If all that exploration is leaving you hungry, make a stop at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, a huge hawker centre that houses all sorts of yummy local food!
Located in the heart of Chinatown, it is just opposite the majestic Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (which is worth a visit as well). Built in 1983, it was intended to rehouse the many street hawkers in order to promote better food hygiene. And, it remains a well-loved hawker centre amongst locals and tourists today.
Within the sprawling Chinatown Complex, you can find a local wet market at the basement, a variety of retail shops on the ground floor, and hawker food stalls on the second floor.
Chinatown Complex is Singapore’s largest hawker centre, with over 200 food stalls offering an impressive variety of food. From traditional delicacies to popular Michelin-worthy food stalls, old-school local snacks to hipster craft beer - there is something to suit every taste bud.
If you are looking for a quick but satisfying bite, try Ann Chin Popiah. This is a local snack that is made by wrapping a melange of juicy turnips, crushed peanut, hard-boiled egg, lettuce and bean sprouts in a soft, thin crepe made from wheat flour. Every mouthful is a burst of wonderful flavours and textures; moist, crunchy, savoury and sweet all at the same time. Ann Chin Popiah is so good that it is listed in the Singapore Michelin Guide under the ‘Michelin Plate’ category. A definite must-try!
Another popular stall frequented by many locals is Jia Ji Mei Shi. They sell traditional breakfast items such as steamed yam cake, chee cheong fun (thin rice rolls drizzled with sweet sauce), soon kueh (steamed vegetable dumpling) and glutinous rice dumplings. Or, enjoy a bowl of comforting century egg porridge or peanut cuttlefish porridge that will fill and warm your tummies nicely.
One other hugely popular hawker stall that is worth a try is Seng Kee 119 Steamed Fish Head. Founded since 1983, this is a two-stall eatery that is famous for its unique creation of fresh steamed fish head drenched in a tangy hot sauce. The flavourful sauce is the secret to the fame of this dish. A fusion of Thai and Chinese flavours, it contains fermented soybeans, ginger, sour plum, chillies and spices. Expect to see long queues here during dinner time, so if you do not want to wait, do visit during off-peak hours!
After the eating frenzy at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, squeeze out a little more stomach space for dessert. Head over to the back where you will find this unassuming hawker stall selling homemade traditional desserts called Er Gu Tang Shui. This local dessert shop has been around since the 1980s and it is rare to find such stalls selling traditional desserts nowadays. You got to try their signature sesame paste or red bean paste. Creamy and aromatic, these are the tastes that bring nostalgia to Singaporeans.
