Top Dad-Approved Hawker Food in Singapore

Great hawker food is comforting with its rich flavours and affordable prices. Accessible hawker centres serving the country's signature dishes have become essential to the Singaporean household.

With Father’s Day around the corner, we’ve asked our chef trainers at SHATEC to share their all-time favourite hawkers, extraordinary individuals who prepare food day and night that linger in the hearts and minds of generations!

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Greatly sought after by tourists, the Hainanese Chicken Rice is Singapore’s favourite dish.

Image credit: DanielFoodDiary

Chef Daniel Lu
Trainer
Culinary Studies - Culinary

Chef Daniel Lu considers Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre a personal favourite, having first been introduced to the stall by his father. Calling it the “best chicken ever”, Chef Daniel most enjoys how perfectly Tian Tian’s warm, fluffy and fragrant rice goes with its tender chicken.

Image credit: TheBestSingapore

Chef Aaron Chua
Trainer
Culinary Studies - Culinary

Chef Aaron Chua, a father of two, takes comfort in Boon Tong Kee chicken rice from the traditional Balestier Road stall. The successful brand which now operates across six locations retains a perfect grasp of texture and taste. He thinks its fragrant, delicious rice stands on its own perfectly, too!

2. Char Kway Teow

An old-school delight that’s irresistibly delicious, Char Kway Teow is an indulgent choice that has won many hearts and palates.

Image credit: DanielFoodDiary

Chef Aaron recommends the Outram Park Char Kway Teow at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre for its perfect flavour with just the right amount of wok hei on the plate. The mix of cockles and crunchy pork lard also completes the dish, and compels loyal patrons to return for more!

3. Carrot Cake

With radish cake cubes being its main ingredient, carrot cake is enjoyed in black or white, with discerning consumers recalling the fleeting wok hei and even hints of caramelisation.

Image credit: Seth Lui

Chef Aaron loves the Carrot Cake at Chomp Chomp, which is fried to a crisp, forming a lovely texture with beaten eggs. He also notes the owner is generous with the amount of chye poh (Chinese dried radish) served.

4. Hokkien Mee

An iconic Singaporean dish, Hokkien Mee is a variation of the Penang prawn noodles and is a crowd favourite in Singapore.

Image credit: DanielFoodDiary

The popular Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee from Chomp Chomp comes highly recommended by Chef Eugene and Chef Aaron! Not only that, it is listed in the “Michelin Plate” guide, a new designation for quality restaurants and eateries given a symbol of approval by Michelin inspectors.

The owner uses thin bee hoon and thick yellow noodles that are a perfect combination with the fresh, succulent prawns and squid.

Chef Eugene Lee
Manager
Culinary Studies - Culinary

Chef Eugene Lee felt that the Hokkien Mee tastes great and is not oily. The chilli on the side enhanced the overall flavour as well. He shares this sumptuous find with his father, who has since become a huge fan of the dish too!

5. Bak Chor Mee

Bak Chor Mee, a uniquely Singaporean dish hailing from Teochew origin, translates to “minced meat and noodles”.

Image Credit: Miss Tam Chiak

Right in the vicinity of Taman Jurong is the widely popular 58 Minced Meat Mee.

Chef Carissa Teo
Trainer
Culinary Studies - Pastry

Recommended by Chef Carissa Teo, she loves how the bowl of springy noodles is served with a wide variety of liao (ingredients) and can be customised accordingly to preference. Chef Carissa vividly recalls visiting numerous bak chor mee stalls across Singapore with her father since childhood, but this west-side family-run stall remains her go-to comfort food!