Four Characteristics of Hawker Culture in Singapore • Multicultural, Urban, Community & Artisanal Hawkers

In its 2019 submission to the United Nations for inclusion of Singapore hawker culture in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Singapore highlighted four key characteristics of Hawker Culture in Singapore.

Singapore hawker culture is multicultural in nature, set in an urban setting, hawker centres provide social glue as common eating spaces for Singapore's diverse communities, hawkers and their craft are the lynch pins of Singapore hawker culture. 

Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang @ Yishun Park • Famous Lombok Specialty now in Singapore

The first time I had ayam taliwang was in Lombok island back in 2014. Had it again in 2019 in Batam island. This is my third ayam taliwang - right here in Singapore at Yishun Park Hawker Centre. All three ayam taliwang tasted quite different 🤔

Stall name: Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang

Address: 51 Yishun Ave 11, stall #01-33, Singapore 768867 (Yishun Park Hawker Centre)

Tel: 8750 5240

Hours: 7:00am - 6:00pm (Ayam taliwang available from 8:30am | Monday off)

Green Chili Chicken Rice @ Sims Vista Hawker Centre • Surprise Bonus of Red Sambal 🌶

Finally came to try the famous green chili chicken rice at Sims Vista hawker centre. The queue was at least 10 deep despite social distancing measures (only takeaway or max 2 persons per table allowed).

Stall name: Green Chili Chicken Rice

Address: 49 Sims Place, Singapore 380049 (stall #01-09, Sims Vista Market & Food Centre)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Aljunied station

Hours: 10:30am - 1:30pm (Fri off)

Hokkien Street Bak Kut Teh @ Hong Lim Food Centre • Menu & Food Review 福建街肉骨茶

Singapore bak kut teh is synonymous with the cloudy-clear, peppery soup type commonly called Teochew bak kut teh. There are a handful of Hokkien bak kut teh stalls which sport a dark soup of herbs and black soy sauce but these are the last remnants from the Hokkien BKT heyday of 1960s Singapore.

Stall name: Hokkien Street Bak Kut Teh 福建街肉骨茶

Address: 531A Upper Cross Street, stall #01-66, Singapore 051531 (inside Hong Lim Food Centre)

Hours: 8:00am - 7:00pm

Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow • Best Char Kway Teow in the East? 如切坊炒粿条

You know, these days with unabating Covid numbers, I won't go out unless I really have to. Today, despite my cardiac rehab appointment (after my operation in July) and the blistering hot weather, buddy insisted that I really must try Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow. "Old school, lah", "peel their own see hum, lah", "powerful wok hei, lah", "hidden gem, lah", "underrated, lah" aiyah I go pay the stall a visit at his insistence 🙄 My annual char kway teow quota is two (plus one), so I am CKT miserly 😂

Stall name: Joo Chiat Place Fried Kway Teow 如切坊炒粿条

Address: 59 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427783 (stall inside Dong Cheng Eatery directly across the road from Guan Hoe Soon Peranakan restaurant)

Hours: 11:00am - 8:00pm (Weds off)

Taman Jurong Feng Zhen Fish Lor Mee • West is Best? Or Best in the West? 鳳珍鹵麵

Stalking Taman Jurong Food Centre, it was obvious that Feng Zhen Lor Mee on level 3 is one of the most popular stalls here judging by the constant queue. I am told that the queue pre-Covid was much longer as busloads of Malaysians would drop by for the famous fish lor mee here. Nowadays, waiting time is within 15 minutes.

Stall name: Feng Zhen Lor Mee 鳳珍鹵麵

Address: Taman Jurong Food Centre, stall #03-146, 3 Yung Sheng Road, Singapore 618499

Hours: 5:00am - 3:00pm (Sun & Mon off)

Bak Kee Satay Bee Hoon @ Redhill • Famous Stall Serves Vanishing Singapore Hawker Dish Since 1960s 峇记潮洲沙爹米粉

Satay bee hoon, not a pretty looking dish, is an invented in Singapore dish reflecting our combined Malay / Indonesian, Indian and Chinese heritage. There are not many stalls left serving satay bee hoon - one of the most popular is Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon in Redhill Food Centre.

Stall name: Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon 峇记潮洲沙嗲米粉

Address: 85 Redhill Lane, stall #01-40, Singapore 150085 (inside Bukit Merah Food Centre)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Redhill station

Hours: 5:30am - 4:00pm (Weds off)

Seri Muslim Food @ 399 Food Court • Taman Jurong Shopping Centre • Hidden Gem Nasi Lemak Better than Some Famous Brands

Stumbled upon this queue inside 399 Food Court while stalking Taman Jurong Shopping Centre for good food. Not sure what the stall was about but I quickly got in line anyway, before the queue got longer 😱

Stall name: Seri Muslim Food 

Address: 399 Food Court, 399 Yung Sheng Road, Singapore 610399 (inside Taman Jurong Shopping Centre)

Hours: 9:30am - 9:00pm

MadASS @ Raffles Place Change Alley • Menu & Food Review • Rebel Against Unhealthy Fast Food

You know, in the heart of the busy Central Business District, it is a challenge to get an affordable quick bite. So, we often ended up with BFF - not best friends forever but unhealthy Big Fast Food. 

A new little eatery, MadASS just launched a Gourmet Social Movement - a rebellion against unhealthy fast food. Launched by the folks behind Mad About Sucre, MadASS stands for Mad About Sucre Social. It serves tasty, healthy meals at affordable plus prices in Change Alley Mall, the iconic core of Singapore's CBD.

Restaurant name: MadASS

Address: 01-11, Change Alley Mall, 30 Raffles Place, 048622 (inside Chevron House)

Tel: 8764 9818

Hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm (Sat & Sun off)

Taman Jurong Chwee Kueh 水粿 • Freshly Made Artisanal Teochew Rice Cakes by Octogenarian Hawker Master

Stumbled upon the famous Taman Jurong chwee kueh stall - I read about this stall many times but this was my first time here. The stall doesn't really have a name - the signboard simply states 水粿 (Chinese for chwee kueh), the humble Teochew dish which uncle Peng Ah Bah has been making and selling for the past 30 years.

Stall name: 水粿

Address: Stall #02-67, Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre, 3 Yung Sheng Road, Singapore 618499

Hours: 6:00am - 1:00pm

Ng Kee Teochew Fish Ball Kuay Teow Mee @ Taman Jurong • 1 Hour Invisible Queue 黄记潮州鱼圆粿条面 CLOSED

This week's hawker centre stalking target is Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre. I was zeroing in on Ng Kee Teochew Fish Ball Kuay Teow Mee which was recommended to me a few years back 😅 I finally made it today (Jurong a bit far for me lah 😅 ). But, my attitude in life is "better late than never" 😂 

Stall name: Ng Kee Teochew Fish Ball Kuay Teow Mee 黄记潮州鱼圆粿条面

Address: Stall #02-64, Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre, 3 Yung Sheng Road, Singapore 618499

Hours: 6:00am - 2:00pm (Sat, Sun, Mon off)

Evolution of Singapore Hawkers • From Plying the Streets to Hawkerpreneurs

The hawker profession in Singapore went through three distinct stages, from plying the streets to running a hawker centre stall to being an entrepreneur, dubbed hawkerpreneur.

Ah Tee Ko Ko Mee @ Kelantan Lane • Old School Nostalgic Sauce Noodle 亞弟叩叩面

Ko Ko Mee actually isn't a type of noodle dish. It refers to the knocking sound hawkers make when they strike a broad flat strip of bamboo with a bamboo stick. When I was a child in 1960s Singapore, the ko ko sound made by noodle sellers can be heard all day. 

Stall name: Ah Tee Ko Ko Mee 亞弟叩叩面

Address: Blk 27 Jalan Berseh, Gourmet Street coffee shop, Singapore 200027

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Jalan Besar station

Hours: 5:30am - 1:30pm (Sun off)

632 Yishun Chef Kin HK Wanton Mee • Is it Worth the 2 Hour Queue? CLOSED

CLOSED Recently, a wanton mee stall at block 632 in Yishun took the social media world by storm with two hour queues for their authentic Hong Kong style duck egg noodles. Its main selling point is owner chef Kin was formerly with the Crystal Jade chain of restaurants. As a wanton mee lover, I was curious and eager to give it a try.

Stall name: Chef Kin HK Wanton Mee

Address: Blk 632, Yishun Street 61, Singapore 760632

Nearest MRT: 15 minutes walk from Khatib station

Hours: 7:00am - 8:00pm

What is Unique about Singapore Hawker Centre Culture?

In 2018, when Singapore submitted its hawker culture for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, murmurs were heard questioning "What is so Unique about Singapore Hawker Culture"? Afterall, all of Singapore's Southeast Asian neighbours have vibrant street hawker cultures. Every countryman or woman can rightfully argue that their own country's hawkers are the best, so why is Singapore jumping the gun on UNESCO recognition? Malaysia even proposed a joint submission.

I shall try to answer that question from my own perspective as a Singaporean who also loves the street food of neighbouring countries.

Can Singapore Hawker Culture Survive?

The future of Singapore's UNESCO recognised hawker culture is sometimes doubted and often debated. There are factors for and against its survival - it is good that the issue is often spotlighted, suggestions voiced, solutions implemented and the public engaged.

As Singaporeans are passionate about their hawker food, everyone has opinions on both sides of the fence. The picture is not all doom and gloom. In fact, I am pretty optimistic.

The Fortune Cookie Restaurant 🥠 Muslim Owned HALAL Chinese - Western Fusion @ Kampong Glam

Today's lunch at The Fortune Cookie at the historic Kampong Glam 🥠 TFC serves interesting Halal Chinese & Western fusion dishes. 

Restaurant name: The Fortune Cookie

Address: 11 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199432 (in Kampong Glam)

Nearest MRT: Bugis station

Tel: +65 9009 7345

Hours: 11:00am - 11:00pm daily

Pang's Hakka Noodles @ Sprout Hub. The Best Hakka Mee in Singapore? 小彭客家面

As chef Benny slurped up his noodles noisily across the table, I can smell the aroma of the blend of lard, shallot oil and juices from sautéed pork which transported me straight to Seremban, home of my favourite Hakka noodles. Thanks to chef Pang, now we can have it right here in Singapore. Better still, chef Pang's version comes with delicious accompanying yong tau foo and soups.

Stall name: Pang's Hakka Noodles 小彭客家面

Address: 102 Henderson Rd, Singapore 159562 (inside Sprout Hub)

Hours: 10:30am - 7:00pm

Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles @ Golden Mile Food Centre 瓊发海南牛肉粉

Went to Golden Mile Food Centre for lunch after my medical appointment. Famous, old school Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles (established 1978) just opened for the day, so I settled for it.

Stall name: Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles 瓊发海南牛肉粉

Address: Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road, stall #01-89, Singapore 199583

Hours: 11:30am - 7:30pm (Weds off)

HQ Italia Pizza Addiction · Unofficial Embassy of Italy & One of Our Makan Hideouts

You know, all of us have one or a few makan hangouts hideouts which is known among our kakis and not much other people. I share one of these with you - HQ Italia at the roof top of Oxley Bizhub 2 in Kampong Ubi.

Restaurant name: HQ Italia Pizza Addiction

Address: Oxley Bizhub 2, 62 Ubi Rd 1, #11-19, Singapore 408734

Tel: 9383 2649

Nearest MRT: Tai Seng station

Hours: 11:30am - 9:30pm (Sun off)

Guan Hoe Soon Peranakan Restaurant @ Joo Chiat Place. Singapore's Oldest Nyonya Restaurant

Established in 1953, Guan Hoe Soon is one of the oldest and most famous Peranakan restaurants in Singapore, so was I extremely excited about going there for lunch.

Restaurant name: Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant

Address: 200 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427764

Tel: +65 6344 2761

Hours: 11:00am - 3:00pm | 5:30pm - 9:00pm

Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu. Yong Tau Foo Stuffed with Porky Goodness @ North Bridge Road Food Centre

Stumbled upon Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu stall at North Bridge Road hawker centre and was excited to see that they use pork fillings for their yong tau foo. They also have Hakka style noodles, so yeah, this will be my brekky this morning 😄

Stall name: Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu 老黄客家酿豆腐

Address: North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre, 861 North Bridge Rd, #01-108, Singapore 198783

Tel: 9652 0395 (Jimmy)

Hours: 7:30am - 1:00pm (Thurs, Fri, Mon off)

Rong Ji Chicken Rice • Porridge 🐔 Longstanding Easties' Favourite @ Dunman Food Centre

As a chicken and porridge lover, I was very excited when I stumbled upon Rong Ji Chicken Rice & Porridge while stalking Dunman Food Centre. So, I quickly joined the line of five people (at 10am on a Monday).

Stall name: Rong Ji Chicken Rice • Porridge 榮記鶏飯 • 粥

Address: Stall #02-13, Dunman Food Centre, 271 Onan Road, Singapore 424768

Hours: 6:00am - 3:00pm (Weds off)

Geylang Serai Chee Kong. Much Loved Cheng Tng in the Malay Heartland of Singapore

You know, the first time I tasted Geylang Serai Chee Kong's cheng tng, it was free of charge 😄 I was sharing a table with a Malay uncle and naturally, we had an unker to unker talk about what to eat. He went to buy cheng tng, and belanja (Malay for treat) me one 😄 The kampong spirit is alive and well in Geylang Serai 💪 

Pakcik was one of Geylang Serai Chee Kong's many life long fans. Now, they added this Chinese unker.

Stall name: Geylang Serai Chee Kong Cheng Tng 清汤

Address: 1 Geylang Serai, #02-149 Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre, Singapore 402001

Hours: 10:00am - 4:00pm (Mon off)

Kansas City Style Smoked BBQ Feast by Chef Jimmy of Smoke House by Esseplore

I have always wanted to try the much acclaimed cooking of smoked BBQ meats maestro, chef Jimmy Cheang. Now that chef Jimmy joined Esseplore, we can order his smoked meats online and have it delivered to enjoy in the comfort of our own homes. We just had a selection of Kansas City style smoked BBQ feast and loved it.

History of Pasar Geylang Serai Market • Enduring Heart of Malay Life & Culture in Singapore

Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre is a hawker centre with one of the longest history in Singapore. Its roots go back to the 1920s, starting life as a street market and then a makeshift hawker shelter in Geylang Serai.

Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre

Address: 1 Geylang Serai, Singapore 402001

Memories of Taman Serasi Food Centre. Roti John Central of Singapore

Taman Serasi Food Centre was opened in 1975 and demolished in 2001. It was relatively small with just 18 food stalls but it was well loved and fondly remembered by many people.

Canchita Peruvian Cuisine @ Dempsey Hill. Menu & Food Review

Today's lunch at Canchita Peruvian Cuisine at Dempsey Hill.

Restaurant name: CANCHITA Peruvian Cuisine

Address: Dempsey Road, 9A 9B, Singapore 247698

Tel: +65 6232 7895

Hours: 12:00 noon - 2:30pm | 6:00pm - 10:30pm (Mon off |  Sat & Sun 11:30am - 10:30pm)

Sofi Cafe @ The Scarlet Hotel. I was Surprised by how Delicious Keto Dishes can be

This was my first keto meal and I was mighty impressed. I mean, I found it much tastier than expected.

Restaurant name: Sofi Cafe + Pizza

Address: 33 Erskine Rd, The Scarlet Hotel, Ground Floor & Rooftop, Singapore 069333

Tel: +65 6222 0879

Hours: 8:30am - 10:30pm

KL Pork Noodle by Old Village @ Peking Room Kopitiam in Tanglin Halt 老村庄

Singapore foodie social media was recently abuzz with a new stall named Old Village serving Kuala Lumpur style pork noodle at Peking Room coffee shop in Tanglin Halt. As I love KL pork noodle but had no chance to taste it in Malaysia for the past two years, I was excited to try it as soon as possible.

Stall name: Old Village 老村庄

Address: 49 Tanglin Halt Road, #01-265, Singapore 142049 (inside Peking Room coffee shop)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Commonwealth station

Tel: +65 9388 5288

Hours: 8:30am - 3:00pm (Tues off)

Fine British Cuisine @ JAAN by Kirk Westaway in Hotel Swissôtel The Stamford

Today, we had lunch at JAAN by Kirk Westaway in Hotel Swissôtel The Stamford. We enjoyed the exquisite dishes, warm service, comfortable environment, stunning views of Singapore and great company.

Restaurant name: JAAN by Kirk Westaway

Address: 2 Stamford Road, Singapore 178882 (located at level 70 in Hotel Swissôtel The Stamford)

Nearest MRT: At City Hall station

Tel: +65 6431 6156

Hours: 11:45am - 14:30pm | 18:30pm - 22:30pm