Singapore has some of the best street food in the world and the hawker market is the format that delivers it best. Here are three worth visiting.
Maxwell Food Centre
A great option for a quick, affordable meal at any time of day. On one visit I grabbed a kaya toast set with iced teh in the morning for next to nothing, then came back the same evening for pineapple fried rice. Maxwell is less overwhelming than some of the larger markets and a good starting point if you are new to the hawker experience.
Lau Pa Sat
The biggest and most popular of the three with tourists, Lau Pa Sat sits in a heritage building in the CBD and offers a huge variety of stalls all under one roof. The atmosphere is hard to beat, particularly in the evening when the surrounding streets come alive. Expect company given its popularity, but the variety on offer makes it worth the crowds.
Newton Food Centre
The most famous of the three and the most open air. Newton is the hawker market featured in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, which gives it a cultural reference point most visitors recognise. The food is worth the trip on its own merits, but come prepared for stall vendors who are noticeably more assertive than at other markets. It is part of the Newton experience rather than a reason to avoid it, but worth knowing before you arrive so it does not catch you off guard.
Have you eaten your way through Singapore? Comment your favourite hawker market below.
