Where to eat like a local in Singapore’s hawker centres (2025 guide)

Singapore is famous for several things, including its amazing shopping, intense heat and delicious food. Oh yes, the food. When I was younger I was lucky enough to live in Singapore for a few years. One thing I quickly learned: there are two sides to Singapore, the extremely expensive side and the beautifully affordable side.

You can go to a restaurant and easily pay hundreds of Singapore dollars for a meal, let alone a glass or bottle of wine, that might have cost you A$80 at home. Similarly, you can go to a hawker centre or food court and pay S$3-8 for a dish. The most authentic food experiences and the best places to eat in Singapore are the hawker centres.

It’s always fun to go out for a nice meal, but in Singapore it isn’t sustainable to eat every meal like that and to be honest, it isn’t enjoyable either. But does that mean you have to compromise? Does it also mean you’re missing out on the best food Singapore has to offer? No — it absolutely does not.

Some of the best food you can eat in Singapore comes from a hawker centre or food court and what’s great is they’re everywhere. There’s a food court in or close to every shopping centre and they serve incredible food at a fraction of the price of fine-dining spots. The most authentic food experiences you’ll have in Singapore happen in a hawker centre or food court, so go there without delay.

If you’re planning a trip to Singapore and are trying to find the best things to eat while not blowing your budget, check out the list below for serious food inspiration. Hint: eat ALL the dumplings.

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1. Kaya Toast 

Incredibly well-known in Singapore as a breakfast staple and snack, kaya toast is made using kaya (a coconut-jam made with sugar, coconut milk, eggs and pandan). It’s usually served sandwich-style, between two pieces of toasted bread, often with a slab of butter (though you can ask for no butter if that’s your thing). This Hainanese delicacy is sweet and delicious and costs around S$1.50 when local pricing applies.

2. Tea and coffee

Rather than visiting an Instagram café, head to one of the traditional kopi stalls or kopitiams inside a hawker centre. You’ll get an authentic Singapore “rocket-fuel” coffee experience and save a lot of money. There’s a lot to choose from: kop i peng (iced coffee with condensed milk), teh peng (iced tea with condensed milk), cham or yin-yang (mix of sweet tea & coffee) and other hot or iced drinks. As of 2025 you’re looking at roughly S$1.20-S$2 per drink in many hawker spots.

3. Dumplings 

So many dumplings, so little time. Eating dumplings in Singapore isn’t a joke—it’s pretty much a professional sport. Some of the best dumplings you’ll ever experience happen here, so don’t miss out. For budget-friendly eats head into neighbourhood hawker centres (outside the main tourist strips). The fried prawn roll, fried carrot cake (see #5), signature tofu stick and custard buns are all must-tries. For higher-end dim-sum you can wander into the Orchard/City Hall area.

4. Char Kway Teow 

What is it? Literally “stir-fried rice cake strips”. It consists of stir-fried flat rice noodles with light & dark soy sauce, chilli, belachan (shrimp paste), prawns, cockles, bean sprouts and Chinese chives. It may also include egg, Chinese sausage and fish-cake depending on vendor. If you’re looking for a super-healthy meal, this isn’t it—but it is tasty. Expect roughly S$5-8 at many hawker centres in 2025.

5. Fried carrot cake 

Traditionally known as “chai tow kway”, it shatters Western ideas of what a carrot cake is—because it contains no actual carrot and isn’t a cake. The “radish cake” is made of steamed rice flour, shredded daikon (white radish), then stir-fried with eggs, preserved radish and spring onions, often with a big whack of chilli or sambal on top. It should cost about S$5-8 now.

6. Rojak 

Rojak is a traditional fruit & vegetable salad common in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The word “rojak” means “mixture” and it’s a great option for vegetarians or those after something lighter. My favourite version is fruit rojak: sliced cucumber, pineapple, benkoag (fried fritter bits), bean sprouts, tofu puffs, maybe mango or green apple, tossed through a dressing (water, sugar, chilli, lime) and topped with chopped peanuts and pink ginger bud. Non-vegetarian versions include prawn fritters, hard-boiled eggs or cuttlefish. A plate now typically costs around S$5-7.

7. Hainanese chicken rice 

The holy grail of Singapore food. It’s so important to locals they even made a movie about it. Chicken rice is considered Singapore’s national dish. The chicken is prepared using Hainanese traditional methods (steeped at sub-boiling temps in pork/chicken bone stock) and the rice is cooked in separate chicken stock to make it oily and full of flavour. It’s served with hot chilli-garlic sauce, cucumber slices, light soy sauce and sometimes a soup. In 2025 expect S$4-7 (in non-premium hawkers) if you pick the right stall.

8. BBQ Chicken wings 

You are in for a treat here. Singapore serves up some of the world’s best BBQ chicken wings. Crispy skin outside, juicy meat inside. Often cooked rotisserie-style in hawker centres, served with fresh lime & chilli (same chilli style as chicken rice). These wings are a must-do for visitors. Typical price in 2025: around S$1.50-2 per wing depending on location.

9. Roti Prata 

Roti prata has to be one of my favourite things to eat in Singapore—when I’m there I eat it just about every day. It’s a fried flour-based pancake/flatbread grilled on a flat grill, served with vegetable or meat-based curry. Many places offer “plain prata with dipping curry” deals. Plain prata + vegetarian curry: around S$1.20-S$2 per piece in many hawker centres.

10. Indian vegetarian 

Another favourite of mine. Head to the district of Little India for solid veggie Indian fare. A recommended spot is Komala Villas (make sure you’re at “Komala Villas” not a similarly named place). Try the terrific masala dosai (a long crepe made of rice batter + black lentils, stuffed with curried potato/spices, served with vegetarian curries & dips). In 2025 you should expect about S$3-5 for one of these in a classic hawker setting.

11. Fresh crab 

Sit down to a fresh crab feast in places like Geylang. Crabs are served with chilli or in sauces, you’ll get messy but it’s worth it. Note: this is less “ultra-budget hawker” and more of a mid-tier food-centre meal. Prices vary significantly depending on crab size & restaurant style.

13. Fresh fruit and juices 

Tropical fruit is abundant in Singapore so take advantage of it. At every hawker centre you’ll typically find a fruit stall where you pick and they chop it up, served on a plate with toothpicks. On a hot day that’s far more refreshing than a heavy dessert. Also try iced lemon tea, iced honey lime tea and sugar-cane juice—they’re sweet, cheap and refreshing. Around S$1.50-2 in many places.

12. Ice Kachang 

If you’re feeling the heat stop in at a hawker centre for ice kachang. This dessert consists of shaved ice topped with corn, longans, condensed milk, coloured syrups, coconut milk, red beans and jellies. It might look weird—a rainbow-shaved-ice covered in jelly and corn—but it tastes amazing. Expect between S$1.50-3 in 2025.

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