TRIP REPORT: Exploring Hawker Markets and Random Fooding around Singapore - Taking the Long Way to Singapore

Exploring Hawker Markets and random fooding around Singapore
Taking the long way (and back) to Singapore

It’s time to go and feast in Singapore… with a very controlled budget. Join me in my food adventures.

In this adventure

I’ll start by saying that my tastes are basic. And I mean that in an honest way. I’m no Mike Chen or Dancing Bacons (who both have great Singapore and Food Travel Content). Nor am I an annoying vlogger anymore. I’ve tried to do this vlogging stuff, and to be honest, I find it’s more work than not, for a view count that makes my typing more worth it.

Besides, my SSD is full of photos. Videos would kill the poor thing.

So if you want good recommendations, head to those Youtube Food Channels.

Still here? Right, onto my food experiences.

Where possible, I tried to dine like a local – but there were some points when… that wasn’t possible.

A food dining tip no one will tell you in Singapore that a lot of the chain and food court places shut around 10, with smaller places open at various hours. Thus, you need to pay attention and be prepared. Unless you want to be at the whim of local delivery services or a fast food restaurant.

In addition, they have cracked down on littering in Hawker Markets. So if you didn’t in the past, you must return your tray or spent dishes to a collection point.

And yes, Singapore is a fine city. With lots of fines for anything.

All prices are in Singapore dollars. Use Xe or your preferred currency conversion tool to get local values. Ready? Let us start with a classic.

Hawker Markets

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre – Price: S$6

When I said classic, I meant classic. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is well recognised by those who remember Anthony Bourdain. And it’s also got the Michelin Bib Gourmand for good quality, good value cooking restaurant in the 2024 guide.

As one of the most popular chicken rice stores, it has its line. Thankfully, at the time of day, I was there, it was a five-minute wait.

As it’s popular With this, comes the pricing – with them charging S$6 for a medium portion. But.. they take card payments, thus my Monzo worked this to £3.51.

I’m not arguing.

As a medium plate, it has the wonderfully gelatinous skinned Hanaiee style chicken, with the delicious rice, along with the chilli dip sauce on the side.

There’s only one regret I had – not getting the large, or coming back for another portion.

Fragrance Blue Pea Flower Nasi Lemak, Economic Bee Hoon, Albert Street Food Centre

Price: S$3.50

This is a little nearer to my accommodation at the Mercure in Bugis – with Albert Street Food Centre and Market good for a lot of local colour and life.

And this rice… had colour for sure. I had this for breakfast with a Nasi Lemek – because it’s traditional to have a Nasi Lemak for breakfast.

It’s also good at other times of day, too.

This is a well-portioned plate of food to get you started for the day, featuring chicken wings, an egg, anchovies, blue rice and samba sauce.

That or a MaccyD’s for breakfast? I know which I’d take any day of the week.

If you want to spend a little more.

Fatt Kee at Albert Market & Food Centre

Spent: S$6

This is a much more bare-bones (and proper hawker style, focusing on doing a few things good), serving Chee Cheong fun and rice balls.

Covered in spicy sauces, it makes for a good breakfast if you want something lighter.

Price $6

I headed away on the bus for this one over at Newton Food Centre (where interestingly, there’s a bus stand with regular buses over to Malaysia go from).

There were only a few shops open in the morning and this was one. Sadly, the owner didn’t want to take a $50 note. But thankfully, they could take cards.

As for the plate, it’s well filled, with some nice duck and well-done noodles.

A little digging late showed it was a chain. And whilst passable, I suspect I could have had something nicer at Albert Street. A lesson for next time.

Satay Street near Lau Pa Sat

Satay Street is a bustling place – and I’m going to be honest – it’s not my sort of scene. I walked past, but a lot of Satay is for two people… and when you’re travelling on your own it isn’t fun to have a constant bombardment of noise and touters from stores.

Don’t get me wrong – the atmosphere is bustling and I almost pulled a trigger. But the high-pressure sales and wanting to make a snap decision….

]

… I passed.

Similarly Lau Pa Sat Food Centre was a very cleaned-up Hawker Market. A bit too cleaned up for my liking. Still a very pretty place, with prices to reflect that.

Places that weren’t Hawker Markets

My timing can suck sometimes, be it from exhaustion, poor things or whatever other pain enters my life.

Mixue

S$2 upward

Mixue is a Chinese-owned tea house that specialises in Ice Cream and Tea. If you want instant brainworm, here’s the song. Don’t blame when when you start randomly singing “I love you, you love me…”

Bubble Tea and Ice cream are the game here. And I went for the plainer Oolong and Earl Grey team in black. Put it like this, it worked fighting against the heat of Singapore.

Little Teahouse, Bugis – S$14

This was a night stop on one evening, near the hotel. Whilst the Dim Sum looked good… the evening meal sets… Well. The noodles were fresh. Everything else, microwaved or pre-made.

How sad does that beef look?

Skip it.

Xin Wang Hong Kong Café, Bugis

This is a nice 24-hour restaurant during the weekend near Bugis. There was always a queue when I went past (and in the past, this was a Laksa place I stopped by more than once),

Ordering is by QR Code at this establishment –

Although this is one of the places that made me laugh a little – iced water was $0.50.

I went for something simple – Pork and Noodles, with Wantons

It was a lot better than the Little Tea House. And more importantly – it tasted a lot fresher too, even if the char siu felt like it had been under the heater for a little too long.

Sadly, due to time and various annoyances – I missed out on my Bak Kut Teh and Satay… but there’s always another time when it comes to food and travel.

What happens when you forget a memory card? Remember, the best camera you have is the one you have with you.

Let’s go and explore The Gardens by the Bay… and listen to some singing SuperTrees.

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TRIP REPORT: Exploring Hawker Markets and Random Fooding around Singapore – Taking the Long Way to Singapore

Exploring Hawker Markets and random fooding around Singapore
Taking the long way (and back) to Singapore

Hawker Markets

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre – Price: S$6