Several months ago, Singaporeans were asked to vote for their favourite hawker centre as part of the annual Singapore Hawkers’ Seminar & Awards. Well, the crowd has spoken, and no, it isn’t Newton or Maxwell that takes the cake. Instead, out of the 121 food centres on the island, Serangoon Garden Market is announced as the top favourite among locals. Surprised?
The hawker centre wins with a total of 216 votes. Located at Serangoon Gardens where another popular food centre – Chomp Chomp – is, Serangoon Garden Market commands snaking queues for stalls selling kway chap, duck rice, nasi lemak, pig’s organ soup, and more.
As part of the Singapore Hawkers’ Seminar & Awards, nine stalls from other food centres in Singapore also bag awards. One prominent category is the Hawker Heritage Award, which recognises businesses that have endured the test of time and are keeping the hawker culture alive. They are Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak, Warong Wak Nakem, and 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup. These stalls have been around for over 50 years – 77 years for Ah Balling – and are run by third-generation owners.
There’s also the Enterprising Hawker Award category that celebrates those who’ve implemented creative and innovative ideas for their businesses. Chicken rice stall Izah Rahman Corner, for instance, uses a digital menu through WhatsApp Business for customers to place orders directly on the app. There’s also Munchi Pancakes which has blown up all over the island for completely revolutionising the traditional min jiang kueh snack. Hakka Leipopo is another winner, known for dishing out healthy bowls of lei cha at One Punggol Hawker Centre.
The last category is the Outstanding Hawker Mentor Award which acknowledges veterans who have a hand in guiding the new generation of hawkers. They are Phillip Tan of Mei Ji Fishball Noodle (Bukit Merah Central), Tan Kim Leng of Min Nan Pork Ribs Prawn Noodle, and Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice & Curry Chicken Noodle.
The Singapore Hawkers’ Seminar & Awards, now in its fourth edition, was held today at Our Tampines Hub. It was introduced in 2021 to celebrate Singapore’s vibrant and unique hawker culture, and give credit to established and budding hawkers alike. The Favourite Hawker Centre category is a new addition to the awards this year where the winner is determined entirely by public voting.
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