Tekka Centre, Singapore Overview

Tekka Centre is a colourful hawker market located and a dining landmark in Little India. Housing the biggest 'wet' market of Singapore, this brightly painted building also stores a wide array of products from vibrant Indian clothing to biryani!

With over 284 stalls, the hawker centres here predominantly serve Indian food and are popular for sampling some of the best halal dishes in Singapore. The higher floors of Tekka Centre houses the stalls selling everything Indian - from Bollywood music to Indian sarees. People of several ethnic backgrounds visit and run this place - from the locals to Indians to the Malays - making Tekka centre is a learning ground for the culture of Singapore.

10 Best Food Stalls at Tekka Centre

Al-Madina Food Centre: Craving some tandoori delights? Head to this new stall in Tekka Centre and grab their top tandoori dishes which they make on a dedicated tandoor oven. They have a glass case to display curries and tandoor cooked chicken and mutton dishes, that one can pair with their favourite Indian breads and have a wholesome meal. The bestsellers of Al-Madina include garlic Naan and Chicken Tikka. Watch them prepare the naan life, as they roll out the dough and place it in the tandoor until it cooks to perfection and then adds minced pieces of garlic, coriander and butter to enhance the flavours before they slap it onto the plate.

Must eat: Garlic Naan, Chicken tikka

Allauddin's Briyani Pvt Ltd: There are only a few places in Singapore that can satisfy the cravings of Biryani and Tekka Centre tops the list. Of the various biryani stalls, Allauddin's plate of mutton or chicken biryani is our top recommendation. Biryani lovers must surely visit the stall and enjoy the tempting flavours of the various biryanis accompanied by dalcha and cucumber achar.

Must eat: Mutton Biryani, Chicken Biryani

Anna Dosai Stall: One can get lost exploring the stalls of Tekka Centre, so those visiting it for the first time or with the intention to try out the unique flavours, must try out Anna Dosai Stall. It would be an understatement that they serve the best rava thosai in town, and that too at a nominal price of SGD 4. South-Indian foodies must visit the Anna Dosai Stall to enjoy the blend of rice and semolina flours, griddle fried to a crisp and lacy texture that is sure to take them back to the streets of India. One of their bestsellers is onion Rava, which comes with a caramelised flavour, with some whole black pepper cons thrown on it.

Must eat: Rava Dosa

545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles: Run by a finance graduate turned third-generation hawker, Li Ruifang, 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles is known for their delicious prawn noodles. The recipe for this dish was passed down to Li Ruifang from her grandfather. The bestsellers include a bowl of old school hae mee, containing an even mixture of yellow noodles and bee hoon tossed in a fiery yet flavourful sambal gravy, topped with peeled prawns, garnished with dried shallots and served with a bowl of soup.

Must eat: Prawn noodles

Imaroy Thai Food: One cannot imagine leaving the Tekka Centre without hogging on some Thai food. Lying amidst the many rows of hawker stalls is the Imaroy Thai food, known for its cheap and savoury Thai cuisine.

Must eat: Mango salad, Olive fried rice, Seafood fried rice and Phad Thai

Deen Food Stall Appam Specialist: The stall is known as the Appam specialist for a reason. It is well known for its Appam, an Indian-Muslim delicacy similar to a pancake. One can enjoy appams with a combination of freshly grated coconut and orange-hued coconut sugar at Deen Food Stall. Those looking for a savoury meal can order the Appam, skip the sugar and enjoy it with sambar.

Must eat: Appams

Pak Kashmiri Delights: One can conclude about the popularity of this stall by looking at the crowd itself. They serve usual North Indian and Pakistani food. The popularly ordered items include Tandoor items, spice-laden curries and tandoori bread. The most popular dish and what can also be considered the bestseller of Pak Kashmiri delights is keema and chapati.

Must eat: Keema and Chapati

Shan-e-Punjab: This stall is run by a husband-wife duo hailing from Punjab. Living up to its name (pride of Punjab), the stall serves an array of delicious and drool-worthy North Indian curries, dals, vegetables and chicken dishes. One must not miss trying the cooked 'a la minute' naans and flatbreads here. The cheese naans and tandoori rotis are cooked in their tandoor oven to perfection and served with gravy, sliced onions and minced chutneys.

Must eat: Cheese Naan, Tandoori rotis, Tandoori chicken

Ar-Rahman Cafe: What is the best drink to pair with your meal? The answer can be searched at Ar-Rahman Cafe. This stall at Tekka Centre is dedicated to drinks, the most popular ones being ginger tea and chendol. One of the best things about the stall is that they use Gula melaka in their chendol and allow one to select their desired sugar level out of five levels.

Must eat: Chendol. To spice up your dessert game, one can try the Durian Chendol or Power Chendol which includes red bean and attap seeds.

Sri Tiffin Stall: Those craving cheap, value for money Indian food can make a stop at Sri Tiffin Stall and munch on their Masala Dosas. It is a real challenge finding another stall at Tekka Centre with a thosai cheaper than Sri Tiffin's. The Dosa comes with fiery tomato chutney, the taste of which would not leave your tongue even after you have left Tekka Centre.

Must eat: Masala Dosa, Vadai

Tekka Centre Wet Market

Raw meats and fish, vegetables and fruits are found here in abundance. The place is heaven for fruit lovers, and all kinds of tropical fruits like pineapples, bananas, mangoes, jackfruits, rambutans, guavas, starfruit, longans, mangosteens, and durians are found here. Among fishes and other seafood, huge Sri Lanka crabs, prawns of all sizes, squid, tuna, salmon, mackerel, sea bass and a wide variety of crustaceans are available. The raw foods do not compromise on the quality, as evident by the number of satisfied customers.

Most of the vendors are very friendly, knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions about where the materials are from, or what kind of food preparation they can be used in. The price of the products here are relatively low, and most stalls have clear lists stating the prices. The other products found here are fresh tofu and soybean products, and dry goods such as organic rice, nuts and dry fruits, cooking oils and sauces are common as well, along with fresh flowers. It is a hub of Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Malaysian spices as well.

Shopping Centre

The dry market and shopping centre is located on the higher floor, and items starting from Bollywood music to a fashionable silk saree can be found here.

Indian dresses like sarees, salwar, kurtas, Indian shoes are sold here (under 100 SGD). Several jewellery shops selling glistening jewellery are also present. The quality is moderate, but the price is low.
Other than readymade clothes, a wide array of tailors are also available. They can quickly alter or sew something customized.
There are also shops with colourful handkerchiefs and hand embroidered clothes, which make great souvenirs.
A couple of gifts and antique shops are also available here.

How to Reach Tekka Centre

The closest MRT is Little India MRT (Mass Rapid transit). One can't miss it when they exit the station.

Tips

Flip-flops may cause problems in the wet market.
Moderate bargaining is a necessity.
The food-court is self-service.
The smells from the butchers and fishmongers can be overwhelming.
Best avoided on weekends and public holidays because Little India gets crowded.
Those who are easily disgusted by toilets, avoid taking the one in Tekka Centre. Use the one in the MRT Station, instead.