Westies like me who love hawker food have a list of must-eat places that we agree on. And since many people find Bukit Batok an ulu part of Singapore, there are less people to fight with for a plate of nasi lemak or a bowl of prawn mee here. But with the sprouting of BTOs in the vicinity, Bukit Batok is fast becoming a foodie’s destination – especially when it comes to hawker food. So the next time time you’re in the area, or if you’re moving here soon, check out these 10 hawker stalls that serve cheap and good eats.
At lunchtimes, you can usually see long snaking queues of customers waiting patiently for a bowl of bak chor mee ($3) at Bei Jia, and I am usually one of them! Bei Jia serves my favourite bak chor mee in Singapore, and that’s largely because pork lard is used here to enhance the flavours and each bowl comes with a generous serving of mushrooms, meatballs and tender pork slices.
Check out a list of unique bak chor mee around Singapore.
Address: Block 159, Bukit Batok Street 11, Singapore 650159
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 2pm
If you’re craving for dry springy noodles with hot soup on the side, go for some Mini-wok Noodles ($4). Each portion at Mian Zi Yuan comes with a generous serving of fish balls, minced meat, meatballs, egg, slices of fish cake, crab meat, and kai lan! Their tasty soup stands out as well.
Address: Blk 155 Bukit Batok Street 11, #01-01, Broadway Coffeeshop, Singapore 650155
Opening hours: 6am to 3pm
Inspired by cooking styles from the ‘70s, Famous JB 101 Firewokz serves zi char dishes your parents would find familiar. Here, you can find a wide range of dishes, including an udon-esque Hokkien Fried Noodle ($4/$7/$9). A must-order here is JB-style Beef Hor Fun ($5/$8/$10) that’s drenched in a delicious stock. Opt for a side serving of crab meat and savour the layers of umami and sweetness created by the crab and beef. You can choose to add crab to a whole list of other dishes too, so be sure to pop by if you’re a die-hard crab lover.
Check out other zi char places with a signature dish or, Westies, check out zi char spots in Jurong.
Address: 21 Bukit Batok Crescent, #02-01, Wcega Tower, Singapore 658065
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6304 3112
Sometimes, a piping hot bowl of fish soup is all you need on a rainy day. Over at Fatty Weng, the secret to their addictive fish beehoon soup ($3.50) lies in the preserved cabbage and chye poh added to the soup. Brimming with slices of fresh, succulent fish, the clear broth is both sweet and salty – different from other fish soups around.
Address: Blk 155 Bukit Batok Street 11, #01-324, Singapore 650155
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
With reasonably-priced and tasty fare, Hwa Jin Vegetarian Family Restaurant regularly attracts both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Definitely try their Spicy Vegetarian Fish Fillet ($8), which tastes as good as it looks. Do note that the restaurant is vegetarian and non-vegan, so you might find egg or dairy products in your dishes.
For a vegan meal, check out our list of vegan food places.
Address: Blk 359 Bukit Batok Street 34, #01-393, Singapore 650359
Operating hours: Daily 6:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 9696 4921 / 8686 4921
Website
One of my all-time favourite hawker dishes is fried carrot cake, and those living near Bukit Gombak MRT Station would have come across Qiu Ji at Meng Soon Huat Food Centre. You can get a plate of chye tau kway at $2.50, $3 or $4. I personally enjoy the black version here as the dark soy sauce provides a pleasant sweet tinge that balances the taste of the preserved radish well.
Address: Block 359 Bukit Batok Street 31 #01-401, Meng Soon Huat Food Centre, Singapore 650359
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 9am to 9pm
The chicken from Shi Mei Hainan Chicken Rice is succulent, but what truly sets this chicken rice ($3) apart from others is the fragrance of its rice. There are notes of ginger, garlic, and chicken, while the grains are kept firmly whole instead of mushy. They usually finish selling by mid-afternoon, so remember to head down early.
Address: Blk 371 Bukit Batok Street 31, #01-326, Singapore 650371
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 4pm
If there’s a place on this list that’s definitely worth making a detour for, it’s Soon Kee. Aside from its sedap chilli, the Hokkien mee ($3/$4/$5) here is much wetter than usual, and the prawns and squid are fresh too! Order a side of extra roast pork to make your Hokkien mee even better.
Check out our list of best Hokkien mee stalls in Singapore.
Address: Blk 155 Bukit Batok Street 11, #01-322, Li Soon Eating House, Singapore 650155
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8am to 9pm
There’s plenty to be said about ban mian, which looks simple but can taste oh-so-satisfying. The highlight at Xiang Xiang Ban Mian is their dry ban mian ($3.50) that comes with a special sweet sauce. While the serving seems smaller than usual ban mian portions, it is nonetheless a filling meal.
Address: Blk 155 Bukit Batok Street 11, #01-01, Broadway Coffeeshop, Singapore 650155
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Claypot chicken rice ($6/ $10) served at Bao Fa Claypot Rice comes with plenty of chicken, lup cheong and mushroom, and the rice is fragrant and delicious. Each pot comes with a crispy layer of rice at the bottom, so get ready to do some work by scraping it off!
Find out where else to get delicious claypot chicken rice in Singapore.
Address: Blk 283 Bukit Batok East Avenue 3, #01-285, Singapore 650283
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 11am to 9pm
Tel: 6561 0607
Bukit Batok might now be known for that naked guy and his buttocks, but visitors can be assured that guys like that don’t often appear. Instead, good food is the real guarantee here. Let us know if you have any other Bukit Batok hawker stalls to recommend!
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