Hawker Centre Food TourMaxwell, Lau Pa Sat & Chinatown Complex

Singapore's hawker culture, the tradition of eating at open-air food centres where stalls specialise in one or two dishes, was added to UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2020. Hawker centres were created from the 1970s onwards to move street vendors into clean, regulated premises, and they have become the heart of Singaporean life, where people of every background eat side by side. This tour visits three of the best-known centres, around Chinatown and the financial district.

The tour starts at 11:30 AM at the entrance to Maxwell Food Centre, in Chinatown. Maxwell is famous for Hainanese chicken rice, poached chicken served with rice cooked in chicken stock, ginger, garlic and chilli sauce, and the stall Tian Tian is one of the best known in the city, often with a queue at lunchtime. Your guide also introduces other dishes, such as fish soup, carrot cake, a savoury fried radish cake, and popiah, fresh spring rolls.

A short walk leads to Lau Pa Sat, in the financial district. The market hall, an octagonal Victorian structure of cast iron, was rebuilt on its current site in 1894 and is a national monument. At lunchtime, office workers fill its tables, and in the evening, the adjoining street closes to traffic and becomes Satay Street, lined with grills. At midday, your guide takes you to stalls serving laksa, a spicy coconut noodle soup, and other local favourites.

The tour ends at Chinatown Complex, one of the largest hawker centres in Singapore, with hundreds of stalls on its upper floor. Among them is Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice, which became one of the first hawker stalls in the world to receive a Michelin star in 2016. The stall no longer holds its star, but its soy sauce chicken remains popular. You might also try char kway teow, fried flat noodles, or a local dessert.

Along the way, your guide explains the history of hawker culture, the influences of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan cooking, and the etiquette of the centres, such as reserving a seat with a packet of tissues. The tour ends with a kopi, local coffee brewed through a cloth filter and served with condensed milk, at a coffee stall.

Please tell us about dietary requirements in advance. Halal and vegetarian options are available.

The tour lasts around three hours. An expert food guide, all tastings, including chicken rice and soy sauce chicken, and a kopi are included.