Working in the CBD doesn’t have to mean munching on overpriced salads or sipping Starbucks all day. In reality, there is plenty of affordable hawker fare right in the heart of the city! Places like Amoy Street Food Centre at Telok Ayer and Maxwell Food Centre near Tanjong Pagar offer a variety of budget-friendly and delicious options. Given that Maxwell Food Centre can get quite bustling at lunch, the choices might feel a bit overwhelming. To help you navigate, we’ve put together a list of must-try stalls at Maxwell Food Centre!
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Around since 1960, Old Nyonya has been known for their homely Peranakan dishes. Get your money’s worth and order the Rendang Chicken Rice/Nasi Lemak ($7), which comes with a huge juicy chicken drumstick that’s well-coated in a rich, coconutty sauce, a side of achar, and fried bean curd skin. While I didn’t get to try it, the Laksa ($5/$7) is supposed to be creamier and better than the other options in Maxwell.
Unit number: #01-04
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 11am to 8:30pm
Tel: 8860 6074
Website
Old Nyonya is not a halal-certified eatery.
Sisaket Thai Food does authentic, tasty Thai fare. Their creamy Green Curry Chicken/Beef with Rice ($8) is decadent and rich, and goes perfectly with rice. Another addictive item is their sweet-savoury Phad Thai ($6.50), full of wok hei, while the Basil Chicken/ Beef with Rice ($8) is fiery hot. If you wish to dine with your family after work, you will be glad to know they also do Thai-style zi char.
Unit number: #01-85
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 8:30pm
Sisaket Thai Food is not a halal-certified eatery.
Zhen Zhen Porridge has commanded loyal queues for over 20 years with its Cantonese-style chok that boasts a thick and creamy consistency. Despite its popularity and long-standing history, prices are still kept low at $4 for a bowl generously topped with ingredients. Go for their Sliced Fish with Shredded Chicken and Century Egg ($4/$5) to get the best of everything, and top up $0.50 for an extra egg!
Unit number: #01-54
Opening hours: Wed, Fri-Mon 5:30am to 2pm
Zhen Zhen Porridge is not a halal-certified eatery.
Directly translated, Yi Jia Teochew Fish Porridge Fish Soup means “one house Teochew fish porridge fish soup”. The stall sees a constantly long queue at lunch hour, and no wonder. Order their Batang Fish ($4) and be treated to a delicate broth boasting chunks of silky smooth fish slices, with firm grains of rice. It’s also topped with fried shallots and fresh coriander for extra fragrance.
Unit number: #01-66
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10:30am to 2:30pm
Yi Jia Teochew Fish Porridge Fish Soup is not a halal-certified eatery.
Fish Village is a relatively new stall in Maxwell that serves affordable steamed fish and other seafood. There’s HK-Style Steamed Red Grouper ($30) and HK-Style Steamed Pomfret ($28) so you can enjoy restaurant-level fish at wallet-friendly prices. Other dishes here include Thai Sauce Scallops ($14) and more!
Read our Fish Village coverage.
Unit number: #01-32
Opening hours: Mon 11am to 8pm
Fish Village is not a halal-certified eatery.
Everyone knows Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, and for good reason too. They hold a Michelin Bib Gourmand award for their lip-smacking chicken rice, and celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and the late Anthony Bourdain have eaten here.
Their rice is fragrant, and the chicken is succulent. They are the most popular chicken rice stall in Singapore known to locals and tourists, with branches even in Hong Kong. Even so, prices here start from a friendly $5.
Watch our Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice vlog.
Unit number: #01-10/ 11
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am to 8pm
Tel: 9691 4852
Website
Tian Tian Chicken Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.
Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake ($2.50) is one of the few stalls serving this soon-to-be-extinct heritage snack. Encased in the golden-brown fried cake are succulent oysters, prawns, and minced meat. Cilantro is also added to cut through any oiliness. The magic of this Fuzhou dish is its batter, which is made of a combination of ground rice and flour, resulting in an airy and crisp bite.
Unit number: #01-05
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am to 8pm
Tel: 9344 1296
Website
Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake is not a halal-certified eatery.
A new addition to the old food centre, Taste Fusion Hainanese Chicken Chop has made waves for their affordable yet sizeable Hainanese-Western fare. Their signature Hainanese Chicken Chop Set ($8.80) is best eaten with a Fried Egg ($1), and comes with a huge, crispy chicken chop doused in house-made gravy, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, baked beans, and two pieces of mantou. Other dishes such as the Hainanese Pork Chop Rice and the Savoury Chicken Chop Rice begin at a humble $6.80.
Read our Taste Fusion Hainanese Chicken Chop coverage.
Unit number: #01-24
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm to 9pm, Sat 12pm to 8:30pm
Website
Taste Fusion Hainanese Chicken Chop is not a halal-certified eatery.
Not to be confused with 75 Ah Balling, 75 China Street Peanuts Soup only serves three things: their best-selling peanut soup, red bean soup, and tau suan, all of which are priced at only $1.40. The stall has been around for more than 70 years, now run by a pair of third-gen husband-and-wife team who make all three desserts from scratch.
If you want something heartier, top up $0.60 for glutinous rice balls filled with either sesame or toasty ground peanuts, although these are factory-made.
Unit number: #01-57
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7:30am to 2pm
75 China Street Peanuts Soup is not a halal-certified eatery.
Besides Din Tai Fung-style fried rice, Taste Of Jiang Nan is also known for their Xiao Long Bao. These are sold at $5 for six pieces, which practically makes it around $0.80 per piece. Their Pork Wanton in Chilli Oil with Noodles ($5.50) where la mian is topped with juicy pork dumplings, is equally popular.
Read our Taste of Jiang Nan review.
Unit number: #01-62
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 11:30am to 8:30pm
Tel: 8342 9898
Website
Taste of Jiang Nan is not a halal-certified eatery.
Hello Banh Mi is helmed by a busy Vietnamese auntie who speaks fluent Chinese. The Vietnamese baguettes here are huge compared to other places, and are filled with fresh, authentic ingredients. Top picks here include the Special Banh Mi ($6.80), filled with homemade Vietnamese cold cut ham, and the Pork Dumpling Banh Mi ($7.50), which features large pork meatballs slathered with a sweet glaze. A unique offering here is the All In One Platter ($8.80), a plate of assorted grilled meats, pate, and a sunny-side fried egg to pile onto your banh mi just the way you like it. Don’t sleep on the Bun Thit Nuong ($7), a popular dish featuring rice noodles accompanied by grilled pork.
Unit number: #01-98
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 9pm, Sat-Sun 7am to 9pm
Hello Banh Mi is not a halal-certified eatery.
Fourth-generation owner Sebastian Hu keeps his Shanghainese grandfather’s legendary guo tie recipe alive at Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum, where the handmade Fried Dumplings ($5.60 for eight pieces) steal the show with a special chilli sauce. For the same price, you could get them steamed, too. Have them with Hot & Sour Soup ($4/$5/$6), and Pei Jing Noodle/ Hor Fun ($4/$5/$6) for a complete meal.
Read our Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum review.
Unit number: #01-92
Opening hours: Tue, Thurs-Sun 11:30am to 8:30pm
Tel: 9662 3501
Website
Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
At just $1 for six pieces, the dough fritters at China Street Hum Jin Pang are extra affordable. These traditional fried snacks are the only item on the menu here, and come in two variants: Red Bean, and Five Spice Powder. The first is stuffed with a centre of sweet tau sa, while the latter is plain, with a savoury dash of powder to finish.
For extra novelty, you can even fry these hum ji peng yourself!
Unit number: #01-28
Opening hours: Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 4:30pm to 8pm
China Street Hum Jin Pang is not a halal-certified eatery.
This roast meat specialist is popular for its outstanding char siew, siew yoke and roast duck, served with rice or QQ Hong Kong-style noodles (from $4). The queue at Fu Shun Jin Ji Shao La Mian Jia usually starts forming before they open for the day at noon, so go early!
Unit number: #01-71
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 5pm, Sat 11:30am to 8pm
Fu Shun Jin Ji Shao La Mian Jia is not a halal-certified eatery.
Another heritage stall that has been around since before the 1940s, Hup Kee Wu Xiang Guan Chang is one of the only Hokkien ngoh hiang stalls still standing. Unlike the more common Teochew-style ngoh hiang, Hokkien ngoh hiang has no mashed yam in the meat rolls, or prawn fritters. Not all of these ngoh hiang are handmade in the stall, but prices start from a very affordable $0.50 per piece.
Unit number: #01-97
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 12pm to 6pm
Tel: 8113 7015
Website
Hup Kee Wu Xiang Guan Chang is not a halal-certified eatery.
Prices at Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon start from $5 for Cantonese-style fish soup that’s rich with flavour. For extra creaminess, ask them to add evaporated milk to your bowl of soup! You can choose between sliced and fried fish pieces, although I prefer the latter. Have it as is, or with your choice of rice or noodles.
Unit number: #01-77
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 11:30am to 7:30pm
Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon is not a halal-certified eatery.
Heng Heng Ondeh-Ondeh & Tapioca Cake, has been in business in Maxwell Food Centre for more than 40 years, selling traditional homemade kueh that are often sold out before the stall closes. They’re most well-known for their ondeh ondeh ($3.40), with an oozy gula melaka centre and coated with fresh grated coconut, although their selection of other kueh is also stellar. Their Ondeh-Ondeh and Tapioca Cakes are sold for $0.80 a piece or $3.40 for a box of five. They also have Kueh Lapis, which are sold at $2.20 for a box.
Read our Heng Heng Ondeh-Ondeh & Tapioca Cake coverage.
Unit number: #01-31
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7am to 1pm
Tel: 9730 2833
Website
Heng Heng Ondeh-Ondeh & Tapioca Cake is not a halal-certified eatery.
Come to Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue for old-school Hainanese-Western food (from $9.50) the way it was first introduced to Singaporeans back in the 1970s. The meats—choose from chicken, pork, fish, lamb, or beef—here are served with the same signature brown sauce that was first created by the late Chef Leong while he was Head Chef in the British Navy. Each set comes with sides of crinkle-cut fries and a soft white bun, while baked beans only come with selected items on the menu.
Read our Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue review!
Unit number: #01-94
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 12pm to 2:30pm, 6pm to 8:30pm
Website
Ye Lai Xiang Tasty Barbecue is not a halal-certified eatery.
You’d expect nothing less than great scrambled eggs at Danlao, where the chefs are formerly from famous LA food truck Eggslut‘s offshoot in Singapore. They’re also much more wallet-friendly, and come with an Asian slant here: think Tomato ($4.50), Luncheon Meat ($5), or our favourite Chicken Cutlet ($6) and Char Siew ($6) with scrambled eggs on rice.
Read our Danlao review!
Unit number: #01-73
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 8:30pm
Tel: 8830 8355
Website
Danlao is not a halal-certified eatery.
Just two stalls down from the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice, run by Wong Liang Tai, who was head cook at Tian Tian for more than 20 years. The queues here are considerably shorter, although Ah Tai has its fair share of fans as well. We tried both the stalls in Maxwell Food Centre, and prefer the steamed chicken here! In the spirit of competition, a plate of chicken rice here also starts from $5.
Unit number: #01-07
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 11am to 7:30pm
Website
Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.
Fu Ji Fuzhou Fish Ball Wanton Noodles is a long-time tenant at Maxwell Food Centre, with a history of more than 30 years. They’re known for their Spinach Wonton Mee Mee ($4/$5/$6), which comes with super springy, jade-coloured egg noodles, wonton, and char siew. Their other claim to fame is Fu Zhou Fishball Rou Yan Soup ($5/$6/$7), which comes with meat-filled fishballs. Get both wanton and Fuzhou fishballs in the Fu Zhou Fishball Wanton Mee ($5/$6/$7).
Unit number: #01-06
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 11:30am to 9pm
Tel: 9388 5723
Fu Ji Fuzhou Fish Ball Wanton Noodles is not a halal-certified eatery.
Biryani is a familiar dish to most Singaporeans, but Pakistani Dum Biryani does it uniquely, using a greater variety of spices to enhance its fragrance and spice level. They also serve Pulao, a lighter, Arabic version of the Basmati rice dish. The stall even lets you go for a half-and-half option, where you can taste the best of both rice dishes. For each version of the rice base, you can get Chicken ($8) and Mutton ($9), which we found was super tender, fall-of-the-bone, and not overly gamey.
Unit number: #01-69
Website
Pakistani Dum Biryani is a Muslim-owned eatery.
The main branch of The 1950s Coffee is located at Chinatown Complex, where they’ve won a mention in the Singapore edition of the Michelin Guide—we even found they had the best kopi around. Here at their Maxwell Food Centre outlet, they’re open every day of the week. Go for the Iced Kopi ($1.80), which has a perfect ice-to-coffee ratio, or our writer’s pick, Kopi C Siew Dai ($1.30).
Unit number: #01-90
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8:30am to 4pm
The 1950s Coffee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Nyonya Chendol is the first chendol stalls in Singapore listed in the Michelin Guide. They only sell one item—chendol—in four variations. There’s the Original Chendol ($2) that has no red beans, Red Bean Chendol ($2.50), Sweet Corn Chendol ($2.50), and D2 Durian Chendol ($3.50) FYI, Nyonya Chendol also has other outlets in Chong Pang Food Centre, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Bukit Timah Food Centre, and Whampoa Food Centre.
Unit number: #01-02
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm
Website
Nyonya Chendol is not a halal-certified eatery.
Head to Mr Appam to try the South Indian pancake that’s made with fermented rice batter, and find yourself surprised by the sight of Vietnamese lady Nguyen Thi Kieu Hanh churning them out. The Original Appam ($4 for two pieces) is their most basic version, while Princess Appam ($4 each) sees the addition of egg and cheese. They also have unique renditions such as Butterfly Pea Gula Melaka Appam ($3.20) and Cempedak Appam ($5)!
Read our Mr Appam coverage.
Unit number: #01-99
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 9am to 8pm
Mr Appam is not a halal-certified eatery but uses no pork or lard.
You may have heard of Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles, but head to Maxwell Food Centre, and you’ll find his grandson behind the stove at Hock Lai Seng Teochew Fishball Bak Chor Mee. A bowl of Fishball Bak Chor Mee here is priced from $4.50 for the most basic option. PS. If you’re ordering this dry, it’s tossed with ketchup too for a tangy-sweet finish!
Unit number: #01-26
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7am to 3pm
Hock Lai Seng Teochew Fishball Bak Chor Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Lakeview (Upper Thomson) Kim Goreng Pisang is a haven for lovers of fried fritters. On top of the more common fried fritters we usually see around, such as You Tiao ($1), Butterfly Bun ($1.10), Red Bean Hum Ji Peng (Red Bean Fried Bun) ($1.10), and Salted Hum Ji Peng (Salted Fried Bun) ($1.10), the stall also serves fried banana, fried cempedak, fried nian gao, fried sweet potato and more, all starting from $1. This is one vegetarian-friendly stall to check out here!
Read our Lakeview (Upper Thomson) Kim Goreng Pisang coverage.
Unit number: #01-30
Opening hours: TBD
Lakeview (Upper Thomson) Kim Goreng Pisang is not a halal-certified eatery.
If you’re a zi char fan, Somerset Delicacies is the perfect stall to try here. They have a variety of fried rice options at unbeatable prices. For those who love some good spice, go for their Belachan Fried Rice ($$4/$5), which comes with shrimp, eggs, vegetables, and sambal spices. Otherwise, go for their Mixed Seafood Hor Fun ($4/$5), which serves a great portion of seafood along with noodles!
Unit number: #01-60
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 11am to 9pm
Somerset Delicacies is not a halal-certified eatery.
If you’re looking for something more fiery, check out Sichuan Cuisine. Their chef’s recommendation, Grilled Fish on Paper ($24), comes in spicy, sauerkraut and tomato flavours. They also cook all the Sichuan classics such as La Zi Ji (Spicy Fried Chicken) ($12), Cumin Beef/Pork ($12), Mapo Tofu ($7) and much more. Besides these classics, they even have Mala Baby Lobster ($25)! As you’d expect, we hear the food here is super spicy, so be prepared to sweat.
Unit number: #01-87
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 11am to 9pm
Tel: 9388 1558
Sichuan Cuisine is not a halal-certified eatery.
Welcome to Ren Min is a popular stall that offers both packaged and draft beers. Featuring a rotating selection from local and international craft breweries, Ren Min has recently added their own brews to the lineup. Prices largely range from $11 to $15 for a glass and $13 to $19 for a pint.
Unit number: #01-33
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5:30pm to 10:30pm, Fri 12pm to 11pm, Sat 12pm to 10:30pm, Sun 12 to 9:30pm
Welcome Ren Min is not a halal-certified eatery.
Traditional or newfangled, there’s something in Maxwell Food Centre to tickle your food fancy. With its sprawling aisles and numerous stalls, there’s something for any kind of diet.
While you’re here, check out our Spicy Wife review for Malaysian-style nasi lemak with fried chicken in Telok Ayer. Otherwise, read our J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puffs review if you’re up for Michelin-approved puffs in the CBD.
Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
Nearest MRT stations: Telok Ayer and Chinatown