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TRIP REPORT: Summer Premium Adventures – Exploring Hawker Food Markets in Singapore

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Exploring Hawker Food Markets in Singapore
Summer Premium Adventures

Singapore and Bangkok Trip Report

In this Summer Premium Adventure (Warning: Long!)

Exploring the Food Hawker Centres in Singapore

Food, glorious food. I don’t need to introduce Hawker Centres to you – Mike Chenug can do that better than I can.

Instead, I’m going straight to the food adventures I had on the way in Hawker Centres.

Old Airport Road Hawkers Centre

To get to this one is a little bit of a challenge – you’ll be busing and MRT, or if you’re coming in fro the Hotel Indigo/Holiday Inn Express in Katong, there’s a direct bus. Or just use a Grab.

people in a food court
Where I ended up first

With places like this, there is almost too much choice. So the first thing to do when hitting a hawker centre is to circulate around and see what there is. Also, pay attention to the lines – this is important. If you see long lines, there’s a reasonable chance the food will be good.

a metal shelves on a building
Remember to return your tray.

a sign on a counter
Tea?

a group of people standing in front of a food kiosk
Queue – Good normally.

a food stand with chicken in it
Bit early for Chicken Rice… But is it ever too early for chicken rice? 

a display case of bread and pastries
Baked goods

a woman in a white shirt and red pants standing in front of a food cart
Fried noodles anyone?

I did a circle or two and settled on some wanton noodles and char siu for the princely sum of S$4.

a sign with food on it

a man in a black cap behind a sign

And I’m not objecting what I got for S$4.

a bowl of noodles and a bowl of soup

A decent portion of all those things, with some nice wanton tails which were well filled, some noodles (because noodles are a done thing), and tasty pork char siu.

a group of people standing in a large room
More queues…

I was done with that reasonably quickly enough and was heading to the exit – when I saw some Nasi Lemak in a bamboo leaf for S$1.80.

How could I say no to that?

Let’s open this package of wonders, with Rice, peanuts, fried sardines, and a fish hidden away.

 

a hand holding a brown bag a rice and fried fish on a leaf a paper bag with a leaf on it

Not bad at all for $1.80. Heck, best-priced meal this trip – end of the matter.

Albert Street Food Centre

Let’s move onto the Albert Court Food Centre. This one is near the Intercontinental at Bugis – and given the choice between an expensive hotel breakfast or cheap fun choose what you like for near enough S$5, I know which I can deal with.

My wallet also agrees with this too.

I stopped here for breakfast more often than not due to the location.

a gold ornate sign on a building

people sitting at tables in a food court

a group of people in a food court

a man sitting at a table

people standing in front of a food stand

First up Pork, Pork and More Pork. In a soup. Yours for the grand total of S$3.

a sign with food on it
(Meat ball soup selected)

a man holding a bowl of food
Put it all together…

a bowl of soup with meat balls and greens
Meat ball soup. 

Simple and delicious – something I have no problem enjoying most days of the week. Heck, Soup and noodles and I’m a happy person 9 out of 10 times.

Also, there is Nasi Lemak. Yes. This is a thing in Singapore, and we’re all going to have to deal with it. And at S$2.80, I can deal with it.

a sign with pictures of food on it

a group of people standing in a line in a food court
It has a bit of a queue – remember –  queues = better chance of good food.

This one is prepared fresh in front of you, so select what you want top in, pay and off you go.

a display case with food on it
Select your own nasi…

a plate of food with a fork and knife
And boom. Very nice too. 

More breakfast? Let’s move onto another Singaporean Classic – Laksa. And it’s a Spicy Noodle Soup.

What did I say about me and noodle/soup combos?

a sign with a picture of food on it a kitchen with a variety of dishes a man working in a kitchen a person holding a bowl of soup
Putting a bowl of laksa together

a bowl of soup with meat and noodles     a bowl of soup with meat pieces in it

a person holding chopsticks to a bowl of noodles

A nice coconut-creamy laksa here. And just the right level of spice too.

It wouldn’t be a meal without another Nasi Lemak – this time brought inside the market at Bugis.

a display case with food on it

food on a counter in a restaurant

a clear glass ball on a green surface
Spot the food 😉

This is a bit different from the one before – with everything fresh. Lovely to see here – and again – around S$2.

Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown

Moving on the granddaddy of them all – Maxwell Street Hawkers market near Chinatown

a building with a sign on it

I arrived there after 8pm – and Tai Tian Tian had shut up shop for the evening.  However Hainaese Chicken Rice is a thing, and by dingo, we’re going to have some this trip

a food stand with signs and images
Don’t tempt me with delicious gyoza…

a food stand with a sign
Or Ramen for that matter. Focus Kevin. FOCUS…

a man standing in front of a fruit stand
Coconut water? Check.

a group of people sitting at tables in a market
Food brings people together

I picked a reasonable looking one out – stretching to S$4 out (Look at me, breaking the food budget.) A pretty flavourful chicken and coconut rice combo to be nice.

a group of people eating at a food stand

a sign with different types of food on it

Then again, it’s pretty hard to go wrong with Hainesse Chicken.

a plate of food with chopsticks and a bowl of soup

Song Fa

The one restaurant meal I had was for some Bak Ut Tee. This is pork bone rib soup, with the soup varying from either a medicinal taste to a peppery taste. This one was a lot more peppery – to say the least

a restaurant with a large glass wall

And it was served with my vices – Chicken feet with Tofu skins.

a plate of food and a bowl of soup on a table

I may not have many vices in the world, but I’m a sucker for chicken feet in black bean sauce. Add some lime juice, and this meal broke the bank at … S$20. Or about £10.a plastic cup with a straw and a yellow drink on a table
Lime Juice

a receipt on a clipboard

I’ve paid more and have been disappointed more in the past – this was a good value meal out. Whilst I can appreciate a high-end restaurant, hawker centres offer good value for money – and I encourage you to seek them out if you’re travelling through Singapore.

It’s an enjoyable discovery experience, and it won’t cost the earth.

And if you do… have a Nasi Lemak for me, please? 😉

Next: Intercontinental Singapore, Bugis 

 

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Comments

  1. Aoife says

    I miss my breakfast from Albert Centre. Roti paratha and lime juice. And Hainan chicken rice from Maxwell thanks for the memories ha. Some choice eateries there