Hawker Center guide/tours?
 

I'll be in Singapore for a couple of days in November and as usual am very excited about hitting up the hawker centers. I've typically done this on my own, most recently with the Makansutra to help. But I'd be interested in doing this with a guide, to understand more about the food, explore new items, and have the transport logistics dealt with. Does anyone have experience with a guide or tours along these lines? I'll be staying at the Ritz Carlton - can their concierges arrange something like this (without charging 5 star prices for a hawker center meal)?

The RC concierge can arrange a lot of things, but you always pay a steep price...

I think it would probably be alot cheaper getting a taxi driver and asking them for recommendations or negotiating a whole day rate. They are best sources of great hawker food places in Singapore and will generally have a few gems that only they know about.

if you want to do some research beforehand as well on the best hawker food around your hotel area.

use www.hungrygowhere.com (i dont own this)

I agree with deannaC also, taxi drivers will know wheres the best food near your location.

hawker stalls ...
 

Tourist trap -- but good nonetheless = Newton Hawker Centre (when i grew up in SIN, it was known as "Newton Circus" -- dunno why). Take the MRT train to Newton.

Less $ but equally good = Lau Par Sat (MRT to Raffles Place). RC staff should know it.

Cabs have become a rip off in Singapore -- it's almost the same as NYC cabs, especially when you consider the worthless USD. MRT is probably the most reliable, safest public transportation in the world.

I beg to differ, just a little. I'd agree that Sing cabs can get expensive once the surcharges are worked in and the weak US$ just makes it worse. But it is possible to manage the surcharges with some practice and good timing. But the main advantage of Singapore cabs is that the cabbies generally know where they are going and generally don't try to cheat the passengers. This contrasts with my experience in NYC cabs, where I have to aggressively manage the cabbies to take me to where I want to go so they don't take me on the 'scenic route'. (Cabbies don't like me since I'm from Queens.) Very irritating when I have to do direct the cabbies, especially after more than 24 hours trapped in an airplane travelling from Singapore. I agree though on the part about the Singapore MRT, it's quite good.

Newton Circus - named for the roundabout/rotary that joins a bunch of roads at that spot (Scotts, Clemenceau, Bukit Timah/Dunearn, Keng Lee, Kampong Java and of course Newton Road). The hawker centre isn't too far away from that circular nightmare.

I ended up figuring this out on my own using the 2011 Makansutra as a guide. It would have been much easier to plan before I left home, using my own computer rather than an iPhone, but I didn’t realize until too late that I could buy the book at amazon.com. It helps that the book does listings my geographic area in addition to food type, but listing by hawker centers would be particularly helpful.

As luck would have it many of the dishes I wanted to try were located in centers near each other and near Chinatown, making things particularly easy for a tourist like me. Here’s where I ate (or tried to eat); I think this gives a good sampling of hawker center food and will hopefully be helpful to others who want to explore the food without traversing the entire island.

If the book says a place sells out early, makes a limited amount, etc., they aren’t kidding. I got to several places during the second half of their daily hours, and choices were limited or sold out.

Also be aware that many places are closed on Sunday or Monday. I was told by a car driver that Monday stall closures are because markets and butchers are closed Sunday, so there’s no fresh food.

The list encompasses the places I found, not necessarily all the ranked places at a particular food centre; please add to it!

The Tanjong Pagar (EW15) MRT stop is probably the most convenient; Chinatown (NE4) will work too.

-- Bak Chor Mee at High Street Tai Wah Pork Noodle (12 Prince Edward Rd #01-16 Bestway Bldg, 9 am - 3 pm, closed Sun), 5-10 min walk south of Tanjong Pagar. Located at the Bestway Building food court, just to the side of the office building. They were closed for 2 weeks, so it’s on the list for next time. 3 pairs of chopsticks (out of 3) on the Makansutra rating.

The Amoy Street Food Centre is a 5 min walk NE from Tanjong Pajar, through a nice park (Telok Ayer).
-- Bak Chang at Hoo Kee Rice Dumplings (#01-18, 9 am - 3 pm, closed Sunday). Very tasty; choices limited at about 12:30 pm and sold out by 1 pm. (3 pairs) http://www.flickr.com/photos/9587509...7625435279065/
-- Ah Boling at Zhen Jie Desserts Ah Balling (#02-113, 11 am to 3 or 6 pm; closed alt Sundays). Also very tasty. (2 pairs) http://www.flickr.com/photos/9587509...7625435279065/

Walking out the east end of the food centre one can make a slight left onto Amoy St and the Ann Siang Hill Park, a nice place to walk through. The several streets to the east also have very nice examples of shophouses along with a nice Chinese temple.

About 5 minutes north of the Telok Ayer park is the Maxwell Road Food Centre. Along the way is the Red Dot Design Museum, with great exhibits of modern design, particularly consumer but also industrial.
-- Goreng Pisang at Lim Kee (Orchard) Banana Fritters (#61, 11 am - 8 pm). Excellent, with crunchy batter and a soft and sweet banana. 3 pairs. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9587509...7625435279065/
-- Carrot Cake at Jin Ji Mei Shi (#96 - go by the number since the sign is only in Chinese. 5 am - 2 pm, closed Wed). Already sold out when I came by. 2.5 pairs.
-- Chicken Rice at Tian Tian Hainanee Chicken Rice (11 am to 8 pm or sold out, Closed Mon). Famous from Anthony Bourdain. I ate here on a previous trip, and it was excellent. If you’re Caucasian make sure to ask for the chicken with the skin on; they automatically took mine off. 3 pairs.

-- Egg Tart at Tong Heng, 285 South Bridge Rd, 9 am - 10 pm. This is an actual store, about 5 minutes down the road from the corner of Maxwell Rd. Excellent tarts. I found them sweet enough, but the coconut version are supposed to be sweeter. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9587509...7625435279065/

I also took a trip out to Bedok (on a different day); the Bedok MRT (EW5) is the most convenient stop.
-- Char Kway Teow at Hill Street Fried Kway Teow (Blk 16 Bedok South Road #01-187 at the Bedok South Rd Mkt & Food Ctr, 10:30-5:30, closed Mon). This was good, but despite the 40 min wait and 3 pairs, I enjoyed this dish more from a street vendor in Penang. But it’s definitely worth a try. Went well with fresh sugarcane juice. About a 10 min walk SE from the MRT station. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9587509...7625435279065/
-- Laksa at Marine Parade Laksa (The Original Katong Spoon Laksa), Blk 128 Bedok North St 2 #01-02, 9 am to 6 pm. I didn’t eat here, but since it’s nearby (looks to be 5-10 min NE of the MRT), and since laksa is awesome, I added it. At 2.5 pairs of chopsticks it’s the 2nd highest rated place in the book.
-- Ice Kachang at Hollywood Ice Kachang (Blk 207 New Upper Changi Rd #01-66, right next to the MRT, 10 am - 12 am, closed Wed). Convenient to the other places, and tasty, but lacking nuts and grass jelly, so it left me not completely satisfied. Chendol is another dessert not to be missed. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9587509...7625435279065/

And what better way to top out a day of hawker centre food than dinner at Iggy’s? Photos here for those interested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9587509...th/5245435187/

(I’ll be back in S’pore in March and will update this thread with any new info then.)