Kevin Peck has been a hawker for the last 21 years and has since decided upon driving a taxi as his form of retirement. ‘It is only so that I can continue on my hunt for good food!’ Kevin said. He prides himself in the knowledge of delectable yet affordable dishes all around Singapore and would lapse immediately into a never-ending conversation about the delicious food that he has eaten when asked.

Kevin, who regards himself as a typical Singaporean born in the 50s to 60s era, is belligerent to what millennials necessarily deem as ‘new age food’. He instead wishes to give more credit to the arduous work and painstaking efforts put into preparing what he calls ‘absolute good food’, that can be found in hawker centers.

‘‘Oh! Where can I find good food in Singapore? Too much to ask from a pure foodie (food expert)!’’ said Kevin Peck, 65. ‘‘I think Chinatown has the widest array of mind-blowing delicacies that will suit the taste buds of everyone. Most people wouldn’t know the cultural background that formed Chinatown to what it is today. Chinatown used to be in a disarray, where every Chinese clan had their own designated territory and others would never be allowed to trespass unless they are calling for a fight. That ultimately led to their own unique styles of food at each street! It will never cease to amaze you, honestly. The culture, the traditions and every sense of the word ‘pride’.’’

‘‘I would recommend the curry chicken noodles, 大华肉脞面 (Da Hua minced meat noodles) and 蔴坡卤面 (Malaysia Ma Puo braised noodles) from Hong Lim Food Centre,’’ Kevin said. ‘‘Not forgetting the clay pot rice, steamed fish head, the variety of 炖汤 (slow-cooked steamed Chinese soup), 猪肚鸡 (chicken in pig stomach), 小笼包 (mini steamed pork dumpling) from Chinatown Complex Food Centre, and last but not least, the coffee from 五十年代 is unlike no others. Each has its own culture and history, that I hope the generations to come will learn to appreciate it.’’

Kevin suggests that food feasting is can be a full-day activity especially if you are new to Singapore. From taking the MRT or a taxi, to sightseeing and finding your very own unveiled food gems where you can recommend your personal findings to friends.

Michael Toh, 59 has a different tactic. He prefers driving around in his taxi, and stopping over for his lunch or dinner at various hawker centres or coffee shops to scourer for long queues. He assures that it would usually mean the food is good if people are willing to queue for it, and it can be a fun couple activity as it brings out the ‘flavour’ through anticipation.

Michael’s recommendations are 福建炒面炒虾面 (hokkien fried prawn noodles), nasi lemak with their specialty chili (Malay coconut rice) from Whampoa Makan Place, Indian rojak (traditional fruit and vegetable dish) from West Coast Food Centre, 云吞面 (wanton noodles), 水粿 (steamed rice cake with radish), fish and pork congee, and 猪肚汤 (pig organ soup) from Tiong Bahru Market. He also praises the Wild Wild West western food from ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre and Bedok 85 肉脞面 (minced meat noodles).

‘‘I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up an avid Caucasian foodie (food expert) in my taxi, and he shared with me a new hidden food gem in a Toa Payoh coffee shop at Lorong 1,’’ said Michael. ‘‘It’s a start-up, selling Sarawak Laksa, by two Singapore Airline crew members amidst the Covid-19 crisis, and I salute them for their perseverance and willingness to pursue their other passions. Good food is indeed tough to concoct even if you are recreating from someone else’s recipe!’’

Michael claims to know this because he would often try his hand at experimenting recipes during his free time. ‘More often than not, you don’t get the same results as the food you find in hawker centres or coffee shops, because they would add in their own secret ingredient. Tough!’ said Michael.

These are the places Singaporeans frequent for amazing yet inexpensive food, ranging from Chinese, Malay to Indian cuisines. We would also urge you to speak to locals to ask for their opinion upon the matter of local hawker fare, since everyone has relatively different taste buds – which ranges from lightly to heavily flavoured food.

The next time you are seated next to someone at the hawker centre, try striking up a conversation. You might be surprised at the information you could gather from having a casual conversation about local food. That is the incredulous wonder of feasting in hawker centres (do still remember to stay safe during this pandemic).

As another way to find your favorite local foods, you might consider using WAK WAK HAWKER website that has comprehensive and updated hawker food findings in Singapore. Even though you are just stopping over for a few days.
WAK WAK HAWKER wishes you a good time on your food hunting in Singapore! Happy Hunting!