Want to eat your way through Singapore? After visiting the city-state three times, I’d gladly put up the ever-popular Maxwell Food Centre as the perfect place to start a first-time Singapore culinary adventure.
My first experience with this famous Singaporean hawker centre started on the first morning of my first trip to Singapore. I’d already chowed down at the nearby Chinatown Complex Food Centre. But, hey, this is Singapore—so my inaugural food adventure had to continue.
The Maxwell Food Centre is located on the edge of Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar. Opened in 1986, this historic food court is home to over 100 food stalls, including the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. The centre’s most famous stall even caught the attention of late traveling celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, who deemed their signature dish “so fragrant & delicious that it can be eaten on its own.”
(Yep, that’ll get the crowds roarin’ over here. Truthfully, it’s what inspired me to visit right away!)
While many tourists flock here solely for its Bourdain-approved chicken rice, I discovered countless other amazing local dishes here on my few trips to Singapore, from Malay nasi lemak to steaming bowls of fish soup, all at wallet-friendly prices under S$10.
Get the inside scoop on what to expect and where & what to eat at Maxwell Food Centre, including some of my all-time favorite Singaporean dishes with this quick & easy guide…
What to expect
One of the things I loved most about eating at the Maxwell Food Centre during my three trips to Singapore was the wide variety. My first Singaporean food experience was at the nearby Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre. Walking down the street to this popular Singapore hawker centre on my first morning in the city, I immediately noticed a more extensive selection of ethnic foods.
Maxwell Food Centre goes beyond the Chinese-inspired dishes of Singapore’s Chinatown. On my several visits here, I found a fantastic mix of Chinese, Indian, and Malay dishes that show off Singapore’s diverse food culture and flavours—all under one roof.
Even on my first stop here, I found the layout super easy to figure out. Everything’s on one floor with neat rows of stalls. After visiting many (maybe too many!) hawker centers in Singapore, I can tell you this is one of the most beginner-friendly spots to start your food adventure.
PRO TIP: Look for the yellow ceiling fans; they mark the original 1986 section of the centre.
Visiting at peak lunch (12 pm to 2 pm) or dinner (6 pm to 8 pm) hours? Don’t be surprised if it’s difficult to find a seat. There are fewer tables available here compared to the number of food stalls. (And it was always jam-packed every single time I visited during these times.)
If you can’t find a seat right away, I wouldn’t worry too much. In my experience, tables usually free up quickly as people finish their meals.
In any case, I’d suggest getting ready to share tables during busy times; it’s totally normal here, and, in my experience, it’s a great way to meet locals.
(On my second trip to the city, I even had a friendly local buy me a snack after sitting at his table at another hawker centre elsewhere in town.)
PRO TIP: I recommend trying to snag one of the tables near stall #01-25. This area seems to have slightly better ventilation than other sections in the food centre. You’ll really appreciate the extra breeze on a hot day!
Where & what to eat
As with any first visit to a hawker centre, my advice is to walk through all the stalls first to see what catches your eye. With the popularity of Maxwell Food Centre, there’s a mix of options. There are a handful of über-popular (even downright famous) hawker stalls here serving up some of the tastiest dishes in Singapore.
Here are a few of my favorite stalls and dishes from visiting the food court multiple times during my three trips to Singapore…
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (#01-10/11)
This is, by far, the most famous food stall in the food court. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice was put on the map after two celebrity chefs—Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain—gave it a BIG thumbs up.
As you’d expect, the signature dish here is Hainanese chicken rice. Whether it’s the best chicken rice in Singapore or not is a matter of preference. Judging by the perpetual queue here, if you say “yes,” you’d have plenty of backup.
Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice (#01-07)
If the lineups at Tian Tian prove a little too hectic (which they almost always were every time I visited Maxwell Food Centre), slink over to Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice. You’ll (hopefully) endure a more subdued wait.
I found the chicken rice at Ah Tai almost identical in quality to Tian Tian. And it’s hardly a surprise. The stall’s owner spent over 20 years stirrin’ up chicken rice for his famous next-door neighbour before opening up his own stall.
Rojak, Popiah & Cockle (#01-56)
While rojak is more popular over at the Old Airport Road Food Centre, Rojak, Popiah & Cockle is the place to try it at the Maxwell Hawker Centre. The Malay-style rojak here drops down a mix of crispy dough (yo tiao), bean sprouts, and vegetables. It’s topped with a sweet and spicy prawn dressing and chopped peanuts.
Add a century egg or cuttlefish if you’re feeling a little more adventurous. (I was not.) The popiah (Malay spring roll), filled with cabbage, carrots, hard-boiled egg, and peanuts, is, in my opinion, also worth a taste.
Zhen Zhen Porridge (#01-54)
Like at other popular stalls, the queue at Zhen Zhen Porridge can feel endless at times. It’s a striking ode to the simple beauty of their signature dish.
The stall tosses together a yummy bowl of smooth Cantonese-style congee (rice porridge). It’s rich with sliced fish, shredded chicken, shallots, spring onions, and century egg. Although I can’t say porridge represents my favorite texture for food, I was surprised by how delicious this congee is!
Chee Cheong Fun Club (#01-38)
One of my own personal favourites at this hawker centre is the delicious chee cheong fun. Chee Cheong Fun Club. These small rice rolls seem to melt in your mouth with their silky-smooth texture.
This stall tops their Chee Cheong Fun with a special proprietary sauce that fuses together Singaporean, Malay, and Cantonese flavours. Struck together, these little slices of heaven offer a ton of joy—with a bit of a bite.
Try out the KL-style curry chee cheong fun for an even larger dash of spice.
NOTE: The Chee Cheong Fun Club permanently closed in July 2023 :(
Marina South Delicious Food (#01-35)
Its name may sound like a Chinese-to-English translation gone comically wrong. Don’t let it fool you: The food here is no laughing matter.
This popular food stall serves up yummy local wok-fried Singaporean favourites. The tastiest of the bunch include oyster omelettes, hokkien mee, and carrot cake.
Can’t decide? I’d recommend their epic char kway teow; it was one of my favourites at the food centre and is a fantastically tasty introduction to the Marina South Delicious Food menu.
Empress Place Teochew Beef Kway Teow (#01-43)
This popular beef noodle stall was once a staple in the Singapore East Coast food scene. When they opened their Maxwell Food Centre location, it became an instant favourite.
In their signature soup, thinly sliced beef is cooked to perfection and drowned in a rich, tasty broth with silky noodles. Yum!
NOTE: This stall is permanently closed now.
Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum (#01-92)
To tackle your xiaolongbao cravings, try out this popular hawker stall. The Shanghai-style steamed dumplings here are made fresh daily.
Their xiaolongbao delivers a silky texture that seems to melt in your mouth. I even found their dumplings to be on par with the “original” in Shanghai! Their guo tie (fried dumplings) are equally epic, if a little heavier.
Teochew Rice and Porridge (#01-98)
A long history predates this popular porridge stall. Teochew Rice and Porridge has graced the streets of Singapore since the 1970s.
Unlike the youngins in the bunch, the owner here sticks to the basics. She offers only a dozen or so varieties of her signature porridge dishes. While there’s a variety of more “exotic” items on the menu, like shark meat, the minced pork porridge with black beans is a great place to start.
NOTE: This stall is permanently closed.
Hup Kee Wu Xiang Guan Chang (#01-97)
This popular food stall has over 70 years under its belt. And it means business with its unique Hokkien-inspired menu!
Among the top dishes to try at Hup Kee Wu Xiang Guan Chang are the ngoh hiang (meat roll) and neng kway (egg lard cakes). Its namesake guan chang (pink sausage) is also worth a taste.
Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon (#01-77)
I agree: The stall name is unlikely to get many travellers excited. (The late Anthony Bourdain excluded.) But the signature dish here—you guessed it, fish head bee hoon—tastes far better than it sounds.
This delicious noodle soup consists of a milky broth strewn with bee hoon noodles. It also tosses in a smattering of vegetables, shallots, and sesame oil. Try it. It might surprise you.
(Much like the first time I tasted the delicious Singaporean classic seafood-based laksa, I was pleasantly surprised at this one myself.)
Getting there
Maxwell Food Centre is located on the edge of Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar. Several MRT stations (Outram Park, Chinatown, Telok Ayer, Tanjong Pagar) are within 10 to 15 minutes ‘ walking distance of here.
The closest is Chinatown MRT Station on the North East Line. From Exit B, it’s less than a ten-minute walk via South Pagoda Street and South Bridge Road.
