• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work And Business
      • Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
        • Forbidden Hill fathers day gifts15 Fabulous Father’s Day Gifts and Things to Do
        • weddingTop 20 wedding venues in Singapore, for all sorts of couples
        • family portraits photographers in Singapore_Looking for a family photographer in Singapore?
        • finfluencer financial scammersScammers and finfluencers!
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Muswell Hill comedy Pangdemonium dinner partyPangdemonium brings Muswell Hill to Singapore
        • looking for clues treasure hunt time heistWin big in the Civic District treasure hunt
        • As You Were ArtworksWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • The National Stadium - Sports Hub Best venues for concertsTheatres in Singapore plus venues for events & concerts!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • fishing 3aHoliday fun and outdoor activities at this Adventure Camp
        • family portraits photographers in Singapore_Looking for a family photographer in Singapore?
        • enlarged adenoids ENT surgeonENT specialists discuss hearing loss & enlarged adenoids!
        • Oasia Resort Sentosa Far East Hospitality leadFeel like having a family staycation in Singapore or have friends visiting?
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • European bedding best mattressBest mattresses for the best sleep!
        • antique furniture singaporeAntique furniture shops – plus vintage and reproduction furniture!
        • Where to buy lamps in SingaporeWhere to buy lamps in Singapore – lights galore!
        • RedhillLiving in historical Alexandra Park, Redhill.
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • Krabi Thailand beachfront villas for beach holiday in ThailandBeachfront villas in Krabi Thailand – perfect for your next beach holiday!
        • New ZealandYour mini guide to New Zealand
        • international health insuranceProtecting your health overseas in 2022
        • COMO Point Yamu One Bedroom Pool Villa sundeckWhy you should stay at this Phuket resort
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Pizza12 great places to get the best pizza in Singapore
        • Farmers market - butcher - meat shopTop butchers for good-quality meat
        • Sugarhall DaquriLatest bars in Singapore: New drinking spots!
        • M&S Meat Free NuggetsPlant-based nuggets – here’s what we think!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • hydrating products skinTried and tested: Hydrating Products for Dry Skin
        • ARIANE ZAGURY 2A Curated Fashion House for All
        • Frizz TreatmentIn need of a quick fix for frizzy hair?
        • Spray tan singaporeGet a golden glow quickly with a spray tan!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • PainWhat is pain and how do you treat it?
        • Pilates fitnutFancy doing a fitness & Pilates instructor course in Singapore?
        • enlarged adenoids ENT surgeonENT specialists discuss hearing loss & enlarged adenoids!
        • frequent urge to pee overactive bladderHow to treat that frequent urge to pee
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close

Maxwell Food Centre: Your guide to Singapore’s iconic hawker centre in Chinatown

1st May 2022 by Expat Living 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/maxwell-food-centre-your-guide-to-singapores-iconic-hawker-centre-in-chinatown/

“What’s your favourite hawker centre?” It’s a question I get asked frequently, but with so many hawker centres in Singapore – it’s hard to say which is the best. Maxwell Road Food Centre, at 1 Kadayanallur Street. On the edge of Chinatown, Maxwell is perhaps the most famous of Singapore’s iconic eating centres – and if you’ve ever seen a television show about local food on the Little Red Dot, then you’ve probably seen footage of it.

As seen on TV: Tian Tian and its ever-present queue

Scroll through the gallery above for all the photos from Maxwell Food Centre

Located between the imposing URA Centre and the magnificent Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in the Tanjong Pagar area of Chinatown, Maxwell Road Food Centre looks like any other low-slung, corrugated-roofed hawker centre. Walking around it is a sensory adventure. The din of happy eaters combines with the clanging of hot woks over roaring flames, the chopping sound of razor-sharp cleavers on hundred-year-old cutting blocks and the sizzle of good food cooking. It’s a dizzying kaleidoscope of smoke, steam, smells and sounds.

Singapore’s National Dish

Of its numerous stalls, certain ones draw bigger crowds. Top of the list is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (#01-10), internationally known thanks to praise from celebrity chefs like Anthony Bourdain and critics from the New York Times.

There’s inevitably a long queue, but don’t walk away; just jump in and watch the action behind the counter. One guy cuts chicken; another preps the plates with a mound of their trademark rice and a few strips of cucumber; a third takes the orders and collects the money; while behind them is at least one other guy, cooking rice, boiling the chickens, or plunging them into the ice bath to firm up the thin layer of fat into luscious, subcutaneous goodness.

Your plate of chicken rice is an old-school version: juicy, slightly pink flesh with a delicate flavour, slick skin and succulent, beige-coloured rice. Eat it with the gentle sting of chilli-garlic-ginger sauce and a drizzle of thick soy syrup, and you’ll understand why this dish – above all others – is what Singaporeans overseas dream of when they’re homesick.

Breakfast of Champions

Wander over to the middle line of stalls and you’ll see a long queue stretching from an unremarkable-looking little stall with little or no English signage. Zhen Zhen Porridge (#01-54) is so popular that you need to plan the rest of your ordering around it; it rarely takes less than 30 minutes to get your porridge. Once at the front of the line, it’s all business, as a crotchety lady-boss of few words takes your money while her husband grimly ladles his masterpiece into a large bowl.

The rice is cooked for so long that it breaks down into a thick, almost creamy texture, so fragrant and smooth. Have your congee with fish, pork or century egg in it and include a side of super-fresh yu sheng raw fish. When you taste how the herbs, fried shallots, sesame seeds and lime atop the fish perfectly complement the hearty porridge, you’ll suddenly understand the queue and happily endure it again.

Classic Malay Staple

At first glance, the main event at Lagi Best Nasi Lemak (#01-101) appears to be just a boring mound of bland white rice scattered with by some fried stuff. But don’t be fooled; the chicken and fried fish stacked on plates behind the glass counter hint at the great nasi lemak you’ll get, either served on a plate or wrapped in a banana leaf for takeaway.

The rice is cooked in coconut milk and accompanied by crispy dried anchovies (ikan bilis), a small fish or fried chicken wing and with a fried egg. The coconut essence in the rice is distinct and decadent and the items surrounding it crisp and strong. Drizzle on some fiery sambal to get the morning juices flowing. It’s an excellent version of this iconic Malay breakfast, now served throughout the day.

As seen on TV: Tian Tian and its ever-present queue
As seen on TV: Tian Tian and its ever-present queue

Maxwell’s over 100 stalls offer so much choice that the only way to decide your personal favourites is to go there again and again, each time trying something different. And why not? It’s central to everything and easy to get to. So head to Maxwell to discover some of the best classic Singaporean hawker food.

The closest MRT station is Chinatown (NE4). Exit at Pagoda Street, walk the gauntlet of trinket stalls to the end of the street and turn right onto South Bridge Road. Maxwell Road Food Centre is two short blocks away on the left, opposite the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Like this? Read more at our wine and dine section.

Expat Living

Expat Living has everything to help you make the most of living in Singapore! We've got information on neighbourhoods, things to do and see, dining, entertainment, schools, travel, fashion, furniture, finance, health and beauty. And more!

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our weekly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Chinatown And Club Street Singapore Hawker Centres Singapore Local Food

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2022 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.