Tekka Centre
竹脚中心
Building
Opened 1982; market roots to 1915
Stalls
Around 100 cooked-food stalls plus a huge wet market
Nearest MRT
Little India (NE7/DT12)
Known for
Biryani, prata, thosai, teh tarik
Tekka is where Little India eats, and it feels like nowhere else on the hawker map. The 1982 complex on Buffalo Road — officially Zhu Jiao Centre until 2000, from the Hokkien "tek kia kha", the foot of the bamboos that once lined the Rochor Canal — stacks a hawker centre beside one of Singapore's busiest wet markets, with sari shops and tailors on the floor above. The food skews Indian-Muslim and South Indian in a way few other centres do: biryani ladled from great pots, prata flipped on the griddle, thosai the length of your forearm, teh tarik pulled a metre through the air. But it is genuinely cross-cultural — a celebrated Chinese prawn-noodle broth shares the floor with the briyani queues. For calorie-counters, Tekka is friendlier than it looks: a plain thosai runs about 150 kcal, one of the lightest breakfasts in Singapore.
665 Buffalo Rd, Singapore 210665
Open in Google MapsPopular Foods & Calories
Typical calorie estimates for dishes at Tekka Centre. Actual values vary by stall.
Plan Your Meal
Realistic orders at Tekka Centre, with the calorie math done for you.
The Tekka pilgrimage
770 kcal- Biryani650
- Teh Tarik120
The order that made Tekka famous. Come at lunch — the most popular briyani stalls can sell out.
Feather-light breakfast
270 kcal- Thosai150
- Teh Tarik120
One of the lightest hawker breakfasts in Singapore — a crisp fermented crepe and a pulled tea.
Two sides of Tekka
852 kcal- Prawn Noodles550
- Roti Prata302
Chinese soup stall first, then the Indian griddle row — the cross-cultural sampler.
Famous Stalls
Allauddin's Briyani
Chicken briyani
Tekka's most famous name — a briyani institution dating to 1968, listed in the Michelin Guide, with lunch queues to match.
545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles
Prawn noodles
Proof Tekka isn't only Indian food — a Michelin Guide-featured stall whose rich prawn-and-pork-rib broth follows a three-generation family recipe, run by a young hawker who left a corporate job for the wok.
The prata and thosai stalls
Roti prata and thosai
Morning griddle theatre along the Indian food row — flipped prata, paper-crisp thosai and dhal, best eaten early with a teh tarik pulled high.
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: 21–22 Sep 2026
Source: NEA via data.gov.sg
Nearby
Little India MRT (NE7/DT12)
North East and Downtown lines, directly across the road
Indian Heritage Centre
3-minute walk — four floors of Indian-Singaporean history on Campbell Lane
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
5-minute walk up Serangoon Road — one of Singapore's oldest Hindu temples
About Tekka Centre
Tekka's story starts in 1915, when the original market went up beside the Rochor Canal at the foot of a bamboo grove — "tek kia kha" in Hokkien, which locals shortened to Tekka. The old market was demolished and the trade moved into the current complex on Buffalo Road in 1982, officially named Zhu Jiao Centre before reverting to the Tekka name in 2000; a major renovation in 2008–2009 gave it its current form. Today it is Little India's living room: a sprawling wet market of banana leaves, spices, mutton and live crabs on one side, a hawker centre on the other, and sari shops, clothing stalls and tailors on the floor above.
Eat here the way the regulars do: breakfast prata or thosai from the Indian food row with a teh tarik pulled high, or come at lunch for the briyani stalls — Allauddin's is the famous name, and the queues form early. The spread is wider than the reputation suggests, taking in Chinese noodle stalls, Malay food and fresh sugarcane juice. Weekends around Deepavali are gloriously chaotic; weekday mid-mornings are the calm way in. Little India MRT is directly across the road, making Tekka the natural first stop on any Little India walking route.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Tekka Centre's opening hours?
Tekka Centre is open 6.30am – 9pm daily (varies by stall; the wet market winds down by early afternoon). Individual stalls set their own hours and may close when sold out.
What is the nearest MRT to Tekka Centre?
Little India MRT (NE7/DT12) — directly across the road. The address is 665 Buffalo Rd, Singapore 210665.
What is Tekka Centre famous for?
Allauddin's Briyani (chicken briyani), 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles (prawn noodles), The prata and thosai stalls (roti prata and thosai) — with 100+ stalls in total.
How many calories are in a typical meal at Tekka Centre?
Popular dishes range from about 120 kcal to 650 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.