Tiong Bahru Market opens its shutters before most of Singapore has opened one eye. By 7am, the best seats are gone and the queue at the laksa stall has already formed. If you haven't done breakfast here properly, this guide is your reset.
The market operates on two levels: the wet market on the ground floor and the hawker centre above. Breakfast runs roughly 6am to 11am, though many stalls pack up by 9:30. Go early. Go hungry.
Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (Stall #02-82)
Yes, chicken rice at breakfast. Yes, it works. The rice here is cooked in chicken stock with pandan and ginger — fragrant and glossy in a way that supermarket versions spend years trying to approximate. The boneless thigh is poached perfectly: white throughout, never chalky. This stall has been feeding Tiong Bahru since 1988. Queue early because they sell out by 9am on weekends.
Zhong Yu Yuan Soya Bean (Stall #02-30)
This is the stall you come to Tiong Bahru Market for. Their warm soya bean milk — thick, slightly sweet, with real soy weight — is the best in Singapore according to anyone who has seriously tried. Pair it with a bowl of tofu pudding (tau huay) topped with ginger syrup. Total cost: under $3. Total satisfaction: unreasonable for that price.
Tiong Bahru Bao (Stall #02-05)
Steamed bao that has been operating since the 1970s. The char siew bao and the lo mai kai (glutinous rice with chicken and mushroom wrapped in lotus leaf) are breakfast staples here. The skin on the bao is thinner than what you'll find at most dim sum restaurants. Order two of each. You will not regret it.
Tiong Bahru Fried Kway Teow (Stall #02-22)
For the char kway teow faithful who insist the only proper breakfast is wok hei and lard. The version here is old-school: dark soy, cockles, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, and a serious amount of heat. No frills, no fusion tweaks. Ask for extra chilli if you want to wake up faster than coffee would allow.
Tiong Bahru Katong Laksa (Stall #02-13)
Lemak, rich, and coconut-forward — this is comfort in a bowl. The broth is built over hours and it shows. The cockles are plump and the bee hoon is thick enough to carry the gravy. Come before 9am or accept that there may be no cockles left.
Budget $5–$10 for a full breakfast and drink. Cash only at most stalls. Park at the nearby URA car park on Tiong Bahru Road if you're driving.
📍 Getting There
Address: Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre, 30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898
Opening Hours: Daily, 6am–10pm (individual hawker stalls vary — arrive by 8am for full selection)
MRT: Tiong Bahru (EW17), 8-minute walk
