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The Best Hawker Centres in the CBD Offering Flavour for Cheap!
Have you ever queued 30 minutes for chicken rice during lunch hour? I have. The CBD hawker centre scene isn’t for the faint-hearted, but it’s worth every bead of sweat.
There are hidden basement gems and rooftop food courts with killer laksa in this district, and I’m proud to say I’ve tasted my way through most of them. Here are the best ones that you shouldn’t miss if you’re in the area.
Maxwell Food Centre
– Media from sndtb
Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street
Contact: +6562255632
Hours: Daily, 8 AM–10 PM
Price: $
Must-try: Hainanese chicken rice
Maxwell Food Centre is where I go when I’m craving proper chicken rice. Tian Tian’s queue moves fast, and the payoff is always worth it with every juicy bite.
On rainy days, Zhen Zhen’s silky congee also hits the spot. I like how spacious the layout is at this hawker centre, though it still fills up fast during peak lunch hour.
Pro-tip: Go mid-morning or after 2 PM if you don’t feel like elbowing for a seat.
Amoy Street Food Centre
– Media from hungry_meeowmeeow
Address: 7 Maxwell Road
Contact: +6562255632
Hours:
Monday to Saturday, 6.30 AM–9 PM
Sunday, 6.30 AM–6 PM
Price: $
Must-try: Singapore-style ramen
For something comforting but fast, I head over to Amoy Street Centre’s Han Kee’s fish soup stall. It always delivers a clean, no-frills flavour that satisfies my soupy craving.
A Noodle’s Story’s ramen is pricier, but worth the splurge for the char siew and lava egg combo. These two stalls alone explain why lunch crowds are intense at this hawker centre, with office folks streaming in by noon.
Pro-tip: Head straight to level 2. Most of the famous stalls are up there.
Hong Lim Food & Market Centre
– Media from hungryunicornsg
Address: Floor 1, Hong Lim Complex, 531A Upper Cross Street
Contact: +6562255632
Hours: Open 24 hours
Price: $
Must-try: Char kway teow
If you want a gloriously greasy lunch cooked by decades of muscle memory, head over to Hong Lim Market & Food Centre on Cross Street. It’s old-school, slightly cramped, but a true hawker experience for the uninitiated.
Outram Park’s char kway teow comes with just the right amount of wok hei (and regretful joy several burps afterwards). Tai Wah’s bak chor mee, meanwhile, slaps you awake with its vinegar and minced meat brilliance.
Pro-tip: Bring tissue packets. Seats are limited, and locals chope fast during rush hour.
Lau Pa Sat
– Media from zermattneo
Address: 18 Raffles Quay
Contact: +6562202138
Hours: Open 24 hours
Price: $
Must-try: Satay
Lau Pa Sat’s great if you’ve got touristy visitors in tow. There are plenty of food choices, and it looks good in photos!
Daytime stalls at this hawker centre offer everything from biryani to bento. Come dinner, the street outside transforms into a smoky satay party, and nothing beats eating grilled meats under city lights.
Pro-tip: For the best satay picks, head straight to stalls 7 or 8, as they’re fast, flavourful, and less pushy than others.
Tanjong Pagar Plaza Food Centre
– Media from chkok100
Address: 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza
Contact: +6562255632
Hours:
Monday to Saturday, 8 AM–8 PM
Sunday, 6 AM–8 PM
Price: $
Must-try: Tender beef noodles
Tanjong Pagar Plaza is my quiet fallback when the bigger hawker centres get too crazy with hungry diners and short-tempered sellers. Plus, the Hainanese chicken rice here is no-frills, tender, and legit.
Joo Chiat Beef King’s soup is rich without being too heavy, and perfect if you’re under the weather (or hungover). It’s mostly locals here, so queues move quickly, and not a lot of people take selfies.
Pro-tip: Most stalls here are cash-only, so bring small notes.
People’s Park Food Centre
– Media from chiyo_ogawa
Address: 32 New Market Road
Contact: +6562255632
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7.30 AM–10.30 PM
Price: $
Must-try: Spicy hotpot bowls
When the mala craving hits hard, I scurry off to People’s Park Food Centre. Ri Ri Hong lets me pick my spice level and meat overload, so I always dial my meal up to eleven.
At Tian Jin Fong’s, I make sure to pick out the juiciest dumplings with just the right bite of garlic (the seller always obliges, since I’m a regular). I always make sure to go before noon so I won’t risk trying to eat standing up with my tray (it’s happened before).
Pro-tip: The centre is always buzzing with Chinatown regulars, so be ready to squeeze through tight lanes.
Market Street Hawker Centre
– Media from cliffordng_aapl
Address: 86 Market Street, Floors 1 and 4, CapitaSpring
Contact: +6569835118
Hours: Monday to Friday, 6 AM–9 PM
Price: $
Must-try: Hor fun
My secret weapon for cheap, good food in the CBD is Market Street Hawker Centre. Most meals hover around S$4, and the portions never disappoint, so I make sure to tell my colleagues about it.
The Ipoh hor fun here is silky, savoury, and great for lunch or dinner meals. Another big plus is the centre’s brightness and cleanliness, with surprisingly kid-friendly seating options.
Pro-tip: Having tourist guests over for dinner? Brief them in the proper way to order, pay, and collect, and explain the absence of table service.
Shenton Way Food Hall
– Media from kiap_crawfish
Address: 3 Shenton Way, #01-04 Shenton House
Contact: +6582725000
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7.30 AM–9 PM
Price: $
Must-try: Crawfish ramen
I found the only crawfish ramen in Singapore (so far) at Shenton Way Food Hall, and it’s not just a limited-time gimmick. The broth is rich, spicy if you want, and dangerously addictive, so I’m not surprised at how many people queue up for it.
Each bowl is packed with premium toppings, but the stall only makes around 168 a day, so don’t come late. It’s a modern, air-conditioned centre that’s perfect if you want hawker flavour without the humidity!
Pro-tip: Customise your ramen spice level when ordering. The original is already rich, but the spicy version packs a real punch.
Chinatown Complex Food Centre
– Media from chkok100
Address: 335 Smith Street
Contact: +65 6372 0478
Hours: Daily, 7 AM–10 PM
Price: $
Must-try: Steamed/fried bao
Be warned: Chinatown Complex Food Centre is huge—like, easily get lost levels of huge! The queuing doesn’t seem to be a problem, though; my pals and I showed up at 10 AM when there were still plenty of seats, but half of the stalls were still yawning.
We tried the famous fried buns here, which took ages to serve up but were worth every second. The shell was crispy, and there was an explosion of flavour once we bit into it.
Pro-tip: To avoid getting lost, do the following:
- Follow the coloured zones
- Screenshot stall numbers (the signal here is weak, so don’t rely on the WiFi connection)
Republic Plaza Foodfare
– Media from republicplaza
Address: 9 Raffles Place
Contact: +65 6536 2916
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM
Price: $$
Must-try: Curry chicken noodles
Republic Plaza Foodfare is a quiet gem tucked in a busy CBD tower. It’s clean, compact, and has mostly office folks as regulars, so don’t expect the kind of chaotic vibrancy of the usual hawker centre here.
The curry chicken noodles here are the real draw for me, with their thick, creamy broth and fall-apart potato chunks.
Don’t fret, though, because its offerings are similar to hawker centre prices. I go here when I want a fast lunch fix without feeling rushed, and still eat within a decent lunch budget.
Pro-tip: It’s a fully air-conditioned place, making it ideal for lunch in the CBD.
