Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
芳林巴刹与熟食中心
Stalls
100+ stalls over two floors
Nearest MRT
Chinatown (NE4/DT19), ~3-min walk
Known for
Curry chicken noodles, char kway teow, laksa
Best time
Weekday lunch; many stalls close Sundays
Hong Lim doesn't do tourist theatre. Tucked into the lower floors of a 1970s HDB block where Chinatown bleeds into the CBD, it feeds the surrounding office towers — which is why the queues form before noon on weekdays and half the shutters stay down on Sundays. What it lacks in postcard looks it repays in pedigree: Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee and Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa have both worn Michelin Bib Gourmand honours, and the curry chicken noodle rivalry between Ah Heng upstairs and Heng Kee downstairs has divided loyal regulars for decades. The move is simple: come on a weekday, pick one queue, commit. For calorie-counters, Hong Lim is kinder than its gravy-heavy reputation suggests — a bowl of sliced fish soup runs about 310 kcal, leaving room for a kopi siew dai with change to spare.
531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531
Open in Google MapsPopular Foods & Calories
Typical calorie estimates for dishes at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. Actual values vary by stall.
Plan Your Meal
Realistic orders at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, with the calorie math done for you.
First-timer's greatest hits
1333 kcal- Char Kway Teow744
- Laksa589
The two most decorated queues in the building — bring a friend and split both plates (about 1,330 kcal between two).
The desk-job saver
400 kcal- Sliced Fish Soup310
- Kopi Siew Dai90
Around 400 kcal all in — the lightest honest way to lunch at a famous hawker centre and still walk back to the office awake.
The curry pilgrimage
790 kcal- Curry Chicken Noodles700
- Kopi Siew Dai90
Roughly 790 kcal for the dish Hong Lim regulars argue about most — Ah Heng upstairs or Heng Kee downstairs. Pick a side.
Famous Stalls
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
Michelin Bib GourmandChar Kway Teow
Wok-hei-heavy plates fried to order, drawing one of the longest lunch queues in the centre — a long-standing Michelin Bib Gourmand pick.
Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee
Curry chicken bee hoon mee
The upstairs half of Hong Lim's famous curry-noodle rivalry: rich coconut gravy, tender chicken and tau pok over thick bee hoon, queue-tested for decades against Heng Kee downstairs.
Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa
Michelin Bib GourmandLaksa
Old-school laksa in a modest bowl at a modest price, with Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition to show for it.
Trending in Singapore This Week
Live dish signal across social video, Singapore-wide — via Susi Food Intelligence.
Getting There
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Next cleaning closure: 6–7 Jul 2026
Source: NEA via data.gov.sg
Nearby
Chinatown MRT
NE4/DT19 — about three minutes' walk along Upper Cross Street
Hong Lim Park (Speakers' Corner)
Singapore's designated free-speech park, a couple of minutes away across Upper Pickering Street
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
About ten minutes' walk through the heart of Chinatown on South Bridge Road
About Hong Lim Market & Food Centre
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre occupies the lower floors of Hong Lim Complex, a 1970s HDB block wedged between Chinatown and the office towers of the CBD. It is a working hawker centre in the most literal sense: the crowd is office workers, aunties and uncles who have eaten here for decades, the peak is a fierce weekday 12-to-1.30 lunch window, and by Sunday afternoon many shutters are down while the regulars rest. That rhythm is the tell — this is where people who eat hawker food every single day choose to eat it.
The hit rate per stall is remarkable for a centre this unassuming. Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee and Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa have both carried Michelin Bib Gourmand honours, Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist has been folding noodles upstairs for decades, and the great curry chicken noodle rivalry — Ah Heng upstairs, Heng Kee downstairs — still splits offices down the middle. Calorie-wise, plan around one indulgence: make the char kway teow (744 kcal) or laksa (589 kcal) the treat, keep a 310-kcal sliced fish soup as the recovery lunch, and let a kopi siew dai round things off without wrecking the ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Hong Lim Market & Food Centre's opening hours?
Hong Lim Market & Food Centre is open Daily, roughly 6:00am–8:00pm; stall hours vary widely — busiest at weekday lunch, and many stalls close on Sundays. Individual stalls set their own hours and may close when sold out.
What is the nearest MRT to Hong Lim Market & Food Centre?
Chinatown (NE4/DT19). The address is 531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531.
What is Hong Lim Market & Food Centre famous for?
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (char kway teow), Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee (curry chicken bee hoon mee), Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa (laksa) — with 100+ stalls in total.
How many calories are in a typical meal at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre?
Popular dishes range from about 90 kcal to 744 kcal per serving — see the calorie guide above for dish-by-dish estimates.
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Track your hawker meals with portion adjustments in the app
Nutrition estimates are approximations based on typical recipes and portion sizes. Actual values vary by stall and preparation method. For clinical dietary needs, consult a registered dietitian.