10 budget eating worth the trip across Singapore, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Singapore guides.
Old Airport Road Food Centre ★ 4.8 · Singapore
east-coast · 51 Old Airport Road, Singapore 390051
Tip: Reopened after upgrades in late 2024. Best arrived before noon; most stalls close by 9pm. The centre is large enough to justify a thorough lap before ordering.
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle ★ 4.8 · Singapore
bugis · 466 Crawford Lane, #01-12, Singapore 190466
Tip: Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 8.30pm. Queue forms before opening; arrive at 9am to keep waiting time to 20 minutes. The S$8 portion is more than sufficient for most diners.
Maxwell Food Centre ★ 4.7 · Singapore
chinatown · 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
Tip: Weekday mornings before 11am and late afternoons after 3pm are the quietest periods. Tian Tian chicken rice opens at 10am and regularly sells out before 3pm.
Tiong Bahru Market ★ 4.7 · Singapore
tiong-bahru · 30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898
Tip: Most stalls open 6am to 2pm; some close earlier. Arrive between 7am and 11am for the full selection. The wet market below opens at 5am.
Chinatown Complex Food Centre ★ 4.6 · Singapore
chinatown · 335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335
Tip: Open 24 hours though not all stalls operate overnight. The mid-morning and early afternoon windows (10am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm) avoid the peak queues.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice ★ 4.6 · Singapore
chinatown · 1 Kadayanallur Street, Singapore 069184
Tip: Opens at 10am; regularly sells out before 3pm. Queue forms before 10am on weekends. The stall is closed on some Mondays.
328 Katong Laksa ★ 4.5 · Singapore
east-coast · 51 East Coast Road, Singapore 428770
Tip: Open daily 9am to 9pm. Walk-ins only. The East Coast Road branch is the original. Budget S$6 to S$10 per person including a drink.
Tekka Centre ★ 4.5 · Singapore
little-india · 665 Buffalo Road, Singapore 210665
Tip: Open daily 6.30am to 9pm. Sunday mornings are the most atmospheric period. The wet market opens from 6am for fresh produce.
Zam Zam Restaurant ★ 4.4 · Singapore
kampong-glam · 697-699 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198675
Tip: Open daily 7am to 11pm. Walk-in only. Arrive outside peak lunch and dinner windows (1.30pm to 6pm) for shorter waits.
Yi Dian Xin Hong Kong Dim Sum ★ 4.3 · Singapore
east-coast · 1012 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534750
Tip: Open Wednesday to Monday 7am to 3pm; closed Tuesdays. Five-minute walk from Kovan MRT. Arrive by 9am on weekends to get the full selection.