With inflation stubbornly high and the job market showing signs of weakness, times are becoming increasingly tough for many people. Expenses at restaurants can quickly add up, making it harder to stretch your paycheck. Instead of splurging on sit-down meals, consider cutting back on dining out for now.

Street food vendors often offer tasty and filling meals at a fraction of the price of restaurants. The aroma of sizzling skewers or fresh dumplings from a street cart can be just as satisfying as any fancy entrée. Plus, exploring local street food is an adventure in itself—you might discover new flavours and favourite spots along the way.

By making this simple switch, you can still enjoy eating out without straining your budget. As you navigate these uncertain times, small changes like this can help keep your finances on track.

1. SATAY

Ingredients:

• Chicken or beef strips
• Bamboo skewers
• Turmeric powder
• Lemongrass
• Galangal
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Palm sugar
• Coconut milk
• Peanut sauce (ground peanuts, chilli, palm sugar, tamarind)

Cooking Instructions:

• Marinate meat strips in spice paste (turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic)
• Thread marinated meat onto bamboo skewers
• Grill over charcoal fire, turning frequently
• Baste with coconut milk while grilling
• Serve hot with peanut dipping sauce

Location & Details:

• Primary Location: Outside Lau Pa Sat Food Court (Telok Ayer Market)
• Address: 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582
• Operating Hours: From pmpm nightly (street closes for vendors)
• Price: S$0.80-1.20 per stick
• Delivery: Not typically available (street vendor setup)
• Ambience: Outdoor street party atmosphere, charcoal smoke, communal dining on plastic stools

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2. LAKSA

Ingredients:

• Rice vermicelli noodles
• Coconut milk
• Dried shrimp
• Chillii paste (laksa paste)
• Galangal
• Lemongrass
• Candlenuts
• Shrimp stock
• Fish cake slices
• Prawns
• Cockles
• Tofu puffs
• Bean sprouts
• Hard-boiled egg
• Lime wedges

Cooking Instructions:

• Prepare the spice paste by blending chillies, galangal, lemongrass, and andal nuts..
• Fry the paste in oil until fragrant
• Add coconut milk and shrimp stock
• Simmer until flavours meld
• Blanch rice noodles in boiling water
• Serve noodles in bowls, ladle hot broth over
• Top with seafood, tofu, egg, and garnishes

Location & Details:

• Primary Locations: Lau Pa Sat Food Court, Maxwell Food Centre
• Lau Pa Sat Address: 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582
• Maxwell Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
• Price: Around S$4-6
• Delivery: Available via Grab, Foodpanda, Deliveroo
• Ambience: Bustling hawker centre, communal seating, authentic local atmosphere

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3. MURTABAK

Ingredients:

• Roti dough (flour, water, oil, salt)
• Minced chicken or mutton
• Onions
• Eggs
• Cheese (optional)
• Curry spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander)
• Ghee or oil for frying

Cooking Instructions:

• Prepare thin roti dough, stretch until paper-thin
• Sauté minced meat with onions and spices
• Beat eggs and scramble lightly
• Place the meat and egg mixture on the roti
• Add cheese if desired
• Fold roti into a parcel shape
• Pan-fry on griddle with ghee until golden and crispy
• Cut into portions and serve hot

Location & Details:

• Primary Area: Little India
• Specific Mention: Big Boss Bistro, Dickson Road
• Address: Dickson Road, Little India (multiple vendors)
• Price: S$8-12 per portion
• Delivery: Limited availability
• Ambience: Authentic Indian street food setting, busy sidewalk stalls, aromatic spices in the air

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4. NASI LEMAK

Ingredients:

• Jasmine rice
• Coconut milk
• Pandan leaves
• Salt
• Sambal paste (chilli, shrimp paste, onions, tamarind)
• Roasted peanuts
• Fried anchovies (ikan bilis)
• Cucumber slices
• Hard-boiled egg
• Fried chicken or fish (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

• Cook rice with coconut milk and pandan leaves
• Prepare sambal by frying chilli paste with aromatics
• Fry anchovies until crispy
• Roast peanuts
• Slice cucumbers and boil eggs
• Serve rice with all accompaniments arranged on the other plate
• Mix together before eating

Location & Details:

• Upscale Option: Village Nasi Lemak Bar
• General: Available at restaurants, street stalls, and chain cafes
• Price: S$3-8 (street stalls), S$12-18 (restaurants)
• Delivery: Widely available on all platforms
• Ambience: Varies from casual hawker stalls to modern cafe settings

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5. KAYA TOAST

Ingredients:

• White bread slices
• Kaya spread (coconut jam made with coconut milk, eggs, sugar, pandan)
• Butter
• Soft-boiled eggs
• White pepper
• Dark soy sauce

Cooking Instructions:

• Toast bread slices until golden
• Spread a generous layer of kaya and butter
• Soft-boil eggs (3-4 minutes)
• Crack eggs into a bowl
• Add a dash of soy sauce and white pepper to eggs
• Dip toast into runny egg yolk

Location & Details:

• Chain Options: Toast Box, Ya Kun Kaya Toast (multiple locations)
• Traditional: Tong Ah Eating House
• Tong Ah Address: 35 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089143
• Price: S$3-5 for a set
• Delivery: Available for chain outlets
• Ambience: Traditional kopitiam (coffee shop) style, nostalgic Singapore atmosphere

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6. DIM SUM

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour wrappers
• Various fillings: pork, shrimp, chicken, vegetables
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Ginger
• Scallions
• Speciality Salted egg yolk filling (cartoon pig variety)

Cooking Instructions:

• Prepare different dumpling wrappers
• Mix fillings with seasonings
• Shape dumplings (pleated, round, etc.)
• Steam in bamboo baskets for 8-12 minutes
• Some varieties are fried or baked
• Serve hot with soy sauce, anchovy

Location & Details:

• Premium: Tim Ho Wan (5 locations, 24-hour service)
• Novelty: Canton Paradise (cartoon pig dim sum)
• Area: Abundant in Chinatown
• Price: S$3-8 per basket
• Delivery: Available from major restaurants
• Ambience: Traditional Chinese tea house style, bustling dim sum carts

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HOKKIEN MEE

Ingredients:

• Yellow wheat noodles
• Rice vermicelli
• Prawns
• Squid
• Pork slices
• Eggs
• Bean sprouts
• Chives
• Dark soy sauce
• Light soy sauce
• Prawn stock
• Lard
• Sambal chilli paste
• Lime wedges

Cooking Instructions:

• Prepare rich prawn stock from shells
• Stir-fry noodles in a hot wok with lard
• Add prawns, squid, and pork
• Pour in prawn stock and soy sauces
• Add beaten eggs, stirring to combine
• Toss in bean sprouts and chives
• Serve with sambal and lime

Location & Details:

• Recommended: Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee, Toa Payoh
• Alternative: Albert Hawker Centre
• Albert Address: 270 Queen Street, Singapore 180270
• Price: S$4-7
• Delivery: Limited hawker stall availability
• Ambience: Local hawker centre, authentic neighbourhood feel

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8. CHILLI/PEPPER CRAB

Ingredients:

• Fresh mud crabs
• Tomato sauce
• Chili sauce
• Rice vinegar
• Sugar
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Shallots
• Eggs
• Cornstarch
• Coconut milk (for sauce)
• Spring onions

Cooking Instructions:

• Clean and chop crabs into pieces, leaving the shells on
• Deep fry crab pieces briefly
• Prepare the sauce by combining tomato sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, and sugar..
• Stir-fry aromatics (garlic, ginger, shallots)
• Add crab pieces and the sauce mixture
• Beat eggs and drizzle them into the wok while stirring
• Thicken with cornstarch slurry
• Garnish with spring onions

Location & Details:

• Recommended: Jumbo Seafood, No Signboard Seafood
• Budget Option: Makansutra Gluttons Bay
• Gluttons Bay Address: 8 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039802
• Price: S$40-60 (recommended places), S$25-35 (hawker)
• Warning: Avoid Boat Quay tourist traps (S$300 scam mentioned)
• Delivery: Available from major seafood restaurants
• Ambience: Ranges from upscale seafood restaurants to atmospheric outdoor hawker markets

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9. MICHELIN-STAR CHICKEN NOODLES

Ingredients:

• Fresh egg noodles or rice
• Chicken (soy sauce marinated)
• Dark soy sauce
• Light soy sauce
• Sugar
• Sesame oil
• Soybeans
• Blanched vegetables (choy sum)
• Chicken stock

Cooking Instructions:

• Marinate chicken in soy sauce mixture
• Roast or braise chicken until tender
• Prepare sweet soy sauce glaze
• Cook noodles and drain
• Slice chicken thinly
• Serve noodles/rice topped with chicken
• Drizzle with sweet soy sauce
• Accompanied by soybeans and vegetables

Location & Details:

• Restaurant: Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice Noodle
• Address: 78 Smith Street, Chinatown Complex, Singapore 058972
• Price: S$5 (world’s cheapest Michelin star meal)
• Delivery: Available via multiple platforms
• Ambience: Basic hawker stall setting, often with queues, simple plastic furniture

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10. PALAK PANEER

Ingredients:

• Fresh spinach leaves
• Paneer cheese cubes
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Green chilies
• Cumin seeds
• Garam masala
• Turmeric
• Cream
• Ghee or oil

Cooking Instructions:

• Blanch spinach leaves and puree
• Cube paneer and lightly fry
• Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until golden
• Add tomatoes and spices, cook until soft
• Add spinach puree and simmer
• Gently fold in paneer cubes
• Finish with cream
• Garnish with garam masala

Location & Details:

• Recommended: Banana Leaf Apollo, Little India
• Address: 54-58 Race Course Road, Singapore 218564
• Price: S$50 for dinner for two (including drinks)
• Alternative: Street-side stalls for half price
• Delivery: Available from most Indian restaurants
• Ambience: Popular Indian restaurant with authentic atmosphere vs. casual street-side stools

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11. CARROT CAKE (CHAI TAO KWAY)

Ingredients:

• Rice flour
• White radish (daikon)
• Water
• Salt
• Eggs
• Garlic
• Spring onions
• Fish sauce
• Dark soy sauce (for black version)
• White pepper
• Oil

Cooking Instructions:

• Steam a mixture of rice flour, grated radish, and water into a cake
• Cool and cut the steamed cake into cubes
• Heat oil in a wok, fry garlic until fragrant
• Add radish cake cubes, stir-fry until slightly crispy
• Push to one side, scramble eggs
• Mix eggs with radish cake
• Season with fish sauce and soy sauce
• Garnish with spring onions and white pepper

Location & Details:

• Mentioned: Liang Court (beside Fort Canning Station)
• Alternative Areas: Chinatown, Amoy Street Food Centre
• Amoy Address: 7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111
• Price: S$4-6
• Delivery: Limited hawker availability
• Ambience: Local lunch spots popular with office workers, authentic hawker centre atmosphere

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12. OYSTER OMELETTE

Ingredients:

• Fresh oysters
• Eggs
• Potato starch or tapioca flour
• Water
• Bean sprouts
• Garlic
• Spring onions
• Fish sauce
• White pepper
• Chili sauce
• Oil

Cooking Instructions:

• Mix starch with water to create batter
• Heat oil in a pan, fry garlic
• Add oysters and cook briefly
• Pour in the starch batter, let it set partially
• Beat eggs and pour over
• Add bean sprouts
• Cook until the bottom is crispy, flip carefully
• Season with fish sauce and pepper
• Serve with chilli sauce and spring onions

Location & Details:

• Areas: Chinatown, Maxwell Food Centre, Lau Pa Sat Food Court
• Maxwell Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
• Lau Pa Sat Address: 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582
• Price: S$4-8
• Delivery: Limited HaHHaHawkeCenavailabilityyy
• Ambience: Traditional hawker centre setting, sizzling wok sounds, communal dining

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BEVERAGES

KOPI (Malaysian Coffee)

• Ingredients: Coffee beans, condensed milk, sugar
• Price: S$1.50-3
• Available: All coffee shops and hawker centres

SELFIE COFFEE

• Concept: Coffee with the customer’s photo printed inonoam
• Price: S$6-10
• Ambience: Instagram-worthy cafe with photo props

SUGARCANE JUICE

• Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane, ice
• Price: S$2-4
• Available: Street juice vendors

SINGAPORE SLING

• Ingredients: Gin, cherry brandy, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine
• Price: S$37 at Raffles Hotel, S$15-25 elsewhere
• Iconic Location: Raffles Hotel Long Bar

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DELIVERY PLATFORMS AVAILABLE:

• Grab (most comprehensive)
• Foodpanda
• Deliveroo
• WhyQ (local option)

GENERAL PRICE RANGES:

• Hawker Centres: S$3-8 per dish
• Food Courts: S$4-10 per dish
• Restaurants: S$12-25 per dish
• Upscale Dining: S$25+ per dish

BEST HAWKER CENTERS MENTIONED:

1. Lau Pa Sat Food Court – Central, tourist-friendly
2. Maxwell Food Centre – Famous for chicken rice
3. Amoy Street Food Centre – Great for locals, street art
4. Albert Hawker Centre – Quality Hokkien mee
5. Makansutra Gluttons Bay – Scenic waterfront dining

Additional Must-Try Singapore Dishes & Notable Stalls

ESSENTIAL DISHES NOT COVERED IN THE ORIGINAL GUIDE

13. HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Singapore’s National Dish

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken (poached)
• Jasmine rice
• Chicken stock
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Pandan leaves
• Sesame oil
• Dark soy sauce
• Ginger-scallion sauce
• Chili sauce
• Cucumber slices

Cooking Instructions:

• Poach a whole chicken in seasoned broth with ginger
• Cook rice in chicken fat and stock with garlic and pandan
• Prepare three sauces: ginger-scallion, chilli-garlic, and dark soy
• Slice chicken thinly, serve over fragrant rice
• Accompanied by cucumber and clear soup

Notable Stalls:

• Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (Maxwell Food Centre) – Most famous
• Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice (Multiple locations)
• Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice (Purvis Street)
• Price: S$3.50-6 (hawker), S$8-15 (restaurant)

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14. BAK CHOR MEE (Minced Pork Noodles)

Ingredients:

• Mee pok noodles (flat egg noodles)
• Minced pork
• Pork liver slices
• Fish balls
• Fish cake
• Mushrooms
• Bean sprouts
• Lettuce
• Fried shallots
• Black vinegar
• Chili sauce
• Tomato sauce

Cooking Instructions:

• Blanch noodles and vegetables separately
• Season noodles with sauces, vinegar, and lard
• Top with minced pork, liver, and fish products
• Garnish with fried shallots and vegetables
• Serve with clear soup on the side

Notable Stalls:

• Seng Kee Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle (Toa Payoh)
• Fei Fei Wanton Mee (Albert Centre)
• Bedok 511 BBQ Chicken Wing (Bedok North)
• Price: S$4-7

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15. FISH BALL NOODLES

Ingredients:

• Yellow noodles or bee hoon
• Handmade fish balls
• Fish cake slices
• Fish dumplings
• Lettuce
• Bean sprouts
• Fried fish skin
• Clear fish stock

Cooking Instructions:

• Prepare fish stock from fish bones
• Make fish balls from fresh fish paste
• Blanch noodles and vegetables
• Serve in clear soup or dry with sauce
• Top with fish products and fried garnishes

Notable Stalls:

• Seng Kee Black Herbal Chicken Soup (Toa Payoh)
• Song Fish Soup (Albert Centre)
• Price: S$4-6

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16. WANTON MEE

Ingredients:

• Egg noodles
• Wanton dumplings (pork and shrimp)
• Char siu (BBQ pork)
• Choy sum vegetables
• Dark soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Lard
• Fried shallots

Cooking Instructions:

• Prepare the wanton filling and wrap in thin skins
• Blanch noodles and toss with dark soy sauce and lard
• Boil wantons in clear stock
• Slice the char siu thinly
• Blanch vegetables
• Serve noodles topped with char siu, with wantons in soup

Notable Stalls:

• Hua Kee Hougang Wanton Mee (Toa Payoh Lorong 8)
• Eng’s Wantan Noodle (Chinatown Complex)
• Price: S$4-6

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17. CHAR KWAY TEOW

Ingredients:

• Fresh flat rice noodles
• Prawns
• Chinese sausage
• Bean sprouts
• Chives
• Eggs
• Cockles
• Dark soy sauce
• Light soy sauce
• Sweet sauce (tim cheong)
• Lard

Cooking Instructions:

• Heat the wok to a very high temperature
• Stir-fry noodles with lard and sauces
• Add seafood and sausage
• Crack eggs into two bowls, and scramble with noodles
• Add bean sprouts and chives last
• Cook until slightly charred (wok hei)

Notable Stalls:

• Hill Street Char Kway Teow (Bedok South)
• Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (Hong Lim Market)
• Price: S$4-8

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18. ROJAK (Local Fruit Salad)

Ingredients:

• Mixed fruits: pineapple, cucumber, bean sprouts, tofu
• You tiao (Chinese doughstick)
• Tau pok (fried tofu)
• Shrimp paste sauce (hay ko)
• Palm sugar
• Tamarind juice
• Chili
• Peanuts

Cooking Instructions:

• Cut fruits and ingredients into bite-sized pieces
• Prepare dressing with shrimp paste, palm sugar, and tamarind
• Toss all ingredients with dressing
• Sprinkle with crushed peanuts
• Serve immediately

Notable Stalls:

• Toa Payoh Rojak (Toa Payoh Lorong 8) – mentioned in search results
• Price: S$3-5

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19. BAK KUT TEH (Pork Rib Soup)

Ingredients:

• Pork ribs
• Garlic
• White pepper
• Star anise
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Dang gui (angelica root)
• Yu tiao (Chinese doughsticks)
• Dark soy sauce
• Rice

Cooking Instructions:

• Simmer pork ribs with herbs and spices for hours
• Season with white pepper and soy sauce
• Serve with rice and you tiao for dipping
• Traditional accompaniment: Chinese tea

Notable Areas:

• Chinatown – Multiple traditional stalls
• Price: S$8-15

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20. ECONOMY BEE HOON

Ingredients:

• Rice vermicelli (bee hoon)
• Mixed vegetables
• Egg
• Luncheon meat or sausage
• Fish cake
• Simple seasonings

Cooking Instructions:

• Fry beans with basic seasonings
• Add chosen ingredients (egg, vegetables, meat)
• Keep it simple and affordable
• Popular breakfast/lunch option

Notable Mention:

• Eng Kee Chicken Wings – Popular economic bee hoon stall (now at Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre)
• Price: S$2.50-4

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RECOMMENDED HAWKER CENTRES & FOOD COURTS

NEWLY OPENED (2025):

Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre

• Address: Bukit Batok West Avenue 8
• Highlights: 22 food stalls and 400 seats, operated by Fei Siong Group
• Notable Stalls: Eng Kee Chicken Wings, Munchi Pancakes for min jiang kueh, You Tiao Mei

CLASSIC MUST-VISIT HAWKER CENTRES:

Maxwell Food Centre

• Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
• Famous For: Legendary stalls and vibrant atmosphere, Michelin Bib Gourmand chicken rice
• Must-Try: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market

• Highlights: Nam Sing Hokkien Mee (#01-32), Hua Kee Hougang Wanton Mee (#01-02), Toa Payoh Rojak (#01-108)
• NoteMoLocally-focused brings cash as fewer stalls take cards

Newton Food Centre

• Famous For: Featured in “Crazy Rich Asians”
• Address: 500 Clemenceau Avenue North, Singapore 229495
• Atmosphere: Tourist-friendly but authentic

Albert Centre

• Address: 270 Queen Street, Singapore 180270
• Specialities: Various noodle dishes and traditional favourites

Chinatown Complex

• Address: 335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335
• Famous For: Traditional Chinese dishes and Michelin-starred stalls

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SPECIALTY SNACKS & DESSERTS

21. MIN JIANG KUEH (Peanut Pancake)

• Filling: Peanut, coconut, red bean, or cheese
• Style: Thick pancake cooked in round moulds
• Where: Munchi Pancakes (Bukit Batok West)
• Price: S$1.50-3

22. YOU TIAO (Chinese Doughnuts)

• Description: Deep-fried dough sticks
• Served with: Congee or coffee
• Where: You Tiao Mei (Bukit Batok West)
• Price: S$1-2

23. ICE KACANG/CHENDOL

• Ingredients: Shaved icolourfulsyrups, beans, jelly
• Perfect for: Singapore’s hot weather
• Price: S$2-4

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FOOD DELIVERY APPS FOR HAWKER FOOD:

• Grab – Most comprehensive, includes many hawker stalls
• Foodpanda – Good selection of popular dishes
• Deliveroo – Focus on quality establishments
• WhyQ – Local app specialising in hawker food

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GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT UPDATE:

Singapore is investing up to $1 billion to upgrade hawker centres and build five new ones, demonstrating the government’s commitment to preserving this cultural heritage.

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PAYMENT TIPS:

• Cash is King: Many traditional stalls still prefer cash
• NETS/PayLah: Increasingly accepted at modernised stalls
• Tourist-Friendly Centres: Maxwell, Lau Pa Sat, Newton accept cards more readily
• Local Centres: Bring cash for more authentic, locals-focused hawker centres

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TIMING RECOMMENDATIONS

• Breakfast 71 am (kaya toast, congee, economic bee hoon)
• Lunch 111am- 2pmM (peak hours, expect queues)
• Dinner 6r6–pmPM (evening specialities like satay)
• Late Night: Somecentress open 24 hours (notably Tim Ho Wan for dim sum)

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