Want to try the best hawker centre food? It’s not just about eating, it’s a way of life here. Singapore is home to something like 14,000 hawker stalls, and, at $5 for a satisfying meal at most places, what’s not to love? From chicken rice to nasi lemak, here’s a guide to different types of hawker food in Singapore that kids will enjoy too.
#1 Hawker foods in Singapore: Chicken rice
It’s simple and satisfying, without a lot of ingredients, and great for fussy tummies. Roasted or poached chicken with fragrant rice cooked in the stock from the chicken, this dish is a great starting point. Served with a sticky, sweet dark soy and famous chicken rice chilli on the side, you can tailor the spice level to suit yourself. Whenever we ask our readers to name their kids’ favourite hawker centre food (and their own, for that matter!), chicken rice comes first by a mile.
#2 Hawker centre foods: Kaya toast and eggs
Want a quick and hearty breakfast at a food court? Try kaya toast! This local favourite features coconut jam and a slab of cold butter sandwiched between two slices of toast. For an authentic experience, dip the toast into soft-boiled eggs.
You can find kaya toast at hawker centres, but our go-to spots are Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Toast Box. Here’s how to enjoy it: sweet pandan coconut jam is layered between thin slices of toast with a generous slab of butter. You’ll receive the eggs in their shells, sometimes in hot water. Crack them into a dish, add white pepper and dark soy sauce, and mix well. Some people like to slurp the eggs, while others prefer dipping the kaya toast into the eggs.
#3 Popiah
A thin paper crepe traditionally stuffed with cooked vegetables, egg, sweet sauce and peanuts, this is essentially Singapore’s delicious version of a burrito!
#4 Hawker foods: Roti prata
The Indian fried pancake known as prata might not be the healthiest option, but kids love it. You can order it with egg or banana for added nutrition, though cheese is often the tastiest choice. Prata is commonly found at hawker centres and food stalls across Singapore, especially in Little India.
This South Indian flatbread is made by frying stretched dough with ghee, which is clarified butter. It’s crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Watching it being made is quite a treat, as it takes a lot of skill. Prata is served with a bowl of spicy curry sauce for dipping. You can add extra sausage, cheese, onion or eggs. Some prefer to enjoy it as a sweet treat by dipping it in sugar or adding banana and chocolate sauce.
#5 Hawker centre foods in Singapore: Satay
Satay is a dish of seasoned meats on skewers, usually cooked over coals. It’s perfect for sharing with friends because you can try different types of meat. Each place has its own recipe for peanut sauce – some are sweet, some spicy, and some even have pineapple! Satay is often served with rice cakes, compressed rice shaped into triangles or squares, and is excellent for soaking up the sauce.
Chicken and beef satay is a favourite hawker food, especially with kids. The peanut dipping sauce tastes like crunchy peanut butter and pairs perfectly with the meat skewers. Satay is ideal for parties and not just at hawker centres – you can often order it online for delivery.
#6 Singapore hawker foods: Wonton noodles
This simple, flavourful meal is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It includes springy egg noodles, meat dumplings, and green vegetables, all mixed with a dark sauce. Add some tangy green chilli, grab your chopsticks, and mix it all up. This dish also has a tasty broth on the side, or you can have the wanton noodles in the soup, perfect for cool, rainy days. Your kids will love it either way.
#7 Hawker foods: Fried rice
Overwhelmed with the choices available at the food court? A hot plate of fried rice is a quick and easy option the kids will love. If you’re extra hungry, order some sweet and sour pork as a side – it goes perfectly with the rice.
#8 Hawker centre foods in Singapore: Yong tau foo
This popular Hakka Chinese hawker dish lets you customise your meal. You can choose your noodles, broth, and ingredients. The main components are tofu or vegetables stuffed with ground meat or fish paste. Eat it dry with a sweet sauce or in a soup! It’s a self-service dish, by the way, so start by grabbing a bowl and tongs from the stall.
#9 Singapore hawker foods: Fishball noodles
A simple and tasty dish, this features pounded white fish shaped into balls, served with your choice of noodles in a clear and flavorful soup. It’s one of the famous hawker foods, offering a hearty meal with thin or thick egg noodles or rice noodles paired with bouncy fish balls and slices of fried fish cake.
#10 Hawker foods: Carrot cake
This side dish often causes confusion for visitors, it’s got nothing to do with carrots or cake. This savoury dish is made from a steamed white radish. You can order two kinds: a black type fried with a sweet, sticky black sauce and a white kind fried with an egg. Ask for half-half and get the best of both!
#11 Hawker foods in Singapore: Laksa
Laksa has been influenced by many cultures, each adding their own spin. It’s a creamy spicy soup of coconut milk, fish cake, prawns and noodles. Some add cockles and other goodies into the dish. Other places serve the noodles cut into smaller pieces so you can scoop and slurp it all up!
#12 Singapore hawker foods: Nasi lemak
This is traditionally a breakfast meal but you can get it at any time of the day. It’s a Malay dish featuring soft fluffy rice cooked in coconut, giving it a delicious fragrance. Many people will have a favourite place to buy from, based on the style and flavour of the chilli it’s served with. Some are more tomato-based and others pack quite a punch! So have a taste before you mix it all up with the peanuts and little fried ikan billis (fish). Most commonly eaten with this is a fried chicken wing, and many stalls offer fish, sausages, fried egg, spam and other add-ons.
#13 Hawker foods in Singapore: Ice kachang
This rainbow-coloured dessert, featuring shaved ice, syrup, jelly, fruit and other mysterious ingredients, is a godsend for hot afternoons. For drinks, try soy milk, calamansi or the many different fresh juices.
A hawker food guide for kids by type of cuisine
# Indian
Kids love the many varieties of Indian bread, including chapati, prata, murtabak and naan. These breads are often crispy, come with a curry dip and have meat or sweet fillings that the kids can choose. Serve with a mild murgh makhani, aka butter chicken. Kids should try thosai, an epic-sized Indian pancake.
# Malaysian
Chicken and beef satays are always a hit with the kids! The peanut dipping sauce is reminiscent of crunchy peanut butter and tastes great with these meat skewers. But those with nut allergies should beware.
# Chinese
Let the kids sample fried noodles, fried rice, noodle soup, sweet and sour pork, and, of course, Singapore’s famous Hainanese chicken rice. These dishes are mild and serve as great introductory foods to Chinese cuisine.
# Thai
Tread lightly with Thai dishes as most will simply be too hot. Spring rolls with sweet Thai chili sauce on the side are a good choice.
Tip: If you expose children to new tastes and textures at a young age, they will slowly build their palates to find different cuisines acceptable as they grow.
Don’t forget about desserts!
Banana fritters and mango sticky rice are kid-friendly post meal treats as are many tropical fruits, such as pomelos, lychees and rambutans, especially when pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
Check out hawker foods at Holland Village, Newton Circus, Tanglin Mall, Great World City, Parkway Parade, Plaza Singapura and, of course, La Pau Sat!
Thanks to MILLIE TAN for adding to our round-up with some of her experience of hawker centres in Singapore.
About Millie
Millie has lived in Singapore with her husband and two kids for five years. They enjoy exploring all of Singapore, from the big well-known places to the smaller local areas. Nature walks, cycling and trying local foods at the end of their exploring days are some of their favourite activities. Before moving here, they started a YouTube channel, Wonderlust, to give family and friends a glimpse of their travels. The channel quickly grew in subscribers, prompting them to commit to exploring somewhere new in Singapore every week and creating videos about it. After four years, they’re still discovering different things to do and experience on this little island they now call home. Whether trying something new, stepping out of their comfort zones, or just embracing the heat, they always find the wonder!
Enjoyed this look at hawker centre foods in Singapore? Read on for more food stories – plus lots of ideas for where to take kids!
