A no-fuss simple guide on 11 Popular Hawker Dishes to try in Singapore for first time travellers.
If you are travelling for the first time to Singapore, you HAVE to go to a Hawker Centre to try some classic dishes enjoyed by many of the locals, expats and travellers alike!
With prices starting as little as 4 SGD per serve, Hawker stalls usually specialize in just one or two dishes. Your serve will be made to order so you will be guaranteed a tasty, authentic meal.
For first-time travellers trying Hawker centres, you can also have some peace of mind that the stalls are rigorously kept clean, making Singapore one of the safest countries to eat at. Win Win!
You can read more about Singapore Hawker Centres in my post coming soon.
11 Popular Hawker Dishes to try in Singapore
Char Kway Teow
Flat rice noodles stir-fried with fishcake, beans shoots, Chinese sausage, garlic, and chives. The dark colour comes from the combination of soy and sweet dark soy as well as chilli paste.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Day Night Fried Kway Teow – Located in Bukit Merah Central Food Centre
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 4.50 per serve
Hokkien Mee
A delicious combination of yellow noodles and vermicelli, stir-fried in a pork and prawn stock as well as whole prawns. Served with sambal and lime for an extra kick.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee – Located in Old Airport Road
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 5 per serve
Satays
Satays are one of the most popular hawker dishes to try in Singapore and you will see it across many food centres. The meat (commonly chicken, beef & mutton) is first marinated in soy, lemongrass and other spices and then skewered in small pieces and charred. Seafood skewers can also be found in satay options like prawns and squid.
A thick satay sauce accompanies the sticks for dipping as well as compressed rice (cut into cubes), cucumbers, and onion.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Satay Street (evening) – Located at Lau Pas Sat Hawker Centre
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 0.70-0.80 C per satay stick
Laksa
This warming, coconut-based noodle soup made with shrimp and seafood is one of the classic Hawker dishes you will find in Singapore.
The traditional version of Laksa in Singapore is called Katong Laksa, originating in the precinct of Katong, in Singapore. The main difference between normal laksa and Katong Laksa is said to mainly be in the noodles. Katong Laksa will have the noodles already cut so there is no need for chopsticks.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
328 Katong Laksa – Several locations across Singapore
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 6.50 per small serve
Chilli Crab
Another dish that is one of the best-known dishes in Singapore is Singapore is Chilli Crab. The crabs usually used for this dish are mud crabs and they are stir-fried in a thick, spicy (but not as much as you may think from the name), savoury, and slightly sweet sauce. A popular alternative is also the Black Pepper Crab.
Crack open the shells and dig in. Fried Mantou (fried bread) are generally served with the Chilli Crab to help mop up the tasty sauce.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Available at most Hawker Centres in stalls that specialize in seafood.
For a more refined Chilli Crab experience, head to Long Beach or Jumbo Seafood – several locations throughout Singapore, but expect to pay a lot more!
Average Hawker Dish Price
At Hawker Centres SGD 50-60 per crab and varies on size. Fried Mantou Buns 0.50c each
Chicken Rice
A classic hawker dish that is perhaps the most popular of Singaporean dishes has to be without a doubt Chicken Rice. The dish is simple, steamed chicken with rice. It’s comfort at its best.
If made properly, this tasty sliced chicken is super tender! The rice is also cooked in chicken stock which gives it loads of additional flavour. Generous sides of chilli and soy accompany the chicken and are perfect for dipping.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice – Located in Maxwell Food Centre and awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 5 per serve
Oyster Omelette
One of the most underrated hawker dishes and a first favourite in Singapore is the Oyster Omelette. The name says it all. For this dish, small Pacific oysters are stir-fried with eggs and potato starch for extra crispiness. Chilli Sauce is served to the side for dipping.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Song Kee Fried Oyster – Located at East Coast Lagoon Food Village
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 5 per small serve
Carrot Cake
An interesting dish that can be found all across Singapore is Carrot cake. Don’t be fooled by the name, it’s not a dessert and there is no carrot in this dish!
It’s steamed white radish, that’s cubed and stir-fried. You can have either a white version with fried egg or black when it’s stir-fried with dark soy.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Carrot Cake @ Chomp Chomp – Located in Chomp Chomp Food Centre
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 5 per small serve
Rojak
It’s a salad, but a bizarre one! If you enjoy a combination of sweet and savoury flavours, Rojak is a mix of fruit, vegetables and fritters covered in a prawn paste, chilli and lime sauce, topped with peanuts.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Lau Hong Ser Rojak – Located in Dunman Food Centre
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 4 per small serve
Dumplings
These tasty dumplings can be found in many hawker centres in Singapore. Some popular varieties include soup dumplings Xiao Long Bao, Fried Pork Buns & silky wontons with chilli oil.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao – Located in Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre
Average Hawker Dish Price
SGD 5 per serve of each dumpling type
Ice Cream Sandwich
A refreshing treat that can be picked up on your way to shopping, street carts selling ice cream sandwiches are usually found all over Singapore in popular shopping precincts.
You can choose a wafer or a slice of soft, sweet rainbow bread and choose the flavour of ice cream. Popular flavours include taro, sweetcorn, coconut, and if you like the taste, durian.
Top Rated Hawker to try this
You can find street carts along Orchard Road and Chinatown selling these!
Average Hawker Dish Price
From SGD 1.50 per ice cream
Want to read more?
I hope you enjoyed reading this post on 11 Classic Hawker Dishes to try in Singapore. You can read about more about Hawker food in my post 11 Unique Hawker dishes to try in Singapore.
You can also read more about the Best Hawker Centres to try in Singapore coming soon HERE.
