Most people shy away from eating at hawker centres because of cleanliness, congestion, and a lack of food options. However, especially with the recent changes and upgrades, these are mere myths. At every Singaporean hawker centre, cleanliness rules have been implemented to maintain a clean environment at hawker centres as well as encourage patrons to be considerate members of the community. On top of that, every hawker centre has its own team of staff keeping the area clean as long as the facility is open. However, people also tend to stay away from hawker centres as they often seem too crowded. But what people don’t realise is that hawker centres that are “crowded” would just be another platform for them to form or maintain bonds with other people. The lively ambience and abundance of opportunities for human interaction could only be beneficial.

The little open-air food court in the heart of every Singaporean neighbourhood is more than just a crowded and congested collection of stalls with free, communal seating around them. Other than affordable meals, one can gain a sense of community or even a newfound appreciation of Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural tapestry. The hawker centres in Singapore are plentiful, and the very reason why there is at least one hawker centre in every area is to ensure convenient access to affordable food. They are convenient, affordable, accessible, and full of life. What more could anyone ask for?

The view of Lau Pa Sat; at the heart of the Central Business District. (PHOTO: RAUSHANA SHAIK)

An example of a hawker centre that has no shortage of variety in its food options would be Lau Pa Sat. It is located at the heart of Singapore’s central business district, making it convenient and attractive to both Singapore residents and tourists; people who work in the central business district usually go there for lunch and tourists visiting the most popular tourist spots in Singapore can stop by Lau Pa Sat for a quick, affordable, authentically Singaporean meal before carrying on with the next item on their daily itinerary. With over 100 stalls, Lau Pa Sat caters to every eclectic palate under the sun.

Photo of Newton Food Centre taken from the outside. (PHOTO: Raushana Shaik)

Besides having an abundance of food options, hawker centres are able to catalyse the formation of bonds between people and promote a sense of community among individuals. Newton Food Centre, like every other hawker centre, has a spacious dining area. This is a communal space where hawker patrons can sit down and enjoy food from various stalls. The dining area is not the only thing in Newton Food Centre that fosters bonds, this hawker centre has a stall or two that sells dishes like satay and chili crab; dishes that are meant to be shared. Sometimes, nothing brings a group of people together like sharing a plate.

The modern interior of Hong Lim Food Centre (PHOTO: Raushana Shaik)

Hawker centres have been around since the 1960s. This means there are hawker centres in Singapore that are almost as old as Singapore itself! An example of one of those hawker centres is Hong Lim Food Centre. Standing firmly on Singaporean ground since the 1970s, the hawker centre is two storeys full of pure Singaporean culture. This is the perfect environment to immerse yourself in Singapore’s hawker culture. Just by ordering a dish from a hawker, you might be able to learn a new thing or two. Another way to soak up all the cultural goodness that Singaporean hawker centres have to offer would, of course, be to fill your tummy with their good food.

Satay from Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre (PHOTO: Wak Wak Hawker)

As previously mentioned, satay is a dish best enjoyed with company. On a platter, one can have beef, mutton, chicken, or all of the above. Most people choose to have a few sticks of each type of meat when dining in a group, catering to the tastebuds of every person in the group. Having satay with the occasional bite of lontong (rice cakes), dipped in the nutty and savoury satay sauce with a little kick of spice, can fuel long conversations. Hawker centres are filled with dishes like satay, which are meant for sharing.

A nasi lemak stall at Adam Road Hawker Centre (PHOTO: Raushana Shaik)

Like satay, a spoonful of nasi lemak, a Malay dish, can taste like a warm hug. When directly translated into English, “nasi lemak” means “fatty rice”. The “fatty rice” in this dish, refers to the white rice that is cooked in coconut milk, with pandan leaves. It is usually served with a side of fried peanuts, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), and a sunny-side-up egg. One can choose to have fried fish, chicken, or even otah (spicy fish cake), depending on what is available at the stall. Hawker stalls usually sell a lot of dishes like nasi lemak; traditional comfort food. Dining at hawker centres will definitely help people learn more about what food means to different cultures.

A plate of chicken rice (PHOTO: Wak Wak Hawker)

When the dish “chicken rice” is mentioned, people usually think of the dish made of seasoned rice served with poached chicken, garlic chili sauce, and cucumber garnish. This is but one way that chicken rice can be served; the Hainanese Chicken Rice. In every Singaporean hawker centre, if there is more than one stall selling chicken rice, the same dish from each stall will likely have very little resemblance other than the dish being just chicken and rice. Some stalls make chicken rice the Malay way; with fried chicken instead of poached chicken, and seasoned yellow rice with sambal (chili paste with shrimp paste) instead of garlic chili sauce. If you haven’t visited every hawker centre in Singapore, chances are, you haven’t tasted every variation of chicken rice there is.

Evidently, when it comes to exploring hawker centres in Singapore, there is much to be done. It may seem like a tedious and daunting task at first but, with the proper tool, it actually is very fun and fulfilling. Wak Wak Hawker is more than just a website where you can get reviews of different hawker centres and the food at their stalls. You can find anything you want using the “Detail Search” feature. It has filters that help you customise your search and help you find the exact hawker centre that is on your mind as well as how to get there.

Just by scrolling through a few articles under the “Read List” section of Wak Wak Hawker, you can already learn so much about Singapore’s hawker culture and all the good food it offers. If you are still hesitant or confused as to what you should eat and where, you can always look through the stall list which is equipped with descriptions and reviews of all the stalls at all the hawker centres in the “Hawker List”. You have nothing to lose! Just visit Wak Wak Hawker to find out where your next affordable and delicious meal will come from.