Singapore’s Culinary Culture
There are 115 hawker centers packed into Singapore, a nation one fourth the size of Rhode Island. If nothing else, this density of dining options is proof that Singaporeans love to eat.
Our trip to this tiny city-state in Southeast Asia was defined by the food, from the fragrant and delicate Hainanese chicken rice, widely considered Singapore’s national dish, to steaming bowls of laksa, the signature Peranakan seafood soup with a spicy curry broth. The hawker centers themselves are a metaphor for the rich stew of cultures that comprise Singapore’s population, including Chinese, Malay, Indian, and a host of others. Roti stalls sit next to noodle stalls, which bump up against vendors selling nasi lemak, the ubiquitous Malay dish comprised of coconut rice, fried chicken, sambal chili sauce, peanuts, and anchovies. The options are plentiful, cheap, and mouth-watering.
We roamed these hawker centers during our time in Singapore, sweating in the unairconditioned halls and crowded around tiny tables filled to bursting with dishes. We visited well known places like Newton Food Centre (of Crazy Rich Asian fame), which was bustling on a Friday evening, and quieter locations like the Mei Ling Market and Food Centre, where the clientele is mainly people over age 60.
Friday night at Newton Food Centre
These so-called “community dining halls” are where we gained a more thorough understanding of Singapore—its history, its personality, its vibrant colors and multilingual signage, its sounds, smells and flavors. They are such a significant part of Singaporean life that UNESCO inscribed the hawker culture in 2020 on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The insights uncovered in these hawker centers were invaluable to developing the stories and creative direction for AARP’s latest edition of The Journal. The impression left by the experience of dining here lasts well beyond the last bite. ⌁
Soya chicken rice and noodles at Hawker Chan’s, which was awarded a Michelin star in 2016
Bak chor mee at Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, which, along with Hawker Chan’s, was one of the first two street food stalls in the world to be awarded a star in the Michelin Guide. Bak chor mee, or "minced meat noodles," is an authentic Singaporean dish found in hawker centers across the city.
Singaporean kopi, or coffee, of which there are many versions (iced or hot, unsweetened or sweetened, with or without evaporated or condensed milk)
