The insanely long line for Punggol nasi lemak along Upper Serangoon Road is iconic enough to be a landmark on its own. On second thought, I can name quite a few spots in this area with persistently long queues, which sends the must-try instincts of this typical Singaporean tingling. Here are the best Kovan food places you shouldn’t miss out on if you venture into this neighbourhood.
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Yong’s Teochew Kueh has been making their kueh in-house since the 1980s. Many rave about their Soon Kueh ($1.70) and the Ku Chye Kueh ($1.80), the latter of which can be hard to find these days. We also liked their Glutinous Rice Kueh ($1.70) and Cabbage Kueh ($1.70) for their massive size and fragrant ingredients!
Read our Yong’s Teochew Kueh review.
Address: 1022 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534760
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 7am to 3pm
Tel: 6287 4328
Website
Yong’s Teochew Kueh is not a halal-certified eatery.
If you have always wanted to try the famous Danlao by ex-Eggslut chefs in Maxwell Hawker Centre but never got the chance to, you can try Kovan Scrambled Egg Rice instead! During our visit, their Mala Pork Scrambled Egg Rice ($6) stood out from the rest. We found this dish to havea good balance of flavours as the salty pork complemented the sweetness of the eggs well.
Read our Kovan Scrambled Egg Rice review.
Address: 209 Hougang Street 21, #01-24, Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 530209
Opening hours: Daily 10:30am to 9pm
Kovan Scrambled Egg Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.
Here’s something for fans of spicy food: 88 Pocha is here to knock your socks off with their Spicy Chicken Feet With Rice Ball ($25.88++)! Patrons can also order the Oden Soup ($17.88++) which is served in a large nickel kettle under a portable stove so that your soup stays hot during the entire meal. 88 Pocha is also the perfect place to hangout with your friends for the abundance of delicious sharing plates.
Read our feature of 88 Pocha to learn more!
Address: 957 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534717
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 3pm, 5:30pm to 12am, Sat-Sun 11:30am to 12am
Website
88 Pocha is not a halal-certified eatery.
For a cafe-style brunch at a kopitiam, go to Breakfast Club for their Breakfast Plate ($9.90)! This stall offers all-day brunch that will not break the bank. Many love their Rosti with Sausage and Egg ($8.90) for their crispy potatoes that complement the sour cream. But our favourite is the Chicken Chop ($7.90) as we find their portions of chicken to be very generous.
Read our Breakfast Club review.
Address: 941 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534709
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Website
Breakfast Club is not a halal-certified eatery.
Fans of the famous Lola’s Cafe in Holland Village will be glad to know that they have an outlet in Kovan as well! Check out their outlet-exclusive menu items such as the Pork Collar With Barley Risotto ($20++) and Garlic Soy Fried Chicken Burger ($18++). Our favourite on the menu was the Black Sesame Tart ($7++) for its delicious white chocolate paired with black sesame ganache.
Read our Lola’s Cafe review.
Address: 5 Simon Road, Singapore 545893
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10am to 10pm, Sat-Sun 9am to 10pm
Website
Lola’s Cafe is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @eatsjustafoodblog
Long-time residents of Kovan will know about 51 Ming Fa Wanton Egg Noodle at Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre. This stall is well-loved by the community for its well-charred char siew and springy noodles. Get their Wanton Noodle Dry ($4) to try it for yourself! Another item that makes them different is their Special Noodles ($5.50) which has a variety of toppings: char siew, prawns, shredded chicken, mushroom and veggies.
Read our feature on 51 Ming Fa Wanton Egg Noodle to learn more!
Address: 209 Hougang Street 21, #01-64, Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 530209
Opening hours: Wed-Sat 6am to 2pm, Sun 6am to 5pm
Website
51 Ming Fa Wanton Egg Noodle is not a halal-certified eatery.
Flavour Flings is a halal brunch place where you find out Milo Popcorn Chicken ($11+) actually works well with sambal balacan! Otherwise, you can try their popular Dirty Norweigan ($19+) croissant that is stuffed with smoked salmon and two poached eggs, drizzled in salted egg yolk sauce and then covered in cereal bits. Another favourite of ours was the Blue Cheese Beef Burger ($19+); we also loved that we could get Swiss Raclette Cheese ($5+) on the burger patty.
Read our Flavour Flings review.
Address: 121 Hougang Avenue 1, #01-1348, Singapore 530121
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am to 4pm, 5:30pm to 10pm, Wed 5:30pm to 10pm
Tel: 6286 0051
Website
Flavour Flings is a halal-certified eatery.
For legit Taiwanese food in Kovan, 8 Degrees is the place to go! Their signatures include the Pork Belly Rice ($6++) and their ultra-crispy Scallion Pancake ($5.20++). But we like their Oyster Mee Sua ($6++) the most due to the large oyster size. Here is also something you do not see in every Taiwanese food place: Sesame Cold Noodles ($7++). This simple yet refreshing dish is the perfect solution to a hot day.
Read our 8 Degrees review.
Address: 29 Lowland Road, Singapore 547421
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Tel: 8699 8171
Website
8 Degrees is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @eatsohmuch
Al-Falah is the mainstay mamak stall for the residents of Kovan and Hougang. They are open 24/7 too, so you can enjoy the classic Plain Prata ($2.60 for two pieces) or Egg Prata ($2) for supper no matter how late it is. Alternatively, you can try their unique flavours such as the Cheese Honey ($3), Banana Chocolate ($3.50), or Milo Cheese ($3.50) for a change of pace.
Address: 681 Hougang Avenue 8, #01-855, Singapore 530681
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Website
Al-Falah Restaurant is a Muslim-owned eatery.
Image credit: @joycet.bell
For a relaxing weekend lunch with your family, Charlie’s is a Muslim-friendly American-style diner that offers wholesome Western fare. Their crowd-pleasers include the Steak & Chick’n ($29.90+) and Angus Ribeye Steak ($25.90+). If you have small children in your family group, you can even order the Appetizer Ferris Wheel ($32.90+) that has all their signature sides: mozzarella sticks, chicken spam fries, onion rings, fried broccoli, and sweet potato fries. Children will have endless fun watching the food spin as it is literally served in baskets in a little Ferris wheel.
Address: 377 Hougang Street 32, #B1-15, Hougang Rivercourt, Singapore 530377
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 9:30pm (last order at 9pm)
Website
Charlie’s by Rise & Grind is a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @coldbutter.sg
The famous Michelin-approved nasi lemak is also in Kovan! Get their Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang ($6.20) which comes with your nasi lemak essentials: coconut-infused rice, peanut, anchovies, sambal, and a grilled quarter leg chicken that is marinated in their famous house-made taliwang sauce. You can also get other dishes here at affordable prices. Their big meal sets such as the Nasi Lemak Chicken & Mackerel Otah Set costs $4.80 only.
Address: 51 Hougang Avenue 9, #01-40, Ci Yuan Hawker Centre, Singapore 538776
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 7am to 8pm, Sun 7am to 7:30pm
Tel: 9792 0069
Website
Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang is a Muslim-owned eatery.
Image credit: Wang Teck Heng
This prawn noodle stall is helmed by an ex-legendary economic rice stall owner in the area. The owner now serves up Hokkien Prawn Noodles (from $5) with great wok hei flavours, but the Davis Prawn Noodles (from $4.80) are what the stall considers to be their signature. If you are looking to treat yourself, you can even get the Abalone Prawn Noodle (from $12) for more seafood in your meal.
Read our Davis Prawn Court review.
Address: 209 Hougang Street 21, #01-37, Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 530209
Opening hours: Mon 7am to 9pm, Wed-Sun 7am to 3pm
Davis Prawn Court is not a halal-certified eatery.
For cheap Western food with generous portions, you can go to Picky Snout to get rosti starting from $6.90! The stall’s special is their Signature Saigon Pork Rosti ($11.90), a massive portion of pork chop with a Vietnamese twist. One of our favourites was the Creamy Mushroom Chicken Rice ($7.90) as it was juicy and went well with the mushroom gravy and mushroom slices.
Read our Picky Snout review.
Address: 1014 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534752
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11:30am to 2pm, 4pm to 10pm
Tel: 8760 3939
Website
Picky Snout is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @themunchingdino
Fans of old-school zi char would have heard of Tian Wai Tian Fish Head Steamboat and their umami fish head broth. While you can get their Fishhead Steamboat With Garoupa (from $35) that is served to you in a charcoal steamboat vessel, the stall also has a couple of zi char signatures too! Get their Beancurd Prawns (from $15) which has large prawns and egg tofu that are stir-fried in chilli crab gravy. They do their Prawn Paste Chicken (from $9) very well too, as the large pieces of fried chicken wings are said to be very fragrant.
Address: 203 Hougang Street 21, #01-89, MEETUP @ 203, Singapore 530203
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 4:30pm to 10:30pm
Website
Tian Wai Tian Fish Head Steamboat is not a halal-certified eatery.
Decades have passed since the time people could get a bowl of noodles at just 10 cents. Sun Kee Drinks takes us back to the good old days with their drinks that go at $0.30 a cup. Their menu has just three choices – grass jelly, soya bean milk, and bird’s nest. Even at such an affordable price, their drinks are still gao and satisfying.
Read our interview with Sun Kee Drinks to learn more!
Address: 209 Hougang Street 21, #01-65, Kovan Market & Food Centre, Singapore 530209
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 6am to 2pm
Tachinomiya stands out among neighbourhood barbershops and hardware stores. This Japanese bar serves a rather comprehensive selection of alcohol and opens till late, making it a good supper haunt. Order some finger food such as the umami Cheese Mentaiko Scallop ($6.80), Mentai Salmon Kushiyaki ($5), and Unagi Kushiyaki ($5) to go with a glass of Kyoto Junmai ($8).
Check out our full Tachinomiya review.
Address: 211 Hougang Street 21, #01-285, Singapore 530211
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 5pm to 12am, Sat-Sun 11:30am to 12am
Website
Tachinomiya is not a halal-certified eatery.
Sin Chie Toke Huan is another joint for night owls, serving delicious curry rice (price varies) till 2:30am every day. Every grain of fluffy rice is coated in aromatic, mildly spicy curry. We particularly liked the soft braised cabbage that retained a pleasantly surprising crunch, as well as their flavourful and juicy prawn paste chicken. Get a complete meal with a bowl of cendol ($3) for dessert.
Read our Sin Chie Toke Huan review to know all about it!
Address: 1018 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534756
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 5pm to 2:30am
Tel: 9003 5337
Sin Chie Toke Huan is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @henglongteochewporridge
Make a stop at Heng Leong Teo Chew Porridge on your supper trail. Trays of side dishes line the display, so you’ll be spoilt for choice at this stall. Add some flavour to a bowl of plain porridge with the savoury zhup of braised pork belly or minced pork in spicy black bean sauce. Their chai poh omelette and braised tau kee are classic choices you can’t go wrong with.
Address: 1012 Upper Serangoon Road Singapore, Singapore 534750
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 2am
Website
Heng Leong Teo Chew Porridge is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: Sze Huey Lim
Yi Dian Xin Hong Kong Dim Sum is the place to satisfy dim sum cravings in Kovan. The fact that the dim sum here is relatively affordable is an open invitation to order enough to fill a table. Some items you must have in your feast are Steamed Carrot Cake ($3.50) and Boat Congee ($4.50) a wholesome bowl of porridge with cuttlefish, pork, pigskin and peanuts. Be sure to try their special Otah and Chicken Siew Mai ($4 for three pieces) as well.
Address: 1012 Upper Serangoon Road, Teo Seng Eating House, Singapore 534752
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 7am to 3pm
Tel: 9168 5587
Yi Dian Xin Hong Kong Dim Sum is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: Adrian Leong
Kovan Food Centre can be characterised by the never-ending queues at the five stalls selling fishball noodles and bak chor mee. Each stall has its fans, but Yam Mee is my personal favourite. I always order Teo Chew Fishball Noodles ($4) that come with two springy fish balls, one vegetable ball, a meatball, sliced mushrooms and minced meat. The vegetable ball is undoubtedly the star ingredient; it’s like a fish ball with bits of chilli and chives mixed in. Yam Mee’s lard-fragranced, springy noodles, and tasty chilli are also on point.
Read all about it in our Yam Mee feature article!
Address: 209 Hougang Street 21, #01-35, Kovan Market and Food Centre, Singapore 530209
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 7am to 9pm
Yam Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Finding good food in Kovan is easy, no matter your budget, there will always great food within reach.
For more good food in the area, read our guide to the best food in Hougang, or if you are a bit further from Kovan, you can also read our Serangoon food guide!
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