15 Best Hawker Dishes in Singapore and Where to Find Them

With hipster stalls and creative fusion dishes springing up in the hawker scene, it is crucial to appreciate the longstanding traditional hawker food dishes in Singapore. Hawker centres are emblematic of Singapore’s multicultural society and the distinct cuisines from various communities.

We take it for granted that culinary traditions are passed down to the next generation. With many new and modified cuisines and the lack of interest to continue hawker businesses, the evanesce of Singapore favourite hawker food is foreseeable.  

This list of hawker dishes is certainly not exhaustive, but let’s take a moment to appreciate the 15 best hawker food dishes in Singapore and know where to find them!

Also read: 10 Best Hawker Centres in Singapore That Locals & Travelling Foodies Swear By

Must-try Singapore hawker food

1. Chicken rice

Chilli crab aside, chicken rice is the real national dish. There’s no hawker centre that doesn’t sell chicken rice. A daily favourite consumed by majority of Singaporeans, our love and pride for chicken rice is undoubtable. The aromatic rice coupled with juicy and tender chicken meat is simply delicious. Drizzle some thick sweet black sauce and some tangy chilli for a lip-smacking and appetising chicken rice experience!

Where to find chicken rice:

• Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice: 40 Holland Drive, Chang Cheng Mee Wah Coffee Shop, Singapore 270040
• Hua Kee Chicken Rice: Redhill Food Centre #01-72, 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
• Ming Kee Chicken Rice: Kim San Leng Food Centre #01-522, 511 Bishan Street 13, Singapore 570511

2. Roti prata

Whether breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper, everybody loves some good ol’ roti prata! From hot and crispy tissue pratas to toothsome ice-cream pratas drizzled with chocolate sauce, there’s always prata for everybody. This flatbread dish is a popular option for supper foodies so if you get hungry in the middle of the night, roti prata will surely soothe your hunger pangs. If you don’t quite fancy spicy fish curry, fret not, you can dip your prata in some dhal curry or sugar!

Where to find roti prata:

• Sin Ming Roti Prata (Faisal and Aziz Curry Muslim Food): 24 Sin Ming Road, #01-51 Jin Fa Kopitiam, Singapore 570024
• Mr and Mrs Mohgan’s Super Crispy Roti Prata: 7 Crane Road, Poh Ho Restaurant, Singapore 429356
• Rahmath Roti Prata: Toa Payoh Vista Market, Blk 74 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, #01-08 Singapore 310074

3. Nasi lemak

Regardless of the time of the day or night, we all love nasi lemak. Nasi lemak is sure to thwack your tastebuds. Cooked with coconut cream and pandan leaves, nasi lemak is not only flavourful but also aromatic. There are many additional ingredients you can add to your nasi lemak but the traditional nasi lemak comprises of fried anchovies, egg, sliced cucumber, ikan selar (yellowstripe scad) and sambal (spicy sauce).  

Where to find nasi lemak:

• Nasi Lemak Kukus: 227 Selegie Road, Singapore 188344
• Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak: #01-106, Boon Lay Food Village, 221B Boon Lay Place, Singapore 642221
• Mizzy Corner: #01-26, Changi Village Market and Food Centre, 2 Changi Village Road, Singapore 500002

4. Ban mian

Up next on the list is none other than the refreshing ban mian! Albeit not a local dish, ban mian is a popular hawker food in Singapore especially for those who are more health-conscious. The handmade noodles are the main highlight of the dish, juxtaposed against the flavourful pork and crunchy salty anchovies.

Where to find ban mian:

• L32 Hand Made Noodles: 558 Lorong 32 Geylang, Singapore 398269
• Grandma Ban mee: Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Road #01-07, Singapore 069111
• J99 Coffeeshop Toa Payoh Ban Mian: 186 Toa Payoh Central Singapore 310186

5. Nasi padang

Nasi padang is sort of the Malay version of Economic Mixed Vegetable Rice — you get to enjoy a variety of dishes from Malay and Indonesian cuisines in one meal! Yes, it’s all about variety and options when it comes to nasi padang. You can choose from sambal goreng, sambal quail eggs, ayam bakar (grilled chicken), potato belado (hot and spicy potatoes), and so much more!  

Where to find nasi padang:

• Sinar Pagi Nasi Padang: 13 Circular Road, Singapore 049369
• Hajjah Mona: #02-166 Pasar Geylang Serai, 1 Geylang Serai, Singapore 402001
• Istimewa Nasi Padang: 28 Hoy Fatt Road, Singapore 151028

6. Briyani

Flavoured with rich spices and layered with huge chunks of meat, briyani is a hawker dish that is best to keep you happy and full! Tickle your taste buds with the colligation of long-grain aromatic rice, savoury meat, and acar (vegetable pickles).

Where to find briyani:

• Geylang Briyani Stall (Hamid’s Briyani): #01-327 Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre, 15 Geylang Serai, Singapore 409215
• Skeikh Indian Pakistani Food: 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006
• Mami Midah Briyani: 4A Eunos Cres, Singapore 402004 Eunos Cres, Singapore 402004

7. Sambal stingray

If you’re a fan of spicy hawker food, then sambal stingray is definitely on your list!  Slathered on the stingray is a tangy, spicy sambal made up of Chinese parsley, Indian walnuts, raw peanuts, shallots, and belachan (shrimp paste) that will surely give you a dining experience to remember.

The chinchalok, a murky pink sauce of fermented shrimps, onions and lime juice, is certainly a unique sauce to dip your sambal stingray in. Presented on a banana leaf, the sambal stingray does not only look appetising but packs a flavoursome punch!

Where to find sambal stingray:

• B.B.Q Seafood: #03-178 Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre, 3 Yung Sheng Road, Singapore 618499
• Chan BBQ: #01-24, Fengshang Market and Food Centre, 85 Bedok North Street 4, Singapore 460085
• Chomp Chomp BBQ: #01-44 Fengshang Market and Food Centre, 85 Bedok North Street 4, Singapore 460085

8. Bak chor mee

With Singapore’s bak chor mee topping the world street food list, it’s no wonder that Singaporeans love this dish. A flavourful meal with an array of texture from the tiny bits of crispy pork lard, minced pork, and springy noodles, bak chor mee is a must-try at our local hawker centres!

Where to find bak chor mee:

• Bedok 85 Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian: 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-07 85 Fengshan Centre, Singapore 460085
• Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle: Blk 466 Crawford Lane #01-12, Singapore 190465
• Lai Heng Mushroom Minced Meat Mee: Blk 51 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #01-62, Singapore 310051

9. Rojak

What’s a hawker centre without Indian rojak? Everybody loves a little mix and match, and that’s what rojak has to offer! You can choose from a variety of ingredients such as fried dough fritters, boiled potatoes, cuttlefish, hard-boiled eggs and tempe (fermented soybean cake). The medley of flavours, enhanced by the delicious dipping sauce, is simply irresistible!

Where to find rojak:

• Abdhus Salam Rojak: #01-73 Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Blk 503 West Coast Drive, Singapore 120503
• Habib’s Rojak: 503A W Coast Dr, Singapore 121503
• Adam’s Indian Rojak: 2 Adam Rd, Singapore 289876

10. Bak kut teh

Nothing is more comforting than a heavenly bowl of bak kut teh on a cold rainy day. The history of bak kut teh (pork bone soup) is presumably traced back to the 19th century when Hokkien immigrants introduced this Fujian dish to the region. Popular among the Chinese coolies back in the day, bak kut teh retains its popularity till the present day.

Whether herbal-based or peppery in flavour, bak kut teh is packed with a unique piquancy emanating from a mixture of fragrant herbs and spices. The intensely flavourful and mouthwatering bak kut teh soup with succulent pork ribs is one that cannot be missed!

Where to find bak kut teh:

• Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh: 251 Geylang Road, Singapore 389309
• Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh: Blk 34, Whampoa West, #01-67, 330034
• Joo Siah Bak Kut Teh: Blk 349 Jurong East Avenue 1 #01-1215, 600349

11. Char kway teow

In Hokkien, “Char” means stir-fried and “Kway Teow” means flat rice noodle. The flat rice noodle can sometimes be combined with thick yellow noodles. It is stir-fried with sweet black soya sauce, light soya sauce, fish sauce, eggs, chives and bean sprouts. Char kway teow is simple yet extremely delicious — the perfect epitome of Singaporean comfort food!

Where to find char kway teow:

• Hill Street Char Kway Teow: 16 Bedok South Rd, #01-41, Singapore 460016
• Ang Mo Kio Char Kway Teow:  #01-28, 724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, Singapore 560724
• Hai Kee Char Kway Teow: 11 Telok Blangah Crescent, Singapore 090011

12. Hokkien mee

With glistening yellow noodles and thick rice vermicelli tossed in rich prawn stock, Hokkien Mee is extremely savoury and flavoursome. It is stir-fried with egg and topped off with prawn, crispy pork lard, sambal (spicy sauce) and a squeeze of lime juice. The multitude of flavours will keep you coming back for more!

Where to find Hokkien mee:

• Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee: 127 Lor 1 Toa Payoh #02-27, Singapore 310127
• Geylang Lorong 29 Hokkien Mee: 396 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428994
• Swee Guan Hokkien Mee: 5 Lor 29 Geylang, Singapore 388060

13. Laksa

The taste of laksa is simply indescribable! This spicy coconut noodle soup is packed with flavour with a medley of textures deriving from the soft tofu puffs, crunchy bean sprouts, prawns and cockles. There are many variants of Laksa in Southeast Asia such as Penang Asam Laksa, Nyonya Laksa, Thai Laksa and Laksa Betawi. The Katong Laksa is the most popular laksa in Singapore.

Where to find laksa:

• 328 Katong Laksa: 51 East Coast Road, Singapore 428770
• 928 Yishun Laksa: 928 Yishun Laksa, 01-155, Yishun Central 1, Block 928, Singapore 760928
• The Original Katong Laksa (Janggut Laksa): 331 Upper Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 534949

14. Singapore carrot cake

No carrot is involved in the making of this carrot cake version, also known as chai tow kway. This dish was introduced to Singapore by the Teochew immigrants and was formerly known as char kueh (fried rice cake). Carrot cake comprises rice flour and white radish which are steamed then cut into cubes. These cubes are then stir-fried with eggs, garlic, chai poh (preserved radish) and light or black soya sauce. Don’t be fooled by how it looks – the flavourful carrot cake is one you won’t forget!

Where to find carrot cake:

• Song Zhou Luo Bo Gao: 207 New Upper Changi Rd, Singapore 460207
• Fried Carrot Cake @ Clementi Food Centre: Block 448 Clementi Ave 3 #01-45 Singapore 120448
• Fu Ming Cooked Food: 85 Redhill Ln, Singapore 150085

15. Satay

You can’t go wrong with satay. If there’s one hawker food that is palatable to most, it has to be this. Satay is an Indonesian and Malaysian dish, in which seasoned meat are skewered and grilled. You can choose from a variety of meat like beef, mutton, lamb, and chicken. It is typically served with peanut sauce (made of ground peanuts, coriander and cumin seeds), cucumber, onion and ketupat (rice cake).

Fun fact: The Satay Men (street hawkers who travel around with their portable charcoal grills) were commonplace in Singapore up till the late 1970s.

Where to find satay:

• Haron 30 Satay: Stall 55 East Coast Lagoon Food Village, 1220 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 468960.
• Chuan Kee Satay: Chuan Kee Satay, #01-85 Old Airport Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Road, Singapore 390051.
• Zaiton Satay: 2 Adam Road, #01-07 Adam Road Food Centre

Also read: Seven Foods in Sabah and Singapore That Are Similar Yet Different

Deeply embedded in the Singaporean culture and one of the best street food scenes in the world; hawker food is a symbol of pride for many Singaporeans. Amidst the ‘modernisation’ of the hawker food scene in Singapore, it is still important to appreciate and retain authentic traditional food and hawker culture.

With these 15 best hawker food dishes in Singapore, it’s time for you to head down to these hawker centres to feast on our local favourites!