Are hawker centres air conditioned (and how to avoid the heat)
I get asked by tourists all the time if they have to sit out in the heat to enjoy hawker food. And yes while hawker centres are strictly speaking not air conditioned, it is still possible to enjoy hawker food in an air conditioned setting. In this guide I’ve covered how to stay cool in a hawker centre and how to enjoy hawker food in an air-conditioned environment.
Singapore’s hawker centres are open air eateries and do not have air conditioned spaces. The design of many hawker centres encourages a natural breeze to blow through, and mechanical fans are provided as well for keeping patrons cool.
Try sitting in outdoor locations, away from food stalls, or in upper areas of multi-storey hawker centres if you are worried about the heat, as these areas are generally cooler.
Privately operated food courts and coffee shops can have air conditioned areas - the example most tourists see is Lau Pa Sat where there are air conditioned rooms available to dine in. The strictest definition of a hawker centre is that it’s regulated by the National Environment Agency (you can find a full list of hawker centres on their website here); government operated hawker centres do not have air conditioning.
You can still enjoy Singapore’s famous hawker food in air conditioning at food courts, dedicated restaurants, and more. I’ve gone into further detail on this in my guide below.
How to stay cool in a hawker centre
My local Singaporean friends always complain hawker centres are too hot to eat in, especially if it’s been a sunny and hot day. I generally disagree with them, and that as a tourist I feel it’s worth braving the heat to engage in the Singaporean local culture of hawker centres (they are UNESCO recognised after all).
To keep cool at a hawker centre I recommend:
- Sitting near a mechanical fan
- Sitting in a well-ventilated area
- Sitting away from stalls actively cooking
- Ordering a cool drink to enjoy with your meal
Mechanical fans are provided to keep diners cool. These are often mounted to the ceiling, or to the walls between hawker stalls.
Well-ventilated areas are also cool - try to find a table that’s outside, or near the outside, as these tables have more natural breeze. Some hawker centre outdoor tables also include umbrellas so that they can be used when it rains (and to provide shade from the sun).
Avoid sitting near stalls that are cooking - hawkers often cook with fire! They can have big pots of boiling soup, clay pots that retain heat, huge woks full of searing hot food, and all these emanate heat. I recommend sitting away from stalls that are open, it’ll save you from the heat and the foot traffic.
Order a cool drink to go with your meal. Some of the drinks I like to order at a hawker centre include:
- Ice kopi C kosong - iced coffee with no sugar (check out my coffee price guide here for more detail)
- Sugar cane - squeezed juice from sugar cane stalks served over ice
- Lime juice or calamansi juice - squeezed juice from these citrus fruits served over ice
I wrote a full guide on how to order and eat at a hawker centre (including what the important Singaporean word “chope” means), check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/hawker-centre-guide
How to eat hawker food in air conditioning
It is possible to enjoy great tasting Singaporean hawker food in air conditioned buildings.
The best way is to visit outlets of famous hakwer stalls that have opened up in air conditioned food centres or their own stand-alone restaurants. There are also air-conditioned restaurants that serve hawker dishes.
Some of the ways you can enjoy hawker food while staying cool in Singapore include:
1. Hawker stalls in food courts
Opening up an outlet in a food court is a common step for any hawker who becomes famous for their food. Food courts are typically found in shopping malls and similar buildings, and are usually privately operated (allowing them to attract popular hawkers).
Some examples of hawkers who have opened up in food courts include:
| Brand | Food | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Hawker Chan | Roast meat | Kopitiam at Plaza Singapura |
| Kallang Airport Wanton Noodle | Wanton mee | Tang’s market |
| Blanco Court Beef Noodle | Beef noodles | Food Republic at Wisma Atria |
I also like the ayam taliwang at Lau Pa Sat, but technically this is not air conditioned. Lau Pa Sat is run by the Kopitiam brand.
2. Stand-alone hawker restaurants
Some hawker stalls become popular enough to open their own stand-alone restaurants - that is, not part of a food court or coffee shop. As restaurants, they do come with air conditioning, though they charge a slightly higher price than equivalent stalls that are still outdoors.
The two biggest examples I can think of here are:
- Punggol Nasi Lemak, located at 371 Jalan Besar (somewhat near Bendemeer MRT)
- 328 Katong Laksa, located at 51 East Coast Road (somewhat near the new Marine Parade MRT)
3. Restaurants selling hawker food
Singapore has an incredibly diverse range of restaurants that sell the local cuisine. This means that you can buy traditionally hawker food anywhere from a tiny suburban shop-house cafe, all the way up to fancy Michelin starred restaurants located in top hotels. All of these are of course air conditioned.
Some of the places I like to bring visitors to taste local food in a more up-market setting (including air conditioning) include:
| Name | Food | Location | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Coconut Club | Nasi Lemak | 269 Beach Rd | S$20 - S$30 per person |
| KPO | Hokkien mee, satay | 1 Killiney Rd (off Orchard Rd) | S$30 - S$40 per person |
| Putien | Bee hoon, fish, sweet and sour pork | Various, including Jewel | S$30 - S$50 per person |
| JB Ah Meng | Crab and seafood | 534 Geylang Road | S$50 - S$100 per person |
4. Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines loves showing off local flavours on its menus.
I’ve eaten satay, laksa, bak kut teh, and many other dishes while flying 30,000ft in the air with Singapore Airlines (if you’re interested in learning more about the dishes that I HIGHLY recommend to all visitors to Singapore, check out my guide here).
Usually I find flights within Asia are more consistent in their offerings of Singaporean food, though you can always check out the menus on their website here before flying to see what’s available on your flight.
References and Further Reading
Check out my complete guide to eating at hawker centres here: reachingsingapore.com/hawker-centre-guide
If you need help getting around Singapore, check out my transport guides here: Trains (MRT), buses, and taxis.
