Dining in Singapore is an essential aspect of the nation’s unique culture. No matter where you are, the city has every imaginable cuisine, for every imaginable budget. Few places in the world can offer as diverse and exotic a food scene as Singapore, ranging from hawker centres, kopitiams (otherwise known as coffee shops) and food courts, to indie cafes and contemporary restaurants. The hawker culture is especially prominent in Singapore, where people from all walks of life gather to dine and bond over their shared love for food. A hawker centre is an open-air complex housing many stalls that sell a variety of inexpensive food. They serve as vibrant communal spaces that promote social cohesion, moderate the cost of living and foster a common national identity based on shared experiences, values, and norms.

​

Over the years, this unique combination of food, space and community has evolved into a microcosm of Singapore’s multicultural society, with stalls selling Chinese, Malay, Indian and many other diverse types of dishes. The hawkers, comprising individuals of all race, gender, age, and their repertoire of skills are central to our hawker centres and well-regarded for their mastery of the hawker culinary traditions. Today, young people are acquiring knowledge, culinary skills and values from the older generation of hawkers to keep the hawker culture alive and many are experimenting to come up with new takes on traditional dishes, which have since been successful. Here's a tip though, if you're thinking of visiting a hawker centre, bring a packet of tissue along to chope (which means reserve) your seats before they get stolen!