Club Tourists: Hawker Food Center - A Taste of Singapore

Singapore is a very lovable country. Club Tourists been here twice and still looking forward to coming back for more. Safe, clean environment, hospitable people and good food to top it all. We're featuring here the Hawker Food Center that flourished around the country. If you're talking about good food, whether its Chinese, Malay or Indian delicacies, with a very affordable price - Hawker Center serves as a main course in any buffet.

Several years ago when majority of the readers here are not yet born, the term "Hawkers" are those food vendors with their pushcarts wandering around streets, enticing people in homes, shops and offices to buy their special dishes as snacks or parts of a complete meal. Due to hygienic issue and food safety, the government implemented their strict hygiene regulations and collected or grouped the hawkers in a large place now we call Hawker Food Center. Taadaa!

Since then, hawkers are a collection of individual stalls that display their specialties through pictures or actual dishes. This will help locals and tourists alike to better choose what food to order. Typically, these stalls are found almost everywhere - near public housing estates or transport hubs and set-up in an open-air type restaurant. Every table has its own number in it. When ordering, just tell the number of your table and after 10-15minutes, your food is waiting to be devoured!

The price of a single plate? S$2 - S$5 dollars is very reasonable for roughly a hundred bucks in our local money right? Come to think of it, you're not just ordering for a simple meal, flavors from the Southeast Asia are the common favorites.

Locals and tourists common favorite here is the satay. It's much of a pork barbecue here in the Philippines. Whether its pork or chicken satay, you'll definitely enjoy this combined with "Ketupat" and special peanut sauce. Munch every bits with matching Malaysian "Teh tarik" or our version of a milk tea. Never leave Singapore without trying any of these.

Some of the notable Hawker Centers

East Coast Seafood Centre
Reached by car or cab from the East Coast Park Service Road.
Among the favorites are the chili crab and the black pepper crab.

Lau Pa Sat also known Telok Ayer Market
Located in Downtown Core within the Central Area
Open: Noon - 4AM
Astonishing number of stalls to choose from. At night, Al fresco satay stalls are open.

Newton Hawker Center
Take Newton MRT
Open: 6pm - 4am (only some stalls are open for lunch
Different types of dishes but more expensive compared to other hawkers

Chinatown Food Centre
Take Outram MRT station and walk toward Chinatown
Open: 7am - 9pm
Chinese Foods? This is the place to be. A WIDE variety of Chinese food that can be found in Singapore. Prices are surprisingly cheap but be prepared to bear with the heat and the crowds, especially during lunchtime. Must try here are Chinese desserts found in an array of stalls.

Little India
Take Little India Station
Indian food with a twist. You'll think for a moment, "Are we still in Singapore?". Good food especially their green salads.

For other food information

Singapore Tourism Board
8484 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 510
Beverly Hills CA 90211
Phone: 1-213-852-1901
Fax: 1-213-852-0129

Singapore Tourism Board
2 Bloor St. W., Suite 404
Toronto ON M4M 3E2
Phone: 1-416-363-8898
Fax: 1-416-363-5752