Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

Built in 1978 Hong Lim Market and Food Centre is one of the first hawker centres established in Chinatown, and as home to several Michelin rated eateries at low low prices the space is prone to long lines making early arrival highly advisable to those who wish not wait.

Came by for lunch the other day and it was a tasty albeit hot and sweaty experience. Hong Lim is located next to the Chinatown station and next to Chinatown Point mall.

There are a few stalls on the street level and more on the 2nd level. The queues seem to indicate the popular Michelin rated spots, although the mega fans didn't really help cool the centre down

Opted for a Chinese stall and their fish chow fun which was tasty and flavorful and cost effective at $6!

Remember to bring cash and tissue packets!

This is a nice hawker stand with many food varieties. There are two levels of food and it's actually amazing how disoriented I was and how it's such a maze. Every corner you turn is a different selection of food. We came here twice, one in the evening where there was less stalls open and one in the morning when it was definitely busier. We were able to eat quite a variety here and the price is amazing.

Eddy's duck confit is amazing. It so tender and flavorful. You're not going to find this dish at a french cuisine for that price given the high quality

Ji ji noodle house signature dish is sooo good. So much complexity yet simple at the same time.

The famous fried kway teow me was also very good with lines consistently throughout the morning.

We tried other things too so theres definitely a lot of options for good prices. No AC, a little dirty though

Crazy popular hawker stall, less touristy than some of the closer spots. And so many stalls inside are excellent - waaaaay more long lines at the very best stalls than I expected!

It's on the upper floor so ceilings are a bit low, try to get a seat by the outer railing as it's cooler.

Came by on a Thursday at around 10 AM and a few stalls (like Tai Wah Pork noodle and the char kuay Teow stall) already had people lining up. We ended up trying the pork noodles, which were okay - not sure if it's worth the wait - and a fish ball noodle stall - which were the best fish balls I had ever had in my life. The place isn't huge but there are a lot of options, so there's something for everyone. Also a lot less crowded than Maxwell.

This hawker center has 2 floors of food. We went during off hours (between lunch and dinner), but we didn't see any shops with a lot of customers and the food looked pretty mediocre. We did have a fruit juice at a stand but it wasn't great compared to a lot of other places.

One thing if you're here in Dec 2023 is that they have construction going on, so it's really noisy and not a great experience overall. Would definitely say Maxwell or other well known places are a better bet.

Good old hawker center in Chinatown. Best known for many such as their crayfish noodles, fish soup, and many more.

Dear all pls kindly avoid the curry chicken noodle stall Heng Kee 01-58 . The old lady stall helper is extremely rude and arrogant. She hurl abuses and insults at me and my mum when she misinterpreted our food orders. She shouted so loudly that everybody is looking at us . And the way she handled the noodle with her bare hands is dirty .
Pls share n avoid this stall

Singapore is a wonderful place for food lovers of all type - including food hawkers. Today, we were particularly craving for some rustic street food. That's why our morning was spent roaming around Hong Lim Food Center. Hong Lim Food Center is located right in the heart of Chinatown. Therefore, this place can be seen as one of the most rustic street food places in Singapore. Offering authentic Chinese dishes with added twists of the Singaporeans, foods here are out of the world!

We tried fried Kway Teow Mee, which in our opinion, is a superb dish. This wok dish is not too oily, yet smoky and very flavorful, thanks to the secret mixture of soy sauce and fish sauce. It's evenly coated in beaten egg, creating a semi-wet "Pad Thai-like" dish. The smoke flavor come from the hot wok really makes this dish especially memorizing for us.

Recommendation: Kway Teow Mee (stall 02-17)

For more review, visit us at: http://www.thecoupleeats.com/singapore-food-diary-7-places-eat-first-time-visitors/

HL didn't really stand out to me as a tourist, when I went to hawker fares.

I had lunch here and a cup of fresh juice, and prices were just average. I found that juice was cheaper in Chinatown! Surprise surprise. AND just as good. I had a fish soup with noodles, and it seemed pretty slow that lunch time even with all the students and business people eating there. The vendor had to take out some fish cuts from his plastic tupperware underneath the stand and put it into the soup to make my meal. That's how slow it was!

Anyhow, the place isn't too dirty which is a plus. And shoutout to the REAL MVP's of the food centre...the old ladies and men who wear bright green/orange and pick up after your dirty tables! They're the ones who are tirelessly working hard to clean tables so the next round of customers can have a place to eat. There wasn't a diverse selection in my opinion, but I did notice that it was pretty accessible between our itinerary as we walked around Ann Siang Hill, Clarke Quay, Chinatown, and even parts of Maxwell Centre. Good location, basic stalls.