The Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore

Singapore is famous for its hawker centres. Today, they feel a little like street-food-meets-food-court and pleasingly, they’re still teeming with locals. Usually located in large canopy structured buildings, the hawker centres are lined with rows and rows of different food stalls, each selling their own specialities and dishes.

You’ll find food from all across Asia and, as popularity grows, Western influences too. The Maxwell Food Centre which is located in the bustling China Town district is one of the largest in Singapore. Hawkers sell a wide range of cuisines with one of the most famous dishes being a simple chicken rice. There are plenty of pimped up versions too, like this one in breadcrumbs with fresh lemon!

A meal here will only set you back around $2-3 SGD so it’s a great option for those on a budget. Around lunchtime you’ll find that Maxwell in particular gets busy with office workers. It’s really important that you find your seat before ordering your food or you could be left standing! A practice called ‘chope’ is in place, where diners leave something on their seat or table, commonly a pack of tissues to show it’s taken whilst they order and collect their food.