10 Clementi Hawker Gems Below $10 Worth Braving The Long Queues For

Clementi hawker food that are confirm ho jiak

Clementi sometimes feels like an underappreciated neighbour of Jurong East, which is a booming area in the west side of Singapore. From famous mee pok to rojak and popiah stalls that have been in business for decades, a number of Clementi hawker places draw persistent long queues. The thought of travelling to the West may make some cringe but if you don’t, you sure are missing out.

1. Ah Hoe Mee Pok

Ah Hoe Mee Pok sells Japanese-style bak chor mee that’s famous amongst foodies. Crayfish Mee Pok ($10) is like basic bak chor mee with more noodles, toppings, and a halved crayfish that takes on the robust flavours of the mee pok sauce. If you order their Japanese Fusion Mee Pok ($6/$7) that’s flavoured with miso or shoyu sauce, expect a very generous amount of ingredients. It’s loads of minced meat, pork balls, canned abalone slices, a slice of char siew, and crispy pork lard.

Check out our full review of Ah Hoe Mee Pok!

Address: Blk 710 Clementi West Street 2, Weng Kwang Coffeeshop, Singapore 120710
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8am to 4pm
Tel: 8742 1341
Website

2. Fried Carrot Cake

Fried Carrot Cake got its reputation from way back in the 1960s when a hot-blooded man ran a fried carrot cake pushcart in Bao Crescent. Today, a plate of their more popular white carrot cake ($3) comes in loose pieces that are soft and moist with the taste of real carrot. Each plate has lots of egg and chye poh (preserved radish), with a light fragrance of lard and fish sauce. Brace yourself for a 45-minute queue, and be early, because they’re usually sold out by noon.

Address: 448 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-45, Clementi Food Centre, Singapore 120448
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 7am to 11am

3. 136 Hong Kong Street Fish Head Steamboat

136 Hong Kong Street is a zi char place with Teochew fish head steamboat, but you gotta try their Special Claypot Braised ‘Mi Tai Ba’ ($5/$8/$10). Its bubbling hot gravy will remind you of beef hor fun with its slight wok hei and starchiness, and stirring in the raw egg that is served in the dish thickens it. Clumps of cooked egg add an element of surprise to the springy mee tai bak, while the crunch of chopped kai lan lifts the otherwise heavy dish with a touch of freshness.

Check out our full review of 136 Hong Kong Street!

Address: Blk 713 Clementi West Street 2, Singapore 120713
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 2pm, 5pm to 11pm
Tel: 9437 8260

4. Jit It Thai San Popiah

The queue at Jit It Thai San Popiah moves slowly, but patience will pay off with a delightfully warm popiah ($1.70). A pair of elderly aunties fill each chewy handmade popiah skin with juicy and sweet jicama, peanuts, bean sprouts, and hard-boiled eggs. The addition of garlic enhances the popiah’s flavours, and opting for chilli is a good choice. The aunties have been working here for 24 years, and age has caught up with them, so try to keep orders simple.

Address: 449 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-211, See Lam Hern Coffeeshop, Singapore 120449
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 9pm

5. Brother’s Rojak

Brother’s Rojak might be the best of the West if you’re looking to satisfy a rojak craving. The small stall near Jit It Thai San Popiah has been selling rojak ($3/$4/$5/$7/$8) for over 30 years. The dish is sweet yet savoury and slightly spicy, with a toothsome shrimp paste recipe. A hint of ginger flower and a bit of lime juice give it a refreshing finish. Their ingredients are pretty basic, but you can ask for add-ons like cuttlefish ($1.50) and stuffed tau pok ($0.70). If you’re ordering takeaway, they pack your sauce separately so your rojak won’t go soggy.

Address: 449 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-211, See Lam Hern Coffeeshop, Singapore 120449
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9:30am to 9:30pm

6. Niqqi’s the Cheese Prata Shop

Image credit: @vannnzz

Niqqi’s is one of the popular haunts for night owls of West Coast. Their prata ($0.90) is on the doughier side and is flavourful without being overly greasy. A signature sweet dessert is chocolate banana ($3.50) with chocolate sauce and banana slices. Fans of cheese prata ($3) will be pleased to know that they use stringy mozzarella. Get ready for that cheese pull!

Address: 18 Clementi Road, Singapore 129747
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Tel: 6872 2577

7. Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee

Image credit: @jasmywanderlust

Lor Mee ($4/$5) from Sheng Yi Fa Lor Mee comes with many more ingredients when you get their big portion. Their house-made fried dumplings and ngoh hiang are subtly sweet with water chestnut bits, and are crispy even in the thick gravy. Yellow noodles soak up the zhup (gravy) that’s flavourful with herbs like luo han guo. With their chilli that has a pleasantly charred taste, this makes a very satisfying meal.

Address: 501 West Coast Drive, Singapore 120501
Opening hours: Thur-Tue 7am to 2pm
Tel: 9483 1696
Website

8. Gui Ji Carrot Cake

Image credit: @chillingsaint

Black carrot cake ($2.50/$3) from Gui Ji is very fragrant with generous portions. If you’ve bought from here before, you’ve probably seen how the uncle dances while he fries the carrot cake with large chunks of egg. Dished out on a banana leaf, he hands the savoury meal to you with a heavy sprinkle of shallots.

Address: 726 Clementi West Street 2, #01-180, West Coast Food Centre, Singapore 120726
Opening hours: Daily 8am to late

9. Soon Lee

If you’re not feeling up for the usual hawker fare, Soon Lee Porridge serves chok that retains some grainy texture for a light meal. Be prepared to wait 10 to 25 minutes for a pork, chicken, or fish porridge ($3) with you tiao (dough fritters), and complete it with an egg for $0.30. Chives and chye poh lend fragrance to the seasoned porridge, while shallots give its some crispiness.

Address: Blk 448 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-50, Clementi Central Market & Hawker Centre, Singapore 120448
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 6am to 7pm
Website

10. Yong Fa Hainanese Curry Rice and Curry Fish Head

Image credit: @thingagnes

One of the stars at Clementi Food Centre is Yong Fa Hainanese Curry Rice & Curry Fish Head. A tried-and-tested combination would be their curry rice with pork chop ($1.50), curry chicken wing ($1.50), and a vegetable ($0.70/$1/$2). Prepare to wait 15 minutes even during non-peak hours, but if you’re getting their curry fish head (market price), you can skip the queue and order it straight away.

Check out more famous curry rice spots around Singapore!

Address: 448 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-23, Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 120448
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 7pm