The Ultimate Foodie Guide to Maxwell Food Centre
Maxwell Food Centre has been a beloved food hub since 1986, standing witness to the evolution of Singapore’s rich culinary tapestry.
Never been to this foodie haven? From iconic local hawker dishes to international delights, we’ve curated recommendations to elevate your dining experience at Maxwell Food Centre.
The 1950s Coffee
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Address: Floor 2, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +65 8439 0434
Hours: Daily, 8.30 AM – 4 PM
Price: $
At The 1950s Coffee, you can order aromatic kopi and toast as your morning meal. Served in small cups, the stall owners freshly grind the coffee powder, ensuring lasting richness with every sip.
And if you’re feeling peckish, opt for the affordable and delicious set meal for breakfast, featuring perfectly done half-boiled eggs and butter toast.
Despite the challenging wait because of long queues, it’s undoubtedly worth it.
Pro-tip: Order the traditional toast and runny egg set before queuing for coffee to ensure simultaneous service.
Alimama Green Chilli Chicken Rice & Prawn Noodle
Address: Floor 1, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-09 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6584843944
Hours: Daily, 11 AM – 8.30 PM
Price: $$
Alimama’s owner, originally from Indonesia but now a Singaporean for over four decades, skillfully prepares authentic Indonesian nasi ayam panggang while catering to local tastes.
The must-try dish here is the green chilli chicken rice, offering a unique and spicier flavour compared to similar stalls in the city centre. The shop’s homemade chilli enhances the dishes with a delicious flavour boost.
Pro-tip: Note of caution: some of the spicier dishes aren’t too spicy at first, but give a furiously incendiary kick a few seconds later!
Taste Of Jiang Nan
Address: Floor 1, #01-62, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6583429898
Hours: Daily (except Fridays), noon – 3 PM and 5 – 8 PM
Price: $$
Taste of Jiang Nan at Maxwell Food Centre offers budget-friendly alternatives to Din Tai Fung-style meals. It’s best known for favourites like pork chop fried rice and red oil spicy dumplings.
The stall has recently reopened with a new focus on sheng jian bao, or pan-fried buns. Each bao is pan-fried to order, ensuring a hot and fresh treat with a crisp, browned bottom and a soft, fluffy top.
Pro-tip: Visit before or after lunch hour to avoid long queues.
Hup Kee Wu Xiang Guan Chang
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Address: Floor 1, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-97 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6581137015
Hours: Daily (except Wednesdays), 11.30 AM – 6 PM
Price: $
Hup Kee Wu Xiang Guan Chang, a heritage stall that has existed since the 1940s, is one of the few surviving Hokkien ngoh hiang stalls. Unlike the more common Teochew style, its ngoh hiang doesn’t have mashed yam in the meat rolls or prawn fritters.
Prices start at an affordable S$0.50 per piece, and despite the lunchtime queue, loyal customers often choose their bee hoon combo with ngoh hiang and red sausages.
Pro-tip: The stall boasts homemade chilli and sweet sauces that perfectly complement its dishes.
Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake
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Address: Floor 1, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-05, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +65 9344 1296
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 AM – 8 PM
Price: $
Maxwell Fu Zhou Oyster Cake offers a rare taste of this heritage snack. The golden-brown fried cake contains succulent oysters, prawns, minced meat, and cilantro and has a crispy, airy bite thanks to its unique ground rice and flour batter.
Handmade with care, each oyster cake is a delicious combination of cilantro, minced meat, fresh prawns, and oysters in a rice batter, providing a crispy exterior and a soft interior.
Pro-tip: Add some chilli sauce for extra flavour!
Chee Cheong Fun Club
Address: 202, AMK Ave 3 #01-1690, Stall, #8, Singapore 560202 (Google Maps)
Contact: +65 9244 1040
Hours: Daily (except Tuesdays), 6.30 AM – 2 PM
Price: $$
Chee Cheong Fun Club is an under-the-radar stall offering unique chee cheong fun. You can go beyond the usual black sauce variant here.
The special sauce blends Singaporean red sauce, Malaysian black sauce, and Hong Kong-inspired sesame sauce for a flavourful twist.
Owner Ah Hui from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia combines chee cheong fun with curry or laksa, adding ingredients like fish cakes, tofu skin, and ngoh hiang.
Pro-tip: While the curry recipe is a secret, it’s evident that fresh coconut milk is used.
Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum
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Address: Floor 1, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-92 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6596623501
Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays to Sundays, 11.30 AM – 8.30 PM
Price: $$
At Tong Xin Ju Special Shanghai Tim Sum, fourth-generation owner Sebastian Hu continues his Shanghainese grandfather’s legendary guo tie tradition. Located in the bustling Maxwell Food Centre in the CBD, this stall gets crowded during lunch.
The star of the show is the handmade fried dumplings with a special chilli sauce. The dumplings, fried to order, feature well-marinated minced meat and chopped chives encased within a crispy exterior.
Pro-tip: The well-ventilated centre, equipped with ceiling fans, ensures a comfortable dining experience. But seating at the sides is always cooler (literally and figuratively).
Avoca Brooo
Address: Floor 1, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-83, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +65 9225 8484
Hours: Daily (except Wednesdays), noon-8 PM
Price: $$
Despite its name, Avoca Brooo’s menu includes a diverse range of local and international dishes, featuring Chinese, Indian, and Western cuisines. There are also vegetarian and vegan options.
On the keto diet? Enjoy avocado smoothies with classic flavours like coconut or gula melaka, or try novel choices such as banana, mango, chocolate, or sour plum.
Pro-tip: Non-avocado options include mango, mangosteen, lychee, and ABC (apple, beetroot, and carrot) juice.
Heng Heng Ondeh-Ondeh and Tapioca Cake
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Address: Floor 1, Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-31, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6597302833
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7 AM – 1 PM
Price: $
Heng Heng Ondeh Ondeh & Tapioca Cake, a Maxwell Food Centre staple for over 40 years, specialises in traditional homemade kueh (traditional Southeast Asian bite-sized snacks or desserts).
Originating from the original China Street hawkers, Heng Heng takes pride in various sweets, particularly its ondeh ondeh and tapioca cake. It’s especially known for its ondeh ondeh featuring an oozy gula melaka center and fresh grated coconut coating.
Pro-tip: The stall sells out quickly, so you might have to pre-order at the stall and return after several minutes.
SweeT.Rex
Address: Blk464B, Clementi Ave 1, #01-05, Singapore 122464 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6581637630
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM – 6 PM
Price: $$
For a unique hawker centre find, try SweeT.Rex for cafe-style souffle pancakes. Made to order, these fluffy pancakes come with a soft, bouncy texture and various toppings like maple syrup, vanilla ice cream, caramel, or chocolate.
In addition to pancakes, the shop also offers cheesecake and bottled milk tea.
Pro-tip: Craving something savoury? The shop also sells pasta with fresh ingredients for a satisfying main dish.
Sisaket Thai Food
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Address: Floor 1, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-85, Singapore 069148 (Google Maps)
Hours: Daily, 11:30 AM – 4 PM and 6 – 8 PM
Price: $
Sisaket Thai Food, the sole Thai option at Maxwell Food Centre, offers authentic and reasonably priced Thai dishes. Expect favourites like pineapple fried rice, green curry rice, and flavourful pad Thai.
Watch out for hidden chilli padi slices in the basil chicken rice! But chilli heads will blow a gasket at this stall.
Pro-tip: Add S$2.50 for a complete set meal with tom yum soup and mango salad.
Old Nyonya
Address: Floor 1, 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-04 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184 (Google Maps)
Contact: +6583669311
Hours: Daily (except Wednesdays), 11 AM – 8.30 PM
Price: $
Established in 1960, Old Nyonya at Maxwell Food Centre offers homely Peranakan dishes. It’s renowned for its laksa and Malay-influenced delights.
A must-try is the value-for-money rendang chicken rice set which features a juicy drumstick in a rich coconut sauce, achar, and fried bean curd skin
Pro-tip: It opens at 11 AM, but the stall also offers breakfast-friendly options like mee Siam, mee rebus, and lontong.