Celebrating with traditional Malay and Muslim hawker fare
A guide to Hari Raya Aidilfitri food at Singapore hawker centres — traditional Malay dishes, festive specialties, and the best halal stalls to visit.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. It is one of Singapore's most joyous celebrations, centred on family, forgiveness, and food. After a month of fasting from dawn to dusk, the festival is a time of feasting and togetherness. Hawker centres play an important role — both during Ramadan (with bustling bazaars and iftar meals) and during the Hari Raya celebrations that follow.
In the weeks leading up to Hari Raya, Ramadan bazaars pop up across Singapore, including at Geylang Serai, Kampong Glam, and Woodlands. These bazaars offer a feast of Malay and Muslim dishes: murtabak, satay, ramly burgers, briyani, ayam percik (flame-grilled chicken with coconut sauce), and an endless variety of kueh. While not technically hawker centres, these bazaars carry the same spirit of affordable, diverse street food. Many hawker stalls also extend their hours during Ramadan to serve iftar (breaking of fast) meals.
During Hari Raya itself, look for these traditional dishes at hawker centres and Malay food stalls: ketupat (compressed rice cakes) served with rendang (dry curry) and sayur lodeh (vegetable curry) form the classic Hari Raya combination. Lontong (rice cake in coconut gravy) is another festive favourite. Lemang (glutinous rice cooked in bamboo) appears at special stalls. For desserts, ondeh-ondeh (pandan coconut balls), kueh lapis (layered cake), and putu piring (steamed rice flour cake with palm sugar) are especially popular.
For the best Hari Raya experience at hawker centres, head to centres with strong Malay and Muslim food representation. Geylang Serai Market is the heart of Malay culinary culture in Singapore, with dozens of stalls serving authentic Malay cuisine. Adam Road Food Centre is famous for its nasi lemak. Chomp Chomp is known for its halal-friendly satay stalls. North Bridge Road Market has excellent Muslim Indian food. Many newer hawker centres in Woodlands, Jurong, and Tampines also have dedicated halal sections with diverse Malay and Indian Muslim cuisine.