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British-Albanian popstar Dua Lipa can sure crank out the bangers – but that's not all she has up her sleeve. The avid traveller, who also heads up book club Service 95, recently teamed up with Google Maps to curate lists of her favourite wining, dining, partying, and reading spots around the world. And guess what, a hawker centre in Singapore made the list.
Maxwell Food Centre, one of Singapore's most iconic hawker centres, was named in her "Chill Dinners & Snacks" list. In her Google Maps description, the singer describes it as "a true Singaporean haven" – and we couldn't agree more. Sandwiched between Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, Maxwell Food Centre has good food in spades. Most tourists flock here to try the legendary Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (praised by Gordon Ramsey and Anthony Bourdain, no less), but our other favourites include Alimama for green chilli chicken rice and Zhen Zhen Porridge for comforting bowls of chicken or fish porridge. For snacks, you can't go wrong with Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake for fritters stuffed with minced meat and diced oysters or Mr. Appam for South Indian fermented rice pancakes with palm sugar and grated coconut.
If we had to take a guess, Dua Lipa likely fell in love with Maxwell Food Centre when she visited in 2024 for two concerts at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Mother Monster, i.e. Lady Gaga, also caused mayhem at the food court while in town for her The Mayhem Ball tour in May 2025.
Maxwell Food Centre sits beside other recognisable names on Dua Lipa's list. Closer to home, there's Raan Jay Fai in Bangkok, a street-side restaurant famous for its crab meat omelette and seafood dishes cooked up by its goggle-wearing chef and owner, Jay Fai. Other international recommendations include Tokyo izakaya Narukiyo, London's Beigel Bake, and Barcelona's Cañete. Get all of the star's 12 shared Google Maps lists here.
While Maxwell Food Centre is in the spotlight, check out nine other fantastic hawker centres in Singapore, ranging from an old-school legend at Old Airport Road to a neighbourhood gem in Clementi.
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