Best CBD hawker food in Singapore
If you’re working in the CBD, there’s probably nothing you look forward to more than all the shiok hawker food that’s available during lunchtime. But lunchtime in the CBD is almost worse than going into a battlefield. With throngs of hungry office workers squeezing down narrow hawker centre alleys, you’re going to need a game plan. Here are the 10 best CBD hawker food to help you narrow down your options, including one breakfast option so you can have your fill before work!
Table of Contents
1. Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue
Come to Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue for old-school Hainanese-Western food. Regulars go for the Chicken Chop ($9.50), which gets you two grilled boneless chicken thighs, crinkle-cut fries, and some vegetables. Their Fish & Chips ($10) is great, too, as it features fish that’s crispy on the outside while soft and flaky on the inside. If you have more to spend, opt for the Sirloin Steak ($21) or even the Mixed Grill ($24), a platter of chicken, pork, lamb, beef, bacon, and sausage.
Read our Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue review.
Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-94, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm to 2:30pm, 6pm to 8:30pm
Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue is not a halal-certified eatery.
Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue Review: Juicy Chicken Chop And Pork Cutlet Bigger Than Your Face
2. Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles
Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles draws a loyal crowd come lunchtime, all pining for their delectable noodles. Prices start at $4.50 for a small bowl, and go up to $10 for a large if you’re feeling extra hungry. Fans have praised the fresh fishballs and addictive chilli-tossed noodles here. You can also get their Fishball Soup ($6), which is far from basic—it’s generously loaded with prawns, pork slices, innards, fish cakes, and minced meat.
Read our Ah Ter Fishball Noodles review.
Address: 7 Maxwell Road, #01-14, Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Opening hours: Daily 7am to 3pm
Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles is not a halal-certified eatery.
Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles Review: Famous Bak Chor Mee By Third-Gen Hawker
3. Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist
Image credit: @kim_ddiggung
Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist is a Michelin-approved stall that offers some of the best wonton mee in Singapore. Their Ji Ji Signature Char Siew Wanton Noodle comes in four sizes: $4.50, $5.50, $6.50, and $8.50. The signature wonton mee sees springy egg noodles tossed in a house-made sauce and chilli mix, topped with deep-fried wonton, char siew, and crispy lard. They also serve other noodle dishes such as Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles and Chicken Feet Noodles.
Read our Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist coverage.
Address: 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-48/49, Singapore 051531
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 9:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 7pm
Website
Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist is not a halal-certified eatery.
Ji Ji Wanton Noodles Specialist: Michelin-Approved Wonton Mee Since 1965
4. Danlao
Known for their scrambled eggs on rice, Danlao is a hearty yet delicious lunch option. Try the ever-popular Chicken Cutlet Scrambled Egg Rice ($6.50), featuring a crispy and juicy deep-fried chicken cutlet atop a bed of silky eggs and a generous serving of rice. If you’d like something non-fried, the Char Siew Scrambled Egg Rice ($6.50), with its lean and smoky char siew slices, is a good shout. Even the simple Tomato Scrambled Egg Rice ($4.50) is really tasty!
Read our Danlao review.
Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-73, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 8:30pm
Tel: 8830 8355
Website
Danlao is not a halal-certified eatery.
Danlao Review: $4.50 Scrambled Rice Bowls By Ex-Eggslut Chefs
5. Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food
For halal options in the CBD, Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food is a solid pick. This Muslim-owned stall dishes out classics like Mee Siam and Mee Rebus at just $3.50 each—the former comes with springy vermicelli in a tangy, sweet-spicy gravy, while the latter features yellow noodles drenched in a rich, sweet potato-based sauce. The Nasi Sambal Goreng ($6) is also a good option, loaded with beef lung, sambal goreng, spicy coconut shavings, and a fiery sambal for good measure.
Read our Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food coverage.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-70, Chinatown Complex, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 6–9:15 am
Tel: 8608 1206
Website
Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food is a halal-certified eatery.
Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food: Nasi Padang Stall Open Since 1968, With Famous Mee Siam
6. Spicy Wife Nasi Lemak
For a wallet-friendly alternative to The Coconut Club, Spicy Wife delivers in both flavour and value. Their Aromatic Chicken set, priced at $6.50, stars a whole chicken leg marinated overnight in a blend of eight spices, then deep-fried in small batches to keep the skin crisp and the meat juicy. It’s a satisfying plate of nasi lemak that doesn’t skimp on taste.
Read our Spicy Wife review.
Address: 7 Maxwell Road, #02-119, Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10:45am to 2pm
Website
Spicy Wife is not a halal-certified eatery but uses no pork or lard.
7. Taste Of Jiang Nan
Taste Of Jiang Nan offers Chinese food at decent prices. Try their Pork Chop Egg Fried Rice ($6.50), which is possibly more flavourful than its Din Tai Fung counterpart. The Pork Wanton in Chilli Oil with Noodles ($5.50) AKA hong you chao shou mian is a decent pick, thanks to its fragrant, savoury chilli oil sauce and chunky dumplings. Pair these dishes with the popular Xiao Long Bao ($5 for six pieces) for the full experience.
Read our Taste of Jiang Nan review.
Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-62, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 11:30am to 8:30pm
Tel: 8342 9898
Website
Taste of Jiang Nan is not a halal-certified eatery.
8. Fried Kway Teow @ Amoy
Image credit: Siak lim via Google Maps
The Char Kway Teow (from $4.50) at Fried Kway Teow @ Amoy is as old-school as it can be. While some say it lacks the potent wok hei that one might hope for, it makes up for it by having the right balance of sweet and savoury, with a generous serving of fresh cockles to top things off. Fans of “wet” char kway teow will love this one.
Address: 7 Maxwell Road, #01-01, Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 2:30pm
Fried Kway Teow @ Amoy is not a halal-certified eatery.
9. A Noodle Story
Image credit: @jasyapxl
A Noodle Story is a stall at Amoy Street Food Centre that’s earned a cult following for their Singapore-style ramen. They’ve been on the Michelin Bib Gourmand for seven consecutive years! A bowl of their Singapore Style Ramen ($10.80) comes with tender chashu pork belly, a crunchy potato-wrapped prawn, juicy wontons, and an ajitsuke egg. These ingredients are stylishly arranged atop springy noodles tossed in XO sauce—think ramen meets wonton mee.
Address: 7 Maxwell Road, #01-39, Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 8pm, Sat-Sun 10am to 4pm
Website
A Noodle Story is not a halal-certified eatery.
10. Woo Ji Cooked Food
Woo Ji Cooked Food offers bowls of laksa for just $2, making it one of the most value-for-money finds around. Instead of the usual cockles, theirs comes with yong tau foo items like fried wontons and a stuffed green chilli. The broth is light yet aromatic, pairing well with springy noodles that go down easily. They also serve a prawn mee at the same price, giving you another satisfying, budget-friendly option to tuck into. This eatery closes at around nine in the morning, though, so it’s more suitable as a breakfast before you head to work.
Read our Woo Ji Cooked Food review.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-056, Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 6am to 9:15am
Woo Ji Cooked Food is not a halal-certified eatery.
Woo Ji Cooked Food Review: $2 Laksa And Prawn Noodles In Chinatown
What hawker food to try in the CBD
These were some of the best hawker food you can get in the CBD area. For a look at hawker centres in the CBD, read our best CBD hawker centres guide. For an after work dinner with a great view, read our best rooftop restaurants guide.
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