I’m doing a month-long series on my Singapore trip back in September. It’s my 3rd time in the Lion City (I won’t get tired visiting it!) and I’ve been coming back for both personal development (gotta invest on myself!) and vacation (gotta get some break!). Hope you’ll enjoy this series!

In my first visit to Singapore, I wasn’t able to do a serious foodventure (and I kind of regret it). SG is such a food paradise and it’s a mistake, at least to me, not to explore it’s rich gastronomic landscape. So on my following trips, I made sure always do a foodventure. And the best place to start is obvious: Hawker Centers!

Hawker centers are open-air complexes of hawker (vendor) stalls offering affordable food (compared to airconditioned food courts or restaurants). Here, you can find a wide variety of food, from classic Singaporean dishes such as chicken rice, fish ball soup, and hokkien mee, to international cuisines such as Japanese and Western food.

I researched for the best hawker centers and the results were almost always consistent. At the top are Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Old Airport Road Food Centre, and Tiong Bahru Food Centre. I did food crawl at the Old Airport Road Food Center last year (you can read about it here). So on my recent trip, I explored Chinatown Complex Food Centre. I even booked my accommodation in Chinatown so I can frequent the hawker center!

Chinatown Complex is a mixed development that houses a dry goods section in the ground floor, a wet market in the basement, and a hawker center in the 2nd floor. Initially named as the Kreta Ayer Complex, it was built in 1981 as the government’s attempt to relocate the thousands the street hawkers in Chinatown. Today, about 20% of those hawkers are still in operation.

With over 260 hawker stalls, the Complex’ hawker center is the largest in all of Singapore. Imagine the variety! It’s home to amazing Chinese dishes, including the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred food.

Here are some that I tried (in alphabetical order):

Beef Brisket Noodle at Fatty Ox HK Kitchen

I had this for breakfast and man, what an amazing way to start the day! I’m still thinking about it up to now!

Beef Brisket Noodle with Add-on Wontons (SGD6)

The noodles are springy, the brisket is tender, and the tendon is soft. I got wontons as an add-on, which are plump and made with pork and chives, I think. I’m glad it doesn’t have shrimp in it. The sambal (chilli sauce) gives nice spiciness and the pickled chilies a little sweetness.

Stall No: 02-84 | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 7:30AM-2:30PM

Bento Combo Jumbo Set at Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap

This stall wasn’t on my initial plan. But since my lunch schedule was changed on my last day, I thought of making one more stop at the Complex and try this stall. And I thank the Lord for that change!

Teochew-style braised duck and kway chap (rice noodle paired with pig innards) are classic hawker food. But Jin Ji offers these dishes with a modern twist: They serve it on a bento plate along with yam rice balls and Japanese-style soft-boiled egg (think of ramen egg).

The Bento Combo Jumbo Set has duck meat, pig innards, pork belly, tamago egg (it’s funny because it literally means “egg egg”), tofu, and 3 yam rice balls each separated with a daikon. The proteins are flavorful and tender, and every component add texture to the entire dish.

Stall No: 02-156 | Operating Hours: Saturday-Thursday, 10AM-7PM

Chendol at Old Amoy Chendol

Chendol (also spelled Cendol) is my favorite dessert in the Malay Peninsula. It’s a shaved ice dessert topped with pandan-flavored, worm-shaped noodles/jellies and sweet red beans. Then santan (coconut milk) and gula melaka (palm sugar) syrup is poured into it. I’m glad that there’s a famous chendol stall in Chinatown Complex.

Stall No: 02-008 | Operating Hours: Daily, 10:30AM-9PM | Facebook

Claypot Rice at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot

You know that a food spot is really good if there’s a long queue, has a Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition…and Mark Wiens loved it! Such is Lian He Ben Ji Claypot!

I tried this spot on my first visit to Singapore. But I forgot how it tasted so I thought of visiting again. I got the Mixed Rice SGD8 portion, which I finished easily. It took me an hour and 10 minutes to have my order.

How can you not be amazed by those claypots?!

I’ll say it right away: This claypot rice is a world of flavors and textures. The rice has a nice burnt flavor and crunch. The chicken is tender and the sausage is nicely sweet. The vegetables give a nice crunch and the coriander on the side adds a refreshing taste. There’s also a nice saltiness to the dish, similar to a salted fish.

I also got the Watercress Pork Rib Soup (SGD2.50). Its broth tastes simple and leafy. But the pork rib is incredibly tender! I can easily munch on cartilage!

Stall No: 02-198 & 199 | Operating Hours: Friday-Wednesday, 4:30-PM-11PM

Coffee and Toast at The 1950’s Coffee

A traditional breakfast set consists of kopi (coffee with condensed milk), soft-boiled eggs, and toast served with peanut butter or the local kaya jam (spread made with coconut). You can get your breakfast fix at The 1950’s Coffee.

Coffee (SGD1.20) and Peanut Thick Toast (SGD1.20)

Their coffee is nicely creamy, strong, and sweet. I also had their Peanut Thick Toast, which is perfectly toasted. It’s crisp on the outside but still soft inside.

Stall No: 02-48 | Operating Hours: Daily, 7AM-8:30PM

Popiah at Ann Chin Popiah

Popiah is the Teochew version of a fresh spring roll. It’s similar to the Filipino-Chinese lumpia or the more local lumpiang sariwa (literally fresh spring roll), both of which is nice with a thick sweet sauce made with brown sugar and soy sauce.

But Ann Chin’s popiah, like any popiah version, doesn’t have a sauce. Still, it tastes nice, healthy, and refreshing. The textures are also nice, coming from the softness of the turnips and the crunch of the beansprouts and nuts.

Stall No: 02-112 | Operating Hours: Daily, 8AM-8PM

Soya Sauce Chicken and Cantonese Meats at Hawker Chan

No visit to Chinatown Complex would be complete without trying Hawker Chan! The first hawker to have ever receive a Michelin Star, this stall serves amazing Cantonese roast meats. Even with such a recognition, it has kept its prices low so patrons can eat a Michelin-starred meal without breaking the bank!

Hawker Chan Chinatown Complex Food Centre

With any good hawker stall, there is a queue. But don’t be intimidated by it; the wait is just 30 minutes.

Just think of the prize in the end when queueing for Hawker Chan

So far, I have tried their Char Siew Rice, Pork Rib Rice, and Soya Sauce Chicken. They’re all amazing…and cheap! My entire meal only costs SGD12.50. Now, I can say that I splurged at a Michelin-starred spot! LOL.

This is the cheapest Michelin-starred feast!

For more details on my Hawker Chan experience (and another Michelin-starred hawker stall), read my article on Singapore’s Michelin Star hawkers.

Stall No: 02-126 | Operating Hours: Thursday-Sunday & Public Holiday, 10:30AM-3:30PM

Yam Cake with Chee Cheong Fun at Jia Ji Mei Shi

Jia Ji Mei Shi is known for serving breakfast items such as economic bee hoon (rice vermicelli) and porridge. But they’re most famous for Yam Cake with Chee Cheong Fun (rice noodle rolls) so that’s [play Bruno Mars song] what I got, that’s what I got! LOL.

The dish is definitely a carb overload. The rice noodle rolls are nicely delicate and they don’t feel manufactured. The yam cake is nicely starchy. Both are doused with chilli and hoisin sauces, which I like.

Stall No: 02-166 | Operating Hours: Daily, 6AM-10PM

Yong Tau Foo at Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu

Yong Tau Foo is a Hakka Chinese food made with tofu or vegetables filled with fish paste or meat. You will know that Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu is good at yong tau foo because there’s always a queue for it.

Xiu Ji’s yong tau fu looks and tastes simple. But there’s a nice play of textures and I love it. The bee hoon is springy while the egg noodles are chewy. The fish (or pork?) ball is bouncy and the anchovies are crispy. Like Fatty Ox’s beef brisket noodles, this is another enjoyable breakfast in the Chinatown Complex!

6 pcs. Yong Tau Foo with Bee Hoon/Noodles (SGD3)

Stall No: 02-88 | Operating Hours: Daily, 5:45AM-3PM

Xiao Long Bao and La Mian with Fried Bean Sauce at Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao

This stall serves cheap Xiao Long Baos (soup dumplings) or XLBs. For only SGD6.5, you get 10 pieces of soupy dumpling goodness. That’s affordable in Singapore standards!

The XLBs are freshly made and steamed every order. I think that’s the reason for the long queue. Even though I find it sweeter than usual, I still find it satisfying.

La Mian with Fried Bean Sauce (SGD3.50) and XLB (10 pcs.: SGD6.5)

Another dish I ordered is the La Mian (hand-pulled noodles) with Fried Bean Sauce. The noodles are generous, covered in meaty sauce. I also got a good crunch from the julienned cucumber. If there’s one thing that I would improve on this dish, it would be the chewiness of the noodles. I just find it too soft.

Stall No: 02-135 | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 11:30AM-3PM & 5PM-8:30PM

What stall and dish I should try next? What hawker center should I visit next? Comment them below!

Chinatown Complex Food Centre Address: 335 Smith St., Singapore

Other entries in the SG Trip ‘19 series: Bedazzled by Jewel Changi Airport | Eating at Jewel Changi Airport | Little India Food Crawl Part 1 (Hawker Food at Tekka Centre) | Appreciating Singapore’s Transport System at the Singapore Mobility Gallery | Little India Food Crawl Part 2 (Biryani Rice, Fish Head Curry, and Indian Sweets) | Appreciating Singapore’s Religious Harmony at the Harmony in Diversity Gallery

SG Trip '19: The Amazing Hawker Food of Chinatown Complex Food Centre