With their plethora of choices and chaotic pace, Singapore’s hawker centres can seem daunting at first. However, with a bit of savvy, you can navigate the city’s famous fast-food palaces like a pro. Here’s a quick guide to the dishes and the best places to enjoy a tasty meal.
Before you head to the closest hawker stall, make sure to chope (save) yourself a seat by placing a tiny packet of tissues either on the table or on the seat itself. You’ll often find some of Singapore’s less privileged selling packets at the entrance, or you can pick some up at the nearest 7Eleven store – the wet ones are the best for wiping your hands post-meal. Once choped, make note of the table number as you’ll need to quote this if the food stall of your choice delivers; if you spot a ‘self service’ sign, you’ll need to wait patiently for your food. Take cash, ideally small notes.
Once you’ve satisfied your hunger, pack your dishes and deposit them at the tray return area. If your stash of tissues hasn’t cut it, head for the toilets – most centres have large hand-washing areas where you can clean up.
What to Eat
Hawker centres are the epitome of Singapore’s melting-pot culture. At all centres, you can expect to find dishes from the island’s main ethnic groups: Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Indonesian, along with a handful of Western, Japanese, and Korean stalls (to name a few) thrown into the mix. The best stalls often have long lines, but don’t let that deter you; dishes are usually whipped up pretty fast, and the wait is rarely longer than 30 minutes.
- Crab: Chilli crab is arguably Singapore’s most famous dish. Typically served in a slightly spicy, sweet-and-sour tomato-based sauce, but if you’re looking to try something more adventurous, order a white- or black-pepper crab. A 1kg crab typically feeds two people; don’t forget to order some mantous (steamed or deep-fried buns), perfect for mopping up the leftover sauce.
- Chicken Rice: This appealing dish of chicken served on a bed of fragrant rice with chilli and ginger paste was deemed worthy of a shiny Michelin star in 2016. Head to Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle in the Chinatown Complex to try the Michelin-starred dish for yourself, but be prepared for a substantial wait. The chicken can be served ‘white’ (poached) or ‘black’ (roasted or braised in soy sauce). Don’t be surprised if your chicken is cold; it’s been chilled in ice to ensure maximum succulence.
- Kaya Toast: The breakfast of the nation. Grilled slices of white bread are filled with a pat of salty butter and smear of sweet kaya (coconut jam), often ordered as part of a ‘breakfast set’ that includes two soft-boiled eggs and a cup of traditional kopi (coffee). To eat, crack the eggs into the bowl, add a dash of soy sauce and white pepper, then mix and dip the kaya toast into it. It’s typically available from drink stalls that also hawk soft drinks, juices, and beer.
- Char Kway Teow: The cooking of the flat, wide rice noodles in this dish takes some serious skill to perfect; if handled poorly, it can become a mushy mess. The noodles absorb a charred flavour from the wok, enhanced by sweet dark soy sauce. Additional ingredients usually include egg, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, clams, and spring onions.
- Satay: You won’t want to miss scoffing down some perfectly charred satay hot off the grill! A minimum order of 10 sticks is common, and many stalls let you mix and match your meats, including chicken, beef, mutton, and prawn. Marinated for hours, the succulent meats practically melt in your mouth, and with the addition of a tasty crunchy peanut dipping sauce, it’s hard to stop at just 10 sticks.
- Hokkien Mee: One of Singapore’s most loved aromatic noodle dishes, with bean sprouts, eggs, pieces of squid, and juicy prawns hidden amongst yellow egg and white-rice noodles. Add chillis and calamansi (citrus fruit) to customize your spice or sourness level.
- Nasi Lemak: Infused with coconut milk and pandan leaves, the creamy rice is the highlight of this dish, served with sides including sambal (chilli paste), bilis (fried anchovies), fried egg, and cucumber. Enhance your meal with deep-fried fish or chicken wings, otah (grilled fish cake), or rendang curry; it offers a personal buffet on a plate that tastes incredible.
- Roti Prata: Fluffy, fried South Indian flatbreads that may be guilty of many bulging waistlines, but they’re worth every calorie. Served with a dish of spicy curry sauce, they come in various flavours, the most popular being plain, egg, and cheese. Those with a sweet tooth can opt for the banana and chocolate variety. Ensure to get ones hot off the grill for maximum crunch.
- Rojak: This dish resembles a salad in Singapore, being a crunchy mix of vegetables, fruit, and dough fritters topped with a dark prawn paste, tamarind, and chilli sauce. Completed with crushed peanuts, this dish tastes much better than it looks.
- Carrot Cake: This dish is neither a cake nor contains carrot. Instead, it’s made by stir-frying pieces of steamed ‘radish cake’ (white radish and rice flour) in a wok with garlic, eggs, preserved radish, and seasonings. Two versions exist, black (sweeter with dark soy sauce) and white.
Where to Go
Hawker centres are found throughout the island; however, here are a few of the best locations to begin your culinary adventure:
Chinatown Complex,
Lau Pa Sat,
Maxwell Food Centre,
Newton Food Centre,
East Coast Lagoon Food Village,
and Gluttons Bay.
