Though the food here has seen better days, Lau Pa Sat (or “old market” in Hokkien) is architecturally Singapore’s most resplendent hawker center with a history dating back to 1894. Originally a market, the open-air building was designed by engineer James MacRitchie based on an octagonal shape using cast iron supports. The building was faithfully restored in accordance with MacRitchie’s original designs when it was designated a hawker center in the '70s.