Hawker Centers

Hawker Centers Explained

secrets to the ultimate singaporean dining experience

Written by and photography by Helena A. Cochrane Called Singapore’s dining rooms, or perhaps more accurately its eat-in kitchens, hawker centers abound across the island, offering an array of pocket-friendly, authentically local eating options in a simple, down-home atmosphere. Even under government supervision and health and safety inspections, these centers are rustic. They feature cash-only transactions, whirling fans (but no air conditioning), plastic tables and a puzzling way to order, and they brim with choices, fragrances, noise and people. The chaos may send you packing to the closest westernstyle eatery. You’ll get a good meal in the mall too, but you will have missed an authentic and rewarding aspect of Singapore’s food-avid culture. Daunting to the newcomer, hawker centers are crowded at every mealtime, particularly in areas where workers seek a hot lunch or families want to grab dinner. Enter a hawker center and you’ll find that Singaporeans don’t mind eating with strangers, often the only option due to high demand for table space. Find some empty seats, lay down a package of tissues to “chope” (save) a space, and tour the stalls to see which looks appealing. Join the longest queues—they signal the high quality of the stall. But what to order? At the crossroads of Malay, Chinese, Tamil and Eurasian cuisines, Singapore’s signature dishes reflect great diversity. The abundance of options in hawker centers can be overwhelming. Asking a local could -- no will -- result in dozens of recommendations. Here are some options to begin with. Hainanese Chicken Rice has made Singapore famous among Anthony Bourdain fans. It’s so simple, yet so tasty, with chicken boiled or roasted in herbs served on a mound of seasoned rice, and a few greens on the side. Don’t neglect the three sauces: sweet soy, chilli, and ginger. In any hawker center, this will be a staple. It seems counterintuitive in this humid climate, but many hawker specialties feature piping hot broth or stew. Soups featuring Beef, Fish or Chicken Hor Fun are a rewarding order. Try Laksa, either Singaporestyle (spicy coconut curry) or Asam (sour tamarind), with chicken or seafood, vegetables and noodles. Most soups also can be requested “dry,” broth on the side. For stew, try Beef Rendang, seasoned with coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves. Venturing into Indian fare, you can find many versions of Biryani, a mix of vegetables and, often,

Tiong Bahru Food Centre mutton or fish served on basmati rice.

Chicken Rice with a side of bean sprouts Sample Satay, skewered meats or prawns, served with spicy peanut sauce, rice cakes, and pickled vegetables known as acar (pronounced achar). One last Singapore hawker essential is Char Kway Teow, stir-fried broad noodles flavored with sweet soy sauce, bean sprouts, Chinese sausage, sometimes cockles, and fish cakes. They’re best prepared in an extremely hot wok, which gives them a smokiness that is bound to satisfy. One day, while searching in Chinatown’s Hong Lim Hawker Center for the one stall among 175 that would be right for lunch, I passed one after another whose cooks expertly chopped, rolled, dipped, mixed, stirfried and roasted food for their clients. They had been doing it for hours that day, and would be doing it again the following day. Their dexterity and dedication, and the fragrances and colors and sounds coming from their work, gave order and rhythm to the process. Be sure to sample the fare at any one of these centers to take part in the local culture.

Since moving from Philadelphia to Singapore in 2018, Helena has enjoyed trying new dishes at local hawker centers. Learning how to handle chopsticks, however, is an ongoing process for her.

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Written by ABC, Photographs by XYZ