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One of the greatest joys of being a Singaporean is the extensive range of food we get to indulge in. But something worth eating never comes easy. Some of the best local delights can only be found in bustling hawker centres and in far-flung corners of the island. But fret not, we’ve done the scouting for you. From traditional fishball noodles to piping hot herbal soups, discover the best hawker stalls in Singapore with this ultimate list!
Hanging out in the Northern region of Singapore? You’re in luck! Tucked in the corner of Yishun Central is the legendary 928 Yishun Laksa, a family-owned stall that’s been serving endless queues for more than 20 years. Each bowl of laksa is filled to the brim and loaded with fresh fish cakes, crab sticks, beansprouts and cockles. But it’s the bright orange gravy and sweet coconut fragrance that makes this one of the best laksa hawker stalls in Singapore. Choose your favourite noodle type and don’t forget to add a dose of homemade dried shrimp sambal chili paste for an extra kick!
Address: 928 Yishun Central 1, #01-155, S(760928)
Opening Hours: Daily, 8.30am – 7pm
Braised meat is a common Chinese dish loved by many dialect groups in Singapore. If you’re missing the homely taste of your grandparents’ cooking, head down to Jia Jia Xing, one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore to reminisce the good ol’ flavour!
Jia Jia Xing is famous for two dishes — braised pig trotter and pig’s organ soup. The glorious braised pig trotter is simmered to perfection and literally melts in your mouth with every bite. Coupled with the savoury sauce that carries a strong herbal taste, it’s definitely a sinful dish but one that’s worth every calorie. On the other hand, the pig’s organ soup features a clean and peppery taste that washes down any greasiness. Nosh your way through the murky broth choke-full with tender lean pork slices, pork belly and yummy innards.
Address: 590 Upper Thomson Road, #01-10, S(574419)
Opening Hours: Daily, 10am – 7pm
What do you get for lunch when you’ve run out of ideas on what to eat? The answer for many Singaporeans is simple — fishball noodles! At Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Mee, you’ll be served a bowl of traditional fishball noodles seasoned generously with vinegar and chili. Besides the firm and bouncy handmade fishballs, you will also find spicy mixed fishball and chewy meatballs to better complement the savoury noodles. While here, don’t forget to try out their laksa too!
Address: Hainanese Village Centre, 105 Hougang Avenue 1, #02-39, S(530105)
Opening Hours: Daily, 6.30am – 2pm
The Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle is undoubtedly one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore and we are not saying this just because they’ve snagged a Michelin Star for the past two years. A bowl of bak chor mee (pork noodles) contains generous servings of dumplings, fried sole fish slices, minced meat, pork liver and sliced pork.
The handmade dumplings are remarkable, with just the right amount of chewiness and flavour. Toss the springy noodles in the bowl to ensure they are coated evenly in the savoury sauce before digging in! If the strong flavour gets to you after a while, be sure to slurp on the seaweed soup to cleanse your palate!
Address: Tai Hwa Eating House, 466 Crawford Lane, #01-12, S(190465)
Opening Hours:
Tues – Sun: 9.30am – 9pm
Sometimes, all we need is a simple plate of curry rice that will fill our stomachs and make our day! Nestled in Seah Im Food Centre at HarbourFront is Kheng Nam Lee Curry Rice, one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore for a delicious curry fix.
Marvel at the wide variety of dishes displayed at the stall front, including crunchy pork chop strips, golden fried eggs and more! The thick slices of spicy assam fish leave a tangy lingering flavour and is a must-have when you’re at Kheng Nam Lee Curry Rice. Make sure to arrive at the stall before noon or you might not get a chance to try the assam fish!
Address: Seah Im Food Centre, 2 Seah Im Road, #01-53, S(099114)
Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat: 9am – 3pm
When we think of herbal soup, black chicken herbal soup or peanut lotus soup usually come to mind. However, if you’re on the lookout for something more unique, you need to try a bowl of herbal mutton soup! Situated in Pasir Panjang Food Centre, Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup is one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore that sells the rare dish.
Even if you’re not a fan of the strong muttony smell, you’ll change your mind after trying the herbal mutton soup here. The owner painstakingly marinates each lamb rib with fermented red yeast every morning before searing them in oil to eliminate the gamey taste. The meat is then cooked for hours in a pot filled with 20 different kinds of herbs to ensure the flavour is well infused into the tender meat. What you’ll get is a pot of nutritious soup that heals your body and soul!
Address: Pasir Panjang Food Centre, 121 Pasir Panjang Road, Stall 14, S(118543)
Opening Hours:
Mon – Sat: 11.30am – 9pm
Touted as one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore by multiple food review shows such as Where The Queue Starts, Joo Chiat Chiap Kee is hard to miss thanks to its never-ending queues. Established in 1965, the family-owned stall is currently managed by the third generation but has successfully retained its unique yet homely taste over the years.
Unlike many fishball noodle stalls that serve machine produced fishballs, the ones here are handmade with the freshest yellowtail fish every morning. This is why the dome-shaped fishballs are extra bouncy and addictive! With each order comes a generous serving of ingredients, including five handmade fishballs, one fish dumpling and one pork ball. Coupled with springy noodles, tantalising fishball soup and a dose of homemade sambal chili, it’s no doubt that this is a meal worth waiting for!
Address: Bedok 538 Market And Food Centre, 538 Bedok North Street 3, #01-104, S(460538)
Opening Hours:
Mon – Tues: 6.30am – 2pm
Thurs – Sun: 6.30am – 2pm
Prawn noodles, otherwise known as hae mee in Hokkien, is one of Singaporean’s favourite local hawker food. However, finding a good prawn noodle stall can be quite a feat as many stalls struggle to keep the taste consistent. This is not the case with Albert Street Prawn Noodles, one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore located in Old Airport Road Food Centre.
The big prawn pork rib noodles is the best-selling dish on the menu and it’s easy to see why. The chunky prawns are sweet, juicy and fresh, striking a perfect balance with the piquant umami broth. We suggest ordering the dry version so you can truly appreciate the homemade chili paste seasoned noodles that’ll leave you craving for more.
Address: Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Road, #01-10, S(390051)
Opening Hours:
Tue – Fri: 9am – 8pm
Sat – Sun: 9am – 9pm
A list of the best hawker stalls in Singapore isn’t complete without mentioning Shi Wei Da, a stall in Bedok 85 that specialises in satay bee hoon when the night falls. Yes, you read that right. Shi Wei Da serves Teochew porridge in the morning and only sells satay bee hoon from 5pm onwards.
The satay bee hoon here is truly an authentic food experience, with each ingredient prepared from scratch. To provide the best taste for customers, the stall owner refuses to use any pre-mixes when creating the nutty sauce. The result? A huge plate of thick, creamy peanut gravy mixed with thin vermicelli that boasts irresistible multi-dimensional flavours. While you won’t find any cuttlefish in this rendition, you can enjoy other ingredients such as pork slices, pork liver, tau pok and kang kong!
Address: Fengshan Market And Food Centre, 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-41, S(460085)
Opening Hours: Daily, 5pm – 12am
What’s the first local dish that you think of during rainy days? For us, it’s definitely pork ribs soup! With over 30 years of experience, Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh is one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore to check out if you live in the west.
Needless to say, the highlight here are the pork ribs. These fall-off-the-bone pork ribs are unbelievably tender and succulent. With that said, don’t be too quick to throw out the bones as the best flavour can be tasted by sucking on them! Furthermore, the stall serves Teochew style pork ribs soup that’s meticulously brewed for hours with the family’s secret traditional recipe to achieve its peppery goodness. Make sure you head down on an empty stomach as you’d definitely be getting multiple refills of the heavenly soup!
Address: Yuhua Place, 349 Jurong East Avenue 1, #01-1215, S(600349)
Opening Hours:
Tues – Sun: 8am – 7.15pm
The diverse community in Singapore means we get to enjoy a wide variety of fusion local delights. Experience this at Rong Sheng Fish Head Bee Hoon, a hawker stall in Taman Jurong Food Centre, famous for its Hong Kong style fried fish noodles.
While the dish may look bland, don’t be too quick to judge the bowl just by its contents. Thanks to the addition of Chinese wine and milk, the fried fish noodles broth is aromatic with a creamy, addictive taste. What’s more, the stall owner throws in chunks of crispy fried fish that strikes a stark contrast against the silky white noodles, making every bite a satisfying one. At less than $5 per bowl, you can expect a huge portion that’s bound to make your tummy happy for the rest of the day!
Address: Yuhua Village Market And Food Centre, 254 Jurong East Street 24, #01-44, S(600254)
Opening Hours:
Mon – Wed: 8am – 11pm
Fri – Sun: 8am – 11pm
Westies, you don’t have to make a trip across the island to enjoy a plate of Ponggol Nasi Lemak. That’s because you have the awesome Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak in your region! This is another one of the best hawker stalls in Singapore that’s highly recommended by many food review shows and have even won top prize at The Green Book Best Food Awards 2004.
One of the most important aspects of nasi lemak is rice. At Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak, you’ll find yourself digging through a mouthful of warm and moist rice bursting with strong coconut fragrance. Choose set A to enjoy the wonderfully marinated ikan kunning (fried fish) that’s so well fried, you don’t have to worry about prickly fish bones. Alternatively, opt for set B which includes a golden brown crispy and juicy chicken wing. Of course, don’t forget the homemade chili which leans more on the sweeter side but still packs quite a punch to tantalise your tastebuds.
Address: Boon Lay Place Market And Food Centre, 221B Boon Lay Place, #01-06, S(642221)
Opening Hours: Daily, 5pm – 2am
Craving for more local food flair? Why not check out these delicious chili crabs in Singapore! If you’re planning for a first date, make a reservation at one of these romantic restaurants in town or cafes in Tiong Bahru for a more casual ambience!
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For a-meow-zing staycays.
Ending the year with a blast (of fireworks).
Prep a merry feast!
Deck the halls with boughs of holly!
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