Come to People’s Park Food Centre during the weekends and you may be in for a shock.

The hawker centre gets ridiculously packed packed packed, as customers go for staples of classic Sichuan dishes, Chongqing Grilled Fish (kao yu), dumplings, hand-pulled La Mian, and Mala Xiang Guo – especially from Ri Ri Hong.

You can just imagine the sights and smells, which literally reeks of mala in the air. (Don’t come here in your Sunday best, as it can get quite ‘sweatingly’ hot.)

Somewhere within this massive hawker place in the Chinatown district, is a Michelin-recommended stall serving up La Mian and Xiao Long Bao. (Note: While the Michelin website indicated the stall as #01-1016B, it should be #01-1064.)

Looking for relatively-good and affordable Chinese food? Hong Peng La Mian Xiao Long Bao 洪鹏拉面小笼包 has them.
It is known for its Chinese La Mian (hand-pulled noodles) and Xiao Long Bao (soup-filled dumplings).

However, there are loads of other items sold from Shredded Chicken Congee ($3.50), Pig’s Organ Soup ($3.50), Sliced Fish Bee Hoon ($4.00), Mee Hoon Kway Soup ($4.00), Chicken Cutlet Noodle ($3.50), Wanton Noodles ($3.50) and much more.

Let’s just say these are items that are typically sold by say 10 different stalls, but you can find them all here. Not sure if it is a case of Jack of all trades.

The handmade Shanghai Xiao Long Bao ($4 for 6 pieces), filled with minced pork and chives, were chewy and juicy.

The skin was not too thick, so you won’t feel too stuffed after a few pieces.

Freshly made on the spot and steamed, they were served with accompanying condiments chopped chili and ginger strips soaked in black vinegar.

I won’t say they are the best around in Singapore, and perhaps lacked of the fine-delicate touches, but probably above the average with their juicy fillings.

The Shan Dong Guo Tie ($5, $8, $10) turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise, with slightly moist fillings of pork and chives, flavourful with moderately thin skin.

As for the La Mian, you can try choices such as their flavoured Beef Shank Noodles ($4), Chicken Cutlet Noodles ($3.50), Spicy Shredded Chicken ($3.50), and Sweet and Sour Soup Noodles ($3.50).

The plus point is noodles are hand-pulled on the spot, and the hawker was quite skillful at ‘reducing’ the flour dough into thin, long strands.

I ordered the Zha Jiang Mian Noodles with Bean Paste ($3.50) which was a MASSIVE portion for its price. Perhaps 2 or more people can share one bowl.

The sauce was thick and fragrant, noodles smooth and not too thick.

Hong Peng La Mian Xiao Long Bao may not serve the best of these dishes, but certainly hits the spot with its generous servings at good pricing.

Hong Peng La Mian Xiao Long Bao 洪鹏拉面小笼包
33 New Market Road, #01-1064 People’s Park Food Centre, Singapore 050032
Tel: +65 9083 5166
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 9:00pm (Mon – Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

On a search for some of Singapore’s best prawn noodles, I was recommended to Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee 惹蘭蘇丹蝦麺.

With over 70 years of history, Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee is also listed in the Singapore Michelin Guide with a “Michelin Plate”.

The famous noodle stall is located just off Geylang Lorong 1, a walking distance from Kallang MRT Station.

Within the same coffeeshop, there is also a stall selling ngoh hiang (which seems to be the case for many famous prawn noodle shops.)

Just an interesting note, several prawn noodles shops are located away from where their shop name suggests. For example, this Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee is at Geylang, Beach Road Prawn Mee is at East Coast, while Albert Street Prawn Noodle is at Old Airport Road Food Centre.

If you are driving, there isn’t much parking space outside the shop, and your best bet could be the HDB carparks near Lorong 3.

Its menu is straightforward – different combinations of prawns, king prawns, pork ribs and noodles.

All prawn noodles are available as soup or dry, which comes with chili on the side and a small bowl of broth.

The fresh, sweet prawns come in 2 sizes – regular and “King”. The basic bowl starts at $6 for Prawn Mee, while it is recommended to get the King Prawn Pork Ribs Noodle ($8, $10).

There is also a Pig Thai Pork Ribs Soup ($5, $8, $10) offered.

The King Prawn Pork Rib Prawn Mee ($5) is quite popular, cooked with tender pieces of pork rib and prawns of different sizes.

While my personal preference is typically the dry version, I say get the soup version for its broth, as it sets this apart from other stalls, mildly sweet and has a robust flavour.

Compared to some of the famous stalls around, the soup base was lighter, more diluted, not as hot-hot, but still considered appetizing. It was ”qing” and thus not too heavy.

Prawns were fresh and sweet, coming off the shells easily.

As for the dry noodles, you can opt to combine the yellow noodle and bee hoon, served with a mild savoury sauce and shallots.

The dry version had a less impressionable sauce and chilli, and I could imagine the average diner preferring something more saucy or aromatic.

This is a not-bad bowl, quite satisfying, though I suspect it used to be much better in the past.

Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee 惹蘭蘇丹蝦麺
2 Jalan Ayer (Lorong 1 Geylang), Singapore 389141
Tel: +65 6748 2488
Opening Hours: 8am – 3:30pm (Wed – Mon), Closed on Tues

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

It is slightly unfortunate that Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle at Pek Kio Market and Food Centre has become more ‘famed’ for a temperament owner, rather than its goods.

Just have a scroll through various review websites, and you would find countless feedback on the auntie’s attitude, especially if you do not queue behind a red line or ordered the cheapest bowl.

(Anyway, while there you can also have some Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun, which is also Michelin-recommendation under the “Michelin Plate”.)

One fine day recently, I decided to head over to Pek Kio to have Wah Kee again, only to find ZERO queue (observed for a while, and it was still mostly short.)

Instead, Lai Hiang Pork Rib Prawn Mee in the same hawker centre had a much longer line – which was not quite the same in the past (say 5-10 years ago).

I went towards the stall, slightly cautious, and was definite in my orders without hesitation.

”Prawn noodles, beehoon + mee, $10, having here, want chilli.” (虾面，米粉面，十块，这里吃，要辣椒)

To my very surprise, auntie was all-smiles and told me to sit down because it would be tired standing up. (Just in case you are wondering, I wasn’t holding a camera then. Could be because I ordered a $10 bowl?) I thought I should buy 4D that day then.

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles offers bowls of $5, $10, $15, $20, to $25. For first-timers, it is recommended to try at least the $10 option.

If I were to recommend, get the mee kia (thin noodles) dry.

The noodles are specially made for Wah Kee, and all base sauces such as the sambal chilli sauce and special spicy sauce are made in-house daily, using Wah Kee’s 65-year recipe.

I enjoyed it for its texture, but remembered that it had a better mixture of sauces, more greasy with oomph.

Interesting to note that they do not use pork in cooking the soup, and therefore the broth is lighter with an unique orange colour.

The prawns were large and fresh, soup was tasty and moderately robust in flavours – more intense than the average stall, but didn’t seem to be as rich and gao-gao (ie more diluted) as in the past.

Personal preference, I am a mee kia person, and so Wah Kee is one of the few that offers a decent rendition of dry prawn noodles with mee kia. Many stalls do not even have this option.

As to whether customers can bear auntie’s mood or not, I guess just smile at her, be polite, and see how it goes.

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles
41A Cambridge Road, #01-15, Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, Singapore 210041
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 2pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodle and Bistro
8 Raffles Avenue Esplanade Mall #01-13C Singapore 039802
Tel: +65 63279187
Opening Hours: 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 11pm (Sat), 11am – 10pm (Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

I generally find Tanjong Pagar Food Centre under-rated compared to other CBD food centres such as Maxwell Food Centre and Amoy Street Food Centre, and there are still some gems to be discovered.

Although modest in size, Tanjong Pagar Food Centre is a bustling weekday lunch venue.

It offers diners a great choice of inexpensive and aroy Thai food via the Issan Thai Food stall, located on the second level.

Tip: Heading there for an early dinner would mean less of a crowd, and you can have their Thai food at a much cooler environment.

The stall is also listed in Singapore’s Michelin Guide, considering not bad as there are only 2 other Thai establishments on the list – Yhingthai Palace (Bib Gourmand) and Long Chim (Michelin Plate).

While it is a 2-women show (1 cook, 1 cashier) at the stall, they serve up quite a repertoire of dishes, some wok-fried on the spot, from Thai Fried Rice ($5.00), Basil Rice ($5.00), Hor Fun ($5.00), Pineapple Fried Rice ($4.80), Tom Yum Fried Rice ($4.80), Fried Kang Kang ($5.50), Fried Omelette ($4.50), to Fried Kai Lan ($5.50).

Alongside other Thai staples of Tom Yum Soup with Rice ($6.00), Phai Thai ($5.00), and Green Curry with Rice ($6.00).

There were some not bad dishes, while a couple were more ordinary.

Given a choice, I would recommend their Pad Thai noodles ($4.50) served with rice noodles, 2 tail-on prawns, bean curd, egg, bean sprouts, and a wedge of lime on the side.

Like any Thai dish that balances all the flavours, this noodle dish tastes sweet, sour, spicy and savoury all at the same time.

The distinguishing factor was that it had wok-hei and was deliciously-moist.

Their Basil Chicken Rice ($5), also a bestseller, is made with minced chicken cooked in oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and basil, and served with steamed rice topped with a fried egg.

Another popular Thai dish is their version of Fried Rice ($4.50, $5.00 with egg), made with slivers of green mango, onion, crispy ikan bilis, and chunks of chicken.

Some of their other dishes were more average-tasting, say the Green Curry ($6.00) and Tom Yum ($6.00) which had fishballs within.

If you come looking for “Michelin” standards in these dishes, I would say that Soi 47 and Nakhon are about there.

But I enjoyed the Pad Thai I had, which was a cut above the rest.

While the taste may not be the most authentic around (probably tamed down on the spice levels to suit the office workers), it is worth a visit if you have Thai-food cravings in the vicinity.

Issan Thai Food 泰国东北美食
6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-13 Tanjong Pagar Market and Food Centre, Singapore 081006
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 8pm (Mon-Sat), Closed on Sun

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

After writing about some of the more popular hawker centres in Singapore, I thought I should move on to the more under-rated and less talked about ones.

Redhill Food Centre at 85 Redhill Lane is just a few minutes away from the Redhill MRT Station, and is lined up with a wide assortment of food stalls.

I usually come here at night, where just a couple of stalls are opened and you would find uncles hanging around for supper and beer, complaining about what else… the G.

Morning is a different story, bustling with energy. Tip: Look out for those stalls with moderately long queues and opened for just that few hours a day.

This is really where you can find “cheap and good” stalls.

Like Lan Xing Delight which serves up cai peng with one meat and two vegetables for an astonishing $2.50. And it can be pretty filling.

Okay, whenever I write such hawker food guides, I get ‘scolded’ for leaving out this and that stall. Need to say I only have that amount of stomach space, but have stalls such as Ali Fatimah, Shi Le Yuan Teochew Porridge, Ru Ji Kitchen (fishballs), Hock Shun Traditional Home-made Curry, and Rong Xing La Mian Xiao Long Bao bookmarked.

(And so to clarify, whenever I write such food guides, I go to the hawker centre about 5-10 times, try out one by one.) Here are the 10 must-try stalls at Redhill Food Centre:

Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon
#01-40 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 8pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed

Satay Bee Hoon is a fast-disappearing dish in Singapore, and you cannot find it in many food centres already.

Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon is worthy of mention for its warm and comforting peanut sauce which got the consistency just right.

The stalls serves up Satay Bee Hoon, Cuttle Fish Kang Kong and Cuttle Fish Kang Kong Bee Hoon.

Even if you are not a big fan of this dish, you may be a convert after trying their version, with many customers queuing up to 15 to 20 minutes to get their hands on a plate.

Their Satay Bee Hoon ($3, $4, $5) peanut sauce was fresh and fragrant with the aroma of peanuts, sweetness not overpowering with just a tad of spiciness. While some of the other stalls have sauces that have that nuttier texture, this feels just right and coats the thin vermicelli evenly.

The portion size is quite generous with cuttlefish, liver, tender pork slices, tau pok, blood clams and strands of kang kong.

Hua Kee Chicken Rice
#01-72 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 12:30pm (Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun), Closed Mon, Tues, Thurs

Funny that there are so many “best chicken rice in Singapore” but not many actually listed Hua Kee. I would reckon its fans would rate this as the Number 1 stall, above those highly raved and famous ones.

Hua Kee Chicken Rice stall has been running successfully for over 30 years with their special family recipe made with a lot of heart and attention. The stall is always packed with people and the queue is long if you come in peak afternoon hours.

I got my plate of chicken rice after queuing for about half an hour.

The Chicken Rice (starts at $3) was quite tasty with chunks of tender, succulent chicken with fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock. The poached chicken was not overly greasy or saucy, in fact still tasted slightly ‘cold’, but had this smoothness which was quite alluring.

The rice while fluffy, was not that greasy as well, and some people may find the need to drizzle more chilli sauce and dark sauce over. Simple but worth queueing for.

Hong Seng Curry Rice
#01-74 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)

This cheap and good food stall is run by 2nd gen hawker whose family has been in the same business for over 20 years.

The choices at this stall make it stand out, as there are 20 plus different dishes cooked on a daily basis.

Recommended dishes include Pork Chop, Char Siew, Braised Pig’s Trotters, Dong Po Pork, Boneless Curry Chicken, Curry Sotong, and Prawn Fritters. Pork Chop – must get.

If you are hungry for more, there are also the Pork Meatballs, Ikan Billis, Cabbage, Stir-Fried Long Bean, and Chye Poh Omelette. Prices go from $0.70 per portion to say $4 – $6 for the fish.

Come in a group, order a small variety, and when you add everything up, you really this rice stall is really quite economical.

Yan Fried Bee Hoon 焱
#01-09 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 6pm (Sat), Closed Sun

This was the famous chicken wings that PM Lee Hsien Loong stood in queue for.

However, on that note, it is said that the original owner has moved to 726 Clementi West Street 2 (West Coast Market), while the new owners changed the name of the stall slightly (not many will discover the difference).

While standard may not be quite the same as before, these crisp and somewhat oily chicken wings ($1.20) are still worth it for an indulgent supper treat.

Pair this up with some Bee Hoon ($0.60), which I would always pour some sweet chilli sauce over, added with other deep fried items of luncheon meat, fish cakes and sausages ($0.50 – $1).

Fei Zai Xiang Roasted Meat
#01-91 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Their Char Siew is quite the bomb.

When you are in the mood for roasted meat, the Fei Zai Xiang is the stall you should head, located facing the side road.

Even though there is usually a short queue, the stall is quite fast and get your orders out quick. They serve up a variety of Hong Kong roast rice and noodle dishes, such as Char Siew Rice, Roasted Duck Rice, Roasted Meat Rice, Wanton Noodles and Dumpling Noodles. Priced between $3 to $5.

The Wanton Noodles ($3.50) had noodles that were the thin, springy Hong Kong style, topped with caramelized char siew slices that were quite thick, rich and fatty.

Not super famous, but worth a mention for its portion and well-charred meats.

Seng Heng Braised Duck Noodles
#01-28 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11:30am (Mon – Sun)

This is one of those breakfast places only, and I would suggest going early as they usually run out by 10plus 11am.

The Hokkien-style braised duck has a very authentic taste and flavor, with just the right blend of spices.

The meat while slightly on the lean side with a bit of gaminess, still had tender texture and succulent flavor. The chili really spikes up the taste of noodles and compliments the whole dish quite well.

As for the soup, it had the essence of the duck bones and some herbals which gave it added richness.

Shi Le Yuan
#01-82 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

I really think this is one of the best Kway Chap you can find in Singapore – the kway (rice noodles) was so smooth. (Note: There is also a Shi Le Yuan Teochew Muay in the same food centre.)

This stall was once listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore in 2017.

The Kway Chap is priced at $3 or $4 for individual portion, $6 or $7 if you intend to share.

It is accompanied with an assortment of ingredients like pig’s intestine and skin, fish cake, hard-boiled eggs, tau pok, and tofu, all braised together in the sauce. I enjoyed that the intestines were soft and without that wonky after-taste.

Also available are Pig’s Organ Soup and Meat Ball Soup. The couple-hawkers were friendly and sincere as well.

Fu Ming Carrot Cake
#01-49 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Phone: +65 9641 0565
Opening Hours: 3pm – 1am (Mon – Sat), 6am – 1am (Sun)

I usually head over here for supper, and when not worried about counting calories. To look out for the stall, find the “Mickey Mouse” on their signboard.

Fu Ming Cooked Food is quite popular as a supper treat for its Fried Carrot Cakes ($3, $4, $5), available in both white or black versions.

Good to know that this stall still steams their own carrot cake, and thus you would find it softer and more watery, compared to many others who simply get their supply from factories.

Usually I would go for the white versions in most stall, but somehow I prefer the black here.

There is this soft texture and flavor along with hint of radishes, some pieces of eggs, dribbled with sweet black sauce which was added twice for extra sweetness. You may find it slightly sweet and greasy though.

Jia Xiang Mee Siam
#01-35 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm (Mon – Fri, Sun), 11:30am – 5pm (Sat)

Two words – old school!

There is usually a steady queue for the Mee Siam ($3), Lontong ($3) and Nasi Lemak ($3). All of which were reasonably priced considering the portion size.

The owner has been serving up Mee Siam for more than 50 years, having learnt the recipe from her mother. Don’t be fooled by the faded signboard, because it is the food that really matters.

You get a myriad of ingredients spread atop the orange bee hoon such as hard boiled eggs, tau pork, tiny fried croutons, a thin piece eggs, fried ikan billis, and finished with a dollop of chilli.

Once you taste the gravy, you know where the magic is – the right proportion of sourness with that zing. Very addictive.

Qing Tian Desserts 青天冷热甜品
#01-60 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 4pm – 11pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

The stall got enough more famous when PM Lee Hsien Loong was spotted queuing for it, with special note of the “dancing uncle” and techno music. (He said he would do an Instagram video thenext time, which I think didn’t happen.)

While uncle didn’t dance when I was there, he was still very jovial and ‘moving around’.

This stall serves up quite a variety of both hot and cold desserts, from Cendol, Sea Coconut Iced Jelly, Ice Kachang, Cheng Tng, Red Bean Sauce To Mango Pudding Cocktail.

Redhill Food Centre
85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085 (Redhill MRT Station

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

There are basically three main types of Bak Kut Teh (pork rib soup) that can be found in Singapore.

The Teochew style which is lighter with more pepper and garlic – probably most commonly found here; the Cantonese with stronger flavoured soup and herbal taste; and the Hokkien with darker soup with usage of soy sauce and herbs.

Leon Kee Claypot Pork Rib Soup 諒記砂鍋當歸肉骨茶 at Alexandra Village Food Centre is home to Hokkien style of Bak Kuh Teh (pork rib soup) served in a traditional claypot – similar to the typical Malaysian versions.

The menu is quite wide-ranging from Pork Rib Soup ($5, $5 $10), Pig Tail Soup ($5, $6, $10), Pig Trotter ($5, $6, $10), to Claypot Prawn Noodles ($5, $8), Meat Ball Soup ($5, $8), and Claypot Liver ($10, $12).

As there are other items added on to the menu board pasted by paper, it can look pretty confusing to a first-time visitor.

You would find other food such as Omelette Rice ($3.50), Claypot Oyster Omelette ($10, $12) to Braised Pork Rice ($4.00).

While most claypot stalls can take a while to serve, I would say I waited at most about 10 to 15 minutes.

Available in different portion sizes, Leon Kee’s signature Pork Rib Soup ($5, $6, $10) is prepared using a flavourful, not-too-thick broth cooked with different Chinese herbs.

While there are fans who say this is possibly close to what you can find in Malaysia, I thought in comparison there wasn’t that strong herbal taste and full-bodied flavours.

I would say the broth was somewhere in the middle, in terms of heartiness, intensity and how hot it was. It won’t make you sweat like the usual peppery ones.

Well, at least the pork ribs were slide-off-the-bone tender.

Some of the other items, such as Pig Stomach Soup ($5, $6, $10) and Meat Ball Soup ($5, $8) were cooked in the same broth.

You can also go for the Braised Pork version ($4, $8, $10), best paired with some rice or vermicelli.

Unlike many other stalls, the pork belly, liver and intestines here are well-prepared leaving little trace of the usual offal smell.

There were some other dishes which didn’t work as well. For example, you may have certain expectations of Prawn Noodles ($5, $8) imagining some rich seafood flavours, but do keep in mind the base is a light pork broth.

So, you may feel there is something missing there.

I was intrigued by the Oyster Mee Sua ($5) with the menu photo looking like those thick and gooey variants sold in Taiwanese street markets.

Photo vs reality. That was probably a wrong stock photo used, as what I was served was Mee Sua in the soupy herbal pork broth. Not quite the same.

On the menu is also Claypot Omelette ($3, $5) with the eggs cooked direct in the pot. Interesting.

By the way, Leon Kee Claypot Pork Rib Soup is recommended by the Michelin Guide Singapore, listed under “Michelin Plate”.

Leon Kee Claypot Pork Rib Soup 諒記砂鍋當歸肉骨茶
120 Bukit Merah Lane, #01-18 Alexandra Village Food Centre, Singapore 150120
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed

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Ah Er Soup (ABC Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Pek Kio Food Centre has its own legion of fans for its old school charm, and offers a lot of pocket-friendly stalls with local specialties.

Okay, I have been to Pek Kio Food Centre quite a number of times, but never really took note of this Hokkien Mee stall.

Perhaps it is due to its opening hours of 11:30am to 5pm – opened too late for breakfast, closed too early for dinner.

Talk about Hokkien Mee and we have our favourites from Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee at ABC Food Centre, Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee at Toa Payoh to Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee at Serangoon Garden.

I would reckon that Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodles 生成炒虾麵 has a certain nostalgic taste that its regulars like.

The stall is also listed in the Singapore “Michelin Plate” guide. (The Michelin Plate or L’Assiette Michelin is a new designation worldwide, a symbol that indicates “restaurants where the inspectors have discovered quality food.”)

Popular for its value-for-money Hokkien mee, Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodles offers its specialty starting at $3.00. Also available at $4, $5, $6.

For the price, you get a decent heap of noodles with prawns and squid with an old-school flair.

This wetter than usual version consists a good portion of a mix of thick and thin bee hoon and yellow noodles, served with thin slices of sotong, halved prawns, pieces of fishcake, egg, home-made sambal chili and some lime on the side.

Fishcakes are not that commonly incorporated, and some people may find this reminding them of Char Kway Teow.

The noodles are on soft and on cooked on the soggy side which some people may like.

In terms of flavours, I thought it lacked that strong ‘seafoody’ and prawn stock base, that customers with 重口味 (who generally prefer something more flavourful) may not fancy.

The sweet chilli sauce was delicious though.

There’s always a queue at this stall but it does clear up fast. Given the price, this dish will fill up your tummy affordably.

Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodles 生成炒虾麵
41A Cambridge Road, #01-40 Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, Singapore 211041
Tel: +65 6299 3981
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 5pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon

Other Related Entries
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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

After CNN named “Cendol from Singapore” as one of the 50 world’s best desserts, there was an uproar on social media about the dessert’s origin.

Let’s not dwell further on that.

Cendol (or “Chendol”) is a sweet iced dessert known for its mixture of ingredients from the signature green rice flour jelly, to coconut milk and palm sugar (Gula Melaka).

Some add in other ingredients such as red bean, sweet corn and attap chee.

Most stalls in Singapore serve Chendol as part of their huge dessert repertoire; and some may choose to add in ingredients that lang-ga (clash) from glass jelly to agar agar cubes. One word – No.

With the increasingly HOT weather, this makes such a refreshing treat in the staggering heat. After recommendations from readers, I went around to try some of the most fragrant and delicious Cendol in Singapore:

Jin Jin Hot / Cold Dessert
6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-21 ABC Brickworks Market Food Centre, Singapore 150006
Tel: +65 9093 2018
Opening Hours: 12:30pm – 10pm (Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Mon, Wed

Other than the signature Gangster Ice (Liu Mang Durian + Mango dessert), Jin Jin at ABC Brickworks Food Centre Hawker enjoys a steady line of customers waiting to get a taste of the Power Chendol. (Tip: Have it after the Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee, which is located just opposite.)

The stall is helmed by Calvin and Ewan, two friends who originally did not know anything about making desserts but proceeded to revive the stall when the original owner wanted to close it down.

Prices of the desserts still remain about $1.50 and $2.00 on average.

The stall received top votes at the Singapore Food Festival, and their fame lies in their delicious bowl of Power Chendol.

Priced at $2, you get generous servings of ingredients, drizzled with thick Gula Melaka syrup imported from Indonesia and cooked daily by the stall owners.

It is called ‘Power Chendol’ for a reason. The Gula Melaka was thick, flavourful and mildly sticky, almost like glue sticking on top of the mini-hill. The gooey and heavy palm sugar imparted an intense and rich flavor.

The ice is rather compact, so may need some ‘knocking’ from the spoon to hit it apart and mix the syrup all in, which otherwise may be too sweet. Otherwise, very shiok.

Four Seasons Chendol 四季煎蕊
210 #01-07 Lor 8 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310210
Tel: +65 8720 1124
Opening Hours: 11am – 12:30am (Mon – Sun)
New branch at 724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6.

Four Seasons Cendol is commonly recognized by many to serve the best cendol in Singapore. Other than an outlet at Toa Payoh Lor 8, I just discovered a branch at Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 Food Centre.

Keep your expectations high when you visit this place for a rich and creamy bowl of sugary delight.

Every bowl is prepared on order and swiftly put together within a minute so you don’t have to wait too long. It is exceptionally tasty and the presentation is also Instagram worthy (shoot your photos fast in this hot weather though).

I got myself a bowl of Cendol for $2.20. The bowls already have attap seeds and red beans, filled up with thick green jelly and ice shavings in a perfect dome of deliciousness.

The gooey Gula Melaka topping gave the cendol an appeasing, sweet lingering aroma. Special mention goes to the big red beans which were very soft (there are no small red beans by the way.)

The stall opens till 12:30am by the way. Chendol for supper? No problem.

Dove Desserts
22 Lor 7 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310022
Tel: +65 9272 5712
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

Seems like the famous Cendol stalls are found at Toa Payoh.

Dove Desserts probably serves up one the cheapest bowl of Chendol at $1.80, although you can pay 70 cents extra for durian puree topping. (The Cheng Tng is only $1.20 by the way.)

The Chendol at Dove Desserts is freshly prepared, with generous ingredients.

I loved the springy and mildly fragrant jade green ‘worms’. While there is no one component that stand out, I thought that all ingredients balanced well, and complimented the Gula Melaka and creamy coconut milk. Ice was not too coarse as well.

Note: Sometimes they are sold out way before closing hours.

Old Amoy Chendol (Used to be at 335 Smith St, Chinatown Point Food Centre)
F&B12 Trengganu Street, Singapore 058466
Tel: +65 8748 7590
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9pm (Mon – Sun) (Monitor their Facebook as they may close from time to time)

Run by young hawkers, I would say that Old Amoy Chendol is one of the best versions I had in Singapore, with rich and thick Gula Melaka.

It used to be located at Chinatown Food Centre, and has moved to F&B12 Trengganu Street as the hawker centre is undergoing renovations.

Get a delicious bowl of the famous cold dessert at only $2 for a bowl, and this stall with 4 seats is dedicated to just this one dessert.

From Gula Melaka to the green jelly, everything is prepared fresh from scratch every single day

It was light with a lovely coconut taste, smoky and fragrant Gula Melaka to complement the soft and sweet red beans.

The surprisingly element was the soft green jelly which had a distinct pandan fragrance. However, I tried it again recently and thought the ingredients weren’t as ‘full’ as before.

The Coconut Club
6 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069787
Tel: +65 6635 2999
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 9:30pm (Mon – Sat), 11am – 3pm (Sun)

The Coconut Club at Ann Siang Hill which received the Michelin Bib Gourmand, is actually famous not only for the Nasi Lemak, but Cendol as well.

A bowl of Cendol ($3.80) at The Coconut Club is definitely more inclined towards the rich and creamy, with dense coconut milk that gives the bowl its most dominant flavor.

If you want to enjoy it with red beans, you will have to pay $1.20 more. Would be happier if it was a bigger portion.

Nyonya Chendol
51 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, #02-147, Singapore 588215
Tel: +65 9827 4818
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 8:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Where did Nyonya Chendol come from? Out of the ‘sudden’, you see outlets popping all around the island with its distinctive white and green signboard, and menu of 4 Chendol items.

You can find the stalls at Bukit Timah Food Centre, Old Airport Road Food Centre (#01-115), Whampoa Food Centre (#01-17), Blk 85 Redhill Food Centre (#01-57), Albert Street Food Centre (#01-69), and Boon Lay Food Centre (#01-130).

Nyonya Chendol specializes in the sweet icy and milky dessert of Chendol, serving the traditional, plain Chendol ($1.50), Red Beans Chendol ($2), Sweet Corn Chendol ($2) and XO Durian Chendol ($3).

The first noticeable thing was the big mound of shaved ice, which suggested that they aren’t stingy with their ingredients.

The ice was flavored with thick and glossy Gula Melaka and heavy coconut milk with a smooth and pleasing texture. The highlight of course, was the luscious red beans.

While standards may not be consistent among the various branches and it may not be the best-best, the dessert is generally a crowd pleaser.

Malaysia Boleh (Jurong Point)
1 Jurong West Central 2, 03-28, Singapore 648886
Tel: +65 6370 1155
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

When I asked for Cendol recommendations in Singapore, many actually commented Malaysia Boleh served up a cheap and good version.

You can also find similar versions by concepts under the same group, such as Malaysia Chiak! and Tangs Market – the basement food court.

The Penang Road Chendol ($2) is prepared Teochew style and comes with green jelly that is prepared fresh with pandan leaves.

While the red beans were plump and coconut milk creamy and heart, the serving size would be larger and ice less coarse.

Qing Tian Desserts 青天冷热甜品
#01-60 Redhill Food Centre, Blk 85 Redhill Lane, Singapore 150085
Opening Hours: 4pm – 11pm (Wed – Sun), Closed Mon – Tues

The stall got enough more famous when PM Lee Hsien Loong was spotted queuing for it, with special note of the “dancing uncle” and techno music. (PM Lee said he would do an Instagram video the next time, which I think didn’t happen.)

While uncle didn’t dance when I was there, he was still very jovial and ‘moving around’.

This stall serves up quite a variety of both hot and cold desserts, from Chendol, Sea Coconut Iced Jelly, Ice Kachang, Cheng Tng, Red Bean Sauce to Mango Pudding Cocktail.

The Chendol is very affordable at $1.50, with a Durian version at $2.50.

While the dessert was not the most aesthetically pleasing – all the ingredients were buried below, the ice was soft, coconut milk fragrant, and red beans delicious.

Cendol Geylang Serai
1 Geylang Serai, #02-107, Singapore 402001
Tel: +65 9485 5845
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)

This 50 year old Geylang Serai stall serves up traditional Indonesian-style Cendol.

This stall is one of a kind. They have been serving cendol for decades, tends to receive relatively long queues every single day.

They serve up 3 versions – Cup with Ice ($3), Cup without Ice ($3.50) and Bowl ($2.00) for dine in only.

One thing to note as well, they don’t include Red Beans in this rendition.

The green pandal flavored jelly has more rice flour in it than any other place, making it soft and flavorful. The coconut milk and Gula Melaka tasted fresh as well, though overall was slightly on the sweet side.

Some people may find it less value-for-its-money than others as it did not include other ingredients such as attap seeds, red bean or sweet corn.

Chendol Melaka
15 Upper East Coast Rd, Singapore 455207
Phone: +65 9630 1338
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

The bowl of icy Chendol ($2) is made from fresh and creamy coconut milk infused in shaved ice.

It is drizzled heartily with thick and sticky Gula Melaka, has soft and springy chendol strips and thick red beans.

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I feel it is a waste for food stalls when customers ending up commenting more on the service, rather than the food itself.

Such is the case of Hup Hup Minced Meat Noodle located at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 Food Centre.

Reviews online ranged from ”1 star for service attitude”, “rude and arrogant”, “bad attitude”, to “extremely unpleasant”.

People I talked to have differing opinions: many feel that service IS a part of the dining experience – whether restaurant or hawker centre; but there are some who thinks we cannot expect too much from a $3 – $4 bowl.

”Hawker food still want Michelin standard, is it?

Talking about Michelin, this Bak Chor Mee stall DID get listed in the Singapore Michelin Guide under “Michelin Plate”. Which got me wondering – did the inspectors queue and experience this “service” as well?

Hup Hup Minced Meat Noodle is known for its old-school Bak Chor Mee topped with round-shaped crackers.

I combed through reviews, even those left in 2009, and found a disparity. It seemed that something happened along the way, and both food and service was not quite like in the past.

Being mentally prepared, I went ahead with a huge smile and ordered politely in precise measure, ”$4, mee kia, chilli, having here.”

Some of my readers told me that guys get the better treatment, but from my observation from customers in front and after me, the “service” seemed to be the same for everyone. So, do not take it too personally?

I get it that hawkers may have varied ways of dealing with the stress and heat. Some are more grumpy, straight-faced, or will snap if you order wrongly or not in the ‘correct’ procedure.

This particular server just didn’t smile, did little talking and pointed instead (example to the chilli sign), left trays down (and removed mine) in the most nonchalant way. Order wrongly and get a “killer stare”.
I see.

The modern consumer probably cannot tolerate this very much. The non-verbals in this case, can be interpreted as “with attitude”.

All right, back to the food.

If you are expecting the usual Bak Chor Mee with vinegar and all that, this is not quite the norm.

There was that strong ketchup taste beneath, which reminded me of noodles I had when I was still schooling. For purists who love your vinegar, then you are likely to frown upon this.

Noodles were slightly starchier and thicker than the usual mee kia, but that probably worked well with the sauces.

The savoury braised sliced mushrooms and four pieces of round crackers which added some crisp (somewhat like wanton skin) were the highlight.

A word of caution: there is just mee kia and mee pok here, so DON’T ask for bee hoon, kway teow and the etc.

If you do intend to head down to try, I guess just SMILE and order politely. No harm, right?

Hup Hup Minced Meat Noodle
724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, Singapore 560724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, Singapore 560724
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Lor Mee 卤面, the Hokkien-based gooey-gravy hawker food with thick-flat yellow noodles may not be everybody’s kind of dish.

Some say starchy, filling, and somewhat plain. But find a good bowl, and it can be a comforting and satisfying treat.

I am not that much a Lor Mee person as well, but after trying Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee 新美香卤面, I may just be a convert.

This popular stall along Old Airport Road is often lauded for its Lor Mee done right.

Located near MRT Mountbatten or Dakota MRT Station (Circle Line), Xin Mei Xiang Lor Mee attracts queues of diners eager to taste and re-taste their famed Lor Mee.

Especially during peak hours, you could spot the line even from the main road.

Aside from the recognition it received from the Michelin Guide (it has a Michelin Plate), another feather in its cap is the Ctrip Gourmet List award. It was also awarded as People’s Choice for Local Food during the City Hawker Food Hunt in 2018.

I remember it winning (back in those days) the “Best Lor Mee” in the Kym Ng hosted “Just Noodles 面对面” on television.

The line does get very long during peak hours, with estimated wait of about 20 to 30 minutes, and bowls can be sold out before closing hour.

Ah yes, there is another similar-sounding Xiang Ji Lor Mee (#01-81) in the same food centre, if you happen to crave and Xin Mei Xiang is closed.

What’s noteworthy in their Xin Mei Xiang’s Lor Mee ($4, $5, $6) is its generous serving of ingredients – you get your money’s worth.

The sauce, a key element in a good Lor Mee, was quite unlike any others I had before – thick and flavourful as it was prepared with five-spice and other seasonings.

The balance of being vinegary and spicy was done just right.

I never intended to finish that sauce but I did anyway. While some customers may feel it is on the plain side, it was not as starchy and didn’t give me that uncomfortable-filling feeling.

Unlike the medium and large bowls, the small bowl is served without flaked fish.

If you like the pan-fried fish (I think it is red snapper) in your Lor Mee, for the bigger bowls.

This Lor Mee comes with hard boiled eggs, crunchy bean sprouts, as well as chopped red chillies, sambal chili and Chinese parsley for some heat and freshness. (Without the usual ngo hiang or meat dumplings.)

If you want to add noodles ($0.50) or ingredients ($6.00), you can. Pay a little extra for take away containers ($0.20 for small, $0.30 for big).

A word of caution though, if you are planning to visit this stall, do check out in advance its Facebook Page as their schedule could be erratic at times.

Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee 新美香卤面
51 Old Airport Road, #01-116 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Fri – Wed), Closed Thurs
https://www.facebook.com/xinmeixianglormee

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Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

I do miss the good-old Tiong Bahru Food Centre, you know, that era even BEFORE the move.

That was when I would persuade my ah-ma to get some hot, steaming, fresh Crystal Dumplings (Shui Jing Bao) 水晶包. I loved that more than its ‘cousin’ of Soon Kway 笋粿 that just didn’t have that same elastic skin and crunchy fillings.

Today, Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Bao 中峇鲁聯發水晶包 is perhaps one of the few stalls that still make Crystal Dumplings chwee jia bao entirely hand-made.

In fact, it could be the only Crystal Dumpling specialty stall left in in Singapore.

It is one of the stalls that originated from the Seng Poh Road Market that opened in 1951. (Demolished in 2004, it was later renamed to Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre.)

The stall operated by two brothers, is now located at Alexandra Village Food Centre (and I was imagining that its fate would have been quite different if it stayed at Tiong Bahru Food Centre.)

Known for its steamed Crystal Dumplings, the stall attracts quite a number of regulars. The stall is also listed in the Michelin Guide with a “Michelin Plate” recommendation.

If you are ordering in bulk, then placing an advance order (by calling 62745561) is highly recommended. Order at least an hour before pickup, as the dumplings are made by batches.

Once a batch runs one, you will have to wait for an hour or so.

The dumplings comes in 3 kinds of filling – sweet yam, sweet red bean, and savoury turnip. The savoury is priced at $0.80 per piece, while the sweet ones are at $0.90 per piece.

Note that there is a requirement of minimum order of 4 pieces.

While the savoury turnip dumplings the most popular, and pairs really well with a dab of the stall’s home-made chili, the sweet-filled dumplings have their own followers.

Named for its translucent skin, the slippery bite-sized dumplings are encased in a thin, slightly chewy skin which is made by tapioca flour.

You could actually see the filling through the skin, which doesn’t break easily. All the dumplings are hand-made, which is perhaps going into obscurity in modern-day Singapore.

The turnip fillings are crunchy (cut by hand, not machine) with bits of savoury shrimps.

The skin is thicker than what I used to remember, but I am not complaining because it is so hard to find this taste of effort and nostalgia.

Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Pau 中峇鲁聯發水晶包
120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-10 Alexandra Village Food Centre, Singapore 150120
Tel: +65 6274 5561
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 3pm (Tue – Sat), Closed Sun, Mon
http://www.facebook.com/TiongBahruShuiJingPau

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After Hawker Chan’s Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle won the Michelin star, I felt that there was somewhat a renewed interest in the dish.

While many of the known places are located in the Chinatown area (eg Chiew Kee Noodle House, Original Chew Kee Eating House, Hai Kee Brothers, Maria Virgin Chicken), Xiang Jiang Soya Sauce Chicken 香江豉油鸡 at Alexandra is a worthy contender for one of the best Soya Sauce Chicken in Singapore.

It is listed within the Michelin Guide with a “Michelin Plate”, though I think it does deserve a Bib Gourmand.

Owned by a chef who used to work in Raffles Hotel, the stall first opened at Jit Poh Building at Keppel Road. Later on, it relocated to Alexandra Village Food Centre.

The stall’s specialty is the Soya Sauce Chicken, which you can enjoy as a whole ($18) with the family, or with either rice or noodles ($3.00, $3.50).

The Dry Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle ($3.50) comes with springy Hong Kong egg noodles, chopped chicken (50 cents more for drumstick), fresh kai lan, and the signature soya sauce.

$3.50 for this plate of goodness is really quite a steal.

The chicken has a beautiful gloss, smooth meat with good bite (though may not be the best or most tender I had).

I liked that the eggs noodles were thin and springy, evenly coated in a soya sauce base which imparts a layer of flavour on the noodles. The chilli was on the spicier side, but I did not mind that at all.

You can also add on sui gao to your order at just 70 cents each, each plump dumpling coming filled with minced pork, shrimps and black fungus.

You can see the “Hong Kongness” from the execution, from the whole long stem of kai lan to the plump wrapped dumplings with a full shrimp inside.

You may also order their Shrimp Wantons (90 cents for one), made fresh daily.

The soft wanton wrappers are filled with a generous blend of well-seasoned shrimps and minced pork, the type you would find in Hong Kong style restaurants.

Not saying that the chicken was any bad, but overall it was those swee gao that left me the deepest impression.

There is always a long line here in the morning, so be expected to queue if you come during peak hours.

Xiang Jiang Soya Sauce Chicken 香江豉油鸡
120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-77 Alexandra Village Food Centre, Singapore 150120
Tel: +65 9185 7756
Opening Hours: 7am – 2pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

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88 Hong Kong Roast (Tyrwhitt Road)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Curry Chicken Noodles is one of those local hawker dishes that are fast diminishing in Singapore.

Some of the most famous ones include Do Po at Golden Mile Food Centre; Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee and Ah Heng Chicken Curry Bee Hoon Mee – both at Hong Lim Food Centre.

Then, there are two more: Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken Noodle at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre AND Fu Hai Curry Chicken Noodles at Albert Food Centre.

Their Chinese names 福海咖喱鸡米粉面 are THE SAME, but each would claim there are NO other branches in Singapore.

Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken Noodle has been around way before Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre’s renovation in 2013.

Known for its noodle bowls that brim with ingredients, it offers Curry Chicken Noodles at generous portions.

The stall is listed in the “Michelin Plate” or L’Assiette Michelin which is a new designation worldwide, a symbol that indicates “restaurants where the inspectors have discovered quality food.”

If you’re a fan of this type of noodles and live in the east side of Singapore, this place is for you. You don’t have to go all the way to Hong Lim Food Centre to appease your cravings.

Though it also sells Satay Bee Hoon ($4/$5/$6), Hock Hai’s house special is the Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee ($4, $5, $6), the signature dish that people flock here for.

In the stall, a large pot of curry filled with ingredients will entice you even from afar with its fresh-cooked aroma.

The Curry Chicken Noodle was served in piping hot curry soup that was fragrant, medium-bodied and mildly spicy.

Prepared home-style ala grandma’s way of cooking, the soup tasted mildly sweet, savoury and spicy from the blend of different spices and coconut milk.

If you are thinking that the gravy would be thick and rich like curry, this is actually closer to Laksa’s consistency.

After trying out a number of Curry Noodles in Singapore, this came across as more mild and not that overpowering. I can imagine some people would prefer curries that are more flavourful and aromatic.

Personal preference: the two other versions at Hong Lim though being greasy, worked better for me. Maybe it was the chilli.

At least the price is a steal given its generous ingredients – loads of yellow and bee hoon noodles (in fact too much), large chunks of poached chicken, a chicken leg, taupok, bean sprouts, fish cakes, and pieces of soft potatoes – which are my favourite part of the dish.

The chicken is mainly breast minus the skin (good for weight watchers, then again, curry…) The chicken, fish cake, taupok, and potato all soak up the flavours of curry without being too soggy.

As for the noodles, ask for yellow noodles, bee hoon, or a combination of both. There is also the option of kway teow.

Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken Noodle 福海(芳林)咖喱鸡米粉面
208 New Upper Changi Road, #01-58 Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre, Singapore 462208
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)

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Char Kway Teow is a very personal thing, and ask “Where is the best Fried Kway Teow in Singapore? and you may get quite varied and occasionally defensive answers.

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow 禧街炒粿條 at Bedok South Market & Food Centre certainly has its fans, and is probably the top choice for many.

Many local foodies claim it as one of the top 10 Char Kway Teow in Singapore, if not the best.

Okay, while personally I did not have THAT many plates of Char Kway Teow, I think some of memorable ones I can find in Singapore include Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (Hong Lim Food Centre), No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow (Zion Road Food Centre), Hai Kee Char Kway Teow (Telok Blangah Crescent), Guan Kee, Guan Kee Fried Kway Teow (Ghim Moh), and this.

The stall has placed the humble Char Kway Teow in the global food scene when it garnered the top attention in the World Street Food Congress in 2017.

It is also listed in the Singapore Michelin Guide with a “Michelin Plate”.

After the founder Mr Ng Chang Siang passed away, the stall has been taken over by his son – and you could also find his aunt doing the frying.

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow is not the most convenient to get to though, and it has rather short opening hours matched with a long queue. Be prepared to wait at least 20 to 30 minutes during lunch time.

Even though the closing hours state 4:45pm, do not head over close to timing as it is likely to be sold out.

Its Fried Kway Teow ($3.50, $4.00) contains some classic CKT ingredients such as yellow noodles, fresh cockles, egg, sweet lup cheong (Chinese sausage), along with crunchy bean sprouts and Chinese chives.

You cannot say that the portion is “generous” compared to many other stalls in Singapore, so I would recommend ordering the bigger portion.

For many years it’s been prepared via two-cycle stir-frying method. The first cycle involves wok-frying a large portion of kway teow noodles with some light soy sauce.

The noodles are transferred in batches into numerous bowls, and further divided into smaller portions for second cycle stir-frying. A darker soy sauce plus the main ingredients are added during the second cycle.

Here’s what I liked about it: it is packed with crunch from the bean sprouts and crispy pork lard bits; and there is good-enough wok-hei.

The use of pork lard oil also makes it very aromatic.

The texture was slightly towards the dryer side, at least when compared to some of the other popular stalls. Some people might have prefer kway teow which is softer to the bite and slightly wetter.

Some may also wish for a bigger, eggier portion.

To me, the magic of this plate is in its wok-hei – you get the smokiness from start to the end.

Hill Street Fried Kway Teow 禧街炒粿條
16 Bedok South Road #01-41, Singapore 460016
Tel: +65 6442 1763
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 4:45pm (Tue – Sat), Closed Sun, Mon

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91 Fried Kway Teow Mee (Golden Mile Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Golden Mile Food Centre used to be where I go to after “settling stuff” at the Army Market upstairs – the place of relief for many army boys and NSMen. Buy in-camp things then go downstairs eat.

The food centre which was opened since 1975, has a good mix of stalls both upstairs and downstairs. Most of the Halal stalls are located downstairs.

When I visited during the weekend evenings, there were also performers singing oldies which really added to the atmosphere.

There are many other famous and worthy stalls here, such as Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck, Golden Mile Special Yong Tau Foo, Charlie’s Peranakan Food, Mr Baguette, Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly, Da Po Curry Chicken Noodles, Keng Heng (Whampoa) Teow Chew Lor Mee, Haji Kadir Food Chains (for Tulang and Roti John), and Koothurar Nasi Biryani. Give me some time to finish all.

Here are 10 must try stalls at Golden Mile Food Centre: (All stalls are tried anonymously, during multiple trips. Well opening timings are stipulated, some stalls may close before indicated hours.)

Yew Chuan Claypot Rice
#01-73 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 9137 5661
Opening Hours: 12pm – 8:30pm (Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri), 4pm – 8:30pm (Sat, Sun), Closed Thurs

Close to 40 years in the claypot rice business, this couple team is still going strong at its original stall at Golden Mile. The owner was sheepishly proud that her stall was rated Number 1 over the other famous Holland Drive and
Chinatown stalls on a local television competition many years ago.

The main dish – Claypot Chicken Rice, is the star of this food stall. It comes in varied portion sizes. You can get it for $12, $18, $24, $30,

However, warning warning, you have to wait a good half an hour as the stall is often crowded as your food is prepared fresh on order. But it is well worth the wait.

Yew Chuan’s Claypot Rice is a classic – fragrant rice which was topped with tender marinated chicken pieces, tasty Chinese sausages, fresh green vegetables and light traces of salted fish.

The winner was the soya sauce, thick and dark, yet not overly salty which would usually make one thirst.

Added with a formulated sweet chilli sauce, the combination was aromatic and addictive. Cooked over charcoal, the moist rice was soft and fluffy on the bite. It complimented well with the slightly salty meat and sausage slices. One wished for some mushroom pieces for an added texture though.

Burgs by Project Warung
#B1-24, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 9114 6072
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 8:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Burgs by Project Warung serves up halal and fresh, appetizing burgers at an affordable price.

This stall really raises the standard of fast food items available at hawker stalls. They have a great line up of juicy and succulent halal burgers ranging from fried dish to grilled chicken thigh.

The queues are long and the burgers sell out like hot cakes so make sure you get to the stall well before lunch time.

Some of their signatures include the Burgs Classic Cheese Burger ($5.50, $8.00), Burgs Bacon & Cheese Burger ($7, $9.50), Barbecue Beef Brisket Burger ($6, $8.50), Teriyaki Chicken Burger ($5.90, $7.90), Burgs Fried Chicken Burger ($5.50, $7.50) and Nacho Fish & Chips Burger ($6, $8).

The beef burgers are recommended for the juicy patties with unique concocted sauce. They come alongside a generous amount of thick cut fries and the taste really pays homage to local flavors.

91 Fried Kway Teow Mee
#01-91, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 98300965
Opening Hours: 11am – 2:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Enjoy greener and healthier options at the Char Kway Teow to fulfill your cravings with less guilt.

Named after the stall’s number at the Golden Mile Food Centre, 91 Fried Kway Teow Mee 91翠绿炒粿條面 is known for its healthier version of Char Kway Teow – no pork, no lard, added with toppings of chye sim.

Their rendition of Fried Kway Teow Mee ($3.00, $4.00, $5.00) caters to health-conscious diners watching their calories and fat intake.

Portion seems to be relatively small, compared to the average stall (Mine’s the $4 version.)

To add a nice, crunchy texture, they sprinkle some fried whitebait on the top. Mix them up with the kway teow before eating. May not be everybody’s style as some would like theirs with more sauce, pork lard and wok-hei. 91 Fried Kway Teow Mee (Golden Mile Food Centre)

Hainan Hokkien Mee
#B1-34 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 6294 6798
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm (Mon), 10am – 5pm (Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed

Hokkien Mee can divide fans – there are supporters of the wet and saucy; while others enjoy the dry and flavourful.

This is the DRY version.

The Hokkien Mee at this stall stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is cooked fresh on order. Secondly, the method of preparation is different, as the noodles are fried along with the stock until they completely absorbs the whole flavor.

This gives you a rich taste in every mouthful.

The Fried Hokkien Mee ($4) though disappointedly had a small serving size, came with delicious chilli for a tasteful kick to the noodles.

Chung Cheng Chilli Mee Prawn Laksa
#01-59 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 6:30pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues

You may just dismiss this stall as yet another Prawn Noodle stall, but it is THE Chilli Mee that is the outstanding dish.

Selling Chilli Mee, Prawn Mee, and Laksa, priced at $3.00, $4.00 or $5.00 depending on the portion size, Chung Cheng is talked about its signature chili paste.

What makes this house-made chili paste special is the combination of belacan, dried shrimps, garlic, onion and some secret spices.

The signature chili paste is generously used in Chili Mee and Prawn Mee, with huge dollops of it scooped from a metal pot and added to the noodles. The soup Prawn Noodles is comparatively more average. Chung Cheng Chilli Mee (Golden Mile Food Centre)

Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles
#01-89 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 98219566
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 7:30pm (Thurs – Tues)

“One person one set”. The stall has a variety of both dry and soup version of beef noodles, available at $4, $5, $6 and $7 depending if you want stewed beef, beef balls, or tendon.

But they do not offer Beef Soup or Beef Ball soup ala carte unlike most other stalls. Well, well.

While there is a limited selection, the Dry Beef Noodles ($5) comes with delightful sticky thick gravy almost bursting with flavor. I liked that the portion was just nice, which covered every strand of the rice noodles.

Soup could have been more robust with fuller flavours though.

Chef Lam
#01-65 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 9129 9832
Opening Hours: 5pm – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

This is soon going to become one of my favourite Zi Char stalls in Singapore, for many good reasons.

Chef Lam’s zi char stalls stands out due to its affordable pricing, interesting dishes, and restaurant-level skills in cooking.

One thing you would notice is the chefs are in uniform and chef’s hat, hinting at the pride in their roles.

If there is ONE dish to order, it would be their “Twin Peaks”, otherwise called “Shuang Feng Tai”. This is a Crispy Noodle Seafood dish ($10) of “sheng mian” on top of a base of sauce and generous seafood of sliced fish and prawns.

Presentation was on-point, ingredient fresh, noodles tasty, and the seafood-egg sauce had a great smooth texture which tied all the components together. There is a cheaper version of this dish, but it comes with only one peak.

The stall opens in the evening and is always swarming with crowd so you might have to wait a little for your turn.

YaLoh Herbal Duck Rice 雷鸭佬
#01-109 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

YaLoh (such a catchy name!) may be the newest kid in the block, but their offerings make it the one new stall to look out for.

They are known for their Herbal Roasted Duck ($45 for whole, $24 for half, $12 for quarter) cooked with various kinds of herbs then roasted. If you come alone, go for the individual portion at $4.50.

Other than the crisp skin, tender bite that is not too fatty, the one thing people would love is the light herbal sauce drenched over the rice. Usually you get those dark, braised sauce, but this is light yet wonderfully tasty.

Also available are Roasted Pork Rice ($3), Char Siew Rice ($3), Herbal Roasted Duck Noodles ($4.50) and Herbal Roasted Chicken Rice ($4). Not expensive some more. What a find.

Wedang
#B1-19 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Opening Hours: 12pm – 8:30pm (Tues – Sun) Closed Mon

The stall looks non-descript and ordinary, no newspaper cuttings what-so-ever, and you may just walk past it without a hint of its accolades.

It was once awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Wedang’s offerings are straightforward – Tahu Goreng (Malay style fried tofu with spicy peanut sauce., Gado Gado (a style of Indonesian salad with peanut sauce), Mee or Bee Hoon Soto Ayam (yellow spicy chicken soup with noodles or rice vermicelli) and Nasi Ayam (chicken rice), all at $3.00 per plate or bowl.

The Bee Hoon Soto Ayam ($3), a Javanese-influenced dish of rice vermicelli with a deep fried begedil (potato cake), shredded chicken in yellow spicy chicken stock, was pleasingly tasty.

Its soup base came across as being balanced, cloudy yet not overly rich, spicy but manageable. It is not as salty as some of the Mee Soto I have come across.

75 Ah Balling Tang Yuan
#01-75 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 62938702
Opening Hours: 11am – 8:30pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 8:30pm (Sat, Sun)

For a dessert treat at this food centre, 75 Ah Balling stall has a nice variety Tang Yuan filled with delicious fillings.

Their peanut soup is the most popular choice (because the peanuts are really soft), but there are also ginger, almond and longan red dates soups. A single bowl of soup is only $1.40.

You can pair it with glutinous rice balls aka Ah Balling filled with peanut, sesame, yam, matcha and red bean.

4 pieces along with soup comes in $2, five pieces for $2.30 and six pieces for $3.

You can mix and match a variety of flavours, though the recommendation is the peanut soup and ah balling with red bean or mixed fillings.

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Herbal Mutton Soups are not that commonly found in Singapore, because of the meat’s gamey texture, smell, and ‘heaty’ properties.

Ask around if your friend’s favourite meat is mutton, and chances are low at this part of the world.

However, there are still a couple of Mutton Soup places people would go to, including Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang at Bukit Merah View, New World Mutton Soup at Bedok Interchange Food Centre, Kong Kee Mutton Soup at Jalan Besar, and 老吴記 Mutton Soup at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.

Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup is a relatively popular choice.

The stall, located just outside MRT Pasir Panjang Station, is accessible to foodies who want to try out their famous herbal mutton soup.

Early fans would know they were previously located at Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre at Toa Payoh Lorong 7.

Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup was also listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore with a “Michelin Plate” – a new distinction given to eateries serving a good meal that’s carefully prepared using fresh ingredients, and priced under $50.

However, “Ivy” is not the main chef here.

Behind this successful Hainan specialty stall is a true-blue Hainanese chef Max Ng. Ivy, whose name is carried out as the brand, is his beloved wife – whom he successfully wooed by his cooking skills.

In Singapore, mutton soup is not as popular as it is in Hainan, where it’s prepared during special occasions.

Since 2000, Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup has been serving this traditional Hainanese dish, stewing the mutton for hours with more than 20 kinds of herbs.

As a result, the soup is deeply flavourful. There’s none of the gaminess typical of mutton, as the tulang (lamb ribs) are marinated every morning with fermented red yeast and seared in oil to remove that unwanted smell.

The signature items in the menu are Herbal Mutton Soup ($9.00), Herbal Tendon Soup ($9.00), and Herbal Tulang Soup ($9.00). The Herbal Mutton Soup is also available with add-ons, i.e. tulang ($15.00), tendons ($15.00), or mee sua ($10.00).

All soups are served in claypot to keep them warm longer.

Compared to the classic Herbal Mutton Soup, the Herbal Tulang Soup is tastier as it captures the sweet and deep-flavoured essence of the bone in addition to the meat alone.

The lamb ribs are tender, served with some tau pok, black fungus and wolfberries in the flavourful herbal broth. Best to have it during a cool evening or after the rain.

Dab some of the home-made chili paste into the ribs and enjoy it with rice, if you wish.

As an extra service, they offer Singapore’s 1st frozen-packed Herbal Mutton Soup ($25.00, good for 2-3). Exclusively available online, they deliver island-wide to your doorstep. You can store them frozen for 3-6 months!

Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup
121 Pasir Panjang Road, Stall 14 Pasir Panjang Food Centre, Singapore 118543
Tel: +65 8452 3094 / 9818 8219
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 9pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Ask which is the longest queue stall in Singapore, and it can be a toss-up between the Michelin-starred Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles at Crawford Lane or Hawker Chan’s Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle at Chinatown Food Complex.

There is also Han Kee at Amoy Street Food Centre.

For non-CBD people, the queue during peak-hour lunch time, can be a sight to behold.

There could be at least 40-50 pax lining up at any one time, but at least the queue clears relatively fast.

Han Kee known for its fresh Fish Soup, is located at the 2nd floor of Amoy Street Food Centre

You can’t miss it because of the long queue of diners it attracts for a mid-day meal – though sometimes the line would accidentally intertwine with its neighbour’s Wah Kee Noodles.

Check the signs as there is another fish soup stall with a semi-long line (comparatively) Piao Ji Fish Porridge, also in the same food centre.

As I have queued here for a number of times, I thought there were certain things I should ‘warn’ you about. (A couple of unspoken ‘rules’.)

Avoid peak lunch hours. In fact, even if you come near opening hours, say 11:15am or so, you may already find 20-30 pax waiting in line (then you wonder, ”Wah, so early can come out for lunch ah?”)

The auntie at the stall takes orders from the line in advance, be ready to tell her your order and DON’T CHANGE it, or DON’T ADD items after committing.

I can only suspect that it is because she remembers all those orders and money + change in her mind, and changing anything will disrupt that. Do not be surprised as she may tell customers off.

Do not give her 5 cents, and extra chilli padi cost 30cents.

All right, the menu basically revolves on 2 types of fish: sliced fish and fish head. Each can be served as plain soup, with bee hoon, or as a porridge.

Bowls come in three sizes ($5, $7, $9) for the Sliced Fish Soup, Sliced Fish Bee Hoon, and Sliced Fish Porridge.

The versions with fish head, i.e Fish Head Soup, Fish Head Bee Hoon, Fish Head Porridge, are more expensive by a dollar ($6, $8, $10).

Add a serving of white rice for $0.50. (One bowl of rice max per fish order though.)

Try a medium-sized Sliced Fish Bee Hoon ($7.00), served in a light, clear, subtly sweet broth with bits of fried garlic.

It has a natural, clean taste, you don’t taste any artificial flavouring.

They also don’t skimp on the fish – your bowl is filled to the brim with slices of thick-cut batang, aka Spanish Mackerel.

This type of fish is a favourite among hawkers for its texture, price and consistent supply.

First timers are often surprised they are getting that much fish for the price. More importantly, the freshness of this white fish is evident in its taste and its firm yet tender flesh does not fall apart easily.

If you are used to those rich and milky fish soup, you would find their clear, perhaps plain.

So the main star here, is really about the amount of fresh fish slices you are getting.

Han Kee 漢記
7 Maxwell Road, #02-129 Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111
Tel: +65 6688 5665
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun (Note: stall may also close as and when.)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Hokkien Mee 福建炒蝦麵 is admittedly one of my favourite local hawker dishes, and I know of people who enjoy ta-paoing (takeaway) this dish.

This is so that the noodles can absorb all the ‘chup’ (sauce), and the key moment is when you open the packet and the pork lard aroma would fill up the house.

The dish typically consist of yellow noodles and rice vermicelli stir-fried with slices of prawn, squid, pork belly, egg and pork lard. It is often served with sambal sauce and lime for that added citrusy flavour.

Some of the key components at ‘judging’ a dish of Hokkien Mee include the wok-hei, consistency (too wet or dry), and flavours of the stock.

After trying more than 20 stalls in Singapore within a month (after doing a poll on IG), these are the 12 Must-Try Hokkien Mee in Singapore.

(Whenever I do such a listicle, I often get ‘scolded’ due to not including certain stalls. Perhaps they are just closed, standard unfortunately not quite there when I visited, or it is out-of-the-radar. This post will continue to be updated.)

Swee Guan Hokkien Mee
5 Lor 29 Geylang, Singapore 388060
Phone: +65 98175652
Opening Hours: 5pm – 10pm (Thurs – Tues), Closed Wed

It is not that easy to find Hokkien Mee fried on charcoal fire anymore.

Located at an inconspicuous coffeeshop at Geylang Lor 29, there is always a moderately long queue here, with fans waiting patiently in the heat for a plate of delicious Hokking Mee.

Note: The owner’s brother also has a stall called Geylang Lor 29, but this is located at East Coast. To prevent confusion, this stall’s name is changed.

Most people go for the $5 option, with a plate with that edgy, smoky taste due to the use of the charcoal. I would say it terms of wok-hei, portion, flavours, texture, this is quite balanced overall – difficult to fault.

Certainly one of the best versions you can get in Singapore.

One thing to note: There is no rice vermicelli used, just the semi-thick yellow noodles which gives it a slight sticky, sweet texture. Some people may feel that there is a stronger alkaline taste therefore.

Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee
396 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428994
Tel: +65 97331388
Opening Hours: 11:45am – 9pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

I ate more than 20 plates for this listicle, but this was the one plate that made me stood up, stop, and go ”wow”. Because it had a rather surprising taste.

Operated by the brother (see above), this Hokkien Mee is still being prepared in the traditional charcoal fire. Therefore, be prepared to wait, say up to 20 to 30 minutes as uncle takes his time to cook up a storm.

The regular serving size of Hokkien Mee costs $6 and can even be sufficient enough for two people. If not, you can order than $10, $15 and $20 versions to get your fill.

What I loved the most about their dish was the distinct, classic flavour that can only come through the charcoal fire preparation of this famous dish.

The smokiness is its unique factor, and a class of its own and very ‘sexy’. You can even find those black bits throughout.

The noodles were perfectly wet, laden with robust flavours and complimented with ample amount of prawns and squid.

Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee
ABC Brickworks Food Centre Unit #01-13, Blk 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006
Tel: +65 9862 9296
Opening Hours: 3pm – 10:45pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun) Closed Wed

The queue waiting for a plate of wok-fried prawn noodles ($4, $5, $6) is very long, easily close to an hour during peak hours. I usually head over during late hours, so the wait is still manageable.

After it was listed in the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand , the line has gotten much longer.

The stall is run by the second generation hawker Mr Toh Seng Wang, nearing 70, often wearing goggles cooking up a storm behind his large wok.

The plate of noodles comes with a sizeable amount of toppings including prawns and pieces of pork belly.

The noodles cooked in prawn stock is considered moist, though I won’t say it is wet, brimming with umami flavours, with good wok-hei.

As I eaten here quite a number of times, sometimes the base stock lacked of the strong seafood flavours, while there were times it was just spot-on. Manage your expectations a little, especially if you need to queue quite a while.

Havelock Rd Blk50 Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
ABC Brickworks Food Centre Unit #01-100, Blk 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150006
Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Wed – Mon), Closed Tues

Located also at ABC Brickworks Food Centre, I usually order from this stall because the queue is shorter, has more zhup (sauce), and I liked it with fresh cut chillis.

The stall sells Hokkien Mee in 3 sizes ($3, $4, $5), with each batch cooked fresh to order. The wok-hei may not be as strong, but flavours are there. Quite under-rated, really.

The stall started out close to 50 years ago at Havelock Road Blk 50 as has been run by the same couple.

However, as uncle and auntie are growing old, I noticed that they do not open the stall as often as before, and is often closed.

Come Daily Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee 天天来炒福建虾面
Blk 127, Lorong 1 Toa Payoh #02-27, Singapore 310127
Tel: +65 9671 7071
Opening Hours: 8am – 2:30pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon

Operating since 1968, Come Daily 天天来炒福建虾面 is one of the popular stalls at Toa Payoh Lor 1 that serve up Fried Hokkien Mee.

If you come during peak-hour weekends, the waiting time can be from 45 minutes to an hour. However, you will be given a buzzer so you can spend the time eating at other stalls. (Tip: You can also make a call +65 9671 7071 to pre-order.)

Their Hokkien Prawn Mee is fried with a combination of rice noodles and egg noodles with prawns as the main ingredient, topped with bits of pork crackling.

It is worth nothing the fresh pork lard is cooked every day, as some people really go after this.

I remember that in the past, the texture was a lot ‘creamier’ and stickier, while the current plate seems to be soupier / wetter, and could do with slightly more wok-hei

At least the noodles itself is infused with the prawn and pork broth, imparting a rich and mildly-sweet flavour.

Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee 亚福炒福建虾面
20 Kensington Park Road, #01-27 Chomp Chomp Food Centre, Singapore 557269
Opening Hours: 5:30pm – 12am (Mon, Wed – Sun); Closed Tues

There is always a long queue here, so be prepared for the long wait of at least 30 – 45 minutes while uncle whips up your order.

Their Fried Hokkien Mee ($3, $4, $5) is a mixture of thick yellow noodles and thin bee hoon noodles combined with prawns and squid and simmered in a rich prawn-flavoured broth.

Served with sambal chili (very delicious) and calamansi.

What I liked about the plate: The base was rich; the prawns fresh and you could still taste its natural sweetness.

If you love lard, you will be in for a shock since there are none of those crispy bits added.

Surprisingly (fans don’t come and scold me ah), I thought there could have been more wok-hei and so it lacked of that “wow” factor”. Perhaps it has to be with the hour I went – gone down quite late to avoid a long queue. (Note: Chia Keng is the other famous Hokkien Mee here, but close unexpectedly when I visited. Next time!)

Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee
51 Old Airport Rd, #01-32, Singapore 390051
Phone: +65 64405340
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Of all the Hokkien Mee in Singapore, Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee probably has the most mixed reviews. Some enjoy its nostalgic taste; while others thought it used to be better (and service can be improved).

I actually didn’t get any bad service during my order. In fact, they even deliver the plate to your table. (Self service for tables 175 onwards).

At $5 or $8 a plate, their Hokkien Mee is moist (almost quite wet) with strong seafood flavours coming from the prawn and ikan billis stock. Of all the stock base, this came across as one of the sweetest and ‘soupiest’.

Another thing to note is that eggs are fried till fluffy with separate pieces, rather than ‘clinging’ on to the noodles.

Hainan Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee
505 Beach Rd, #B1-34 Golden Mile Food Centre, Singapore 199583
Tel: +65 62946798
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm (Mon), 10am – 5pm (Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed

Hokkien Mee can divide fans – there are supporters of the wet and saucy; while others enjoy the dry and flavourful.

This is the DRY version.

The Hokkien Mee at this stall stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is cooked fresh on order. Secondly, the method of preparation is different, as the noodles are fried along with the stock until they completely absorbs the whole flavor.

This gives you a rich taste in every mouthful.

The Fried Hokkien Mee ($4) though disappointedly had a small serving size, came with delicious chilli for a tasteful kick to the noodles.

Xie Kee Hokkien Mee
51 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, #02-174, Singapore 588215
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)

I suspect this used to taste much better in the past, but at $3 per plate with all those ingredients, effort in frying and wok-hei, we shouldn’t complain much.

The queue can sometimes be painfully long, so I would suggest going slightly before peak lunch and dinner hours.

The noodles were of a flat variety which is a bit different than most Hokkien Mee. In terms of wetness and flavours, this is considered in-between.

While the soup stock and wok-hei could be a tad stronger, the chilli helps to enhance the overall flavours.

Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle
153 Serangoon North Ave 1, #01-512, Singapore 550153
Tel: +65 90621201
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun), Closed Mon, Wed, Fri

Okay, this stall is not the easiest to get to (at least for me who stays far away haha) and it is located at an ulu coffeeshop – which was grey and slightly hard to find.

Also, the short operating hours and days (closed on Mon, Wed, Fri) made it inconvenient for me to find time to travel here. (Also check their Facebook in case they close unexpectedly.)

But many people told me I HAD TO TRY this Hokkien Mee, so I came with slightly higher than high expectations.

The Hokkien Mee ($4, $5) is cooked by a relatively young hawker, and the good thing is you would be given a buzzer so you do not have to stand in line.

While the portion was not fantastic, there were ingredients of fresh prawns, cuttlefish slices, and interestingly slices of pork belly and crispy pork lard.

The prawn noodles were gooey and wet, with delicious and rich stock. However, I thought that the wok-hei could have been stronger.

Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodles 生成炒虾麵
41A Cambridge Road, #01-40 Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, Singapore 211041
Tel: +65 6299 3981
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 5pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon

I would reckon that Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodles 生成炒虾麵 has a certain nostalgic taste that its regulars like.

Popular for its value-for-money Hokkien mee, Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodles offers its specialty starting at $3.00. Also available at $4, $5, $6.

For the price, you get a decent heap of noodles with prawns and squid with an old-school flair.

This wetter than usual version consists a good portion of a mix of thick and thin bee hoon and yellow noodles, served with thin slices of sotong, halved prawns, pieces of fishcake, egg, home-made sambal chili and some lime on the side.

In terms of flavours, I thought it lacked that strong ‘seafoody’ and prawn stock base, that customers with 重口味 (who generally prefer something more flavourful) may not fancy. The sweet chilli sauce was delicious though.

Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee
30 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market Singapore 168898, #02-01 (10 minute walk from Tiong Bahru MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm, 4:30pm – 7:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

What is so special about Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee is that it has been featured in the Michelin Guide, receiving the Michelin Bib Gourmand yearly.

YET, not many people have heard of this stall.

The Hokkien Mee is cooked to order in small batches (rather than some stalls which already pre-cooked halfway) and makes use of flavourful stock and fresh ingredients.

3rd generation owner Manfred Lim will still take time to cook it quite traditionally in a wok, serve plate-by-plate, giving the noodles a slight charred flavour.

However, those who are looking for Hokkien Mee full of wok hei may leave slightly disappointed. I would use “moderate” to describe the heat, wetness and flavours.

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Talk about popular fried hawker dishes in Singapore, and Char Kway Teow, Hokkien Mee, Fried Carrot and Oyster will come to mind.

Oyster Omelette 蠔煎, commonly called ”Orh Luak” consist of starch (typically potato starch), egg batter and small oysters fried today, usually enhanced with a spicy chilli sauce with lime.

The Singapore style is quite different from say the Taiwanese version – which is starchier and has a sweet-sauce poured over.

However, this is not a hawker dish that everyone loves, as it can be heavy and greasy.

Some of the notable stalls to get it from include Ang Sa Lee (Chomp Chomp Food Centre), 85 Bedok North Fried Oyster (Fengshan Food Centre), Heng 興 (Newton Food Centre), and Ah Chuan Fried Oyster Omelette (Toa Payoh Lor 7), and Huat Heng Fried Oyster (Whampoa Drive Food Centre).

Huat Heng Fried Oyster is also listed in the Singapore Michelin Guide with a “Michelin Plate”.

Note that Whampoa Drive Food Centre has two blocks. Stalls in Block 91 mostly offer breakfast food and many close after lunch; stalls in Block 90 are usually open for lunch and dinner or even until midnight. Huat Heng is at Block 90.

It offers the popular Fried Oyster ($5, $8, $10), usually eaten as an accompaniment to your main meal, and a dish for sharing. The stall is not that crowded (ie you don’t normally see a long line.)

The way the baby oysters are fried with the eggs is different from other stalls, as you don’t get clumpy, large pieces of fried batter. The batter is cut up with a spatula during frying so you get a more even presentation.

A notable difference is that while portion seems smaller, the outer eggy layer is more crisp and not so starchy.

The fresh oysters remain succulent and juicy, and don’t dry out like shrivelled raisins. The $5.00 portion gives you about 5 pieces of oysters.

Another highlight is the accompanying chilli sauce. Their chili sauce is worth mentioning for its inherent sourness, with a subtle taste of lime. One of the better tasting chili sauce you can find here.

Compared to other hawker dishes, Fried Oysters are slightly more expensive. But if you factor in the freshness and taste of the oysters you are getting here, then it is well worth your money.

Huat Heng Fried Oyster
90 Whampoa Drive, #01-26 Whampoa Drive Hawker Centre, Singapore 320090
Opening Hours: 1pm – 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Heng 興 (Newton Food Centre)
Balestier Road Hoover Rojak (Whampoa)
Liang Zhao Ji (Whampoa)

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Kway Chap is not the kind of local hawker food that diners would say is “instagrammable”, and one of my friends said, ”It does take a certain age to appreciate intestines.”

Agree?

The Teochew dish consists of two parts – the selection of ingredients generally made up of duck meat, pork belly, pig innards, intestines and others (such as tau pok and fish cake); and a bowl of broad, smooth rice sheets in a soy sauce broth.

Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice (#02-05) is one of the 40 food stalls at the 660-seater Holland Drive Food Centre (built in 1979 and renovated in 2013).

Located near another kway chap stall, Blanco Court Kueh Chap (at #02-02) Cheng Heng is up for some friendly competition especially that it earned a Michelin Plate from the Michelin Guide Singapore.

Expect to wait for about 15 minutes when in queue.

The two aunties behind the stall was very friendly and all smiles, and it was a pleasure to see them at work – one chopping up the ingredients, the other cooking the rice sheets and assembling.

Serving its own version of Kway Chap ($3.50 for individual set), Cheng Heng is one of stalls you can line up for when you crave for those soft and smooth rice noodles and, at the same time, Braised Duck Rice.

Of the two components, I enjoy the ”kway” part better – which were really smooth and would just slide down as you take you bite. Also the sheets do not clump together, which is also a testament to their ‘skills’.

The thin kway is soaked in a sour-ish, not-overly-salty soya stock with a hint of herbal after-taste.

You can also customise your meal with your choice of side ingredients like tender braised duck, pork belly (with a good fat-to-meat ratio), painstakingly-cleaned pork intestines, preserved vegetables, and braised egg comes for just a few dollars more.

While the intestines could be slightly softer and the base sauce was slightly on the saltier side, there was no strong gamey taste and portion was good.

The pig’s skin – even though I don’t normally order it, is not to be missed.

Their braised duck is tender and richly-flavoured. If you come towards the latter part of the day, it is possible for the duck to run out.

Do note the rice here is just normal rice, and not yam rice. For more flavour, just ask for lots of sauce from the two cute aunties that run the stall.

Cheng Heng Kway Chap and Braised Duck Rice 進興粿汁.鹵鴨飯
44 Holland Drive, #02-05 Holland Drive Food Centre, Singapore 270044
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 2:30pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Ru Ji Kitchen (Holland Drive)
New Lucky Claypot Rice (Holland Drive)
Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap Braised Duck (Zion Road Food Centre)
Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup (Tiong Bahru Food Centre)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.