Hawker centres, and they are subsidised by the state

What a hawker centre actually is

An open-air food court of independent stalls, many of them government-subsidised and legally required to keep prices down. That is why a plate of food that took forty years to perfect costs four dollars.

Find a table first, then order. A packet of tissues on a table means it is taken. This is not a joke and it is universally respected.

Order at the stall, pay at the stall, carry your own tray. Most stalls now take PayNow QR alongside cash.

Return your tray. There are racks, and since 2021 there are fines.

The ten dishes to order

Hainanese chicken rice, the national dish and the one to start with. Laksa, a spicy coconut noodle soup. Chilli crab, messy and worth it. Satay, grilled with peanut sauce.

Char kway teow, stir-fried flat rice noodles. Hokkien mee, prawn and noodle. Roti prata, flaky Indian flatbread, best at 2am.

Kaya toast with soft eggs, the standard breakfast. Nasi lemak, coconut rice with sides. Fish head curry, which is exactly what it sounds like and is excellent.

Where to go

Central: Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown Complex and Newton Food Centre. Maxwell is the easiest to reach from Marina Bay and the most forgiving for a first visit.

East: Changi Village, Geylang East, Circuit Road. Worth the trip if you have a free evening and want the version locals eat.

West: Ghim Moh, Holland Village, Jurong West. North: Whampoa, Golden Mile, Dunman.

Skip Lau Pa Sat. It is the one every visitor is sent to and the one locals warn you off, and the difference in quality is not subtle.

Beyond the hawker centres

Singapore has a serious restaurant scene and a stack of Michelin stars, much of it in the shophouses around Tanjong Pagar, Amoy Street and Keong Saik.

Deliveroo has the most reliable delivery and leans toward better restaurants. Foodpanda covers more places and costs less, but takes longer.

Book anything good for conference week now. Twenty five thousand people compete for the same tables.