Hawker Heaven

By Tristan | October 18, 2026 | Destinations | Singapore

I firmly believe that one of the best (and most delicious) ways to connect with a new place or culture is through food. Singapore has a reputation as a hotspot for food, and it delivered. We explored many diverse neighborhoods, including Little India, Chinatown, and Kampong Glam, Singapore’s historic Muslim Quarter. While Singapore definitely has its share of high-end restaurants, our stomachs (and our budgets) enjoyed Singapore’s hawker centers most.

Hawker centers are basically open-sided food halls, and Singapore’s hawker culture has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The scale of some of them is enormous: the largest we visited, Chinatown Complex Food Centre, has more than 260 stalls. Most vendors focus on a few specific dishes, and by walking up and down the rows you have a plethora of options to choose from.

The first time we entered a hawker center was undeniably a bit intimidating. It was hot and crowded, with nearly every table occupied by either a person or, inexplicably, a tissue packet (more on this later, once we learned the hawker etiquette…). We were bombarded with choices, many of them foods we didn’t recognize. We wandered around for a while, and when we finally spotted an empty table, we jumped on it. I went back to pick up a few items while the family held down our table.

Over the next couple of days, we picked up the rhythm of the hawker centers and got much more comfortable, visiting five different centers for various meals. We also joined a food tour, which is one of our favorite things to do in a new city. It brings together so much of what we love: wandering around a new place, eating great food, and meeting local people. We’ve had some great ones over the years (I still feel full when I think of the doughnut-themed tour in Washington, DC).

This tour focused on hawker centers and helped us understand even more about the offerings and etiquette. We tasted about 12 dishes, too many to name, but here are a few highlights. We started with popiah, a fresh (not fried) spring roll: a paper-thin crepe wrapped around braised, shredded jicama and turnip, with egg, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and a swipe of sweet sauce and chili. Then we learned the difference between white and black “carrot cake,” which contains no carrot at all. It’s a steamed cake of rice flour and white radish, cut into cubes and stir-fried with egg; the black version gets an extra dose of sweet dark soy sauce. Near the end of the tour, we tried Singapore’s famous Hainanese chicken rice: tender poached chicken served with rice cooked in chicken stock with ginger, garlic, and pandan leaf, plus chili sauce, ginger paste, and dark soy on the side. Hazel’s favorite was appam, a South Indian pancake made from fermented rice batter and coconut milk, with crispy, lacy edges and a soft, spongy center. We tore off pieces, dunked them in sweet coconut milk, and then dipped them in orange palm sugar.

Our key learnings about hawker centers

• Chope your seat. Locals reserve a table by leaving a tissue packet on it, which Singaporeans call “choping” (from “chop,” as in stamping a seal). Occasionally we saw other items, too, like umbrellas and drinks. I’d recommend picking up some tissue packets early in your travels, since they double as napkins. Once your seat is choped, you’re free to wander in search of deliciousness.
• Share tables. Sitting at a table with strangers is expected, so only take up the space you need.
• Find the drinks stall. In addition to food stalls, there’s typically a beverage stall in each row where you can buy something to wash down your meal, like our favorite, lime juice.
• Bring some cash. Many stalls now take QR-code payments, but some older stalls are still cash only, so keep small bills handy.
• Note your table number. Each table has a number on it. Some stalls, especially drinks stalls, will bring your order over if you tell them where you’re sitting.
• Follow the queue, and don’t come too late. A long line of locals is usually a good sign. Popular stalls can sell out before closing, and many take one day off each week.
• Clean up after yourself. This is taken seriously, and there are signs warning of fines if you don’t return your tray, plates, and cutlery. There are central tray-return stations with separate racks for halal and non-halal dishware, and there’s usually someone working nearby who can help you get sorted.