016 to 2019). Just hearing the way my colleagues described its aromatic laksa gravy made me drool—it’s light, slightly spicy, with a fragrant coconut milk aftertaste.
If you’re looking for a traditional plate of wanton mee, go for Dover Road Kai Kee Wanton Noodle. It used to be located at Dover Road (thus its name), but shifted to Alexandra Village Food Centre when the previous market closed down. Its Wanton Noodles (S$2.50) is as traditional as it gets, with springy egg noodles, tender char siew, and slurp-worthy lard-based gravy.
Alexandra Village Food Centre: Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150120 | Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Daily)
3. Amoy Street Food Centre
Amoy Street Food Centre is undeniably one of the best hawker haunts for people who work in the CBD. It has everything you could possibly need—satisfying fish soup, curry rice, healthy salad bowls, atas ramen bowls, chic coffee stalls, and so much more.
Located just minutes away from Tanjong Pagar MRT and Telok Ayer MRT, Amoy Street Food Centre used to be my favourite go-to place for lunch when I worked in the area. I fondly remember visiting Yuguo Curry Rice for my favourite plate of curry rice (“Uncle, extra curry sauce please!”) and depending on the weather, I’d also buy my all-time favourite Sliced Fish Soup (S$5) from Han Kee Fish Soup.
Not to mention, it’s home to a ton of award-winning and well-loved hawker stalls, like A Noodle Story, which sells a cross between ramen and wanton mee, Coffee Break, your everyday coffee stall which sells innovative spreads for its toast, and Hoo Kee Bak Chang, the famous rice dumplings stall which sells out by 3pm every day.
Amoy Street Food Centre: 7 Maxwell Road, MND Building Annexe B, 069111 | Opening Hours: 6.30pm – 9pm (Daily)
4. Balestier Food Centre
Nestled along Balestier Road, Balestier Food Centre is a hidden hawker gem because it absorbed a good amount of stalls from the now-defunct Longhouse and Lavender Food Centres. It’s also open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has something to offer no matter the day or time.
You’ll definitely love Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodles‘s affordable Prawn Noodle Soup (S$5),which comes packed with prawns and pork ribs. The light soup is sweet and tangy, with a pack of flavour from the fresh Angka prawns it uses for its stock.
Popiah lovers will remember Miao Sin Popiah, which was originally from Lavender Food Centre and was hailed as one of Singapore’s top popiah stalls in 2017. The stall owners are generous with its Popiah (S$2) fillings, and each roll is filled with juicy boiled turnip chunks, crushed peanuts, sweet sauce, and shredded egg.
Balestier Food Centre: 411 Balestier Road, Singapore 329930 | Opening Hours: 24hrs (Daily)
5. Beo Crescent Market & Food Centre
Beo Crescent Market & Food Centre is one of the smaller hawker centres in Singapore, with only two long rows of stalls selling a variety of dishes. Despite its crowded and unassuming appearance, it has plenty of hidden gems, most of which are traditional stalls that have been around for decades.
This hawker centre is located in the heart of Bukit Ho Swee, a mature estate near Tiong Bahru that is highly populated by the elderly. As such, while you’re downing a bowl of Prawn Noodles (S$2.50) from Loi Kee Cooked Food or munching on Kia Xiang‘s Kueh Du Du (S$2 for four small pieces), you might realise that most of your dining companions are groups of elderly neighbours catching up over breakfast.
Before you leave, be sure to try Porridge Kiosk‘s Century Egg Chicken Porridge (S$3). Silky, glossy, and thick—just like Hong Kong-style congee—with a generous amount of toppings and ingredients, it’s perfect for a rainy day or when you’re under the weather.
Beo Crescent Market & Food Centre: 38A Beo Crescent, Singapore 169982 | Opening Hours: 6am – 8pm (Daily)
6. Boon Lay Place Food Village
If you stay in the West, you definitely know of Boon Lay Place Food Village—I confirmed this by asking my colleague who stays in the West, and she nodded her head almost instantly when I mentioned the hawker centre.
This well-known hawker centre is home to the famous Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak, which is arguably the most iconic stall in the entire hawker centre. There’s almost always a shockingly long queue at the stall, but everybody who has tried it swears by it. A plate of Nasi Lemak Chicken Set will only set you back S$3.50, but you get a plate of fragrant and fluffy coconut rice, piquant and spicy chilli, crispy ikan bilis, and not to mention, the juicy chicken wings.
However, there’s also tons of other delicious and affordable stalls within the hawker centre, such as Ghee Huat‘s Fried Oyster (S$4) and Fried Kway Teow Mee (S$3), Lin Ji Yu Tang Yu Zhou‘s Fish Porridge (S$5), and so much more.
Boon Lay Place Food Village: 221A Boon Lay Place, Singapore 641221 | Opening Hours: 24hrs (Daily)
7. Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre
You know a particular hawker has made it when it’s filled to the brim with taxi drivers. These people are the real foodies of Singapore—they can travel to anywhere they want to and eat whatever they want (of course, given that it’s either on route to their next destination or within the area). Their latest favourite hawker centre? Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre.
From authentic Thai food at Sisaket Thai Food to 71 Lor Mee 鹵麵‘s affordable bowl of Lor Mee (S$3) that’s filled to the brim with braised pork belly, ngoh hiang, and fried fish, Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre is really one of the better hawker centres around.
Not to mention, Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang 柴船头羊肉汤 recently earned itself a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018, so you’ll definitely be satisfied with its Mutton Soup With Rice (S$4.40), which was so tender it literally slid off the bone.
Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre: 115 Bukit Merah View, Singapore 151115 | Opening Hours: 7am – 9pm (Daily)
8. Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre
For those who trek at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, be sure to fuel yourselves with some well-deserved hawker grub at the nearby Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre after your long hike.
This two-storey hawker centre is split into two floors: there’s a dry goods and wet market section on the first floor and the hawker stalls are on the second floor. While you’re there, it’s a must to visit Genesis Kitchen Grill & Pasta and try its legendary Peanut Butter Beef Burger (S$6.90). It might sound a tad odd to you, but the peanut butter’s creamy nuttiness complemented the juicy beef patty really well. It was just as if they combined a burger and a peanut butter sandwich—a little weird, yes, but utterly delicious.
Xie Kee Hokkien Mee (谢记福建面) only sells one dish, but it has quickly established itself as one of the more popular stalls in the hawker centre. Its Hokkien Mee (S$3) is well worth the wait because it was packed with smoky wok hei flavours, as well as a tinge of brininess from the cuttlefish.
Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre: 51 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588215 | Opening Hours: 7am – 11pm (Daily)
9. Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre
Okay, now, who hasn’t heard of Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre? It’s so famous and well-loved that it’s flocked by locals, millennials, teenagers, tourists, foreigners, elderly, and adults alike. Be sure to not mistake it for its equally famous neighbour, People’s Park Food Centre, which is located right next door and houses popular stalls like Ri Ri Hong Mala and more.
I’m not even kidding when I say that I’m actually planning a trip there this week to eat Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao because I’ve been craving its S$0.60 xiao long bao for ages. Plus, while I’m there, I might even get Grand Stewed Herbal Soup‘s Imperial Herbal Chicken (S$6.50), which uses an entire kampong chicken that has been slow-boiled for six hours. It’s not only hearty and healthy, it’s also nourishing and incredibly flavourful without being too salty.
If you’re a morning person and love to seek out the best traditional breakfast places in Singapore, try Jia Ji Mei Shi (佳記美食). Its Yam Cake with Chee Cheong Fun is super affordable at just S$2, and they make everything from scratch.
Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre: Blk 335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335 | Opening Hours: 7am – 10pm (Daily)
10. Chomp Chomp Food Centre
Chomp Chomp Food Centre is everybody’s favourite supper spot, selling a wide variety of hokkien mee, sambal stingray, satay, and so much more. I confess that I’ve spent too many nights there, downing multiple plates of sambal clams and oyster omelettes with my friends.
Located at Serangoon Gardens, Chomp Chomp was renovated in 2017, so you can expect better ventilation and cleaner eating areas the next time you’re there. Some of its more popular stalls include Ding Hao, which is well known for its Sugarcane Juice Tower (S$15), and Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee, which serves up consistently good Hokkien Mee (S$3/S$4/S$5) every single time.
If you’re craving something different or unique, try The High BBQ‘s Barbecued Eggplant (S$6), which was roasted and topped with minced meat, garlic, chilli, and spring onions.
Chomp Chomp Food Centre: 20 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557269 | Opening Hours: 4pm – 12.30am (Tue – Sun), Closed on Mon
11. Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre
Though Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre isn’t the most accessible hawker centre around—to get there, you’d have to trek uphill for about 15 minutes—but it’s home to a ton of hawker gems that any resident in Commonwealth will swear by. Not to mention, well-known zi char stall Two Chefs Eating Place is located on the first floor of the hawker centre, and it’s famous for its butter pork ribs with milk powder and coffee spare ribs.
There are a couple of well-known hawker stalls within the hawker centre itself, such as Hong Kee Porridge, a humble porridge stall that has been there for four decades. Just one look at its accolades-filled wall will certainly reassure you of its authenticity, experience, and skill. Its Pork Porridge with Century Egg (S$4) is served Cantonese-style, so you can look forward to a thick and glossy bowl of satisfying congee.
You also won’t go wrong with 亮亮 Liang Liang Fried Carrot Cake, which offers Carrot Cake (Black/White) (S$2.50), Fried Oysters (S$3/S$5), and Oyster Omelette (S$5/S$8). Its no-frills carrot cake is simple, well-fried, and packed with a good amount of wok hei, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre: 31 Commonwealth Crescent, Singapore 149644 | Opening Hours: 9.30am – 2.30pm (Daily)
12. Dunman Food Centre
With lesser than 30 stalls spanning two floors, Dunman Food Centre is one of the smaller hawker centres around. However, it houses plenty of hidden gems, such as Singapore’s only tau kwa pau stall and more.
I stay nearby, so I remember visiting the hawker centre for bowls of piping hot frog porridge with my family ever since I was young. Unfortunately, when I dropped by for lunch in early October 2019, I found out that plenty of my favourite stalls—such as the frog porridge stall and many others—had relocated.
Despite that, there are a bunch of stalls still worth patronising. Try Say Seng Famous Tau Kwa Pau, which sells little cubes of fried beancurd stuffed with fried ingredients for just S$1.50/piece. Be sure to also try Dunman Road Char Siew Wan Ton Mee, which was rumoured to be the original Eng’s Wantan Noodle stall before the two partners split ways.
Dunman Food Centre: 271 Onan Road, Singapore 424768 | Opening Hours: 7am – 7pm (Daily)
13. East Coast Lagoon Village
You guys have no idea how nostalgic East Coast Lagoon Food Village is for me. I’ve been there since I was a kid: I’d cycle or rollerblade along East Coast Park with my friends and drop by the food centre for a good meal or two. Plus, on some days, my entire family will actually drive up there just to have a satisfying plate of carrot cake or chicken rice.
The food village is huuuge, with an estimated 30 to 40 hawker stalls spaced out in a rectangle across a large piece of land. If I stand at one end of the hawker centre, I actually won’t be able to see the other end—I’d have to walk around the entire perimeter to check out all the stalls and its offerings.
Must-tries include Lagoon Carrot Cake‘s Crispy Carrot Cake (S$4/S$5/S$6), which comes as an entire piece rather than chopped up into little cubes, Han Jia Bak Kut Teh‘s robust and porky Bak Kut Teh set (S$5.50), as well as Zuo Ji Duck Rice‘s Braised Duck Rice (S$3.50).
East Coast Lagoon Food Village: 1220 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 468960 | Opening Hours: 5pm – 12am (Tue – Sun), Closed on Mon
14. Geylang Bahru Market and Food Centre
After a long year of renovation, Geylang Bahru Market and Food Centre finally reopened its shutters in early 2018. Its reopening coincided with the launch of MRT’s Downtown Line, so getting to the spanking new hawker centre is a breeze since Geylang Bahru MRT is located right across the street.
You know a particular dish is going to be spicy when the stall auntie warns you beforehand: “小心辣椒很辣!” (“Be careful, the chilli is really spicy”). That’s why spice lovers will enjoy Hui Wei Chilli Ban Mian (回味辣椒板面)‘s Signature Chilli Ban Mian (S$4/Regular, S$6/Large), which comes with chilli that’s so bitingly spicy and fragrant that it’ll leave you in a pool of sweat and tears.
If you don’t mind braving the queue, try Cheok Kee Boneless Braised Duck. A plate of Duck Rice only costs S$3, but the serving is super generous and delicious. The duck rice was savoury and fluffy, the duck meat was so tender it melted in our mouths, and the braised duck sauce was flavourful with a slight hint of sweetness.
Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre: Blk 69 Geylang Bahru, Singapore 330069 | Opening Hours: 6am – 11.45pm (Daily)
15. Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre
The next time you’re in the Geylang Serai area (and not for the yearly Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar, mind you), give Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre a visit.
It’s been around since 1964 and houses a bunch of awesome hawker stalls on its second floor, such as Kueh Talam Asli, a Muslim stall that sells unique handmade kuehs, like kueh talam and kueh salat. You can pick five pieces of kuehs for S$3.80, which is great if you like to mix and match.
Otak-Otak Kampung is another must-visit. It’s one of the only stalls left in Singapore that grill its handmade otah over a charcoal fire. Not to mention, it only sells one type of Otak-Otak (S$2/three pieces, S$3/five pieces), which is made with large chunks of fresh fish and zero flour, so there is no starchy or artificial taste at all.
Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre: 1 Geylang Serai, Singapore 402001 | Opening Hours: 6am – 9pm (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri), 6am – 10pm (Sat & Sun), 24hrs (Wed)
16. Golden Mile Food Centre
Army boys will remember Golden Mile Food Centre because of the army market located on the third floor, but foodies will remember it for its hoard of mouth-watering hawker stalls, some of which have been around for decades.
When I was there the last time, I gave Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice & Curry Chicken Noodles a try because I knew how famous it was. Its walls were decorated with accolades and pictures with celebrities, and it has appeared on countless news websites and television channels as well. I fell in love with its Curry Chicken Noodle (S$5/Small, S$6/Medium, S$7/S$8/Large), which came with soft and tender chicken slices, and a fragrant and milky curry gravy.
If the roasted and smoky scent of claypot rice hasn’t already led you to Yew Chuan Claypot Rice, well, you need to try it. This hawker stall sells claypot rice that’s made-to-order, so expect to wait up to 20 minutes for your order. However, it’ll be worth the wait—a pot of Claypot Rice ($5.50) comes with fluffy rice, tender chicken, vegetables, and salted fish cubes, and is slathered with black sauce. Remember to scrape off the bottom of your pot for some ultra-crispy rice bits!
Golden Mile Food Centre: 505 Beach Road, Singapore 199583 | Opening Hours: 11am – 9.30pm (Sun – Tue, Thu & Fri), 11am – 9pm (Sat), 12pm – 9pm (Wed)
17. Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre is so famous that it needs no introduction. Housed within the two-storey hawker centre alone are three Michelin Bib Gourmand 2019 winners: Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa, Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee and Tai Wah Pork Noodle.
However, there are also plenty of other stalls that draw long queues no matter the day or time. One such stall is Cantonese Delights, a cosy stall on the second floor of the hawker centre, that dishes out an amazing plate of Curry Fried Chicken Cutlet (Rice) (S$4). It came doused in a fragrant and aromatic curry gravy, and the fried chicken cutlet was juicy, smoky, and soft.
If curry rice is not your thing, try Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee, a second-generation stall that was founded in 1976. This bowl of Chicken Curry Noodles (S$5/small, S$6/medium, S$7/large) hails from a decade-old recipe and comes drenched in a indulgent and comforting curry gravy, and is great for a rainy day.
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre: Blk 531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531 | Opening Hours: 7am – 9pm (Daily)
Hawker centres make me so grateful to be a Singaporean. There are so many stalls and dishes within one hawker that I’ll bet you won’t be able to eat everything in a single hawker centre in one week. Plus, it’s the only place in the world where you can get whole meals from just S$2.50.
Though this list only includes hawker centres from A-to-H, be sure to look out for part two of this guide, which covers the rest of our hawker guides from I-to-Z.
