Open
— No scheduled closures
1 Kadayanallur Street, Tanjong Pagar
Budget
$4–$8
Hours
8am–10pm daily
MRT
Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)
Must Try
One of Singapore's most famous hawker centres, steps from Chinatown. A pilgrimage site for food lovers visiting Singapore.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice — queues every day, famously visited by Anthony Bourdain
Maxwell Food Centre has been feeding Singapore since 1986, built on the site of the old Maxwell Market which dates back to the 1930s. It sits at the crossroads of Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar — two of Singapore's oldest and most storied neighbourhoods. When Anthony Bourdain filmed here for No Reservations in 2009, queueing at Tian Tian like everyone else, it confirmed what locals already knew: this is where Singapore's hawker soul lives. The centre survived urban redevelopment, a pandemic, and decades of food trend cycles without losing its character. It remains the most visited hawker centre in Singapore for good reason.
✨ Vibe: Where tourists discover what locals already knew
1930s
Maxwell Market established on this site during British colonial era
1986
Maxwell Food Centre opens in its current form after redevelopment
2009
Anthony Bourdain visits Tian Tian, cementing Maxwell's global reputation
2016
Tian Tian receives Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition
2020
UNESCO inscribes Singapore hawker culture — Maxwell named as exemplary centre
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Chicken RiceMadam Foo Kui Lian started this stall in 1987. The queue forms before the stall opens. Bourdain called it one of the best things he ever ate. The broth-soaked rice is judged before you even touch the chicken.
Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake
Oyster CakeA rare Fuzhou specialty — crispy batter shell filled with oysters, pork, and peanuts. One of the last stalls in Singapore keeping this dying recipe alive.
Zhen Zhen Porridge
Cantonese PorridgeOpens at 6am and sells out by 11am. Three generations of the same family. The fish porridge is silky, precise, and unchanged since the stall opened.
Go before 12pm to avoid long queues at Tian Tian. Arrive early or the chicken rice sells out.
Tian Tian Chicken Rice has received Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition
51 Old Airport Road, Geylang
Dakota (CC Line) — 8 min walk
East region
Opening hours
6am–11pm (some stalls open late)
Budget: $4–$8
335 Smith Street, Chinatown
Chinatown (NE/DT Line) — 3 min walk
Central region
Opening hours
6am–11pm daily
Budget: $3–$8
500 Clemenceau Avenue North, Newton
Newton (NS/DT Line) — 3 min walk
Central region
Opening hours
12pm–2am daily
Budget: $10–$20