Tekka Centre is the sort of hawker centre where deciding what to eat can become a problem — but a very good problem to have.

Walk through the food centre and you’ll encounter Indian briyani, Pakistani curries, Turkish kebabs, Teochew fish soup, braised duck rice, prawn noodles and chicken rice all under one roof. Some stalls have been feeding regulars for years, while others bring something a little different to the usual hawker-centre mix.

We ate our way through 10 stalls at Tekka Centre, from a S$4 plate of duck rice to Turkish beyti kebab and bowls of freshly sliced fish soup.

Here are the stalls that caught our attention.

01. Bodrum Turkish Kebab #01-290

Signature Dish: Turkish Food / Beyti Kebab
Operating Hours: 10am – 9pm
Closed: Sunday

Turkish food probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when someone mentions Tekka Centre, which is precisely why Bodrum Turkish Kebab caught my attention.

I ordered the Chicken Beyti Kebab (S$9.90), and it turned out to be one of the more interesting meals of the day.

The serving was substantial, with plenty of chicken rolled into the dish rather than just a few token pieces scattered around the plate. What made it particularly enjoyable for me was the yoghurt. Its cool, creamy character worked nicely against the seasoned chicken and stopped the dish from becoming too heavy.

I also tried the Hummus with Chicken. The hummus had a smooth consistency and enough flavour to stand on its own, while the chicken made it filling enough to share as part of a larger meal.

This isn’t typical Singapore hawker fare, but that’s part of its appeal. When you feel like taking a break from noodles and rice, Bodrum offers something quite different.

And a small detail that deserves mentioning: the stallholders were genuinely friendly, which always makes a meal that little bit nicer.

02. Hanifa’s Biryani Specialist #01-256

Signature Dish: Biryani
Operating Hours: 7am – 10pm
Closed: Monday

With the word “Biryani Specialist” sitting proudly in its name, Hanifa’s doesn’t leave you wondering what you should order.

Their menu includes several options:

Dum Chicken Biryani – S$6.50
Fish Biryani – S$6.50
Mutton Biryani – S$7
Prawn Biryani – S$7
Quail Biryani – S$7

I went straight for the Mutton Biryani (S$7).

What first struck me was the amount of food on the plate. This is the kind of portion that should satisfy anyone arriving at Tekka with a serious appetite.

The rice carried plenty of spice and aroma, but I appreciated that it didn’t simply rely on chilli heat to make an impression. You could actually taste the seasoning rather than spending the entire meal reaching for a drink.

The mutton worked especially well with the rice, giving each mouthful a deeper savouriness.

For S$7, I thought the portion-to-price ratio was excellent. And if mutton isn’t your thing, having everything from fish to quail biryani means there’s plenty of reason to return and work through the menu.

03. Al Azeem #01-222

Signature Dish: Vegetarian & Non-Vegetarian Indian Dishes
Operating Hours: 6am – 10pm daily

Not every memorable hawker meal needs to arrive with an elaborate presentation.

At Al Azeem, I put together a plate of vegetarian dishes for S$5, and visually, it was certainly one of the simpler meals I had at Tekka.

But start eating and the attraction becomes clearer.

What I liked was that the different vegetables still tasted like themselves. Instead of everything merging into one blanket of curry and spice, there were noticeable differences between each selection.

The food also tasted freshly prepared, something that’s especially important when you’re ordering several dishes from a display.

At S$5, there was enough on the plate to make this an easy everyday lunch rather than something you’d need to think twice about ordering.

Al Azeem serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, but my vegetarian plate left a particularly good impression.

Sometimes, simple rice-and-dishes meals are exactly what you want — especially when they taste freshly cooked and don’t cost much.

04. Haji Johan #01-254

Signature Dish: Indian Rojak
Operating Hours: 9am – 6pm
Closed: Monday

Indian rojak is one of those dishes where the sauce can make or break the entire plate.

You can have beautifully fried fritters, squid and other ingredients, but if the accompanying gravy isn’t right, something always feels missing.

Thankfully, Haji Johan gets the important parts right.

The assorted fried pieces arrived with a pleasing texture rather than feeling saturated with oil. I was particularly impressed by the paru and sotong. Both can become chewy very easily when handled poorly, but these were cooked nicely.

Then came the dipping gravy.

This was actually my favourite part.

Instead of heading too far into the sugary direction, the sauce leaned towards a more savoury, nutty profile. There was sweetness, of course, but it didn’t dominate every bite.

Dip a crisp fritter into that thick sauce and you understand why people take Indian rojak seriously.

If you’re the sort who judges an Indian rojak stall by its gravy, Haji Johan deserves a stop.

05. Uncle Jack Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice #01-305

Signature Dish: Chicken Rice
Operating Hours: 10am – 3pm
Closed: Sunday

Chicken rice doesn’t need much introduction in Singapore, which also means a stall has nowhere to hide.

There are only a few basic components on the plate, and when one isn’t right, you notice immediately.

At Uncle Jack Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice, both the Steamed Chicken Rice and Roasted Chicken Rice are S$4.50.

I had the steamed chicken and found myself enjoying the meal more than I initially expected.

The rice was fragrant and fluffy, with enough character that I was happy eating spoonfuls even before adding chilli. That’s always a promising start.

My portion came with white chicken breast, yet the meat still retained a pleasant, smooth texture rather than becoming dry and fibrous.

Then there’s the chilli sauce.

It has a noticeable kick and brings plenty of acidity and spice to the rice and chicken. If you’re someone who likes your chicken-rice chilli timid, this might catch you by surprise; personally, I thought it gave the plate some welcome excitement.

At S$4.50, this is a straightforward hawker meal done well — and sometimes that’s all chicken rice needs to be.

06. Yi Jia Teochew Fish Porridge Fish Soup #01-330

Signature Dish: Fish Soup
Operating Hours: 10.30am – 3pm
Closed: Saturday, Sunday & Monday

Timing matters at Yi Jia Teochew Fish Porridge Fish Soup.

I arrived fairly close to closing time and discovered that the Batam sliced fish had already sold out.

Fortunately, they still had red grouper, so I ordered the Red Grouper Fish Soup (S$9) instead.

And those slices of fish made quite an impression.

Rather than thin, flimsy pieces disappearing into the soup, the grouper came in satisfyingly thick cuts. That extra thickness gave the fish a firm, substantial bite while still retaining moisture.

The broth took a lighter approach. It wasn’t trying to bury the natural taste of the fish beneath heavy seasoning, which I thought was the correct call considering the quality of the grouper.

The garnishes added extra aroma and little bursts of flavour as I worked through the bowl.

At S$9, it isn’t the cheapest bowl of fish soup in a hawker centre, but considering the size and quality of the red grouper slices, I could understand where the money was going.

Judging by the sold-out Batam fish, coming earlier is probably wise.

07. 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles #01-326

Signature Dish: Prawn Noodles
Operating Hours: 7am – 1.30pm
Closed: Saturday & Sunday

There are bowls of prawn noodles you eat and forget about five minutes later.

Then there are bowls where you keep going back to the soup.

545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles falls firmly into the second category for me.

A regular portion costs S$6, giving you prawns, pork slices, bean sprouts and noodles, with crispy pork lard adding another dimension to the bowl.

But really, we’re here to talk about the broth.

It carries the unmistakable savouriness of prawn shells and pork bones, with a natural sweetness coming through as you drink it. There’s body to the soup, but it doesn’t feel unnecessarily thick or oily.

The noodles retained a pleasant bite as well, which matters more than people sometimes realise. Soggy noodles can quickly ruin even an excellent broth.

Those who prefer something punchier can add the stall’s sambal chilli. I liked how the chilli brought extra heat while working with the sweetness from the prawns rather than completely changing the character of the bowl.

You can also choose a dry version, but if this is your first visit, I’d personally start with the soup.

This is comforting, old-fashioned prawn mee territory — the kind of breakfast that makes waking up early slightly easier.

08. Delhi Lahori #01-266

Signature Dish: Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan
Operating Hours: 9am – 11pm daily

Between the Indian food stalls at Tekka Centre, Delhi Lahori stands out with its mix of Indian and Pakistani dishes.

I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala (S$7) together with garlic naan and a serving of spiced ladyfingers.

It turned into quite a feast.

The okra was lightly sautéed and, importantly for me, still retained a little bite. Overcooked okra can very quickly become soft and uninteresting, so I appreciated the texture here.

The chicken tikka masala was another highlight, with pieces of chicken coated generously in the curry. The sauce was exactly the sort that encourages you to keep tearing off pieces of naan until there’s practically nothing left on the plate.

And that naan deserves some attention.

The inside was fluffy and soft while the exterior picked up a little char and crispness from cooking. A brushing of garlic butter gave it just enough richness without turning the bread greasy.

We later tried the Butter Chicken (S$7.50) with both butter naan and garlic naan.

Between the two combinations, I’d probably return for the butter chicken and garlic naan. There’s something extremely satisfying about using hot bread to scoop up the last streaks of curry from the plate.

Come hungry.

09. Yakader Muslim Food #01-259

Signature Dish: Briyani
Operating Hours: 8am – 9pm daily

Tekka Centre certainly isn’t short of briyani, but Yakader Muslim Food gives you another strong contender.

Prices remain approachable, with Chicken Briyani at S$6.50 and Mutton Briyani at S$7.

What I enjoyed most was the rice.

The grains were light, fragrant and nicely separated rather than clumping together into a heavy mound. There’s enough seasoning running through them that even the rice alone remains interesting.

The meat had clearly been given time with its marinade too, resulting in seasoning that went beyond just the surface.

One small point: the accompanying gravy tasted a little saltier than I’d personally prefer. It’s not something that ruined the meal, but I found myself using slightly less of it as I went along.

Service, however, was quick and friendly — always useful when Tekka is busy and you’re trying to secure a table before someone else spots it.

With generous rice, well-seasoned meat and prices starting from S$6.50, Yakader remains a convincing option if briyani is what brought you to Tekka.

10. Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice #01-335

Signature Dish: Teochew Braised Duck Rice
Operating Hours: 7am – 1.30pm
Closed: Sunday

Sometimes the last meal turns out to be the one you keep thinking about.

At Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice, S$4 gets you a one-person portion of braised duck rice, and I found it remarkably satisfying for the price.

The duck carries the familiar savoury character of Teochew-style braising, and my slices had a pleasing texture that made them easy to eat with the rice.

Then there’s the gravy.

The stall ladles it over the rice, allowing those dark braising juices to seep between the grains. That might sound like a small detail, but it changed the whole plate for me — suddenly, plain rice becomes something you keep scooping up even after most of the duck has disappeared.

I added braised tofu as well, which naturally worked with the same sauce.

The chilli provides a brighter, sharper contrast to all those deeper braised flavours, while the accompanying herbal soup makes a nice ending between mouthfuls.

At S$4, I struggled to find much to complain about.

It’s traditional, uncomplicated and very reasonably priced — exactly the sort of stall I’d return to when I want lunch rather than an “experience”.

So, What Should You Eat at Tekka Centre?

That’s the difficult part.

If I had only one stomach and one visit, I’d probably narrow things down depending on my mood.

For something comforting, I’d choose 545 Whampoa Prawn Noodles. For a heavier lunch, Hanifa’s Mutton Biryani would be high on my list. Yi Jia’s Red Grouper Fish Soup is worth considering if fresh fish is the priority, while Bodrum Turkish Kebab and Delhi Lahori are good choices when you want something slightly different from the familiar Singapore hawker staples.

And for sheer value, that S$4 duck rice from Heng Gi is difficult to overlook.

That’s what makes Tekka Centre enjoyable: you could come here with four people craving completely different cuisines and probably keep everyone happy.

Just remember that several of the morning stalls close relatively early — and, as I learnt at Yi Jia, popular ingredients can disappear before closing time.

Tekka Centre
📍 665 Buffalo Road, Singapore 210665

Nearby MRT: Little India MRT Station (DT12/NE7) — about 2–3 minutes’ walk

From Turkish kebabs and Pakistani curries to Indian rojak, briyani, prawn noodles and traditional Teochew braised duck, Tekka Centre is one of those places where arriving hungry is probably the smartest decision you’ll make all day.