Hawker Delights

If you happen to be in the Beauty World MRT Station area, do check out “Ngohti Food” in the basement of Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. Their Dry Mee Siam is damn solid. Freshly fried in small batches (so sometimes you need’ll to wait a while for your order to arrive), it’s boldly spicy and sour - just the way I love this dish.
If you order the Premium Dry Mee Siam ($6.50), it comes with a Ngoh Hiang too. Served piping hot, it is fragrant, has a very crispy wrap of beancurd skin and deliciously seasoned, juicy filling.
I’d ordered their Fried Beehoon with Egg and Luncheon Meat on a previous visit and enjoyed it very much as well.

Visited “Seow Choon Hua” after hearing about their Fuzhou delicacies from my parents.
A casual eatery with indoor and outdoor seating, I was told by the gentleman manning the counter that they make everything in-house by hand. So it seemed logical to order their Mixed Bowl.
In it were “Yuan Pi” (the small, juicy pork balls with the thinnest, most delicate wrapping - my favourite of the lot), Wanton (medium size pork dumplings), “Shui Gao” (large triangular dumplings), “Yu Yuan” (fishballs) and Fuzhou “Yu Yuan” (huge minced meat-filled fishballs with a mochi-like texture, so they’re unlike the ones you find at the usual fishball noodles stalls). I had mine with plain rice while @huatkaliao opted for the version with dry noodles (it’s really tasty as they dress the noodles in a sweet-savoury sauce and pork lard oil).
As this dialect group’s cuisine is getting increasingly hard to find these days, I reckon it’s worth giving the food here a try.

Ever since my friend told me that @ilovebalisg’s Chinese-style Nasi Lemak is a favourite of her family’s, I have been wanting to visit. Finally found the opportunity to drop by the other day right after their opening time of 5.30pm. We were the first few to place our order but in mere moments, a queue formed right behind us.
I found the rice here very fragrant, light and fluffy, and without a trace of oiliness. It went very well with the sweet-savoury sambal which you can still spot onions in.
The highlight for me was the petal and wing bean dish. Stirfried quickly in a savoury “hae bee hiam”, both vegetables retained a fresh crunch which I adore.
Of the two options for chicken wings, I preferred the one coated in black sauce - it’s deepfried before being tossed in the sweet “kicap manis” so there is a bit of crunch when you sink your teeth into it. If you are a fan of the “keropok hard crunch” style of batter, then go for the golden-brown fried wings.
Eggs were cooked on point with a semi-runny yolk, and the grilled Otah was thick, aromatic and spicy - worth getting both of these as well.
I did miss my sliced cucumber though. It’s a vital part of my Nasi Lemak experience but unfortunately, they didn’t have it that evening.

On a whim, we hopped over to the coffeeshop at the opposite end of Blk. 59 Marina Terrace which we don’t usually visit and were pleasantly surprised by the hawker stall we ordered from.
Although called “Ming Ji Cantonese Style Wanton Noodle”, I felt a stronger pull for the elderly couple’s Ipoh Hor Fun and Laksa (partly because I saw others ordering those 😁).
No regrets.
The gravy of the former had a lot more flavour than most others I have tried and the $4 portion was generous with juicy mushrooms, shredded chicken breast, chye sim and it came with a boldly spicy and savoury (this is important to me!) sambal.
The $3.50 bowl of Laksa had cockles, the kind of taupok that I adore (very spongey and absorbent), slices of fishcake and lots of beansprouts. I would have preferred the thick beehoon to be cooked a tad less soft but the gravy was shiok. It struck me as being very close in style to my all-time favourite - Sungei Road Laksa at Jalan Berseh. Which means it is really aromatic and not too thick - the ideal consistency for slurping till not one drop is left. Loved it with big dollop of that same sambal.

Introduced by the OG foodie in the family, my mum, I got to know about “Warung Java”. Located in a coffeeshop at Blk. 539 Bedok North St. 3, this stall is popular for its Malay dishes.
I consider their Nasi Rawon one of the best around. Besides being large in portion, the all-important beef and “buah keluak” gravy splashed over the rice is fragrant and generous with pieces of beautifully tender meat. So is the paru (beef lungs) which surprises me greatly because rarely if ever, does this organ come in such a cushiony-soft state. Equally eager to yield to the bite is thinly-sliced cuttlefish cooked in slightly sweet sambal. While chopped long beans provide some fresh crunch, the begedil (spiced mashed potato patty) scores above average in size and tastiness. Automatically included with the Nasi Rawon is a sambal belachan which is of sweat-will-break-out standard.
If you love Malay food like I do, this stall is a must-visit.

After a rather ho-hum lunch from a multiple-awarded chicken rice stall in Tiong Bahru Food Centre, I needed to console myself with something much tastier, so I walked around, hoping for something to catch my eye. The universe answered in a flash because whom should I bump into but the OG food blogger - @danielfooddiary, and he recommended @the.coco.rice.
Ladyboss Aries Chan shared with me that her previous career was in marketing but after the success of her home-based business @nasilemakindulgence’s #NasiLemakCake, she decided to open a stall selling her blue pea flower tinged #NasiLemakKukus too.
I ordered a few sets to take home to enjoy. And enjoy, we definitely did. Here are my thoughts on each component in the dish:
- There is significant coconut richness in the light, fluffy steamed rice.
- Sambal is sweetish, spicy and MSG-free - I like it a lot! It goes amazingly with the rice, as well as the extra large crispy ikan bilis, peanuts and cucumber.
- The Otah is a must to add on because it takes on the form of a pan-grilled patty, and is intensely fragrant and tasty. In fact, I should warn you that one piece may not be enough.
- Much bigger than average, the Fried Chicken Thigh is aromatic from a herb and spice marinade. I feel though it is best to eat this on the spot in order to relish the intended crispiness.
- Tempeh and Tau Kwa are fine - neither is overfried or hard.
- The Lady’s Fingers have a lovely crunch and are dressed with a different savoury, drier sambal which I also found appetising.

Prices for each Nasi Lemak Set fall between $6.90 and $9.90.

Singapore has more than a fair share of famous hawker stalls. Emblazoned with a Michelin Star, multiple award decals etc. they appear on nearly every tourist’s must-visit lists and command a neverending queue. As good or very good as most of their dishes are, I do think it’s important to venture beyond and give other stalls a try. Exploring is a gamble but once in a while, you can unearth gems like I did with this one at Jalan Batu Hawker Centre back in November 2020.
I wouldn’t say it is fantastic but the noodles by this young hawker are definitely above average. Been quite a frequent customer since that first visit.
Besides the hawker’s great attitude and energy, I like his Dry Mee Sua and Dry Mee Tai Mak which come with minced pork, fishballs, crispy ikan bilis and crunchy cubes of fresh pork lard. I alternate between the two and these days, my standard order for them is “white” - that is, without sambal (prefer to get the kick of heat from throwing in sliced chilli padi) and with extra beansprouts and minced meat. As for black vinegar, well, it depends on my mood that day 😊

My hubby and I had strolled over to this hawker stall after wolfing down the Fishball Mee Pok at Havelock Road Food Centre. Hence, I wasn’t famished when it came to our turn, which explains why I did not over-order. Our modest (by my standards 😂) spread comprised of deepfried pork chop, curry sotong, braised “tau pok”, fried eggs and stewed cabbage which we savoured with white rice drowned in curry.
Going to be honest. I have never considered Hainanese Curry Rice to be all that exciting in terms of aroma and flavour but it sure makes up for that with a multitude of textures.

With a style the polar opposite of my favourite Da Dong Prawn Noodles is my second favourite - Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee.
I know, I know - it must sound odd seeing how different they are but it is in what sets them apart that has me enjoying the latter’s prawn noodles too.
Significantly more potent in prawn power, the darker yet clearer soup of Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee lacks the rounded mouthfeel of Da Dong’s silky opaque broth (which is why I am always torn between ordering the dry and soup versions there). But like Hemingway’s writing - terse and direct, this eatery’s is all about singing that singular note of crustacean. At least, that is my impression. And also why I prefer the dry version here because having a small bowl of their prawn-y soup is enough. What really draws me is the tangy-spicy chilli used to toss the noodles - it has an old-school taste which I have a spot spot for. Needless to say, the prawns, served halved for easy eating, and pork ribs, are faultless.
A bonus about dining here is we can order a plate of Ngoh Hiang as well. All the usual suspects are offered at the small stall but it also has a couple of unique items like the UFO-shaped patty which tastes a lot like the Hokkien Fried Oyster Cake but is softer and mealier within. I love their chilli dip too - it is a complex number with raw garlic and sour plum mixed in.

Since I don’t have plans to travel to Kuala Lumpur anytime in the near future, I yelped with joy when I spotted “KL Hong Cha Pork Noodles” at Malaysia Food Street in @rwsentosa. It’s all @blueskiescottonclouds’ fault 😂 If she had not shared on her Stories about enjoying the real thing in KL, Malaysia which is where she is currently at, I wouldn’t have been harbouring such a insatiable craving for Pork Noodles.
Anyways, the one I stumbled upon turned out to be very tasty. Not sure if it can match the original across the border but I was a happy camper. The soup was robust and properly seasoned, and alongside the soft “kway teow” were slices of pig’s liver and lean pork, lumps of minced pork as well as crunchy pork lard. The food arrived piping hot and tasted fresh. It wasn’t exactly cheap at $9 but it did leave me sweaty (from slurping the soup) and satisfied.

Chanced upon this 3-week-old stall inside the corner coffeeshop at Blk 46 Telok Blangah Drive (right next to Buona Vista Community Club). Manned by a rather young and energetic team, #gimmefacenoodlehouse’s eye-catching branding and frontage led me to order their food.
I enjoyed my Mala Spicy Pork Noodles for its al dente noodles tossed in an aromatic and hot Sichuan spice paste. The meatballs which they make themselves, stood out in size and softness. I found the liver slices thin but pretty well cooked. So if you like this organ, you can consider trying their Silky Pork Liver Noodles. Portion size for the food isn’t huge, so I would suggest adding on a bowl of the Fishballs and/or Meatballs Soup to share.

“Guan’s Mee Pok” in the basement of Capitol Piazza is well known for their eponymous Mee Pok Tah but I actually like their Kway Teow Soup ($6.50) more. You’ll need to ask for it as it’s not shown on the menu.
Each serving includes two really juicy large meatballs that aren’t too firm, lumps of minced lean pork, a vegetable dumpling and half a stewed egg. Even the rice noodles are deeply flavourful from having absorbed the rich yet clean and tasty pork broth.