Hawker Gems

Heroing the dish is the soup, robust and packed with umami from the clouds of minced pork and fat. The springy egg noodles soak up all that flavour beautifully, and last but not least, the huge pork dumplings are plump with meat and silky smooth. This is a more than viable alternative to its more famous counterparts in the neighbourhood.
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Li Fa Minced Meat Noodles (利發肉脞麵)
The Marketplace @ 58
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Taste: 3.5/5

One of my favourite mee poks in recent memory, this modernised take hits all the right notes for me – springy noodles lathered in a spicy, savoury chilli with loads of tender minced pork, spring onion and lard. I particularly liked the moreish pork meatballs that tasted more of pork than filler as is so often the case. Of course, I must mention the utterly addictive crispy fish strips that add an extra dimension of crunch and umami. Even the clear broth is delicious - mildly porky, sweet and with no trace of MSG.
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Finally, don't forget to take a saucer of their tangy chicken rice-style chilli sauce, it really adds a load of punchy flavour to everything it graces.
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Mee Pok Time
Happy Hawkers, 602B Tampines ave 9, #01-01 (S522602)
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Taste: 3.5/5

Still crispy and piping hot, the battered chicken was coated in one of the better salted egg sauces I've had. Runnier and saltier than the norm, you could also clearly taste the chilli and curry leaf.
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Taste: 3/5

The chicken is clearly the star here - enjoyable in an uncontrived way, the thin cutlet is tender, juicy, and subtly flavoured with the aroma of chinese cooking wine. Its crumbed coating is a crisp veneer that doesn't distract from the protein. The sides, especially the white bread, are forgettable and almost seem like an afterthought.
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Taste: 3/5

Set up by former longtime employees of Xing Long Cooked Food and also in the same centre as the aforementioned, Emmanuel dishes up healthier yet no less delicious versions of Nyonya-tinged caifan, as well as their take on nasi lemak, which is quite on the money for me.
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Their blue pea rice is pretty but could probably do with a stronger hit of coconut, but the chicken rendang is fire. The house-made rempah packs loads of spice and aromatics into the luscious sauce coating the meat, so do request for more to accompany your rice with. With requisite fried egg, ikan bilis and punchy sambal, you’d be all set for a satisfying meal, but do consider adding on the soft and creamy Muah-style otah, you won’t regret it.
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Taste: 3.5/5

It was serendipity that Nam Seng moved from the CBD where I used to work to Toa Payoh, where I work now. Having patronised them at their previous location but having never tried their famed wanton mee, it was only natural I ordered myself the large portion.
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No ragrets because it's exactly the style I like - firm, springy noodles in a light brown sauce, plenty of fatty char siew, blanched greens and a bowl of wanton soup at the side. The dumplings were plump and had a good ratio of pork to prawn, all wrapped in a thin, translucent skin. Last but not least, there's free-flowing freshly fried lardons for you to pile onto the noodz to your heart's content.
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Taste: 3.5/5

I must profess I’ve not heard of popular wanton mee stall Wen Kang Ji before, but I’m more than happy to be acquainted with their second outlet at Joo Chiat now, in the same coffeeshop as Da Dong Prawn Noodles.
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The version here is standout in every way. Fatty, caramelised char siew made from the underarm of the pig roasted in-house, “QQ” noodles in a savoury brown sauce and plump, meaty pork wantons with a hint of dried sole fish, came together in symphony of umami and textural delight.
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To have to decide between my favourite prawn noodles or killer wanton mee the next time I’m there and confronted with the inevitable queue at both stalls is a #firstworldproblem I’d gladly face.
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Taste: 3.5/5

Sequestered in a quiet building next to Katong Shopping Center is a hidden gem that's been serving affordable and tasty hawker comfort food to loyal patrons for years now. Kipo's in the [email protected] might not look much at first - with a cramped kitchen and counterfront right inside the building's side entrance and tables strewn across the first floor lobby, but you'll find yourself returning for more.
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Amongst their popular dishes are wanton noodles, chicken cutlet and fried fish soup, but don't overlook the humble fried rice dishes either, which are full of "wok hei" and best eaten with a side of sunny side up ($0.80) and shrimp paste wings (2 for $2.5)
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Taste: 3/5

Tanjong Beach Club's loss of their assistant head chef is another feather in the cap of the Eastside. Chef Jacq Lim's newly opened hawker stall Curry Yi Wan at Roxy Square sells only 2 things - Chinese-style curry chicken and "lu rou fan", but boy does she do it good.
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Alot of love and care goes into her food, and every customer's order is cooked À la Minute - Coconut milk is only added to the curry before serving to ensure peak flavour and consistency, and the chicken is pan-seared before being cooked in the curry. Even though I was the only customer, this took at least 5-10 minutes, but I can assure you that it was well worth the wait.
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Rich, piquant and smoulderingly spicy, the lush curry was pleasingly smooth and creamy, with succulent pieces of chicken and potatoes cooked down to just the right soft consistency. The addition of beancurd skin is inspired too, as the crispy sheets not only add texture, but also taste great soaked in the gravy. Pair with jasmine rice or toasted baguette - both are excellent vehicles for the redolent curry.
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Taste: 3.5/5

From the founders of Roast Paradise comes a modern "Bak Chor Mee" stall concept - think ingredients like ikura, abalone and ramen egg, as well as hand-made prawn paste and pork balls.
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The noodles are homemade too, and are thicker as well as broader than the norm. This may not be to everyone's preference and they were cooked slightly less than al-dente, but i felt this allowed each strand to better soak up the sauce. Speaking of the sauce, the balance of chilli, lard oil and vinegar was perfect for my tastes, resulting in a luscious, vinegar-forward and punchy emulsion that required no further adulteration. Specked with bits of crispy pork lard and a piece of fried sole fish, this was good enough to eat on its own even without the accoutrement of the other ingredients.
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The incongruously named "Teochew" bowl comes with ramen egg and canned abalone, 2 ingredients that are pleasant enough on their own, but don't quite meld together. I favoured the Teochew pork balls more, as they were tender and had a mildly peppery aftertaste.
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A common gripe is the portions are on the small side, and I found this to be true. I wish they'd give you the option to upsize. All in all, a satisfying bowl of delicious bak chor mee.

Taste: 3.5/5

The hype is well-deserved – perfectly al-dente meepok tossed in a lard and sambal-esque chilli sauce combo that’s yum enough to make me wish I had ordered the large portion. The ingredients are standard and non-descript, but with noodz these good it doesn’t really matter.

#BurppleTakeaways

Taste: 3.5/5

The char kway teow stall which resides in this old school coffeeshop is more famous, but don’t overlook the well-executed tze char here either.

Plenty of tender chicken pieces in a tangy and slightly spicy sauce, with hints of smokiness coming from the dried chilli made for a most ideal pairing with the rice. The bubbly fried egg was cooked perfectly too.

#BurppleTakeaways

Taste: 3.5/5