Hawker Centres

Hawker Centres are prevalent in Singapore and are known for their variety of inexpensive food.  A hawker centre is an open-air complex consisting of many restaurant stalls that serve a variety of food.  They are called hawker centres because of the way in which employees from different stalls will hawk or call at the patrons as they walk by trying to get them to buy from their stall.  I have learned from experience that if you stand still and look around, they will start to circle you like sharks.  The best way to visit one of these places is to either not look like a tourist or to know exactly what stall you want to go to and barrel on through.

Newton Circus Hawker Centre

Restaurant workers just waiting for you to walk by and become their prey.

Despite being asked to eat the food at half the stalls in the place, we finally settled on one and began to order.  We were trying to decide whether or not to order a chicken dish when a friend asked if the chicken was white meat or dark meat.  The waitress gave us a puzzled look and responded "I don know, eets cheeken" as if all chicken meat is the same.  I tried not to laugh but it was just too funny.

What you have to understand about chicken in Singapore (and much of Asia) is that most of it is dark meat chicken and usually involves all the bones and skin.  I have ordered chicken a time or two and they take a thigh and wing and will cut it into a few pieces with kitchen scissors and then throw it on your plate.  It's a quick appetite killer.

Now, the food we did get was absolutely delicious!  We ordered garlic prawns, Tom Yum soup, pepper chicken, shrimp fried rice, and a couple veggie dishes that were very non-American but very good (probably cooked with MSG).

Veggie dishes and pepper chicken. 

The prawns are almost the size of my hand!

The day before we stopped by the hawker centre to get some fresh juice.  They have tons of fruits available and you can pick any combination you want and they juice it right there.  If you want to keep your blood sugar in-check, they have pure sugar cane juice.  I just went for pineapple mango which was amazing!  I could certainly get used to fresh juice everyday.

Waiting in line for our juice

Hawker centre, I will be back for more of your wonderful food and juice!