After Hours @ My Chinatown Complex

What you’ll do:

Before the crowds stream in and the clatter of lunchtime begins, Chinatown Complex is already alive with the quiet rhythm of hawkers preparing to feed the neighbourhood. Step into the heart of one of Singapore’s most iconic hawker centres and. Follow the scent of frying vadai, the clinking of cleavers, and the murmur of morning trade as we take you behind the scenes of wet market stalls and beloved hawker gems that keep Chinatown energised.

Watch the masters at work; the tofu uncle arranging trays of silky bean curd; and the vegetable aunties sorting greens still dewy from the morning haul. Smell the unmistakable fragrance of freshly steamed bak chang, savour a warm bite of traditional dim sum just as it leaves the bamboo steamer, and peek into the colourful displays of a time-honoured sweet shop keeping old-school treats alive. You’ll see just how much precision, hustle, and heart go into the simplest plate of food.

And it’s not just about ingredients—it’s about people. From the cheerful vadai seller who’s been frying golden, spiced snacks since the ’80s to the fruit stall aunty who can tell a good melon by sound alone, you’ll meet the real faces behind your favourite bites. With every stop, you’ll uncover the unglamorous but deeply inspiring routines that power Singapore’s food culture—one tofu block, one bak chang, one steamer basket at a time.