Never heard of a hawker center? Neither had my friends or I before our semester abroad in Singapore. Now, we find ourselves at hawker centers nearly every day! Hawker centers are hubs in Singapore packed with food stalls and food enjoyers alike. Within each of the stalls are different and specialized dishes, ranging from fresh pressed sugarcane juice, to Michelin-starred ramen, to cuisines made with miscellaneous animal organs. While these particular choices may not appeal to all, it is practically certain everyone can find something they’d like at a hawker center.
This is Lau Pa Sat, a renovated Victorian-style hawker center not far from where us students stay. My fellow exchange students and I always make it a point to try new dishes whenever we come. It’s custom here in Singapore for groups of diners to acquire multiple dishes and place them in the middle of the table. Then, everyone tries and enjoys all of the dishes together! Apparently, eating your own plates of food at a table is a dead giveaway of being a tourist. Keep that in mind if you ever find yourself at one of these centers!
This stall features Hainanese chicken rice: a staple in Singapore. When in doubt, this dish is always a safe bet. Before I grew more comfortable with the local food, this was my go-to dinner choice. Once I began to further explore Asian cuisine, I found myself finding a new favorite dish nearly every week! You never know what you’ll find at a hawker center; don’t be afraid to try new things outside your comfort zone.
Jillian Pascual, Virginia Tech, is studying abroad in Singapore with TEAN.
