Tiong Bahru Market Guide: Hawker Stalls to Try at The Hawker Center of Singapore’s Oldest Neighborhood

Developed in the 1920s, Tiong Bahru is the oldest housing estate in Singapore. While the name means “new (bahru) cemetery (tiong)”, the neighborhood is very much alive, teeming with local cafes and independent shops teeming. It is a playground for hipsters!

Tiong Bahru is also home to the one of best and nicest hawker centers in all of Singapore—Tiong Bahru Market (also called Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre).

Tiong Bahru Market (photo taken back in 2018)

Tiong Bahru Market was built in 1951 and was first called Seng Poh Road Market, named after the road where it’s located. The hawker center only became what it is today when it went through a renovation from 2004 to 2006. It is now a two-storey building, with a wet market at the first floor and the hawker center at the second floor.

For me, it’s one of the nicest hawker stalls because it is spacious and well ventilated unlike other hawker centers that are cramped and humid. Also, it has a nice architecture, employing an Art Deco style and placing a courtyard in the middle.

But aside from being a nice space, Tiong Bahru Market is home to amazing hawker stalls, in which some are even MICHELIN-recommended.

Here are some stalls that we’ve tried and recommend:

33 Cafe

You will aways find kopi (traditional coffee) stall in hawker stalls. If you want your kopi fix in Tiong Bahru Market, you can try 33 Cafe.

[33 Cafe]

[The auntie pulling Teh Tarik (pulled milk tea)]

Stall No.: #02-33 | Operating Hours: TBA

[33 Cafe]

[The auntie pulling Teh Tarik (pulled milk tea)]

Stall No.: #02-33 | Operating Hours: TBA

美味 Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice (or simply “Chicken Rice”) is accepted as the national dish of Singapore. It has 3 main components: The chicken (which is boiled), the rice (which is cooked using the chicken stock), and the soup (which is also the stock). It’s usually served with 3 dips: Chili sauce, ginger puree, and a soy-based sauce.

One stall in selling this in Tiong Bahru Market is 美味 Hainanese Chicken Rice.

As expected, their chicken is on the plain side and this where the sauces do their magic. The rice, on the other hand, is so flavorful!

Their Oyster Sauce Veg has crisp greens, sweet sauce, and nice flavor coming from the crispy shallots.

Stall No.: #02-47 | Operating Hours: TBA

HarriAnns Nonya Table

This stall is a chain of hawker stalls specializing in Kueh (or Kuih in Malay), which are savory or sweet snacks, though many are made from glutinous rice (so for Filipinos, you can somewhat compare it to Kakanin).

My favorites here include Kueh Rainbow Lapis (a multi-colored, layered rice cake) and Kueh Talam Gula Melaka (a two- layered rice cake with a coconut milk layer and a palm sugar layer). The latter has coffee-like notes.

Stall No.: #02-25 | Operating Hours: Tuesday-Monday, 6AM-2PM | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Jian Bo Shui Kueh

Shui Kueh (also spelled Chwee Kueh) is a popular breakfast item in Singapore. It's made by mixing rice flour and water then steamed in little cups. It's topped with a preserved radish and served with chili on the side.

[Jian Bo Shui Kueh]

Jian Bo makes great shui kueh. It’s soft, jiggly, and has a smooth texture. The preserved radish has a nice salty umami, making it addictive!

[Shui Kueh]

Stall No.: #02-05 | Operating Hours: Daily, 7AM-8PM | Facebook | Instagram | Website

Joo Chiat Beef King

Joo Chiat is a neighborhood in east Singapore. Despite the name, Joo Chiat Beef King has no branch there anymore. The current owner only kept the original signboard in honor of the stall’s history.

This stall’s chef hails from Shandong, China. So the stall specializes on Shandong-style beef soup and noodles.

We tried the Mixed Beef Soup, which has beef balls, meat, tendon, and tripe, which are all tender. The broth is tasty and I can taste the there is five spice in it.

Stall No.: #02-35 | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 8AM-8PM