Talking about wide variety of local delicacies, one can easily find chicken rice, fried kway teow, hokkien mee, bak kut teh, satay, laksa, yong tau fu, and so on in one place. If you keen to try something new, how about stepping up your hawker game with some of these innovative delicacies?
So without further ado, here are my 7 anti-mainstream hawker food you must try in Singapore:
1. Singapore-style Ramen: A Noodle Story - Tanjong Pagar
The queue at this first and only Singapore-style Ramen stall has started even before they open at 11.15am. Bringing the usual bowl of Wanton Mee to the next level, A Noodle Story incorporates modern European techniques with Japanese elements and as a result, their version of perfect Wanton Mee!
Their QQ noodle is thin and springy and has a great flavour when mixed with their garlicky oil (infused with lemongrass and pandan leaves) as well as their special sauce. The chashu topping is tender, juicy, sweet and yet salty. The wantons are plump and remains intact as you bite them.
But what I like the most is their Potato-wrapped Prawn Fritter! Crispy shredded potato, fried till golden brown with prawn on the inside - tasty, delicious, and don't forget to order some extras!
A Noodle Story
Address:
Amoy Street Food Centre #01-39 (MRT: Tanjong Pagar)
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday 11.15am - 2.30pm and 5.30pm - 7.30pm
Saturday 10.30am - 13.30pm
Closed on Sunday
2. Coffee Break - Tanjong Pagar, Ascent
Their QQ noodle is thin and springy and has a great flavour when mixed with their garlicky oil (infused with lemongrass and pandan leaves) as well as their special sauce. The chashu topping is tender, juicy, sweet and yet salty. The wantons are plump and remains intact as you bite them.
But what I like the most is their Potato-wrapped Prawn Fritter! Crispy shredded potato, fried till golden brown with prawn on the inside - tasty, delicious, and don't forget to order some extras!
A Noodle Story
Address:
Amoy Street Food Centre #01-39 (MRT: Tanjong Pagar)
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday 11.15am - 2.30pm and 5.30pm - 7.30pm
Saturday 10.30am - 13.30pm
Closed on Sunday
2. Coffee Break - Tanjong Pagar, Ascent
Bored with the same Kaya Toast for breakfast? Head to Coffee Break and try their Wholemeal Toasts with various spreads! Tried their Tiramisu, Pistachio, and Black Sesame flavor - the latter is actually my favorite! Served with thin slab of butter, it has that rich nutty flavor, sweet and yet savory.
Coffee Break also offers the Traditional Kopi as well as Latte with different flavors, all sock-brewed in traditional way. They told me to try Sea Salt Caramel Latte and to my surprise I actually liked it (I'm not fond of caramel flavored drinks usually). The latte still has that rich and full-bodied coffee flavor, but at the same time you taste the sea salt and wonderful taste of caramel.
Coffee Break
Tanjong Pagar Outlet:
Address: Amoy Street Food Centre, #02-78 (MRT: Tanjong Pagar)
Opening Hours: 7.30am - 2.30pm on weekdays, closed on the weekend
Ascent Outlet:
Address: 2 Science Park Drive, #01-28 (MRT: Kent Ridge)
Opening Hours: 7.30am - 5.30pm on weekdays, closed on the weekend
3. Bee Kee Truffle Wanton Noodle - Food Park, Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar
Who doesn't love the beautiful aroma of truffle? Bee Kee adds a touch of truffle-infused oil by spraying it into their bowl of Wanton Noodle. I might be biased because of the truffle smell, but the this version tastes better than their original bowl. Served with generous toppings, the noodle is springy but the roast pork feels a little tough and dry unfortunately.
Bee Kee Wanton Noodle
Serangoon Outlet:
Address: Blk 2 Lorong Lew Lian, Food Park (MRT: Serangoon)
Opening Hours: 7am - 3pm on weekdays and 7am - 4pm on the weekend
Raffles Place Outlet:
Address: 50 Market Street, #03-01 Golden Shoe Hawker Centre (MRT: Raffles Place)
Opening Hours: 7am - 3pm on weekdays, closed on the weekend
Tanjong Pagar Outlet:
Address: Amoy Street Food Centre, #02-130 (MRT: Tanjong Pagar)
4. Ah Hoe Mee Pok - Clementi
Japanese man selling Bak Chor Mee (BCM)? Yes! You read it right!
Learnt how to make BCM from his co-partner, Naoji Kuribara and his family, started their food venture in Singapore selling BCM and Japanese Fusion Mee Pok! As for their fusion version, you can choose either Miso or Shoyu based sauce, as well as Char Siew Mee Pok.
Tried their Dry Mee Pok with Miso, and it was served with generous toppings like meatballs, minced pork, sliced canned abalone, and crispy Pork Lard! The noodle was cooked and coated perfectly in sweet savory miso sauce upon serving. To accompany every delightful bite was their thick sliced Japanese Char Siew that was tender, fatty, and definitely satisfying.
Ah Hoe Mee Pok
Address:
Blk 710 Clementi West Street 2 (MRT: Clementi)
Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday 7am - 4pm
5. Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa - Hong Lim Food Centre
Learnt how to make BCM from his co-partner, Naoji Kuribara and his family, started their food venture in Singapore selling BCM and Japanese Fusion Mee Pok! As for their fusion version, you can choose either Miso or Shoyu based sauce, as well as Char Siew Mee Pok.
Tried their Dry Mee Pok with Miso, and it was served with generous toppings like meatballs, minced pork, sliced canned abalone, and crispy Pork Lard! The noodle was cooked and coated perfectly in sweet savory miso sauce upon serving. To accompany every delightful bite was their thick sliced Japanese Char Siew that was tender, fatty, and definitely satisfying.
Ah Hoe Mee Pok
Address:
Blk 710 Clementi West Street 2 (MRT: Clementi)
Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday 7am - 4pm
5. Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa - Hong Lim Food Centre
Listed on the list of Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand 2016, the queue has even started before the stall opens. Their signature dish, Fruit Juice Mee Siam, as the name suggests, is made from fresh fruit juices instead of the usual tamarind paste. I must say this is the best mee siam I've ever tasted so far and so addictive with its refreshing tangy, citrusy and yet some sweetness aftertaste. You can also add crayfish if you prefer mee siam with many ingredients.
Another popular choice is their one-of-a-kind-Laksa made with fresh coconut juice instead of coconut milk! Heard that the soup base was made by simmering scallop, dried oysters, and dried prawns - the texture is not as thick as the usual one we always see but the taste is definitely flavorful and not compromised.
Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa
Address:
531A Upper Cross Street, Hong Lim Food Centre #02-66 (MRT: Chinatown)
Opening Hours:
Monday - Saturday 11.30am - 5.30pm
Closed on Sunday
Ps: Please do come early to avoid disappointment as they tend to sold out pretty quickly.
6. Wong Kee Wanton Noodle
At Wong Kee, everything is made in-house from noodles, wanton skin, meat, and so on. They have 3 different types of noodle all made using natural ingredients. The usual yellow egg noodle, spinach for their green noodle, and tomato for their orangey-red noodle.
One of their signature dishes is Beef Brisket Noodle. Cooked with more than 15 different spices and stewed for hours, the brisket was so tender, richly flavored, and generously placed on top of the QQ spinach noodle. Add extra tasty dumplings on the side filled with minced meat, crunchy black fungus, and chestnuts.
Wong Kee Wanton Noodle
Address:
73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, Timbre+ #01-06 (MRT: one-north)
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday 7.30am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 2pm
Closed on Sunday
7. Hambaobao - Beauty World Centre
Just in case you missed it, Hambaobao has re-opened on the 3rd May 2017! Located on the 4th floor at Beauty World Centre, the couple serves hand-crafted burgers with a homemade touch. They have 5 burgers on the menu, with their Crispy Pork Belly Burger usually is the first to sell out.
If you feel like something different, try their Ayam Buah Keluak Burger. I think Buah Keluak is a native to Indonesia and also used in Peranakan cuisine - it's black with an unique earthy taste. Here, they make the patty from minced chicken marinated with rempah (spices) and buah keluak sauce. I think the taste is either you love it or hate it for some people. Usually I like it especially when buah keluak is used in making "rawon (Indonesian Beef Black Soup)" but I find Hambaobao's version is quite bitter for my liking. The overall patty itself was juicy and went well with the chap chye cabbage and black fungus.
Hambaobao
Address:
Beauty World Centre, #04-49 (MRT: Beauty World)
Opening Hours:
Wednesday - Sunday 12pm - 8pm