A First Timer’s Guide to Singapore’s Hawker Centres
Singapore’s Hawker Centres are unique and offer delicious assortments and affordable dishes that showcase Singapore’s rich food culture. For first time visitors to Singapore, navigating through a Hawker Centre can seem overwhelming and honestly a tad chaotic. I created this guide to provide you with all the tips and tricks I learned while staying in Singapore and eating at Hawker Centres, from proper etiquette and must try dishes to finding some of Singapore’s best Hawker Centres.
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First, let’s get this out of the way. Where does the term “Hawker” come from in regards to Singapore’s Hawker Centres.
A “Hawker” is a person who sells items in public. Often times they sold food on the streets.
In Singapore, “Hawking” started around the 1800’s. Vendors, which at the time were many immigrants from China, India, and Malaysia, would sell food on the streets. Generally, they would have stands or some type of pushcart. It was a quick way to make ends meet.
After the events of WWII, Singapore was facing many challenges in regards to cleanliness and public health. Like food markets in places around the world, there were sanitization issues. Rodents were causing problems, sewage overflowed, and there were really no good places to store and organize trash.
Eventually in the 1960s and 1970s, the Singaporean government wanted to regulate Hawker Centres and turn them into a clean, organized, and safe place.
Basically, the plan was to take what we know as outdoor food markets and build them in a centre or complex, where they can be regulated.
Hawker Centres increased throughout the city and in more modern times, these Hawker Centres underwent major transformations to include modern amenities and a safe space for both the vendors and customers.
Today, Hawker Centres are an important role in Singapore’s food scene. Hawker Centres are known for their affordable prices and the range and quality of vendors and their dishes.
Everything You Ned to Know About Hawker Centres in Singapore
How to Order at a Hawker Centre
First things first, when visiting a Hawker Centre in Singapore, I recommend seeing what your options are. Chances are, there are going to be anywhere from 20 – 100 stalls offering a wide range of food items from Chicken and Rice to Vietnamese Banh Mi.
Once you find a vendor or dish you want to try simply approach the stall and order. Many stalls have pictures plastered on the wall but some did actually have menus. Don’t worry, English is widely spoken. I had no issues ordering food at Hawker Centres in Singapore.
Once you order and pay, you generally wait until the dish is handed to you either on a plate or tray and then you can sit down at one of the stationary tables.
Cash or Card?
It seemed that Hawker Centres in Singapore were primarily cash based, so I recommend paying in cash if possible.
ATMs are easy to come by in Singapore, so there should not be any problems with getting cash.
Some vendors accept credit cards or QR code payments, but cash is the easiest and preferred method of payment.
How To Save a Table
At Hawker Centres, it’s common practice to reserve a table. By this, I don’t mean you need to call ahead and make a reservation.
Instead, find an open table and place a personal item on the table. In Singapore, a packet of tissues or maybe even an umbrella are enough to tell people that the table is reserved.
Don’t worry, no one will mess with your stuff or try and sit at the table if they know it is reserved. Unless maybe a tourist is unaware of the practices.
People might come around and try to sell you wet wipes. In case you did not bring your own, they sell them fairly cheap.
What to do With Your Area Once Finished?
It is customary and expected for you to clean up your table and return trays at the tray return areas, which are clearly marked around the Hawker Centre. In fact, you can expect a hefty fine if you do not return your tray.
Wipe down the table and leave it tidy for the next person. Although, some of the tables I sat at in a few of the Hawker Centres were a bit dirty.
Popular Hawker Centres in Singapore
Maxwell Food Centre
One of Singapore’s best and most famous Hawker Centres is Maxwell Food Centre. Maxwell Food Centre is conveniently located in China Town right across from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.
Maxwell Food Centre is known for its wide variety of vendors and affordable dishes. Even Anthony Bourdain came here and fell in love with the Chicken and Rice from Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice.
While visiting Singapore, I booked a Singapore Food Tour and this Hawker Centre was our first stop. Jill and I loved this Hawker Centre so much we came back the following day to try more dishes.
The Chicken and Rice at Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice was incredible, so simply but so delicious! I probably tried food from about 6 different vendors at Maxwell Food Centre.
Lau Pa Sat and Satay Street
Another famous Hawker Centre in Singapore is Lau Pa Sat (aka Telok Ayer Market). This is an iconic Hawker Centre in the city known for its beautiful Victorian-style architecture.
Lau Pa Sat was another centre I visited while on my Singapore Food Tour. This Hawker Centre offers a lot of international cuisines with about 80 or more stalls, there is something for everyone.
At night, a block or so of Boon Tat St. is closed off to vehicular traffic and open to only pedestrians. Once this occurs, Boon Tat St. Unofficially becomes Satay Street.
Several stalls line the road and cook up Satay, which is grilled sewered meats served with a side of peanut sauce.
You can order Satay by the dozens, which many people do. It pairs nicely with a pitcher of Tiger Beer.
Golden Mile Food Centre
If visiting Singapore’s Arab Street, then I recommend visiting the Golden Mile Food Centre. This one felt more local then the other two but we managed to find fabulous dishes even during the middle of the day.
The Golden Mile Food Centre was multi storied and had dozens of stalls. This Hawker Centre was a little less cleaner then the touristy ones but it felt more local to me.
There were a few decent vendors here selling craft beer. I ended up with a huge bottle of Bavaria, which was just a cheap lager.
We managed to find a dish that had fried pork, rice, and an egg. I also tried a refreshing juice and dumplings from another vendor.
Conclusion
When visiting Singapore, I highly recommend skipping the restaurants and fine dining experiences and head straight to the Hawker Centres. I feel you will get a more authentic Singaporean experience dining at one of the many Hawker Centres. These food centres offer a divers array of affordable, authentic, and delicious dishes that reflect Singapore’s culture and history. I hope this first timer’s guide to Singapore’s Hawker Centres proves to be a valuable guide to your culinary journey through Singapore.
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