The MRT ride home from work is a real test of will on some days. Stops at neighbourhoods with good food such as Serangoon and Kovan tempt me to alight early and forgo dinner at home, especially when people board the train carrying plastic containers with heavenly aromas wafting from them. With these best Hougang food places that serve cheap and good eats, the temptation only gets more real.
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You know Sin Heng Kee Porridge serves good food when there’s a perpetual 30-minute wait for congee. The congee here is smooth and flavourful, with a satisfyingly thick consistency. I always order Slice Pork Porridge ($5), which has chunks of minced pork that give the dish a more robust, meaty flavour. With 22 porridge dishes on their menu, you’ll definitely find one you like here. For a side, grab their Claypot Dried Chilli Frog (from $8), and stir in some gravy for extra savouriness.
Read our Sin Heng Kee review.
Address: 685 Hougang Street 61, #01-150, Singapore 530685
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 7am to 8pm
Tel: 9118 1569
Website
Sin Heng Kee Porridge is not a halal-certified eatery.
Western food stalls were unquestionably my favourite when I was growing up, and 5 Star Corner Western Food was one place my family frequented. Food here is affordable and comes in large portions. I love their Chicken Cutlet ($7), generously sized, golden-brown and crispy, as well as their Lamb Chop ($9), well-marinated and grilled, not the least bit gamey.
Read our 5 Star Corner review.
Address: 805 Hougang Central, Food Park Coffee Shop, Singapore 530805
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6385 9388
5 Star Corner is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @danjjanjjang
For what might be the crispiest prata in Hougang, make a trip to Al Falah Restaurant. They’ve got an affordable spread of all your classic Indian-Muslim supper dishes, from prata to murtabak, mee goreng to Indian rojak. The curry that comes with a prata order here is fragrant and moreish, best enjoyed alongside their chilli gravy.
Address: 681 Hougang Avenue 8, #01-855, Singapore 530681
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Tel: 6343 7786
Al Falah is a halal-certified eatery.
Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow has earned the unwavering loyalty of Hougang diners due to its consistently delicious oyster omelette recipe, perfected by the husband-wife duo that has helmed the stall for over three decades. Order their $6 portion and expect a generous amount of oysters, alongside crispy eggs and chewy starch rounds. The housemade chilli sauce adds an extra flavourful dimension to the orh luak, so be sure to savour your order with a couple of saucers of it.
Address: Blk 435 Hougang Ave 8, Singapore 530435
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 7pm
Hougang Oyster Omelette & Fried Kway Teow is not a halal-certified eatery.
Denzy Gelato is an award-winning gelato store in Hougang and Bishan. Its owner went to Italy to learn the craft, before setting up shop in the neighbourhood. The store earned the accolade of “Singapore’s Best Gelato” in 2019, so you know it’s the good stuff. A single scoop starts at $4.20, while a double scoop is priced from $7.50. Popular picks include their Roasted Bronte Pistachio and Piedmont Hazelnuts, both using legit Italian ingredients, or their Black Sesame, a nutty, creamy treat great for goma lovers.
Read our Denzy Gelato review.
Address: 684 Hougang Ave 8, #01-953, Singapore 530684
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 12:30pm to 10:30pm, Fri-Sat 12:30pm to 11:30pm
Tel: 8876 4925
Website
Denzy Gelato is not a halal-certified eatery.
Jade’s Chicken used to be part of the popular Waker Chicken franchise before they broke off to become their own brand. The stall sports long queues for their super crispy Korean Fried Chicken, available in flavours such as Original Crispy, Sweet Spicy, Soy Sauce, and Honey Butter. You get seven pieces for $15 or 14 for $29. Those who prefer to have their KFC without the fuss will be happy to know that you can get the same flavours as chicken tenders here too!
Read our Jade’s Chicken review.
Address: 51 Hougang Ave 9, #01-18, Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, Singapore 538776
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 9pm
Tel: 9675 8884
Jade’s Chicken is not a halal-certified eatery.
Family-run halal bakery Happy Oven is a popular place to grab nostalgic bakes in Hougang. Their mini cakes here are especially popular—the Ondeh Ondeh Swiss Rolls, packed with an aromatic palm sugar and coconut middle, are a resounding crowd fave, while the Chendol Cake, layered with kueh, comes a close second. All their mini cakes are priced at $1.40.
Read our Happy Oven review.
Address: 678 Hougang Ave 8, #01-505, Singapore 530678
Opening hours: Daily 5am to 3pm
Tel: 9666 4709
Website
Happy Oven is a halal-certified eatery.
If you’re looking for a breakfast spot in Hougang, add Yi Dian Xing Hong Kong Dum Sum to the radar. The quality here isn’t mind-blowing, but what you get is definitely very affordable. Most of their items are priced under $4, and you get all the greatest dim sum hits here, from siew mai to cheung fan, bao to crispy fried fritters.
Address: 1012 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534750
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 7am to 3pm
Tel: 9168 5587
Yi Dian Xing Hong Kong Dum Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
Yi Ji Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee has multiple outlets islandwide, including one in Hougang Avenue 8. Their wet-style hokkien mee is priced from $6 and comes sprinkled with crispy puffs of lard, as well as sweet shrimp pieces. Don’t skip adding their house-made sambal, which is zesty thanks to the addition of calamansi juice.
Address: 805 Hougang Central, Singapore 530805
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 8pm
Tel: 9140 9009
Yi Ji Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @jiakbaobuay
Formerly known as Zion Road Blk 91 An Shun Fish Soup, Anshun Fish Soup is currently located in the heartlands of Hougang. It constantly sports long queues, with patrons flocking to get their hands on the Fried Fish Bee Hoon (from $6), because the fish here is said to be well seasoned and flaky, with a crispy exterior. Another popular pick is the Seafood Soup (from $6), which comes with sliced fish, as well as sweet prawns and fish maw.
Address: 174C Hougang Avenue 1, Singapore 533174
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am to 7pm
Zion Road Blk 91 An Shun Fish Soup is not a halal-certified eatery.
Sweedy Patisserie is the place for sugary treats in Hougang. The homegrown bakery specialises in a wide number of inventive desserts, including artisanal cakes, and Korean-French fusion Fatcarons, AKA fat macarons, priced at $5.50. Aside from the sweets, the cafe also has a range of savouries that are served up as part of their all-day brunch menu, including a popular, loaded Breakfast Sammie ($14).
Address: 377 Hougang Street 32, #01-32, Hougang Rivercourt, Singapore 530377
Opening hours: Tue 12pm to 6pm, Wed-Fri 12pm to 8pm, Sat 11am to 8pm
Tel: 9436 8160
Website
Sweedy Patisserie is not a halal-certified eatery.
Touted as one of the best spots to get min jiang kueh in Singapore is 682 Min Jiang Kueh, a humble kiosk located in a coffeeshop. They have more than your usual peanut, red bean, and coconut MJK offerings here, with popular flavours such as Yam ($1.60) and Black Sesame ($1.60) available. The fillings are generous, and they’re best enjoyed warm.
Read our 682 Min Jiang Kueh review.
Address: 682 Hougang Avenue 4, 682 Ming Jiang Kueh, Ming Ji Coffeeshop, Singapore 530682
Opening hours: Tues, Thur-Sun 5am to 12pm
682 Min Jiang Kueh is not a halal-certified eatery.
While there’s a good number of Western hawker stalls in Hougang, 5dot7 sets itself apart with dishes you’ll rarely find at coffeeshops. There’s the highly impressive Seafood Risotto ($9), a rice dish that has the umami and sweetness of seafood, the acidic brightness of white wine, and the richness of the parmesan cheese flakes sprinkled over everything. There’s also the Chicken Cordon Bleu ($9), which is packed with chicken ham and cheese, all encased in a breaded exterior.
Read our 5dot7 review.
Address: 401 Hougang Avenue 10, #01-1158, KPT Kopitiam, Singapore 530401
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 1:30am
Website
5dot7 is not a halal-certified eatery.
Those who live in Hougang might point you in the direction of Goldhill Family Restaurant when it comes to affordable cai fan. A plate of economy rice here starts from just $2, and you can pick and choose from a diverse range of ingredients—but be sure to prioritise their fried chicken wings. These crowd favourites are said to be juicy and flavourful, somehow retaining the crispy texture even during takeaway.
Address: 6 Hougang Avenue 3, #01-78, Singapore 530006
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am to 8pm, Sat 8am to 7pm, Sun 8am to 2pm
Tel: 9025 2733
Goldhill Family Restaurant is not a halal-certified eatery.
Briyani 47 serves up mean renditions of the aromatic rice dish, as well as a few other treats such as appam, nasi lemak, and nasi campur. We recommend ordering the Chicken Briyani ($8.50), which comes with fluffy, spice-infused basmati rice, crispy shallots, and pieces of deboned curry chicken. Other variations of this excellent rice dish include the Fish Briyani ($8.50) and Prawn Briyani ($9.50).
Address: 90 Hougang Avenue 10, #04-11, Hougang Mall, Singapore 538766
Opening hours: Daily 10:30am to 8:30pm
Website
Briyani 47 is a Muslim-owned eatery.
Bookmark these spots the next time you’re thinking of where to eat in Hougang. We also have our Ci Yuan Hawker Centre guide for more eats in the ‘hood. Otherwise, for more dining spots in the North-East, check out our North-east cafe guide, and our NEX food guide!
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