Halal Food in #01-42 Market & Food Centre

Built in 1972 at a cost of .5 million, this sprawling hawker centre at 51 Old Airport Road stands on what was once the runway of Kallang Airport, which closed in 1955. The development housed 176 food stalls on the ground floor and 136 shop units above, resettling street hawkers from across Kallang Estate into a permanent, organised structure. Over five decades later, it remains one of Singapore's most celebrated hawker landmarks, now hosting over 150 stalls. The centre underwent major renovation from June to September 2024, emerging refreshed but retaining its essential character. Its culinary credentials are formidable: Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee ranks among Singapore's best for that dish, while To-Ricos Guo Shi earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019 for kway chap. Lao Fu Zi draws crowds for char kway teow, Hua Kee Hougang Famous Wanton Mee operates as a fourth-generation family business dating to the 1940s, and Whitley Road Big Prawn Noodle lives up to its name with generous crustaceans. Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee has been here since opening day in 1972, representing living history. This is not a gentrified food hall with hipster branding and Instagrammable murals. It remains authentically blue-collar, serving locals who have been coming for decades alongside tourists hunting genuine hawker culture. The scale, variety, and concentration of quality stalls make it a destination rather than merely a neighbourhood centre, a place where Singapore's hawker heritage continues to thrive without compromise.