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About Chinatown Complex
In 2016, Chinatown Complex gained international fame when Hawker Chan earned a Michelin star for its soya sauce chicken. However, this shouldn’t overshadow the fact that this food hub boasts over 200 food stalls. Built in 1983 and renovated in 2019, it stands as Singapore’s largest hawker center. The first floor offers everything from fresh produce to assorted goods, while the second floor is dedicated to an array of food stalls. Despite the raw ambiance, heat, and strong aromas—both bad and good—locals and tourists flock here daily to experience some of the best local hawker foods Singapore has to offer.
Photo: @kakaeric. Chinatown Complex Food Centre
What to eat at Chinatown Complex Food Centre
With over 200 hawker stalls, you can find almost every possible hawker dish here. Must-try items include:
- HK Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
- Claypot Rice
- Char Kway Teow
- Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Satay
- Xiao Long Bao
- Local desserts like Chendol
Michelin hawkers at Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Chinatown Complex is home to several Michelin-awarded hawker stalls. Highlights include Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice, which has earned a Bib Gourmand for its perfectly cooked claypot dishes. Other Michelin-selected gems are Food Street Fried Kway Teow Mee, known for its flavourful stir-fried noodles, ANN CHIN Handmade Popiah, offering delicious fresh spring rolls, Fatty Ox HK Kitchen with its authentic Hong Kong-style dishes, and 168 C.M.Y. Satay, famous for its juicy, well-marinated skewers. Worth checking out for sure.
- Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice (#02-198/199) – Bib Gourmand
- Food Street Fried Kway Teow Mee (#02-173) – Selected
- ANN CHIN Handmade Popiah (#02-112) – Selected
- Fatty Ox HK Kitchen (#02-84) – Selected
- 168 C.M.Y. Satay (#02-168) – Selected
- HawkerChan Soya Sauce Chicken (#02-126) – Former One Star
The Best Hawker Stalls at Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Here’s a list of our favourite hawker stalls at Chinatown Complex. This includes Michelin awardees and other must-try spots you won’t want to miss.
About Chinatown Hawker Centre
Chinatown Hawker Centre, located in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown, is basically Singapore’s answer to “where should we eat?” As one of the largest hawker centres in the country, boasting over 260 stalls of deliciousness packed into one chaotic, but charming, space. rom budget-friendly Michelin-starred bites (yes, really) like Liao Fan’s famous soya sauce chicken to humble yong tau fu stalls that have been feeding locals for decades, this place is a treasure trove of flavours. Sure, the heat and crowds can be a little intense, but hey, it’s all part of the authentic hawker experience, right?
Tips on visiting Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Don’t expect service – While most stall owners are friendly, a minority can get real grumpy. They spend all day in a tiny, hot kitchen, so cut them some slack. Just smile, get your food, and enjoy some of the best hawker food in Singapore!
Avoid weekday lunch hours – Chinatown Complex is located near the CBD and is in a tourist hotspot, If you have to go during 12-2pm weekdays, expect very long lines and waiting for seats as office workers and tourists queue up for their favourite foods. The best time to visit is probably late mornings or evenings/nights.
Dress light – It is an open air food centre so it can get very hot in the afternoons.
Opening hours – Every hawker has different operating hours.
How to get to Chinatown Complex Food Centre
Nearest MRT:
Maxwell MRT TE18, Chinatown MRT DT19/NE4
Address:
335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335 (Google Maps)
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sun: 07:00-22:00
Every hawker has different operating hours.
FAQ
Is Chinatown Complex Food Centre and Chinatown Hawker Centre the same?
Yes they are one and the same.
At Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Just order lian he ben ji fully loaded with everything and call it a day. =)
Out of all the CBD hawker centers, china complex food centre singapore my go-to. It’s the biggest and packed with some of the best Cantonese eats around. Lots of the stalls are run by folks from Hong Kong who brought over their skills when it comes to wanton nee, char siew, and soy sauce chicken rice. Try Hill Street Char Kway Teow (way better than Zion Road’s, in my opinion), Ben Ji Claypot Rice, and Fatty Ox Noodles.
At chinatown food centre, get Lian he benji claypot, chef leungs chee cheong fun and old amoy chendol to wash it all down. perfect.
This chinatown food market is, how do you say, the most ‘raw’ I’ve ever seen. So many food options Très authentique. It’s just near the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, with the wet market below and a huge hawker centre upstairs, packed with food stalls. Honestly, the choices can be a bit trop much. The famous spots I wanted to try had lines as long as a Parisian queue for a boulangerie. Too hungry to wait, we went with other stalls, and mon dieu, everything was incroyable! Bedok Chwee Kueh, dark carrot cake, rojak so much flavor in every bite. And c’est pas cher! Just remember to bring cash, tissues to hold your seat, a fan (because, wow, it’s hot), and takeaway containers. Clear your trays, of course! Overall, magnifique. Can’t wait to return and eat more!
My Chinatown Complex Food Centre favs here are benji claypot, kwaytiao (any) and chendol.
Just follow the queue when you’re here at Chinatown complex food centre. Good eats everywhere. Best if you’re here with a bunch of friends so you can fill the table with all sorts of food to try.
Go try Xiu ji ikan bilis yong tau fu #02-88 at chinatown complex food centre. Good stuff.
Chinatown complex food centre is SG’s largest hawker center. This is where all of Singapore’s street food crashes into one spot. It’s crowded, It’s hot and its good. Alot of stalls with years of history. Must visit.
Commented on Chinatown Hawker Centre Food Guide
I lived around here when I was young. Miss the place. Chinatown Hawker Centre, or Chinatown Complex Food Centre, is where Singapore’s food scene comes together in one glorious (and slightly chaotic) space. “too many options” is a myth and the crowd is half the fun. Try Shanghai Fried Xiao Long Bao
Stall #02-205, Chinatown Hawker Centre
Commented on Chinatown Hawker Centre Food Guide
Claypot, popiah and satay are my favs here at chinatown hawker centre.
Commented on Chinatown Hawker Centre Food Guide
Try the fried xiao long bao chinatown complex!!
Commented on Chinatown Hawker Centre Food Guide
My favourites at Chinatown Hawker Centre
-Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
-Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck
-Weng Kiang Kee Porridge
-Fatty Ox Hong Kong Kitchen
Commented on Chinatown Hawker Centre Food Guide
Prices here are as local as it gets. Food is great! atmosphere is raw unairconditioned. I love it. best hawker food chinatown is probably here. You won’t regret as long as you can take the heat!
Commented on Chinatown Hawker Centre Food Guide
Stall 224 Er Gu Tang Shui 二姑糖水. Super traditional old school desserts. Black Sesame almond paste is my favourite. Give it a try.
Chinatown complex hawker centre is such an oldie but goodie. 168 Hainamese Chicken Rice is not bad.
Chinatown hawker centre has so many delicious options. I wish I could come back more often! A lot of stalls close later in the evening, but there’s still plenty to choose from. Plus, there’s more seating than at Maxwell, which made for a much nicer experience. Another top contender for best beef noodles is here at stall Joo Chiat Beef King. Very flavourful sauce and soup.
Must-try dish: Xiao Long Dumpling!