While we’re all familiar with popular hawker centres such as Chomp Chomp and Old Airport Road Food Centre, there are plenty of hawker gems tucked away in other parts of Singapore too. Case in point, North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre. With stalls whipping up dishes that are both affordable and tasty, you definitely will leave here with a happy belly.
Image credit: @yippi312_eatdrinklove
Soon Huat Prawn Noodles is one of the most affordable prawn noodles in town. A bowl of their scrummy noodles starts at just $3.50, and includes peeled prawns, fish cakes and lean pork meat. An extra serving of pork ribs costs $1, but you don’t really need to top up, as their original portion will easily fill you up.
Unit number: #01-105
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 9am to 12.30pm
Soon Huat Prawn Noodles is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @justjiak
You’ll get to choose your own ingredients at Ah Lock Curry Rice, and douse them in as much curry sauce as you want! Head down early if you want to get the best picks, because lunchtime queues will clear away their popular char siew, pork chop and stir-fried vegetables.
Unit number: #01-109
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 5pm
Ah Lock Curry Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: Edwin Tan
If you visit North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre at night, you’ll see the folks behind Koka Wanton Mee working tirelessly for the mere four hours that they are open. A plate of their Wanton Mee ($4) consists of springy noodles laced in a slightly spicy concoction that is oh-so-addictive. It’s paired with thinly sliced char siew, wantons, mushrooms, shredded chicken and some veggies.
Unit number: #01-99
Opening hours: Mon-Tue, Thurs-Sat 10.30pm to 3am
Koka Wanton Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @365days2play
Tian Yi is a traditional dessert stall offering satisfying Chinese sweet soups. For starters, their Signature Green Bean Soup ($2) is packed with 22 different ingredients, while their Signature Red Bean Soup ($2) has 23. With items such as orange peel, sago and lotus seeds in the soup, every sweet mouthful has a refreshing mix of flavours and contrasting textures. The shop also offers savoury dishes like cuttlefish peanut porridge and glutinous rice, which are equally addictive.
Unit number: #01-112
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 9.10am to 3pm
Tian Yi is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: Seref Isler
While they were once famous for their carrot cake, the folks behind Ke Shuang Xing have now switched specialties to push out tasty bowls of Lor Mee ($4). Their chilli and minced garlic add the right amount of spice. Better yet, their Lor Mee is Teochew style, and there are three types of noodles you can choose from. You can request for more fried wonton pieces or braised pork belly for an additional $2.
Unit number: #01-104
Opening hours: Sun-Tue, Thurs-Fri 8am to 2pm
Ke Shuang Xing Lor Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @injeenius
Special Yong Tau Foo might not look like anything out of the ordinary, but they’ve got a good selection of ingredients including pork belly and blanched kiam chye. Each bowl is topped off with coriander and fried shallot oil, making it even more scrumptious. Pop by really early if you want a taste of this, because everything tends to be sold out even before lunchtime!
Unit number: #01-87
Opening hours: Daily 2am to 9am
Special Yong Tau Fu is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @moderntale
A large portion of fried Hokkien mee at Hoe Hokkien Mee starts at just $4. The noodles hold a consistent texture, and the thick prawn broth they are simmered in makes them extra slurp-worthy! It is also topped with a smattering of pork lard, giving the slippery dish a nice crunch. The chilli on the side packs a punch too.
Unit number: #01-93
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 8am to 5pm
Hoe Hokkien Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: 华美珍煮炒 Hua Mei Zhen
Hua Mei Zhen is a hawker stall that specialises in Chinese cuisine, best known for their Wok Hei Fried Rice. You get a colourful combination of seafood, rice, and vegetables, with a touch of smoky aroma, all in one plate. If you’re heading down with your family or friends, perhaps getting the $20 portion (large) is a good idea. Besides fried rice, there are noodles and dumplings that are said to be just as delectable.
Unit number: #01-119
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11.30am to 1.30pm, 5.30pm to 8.30pm
Hua Mei Zhen is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @coldbutter.sg
Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu is a family-run stall that sells Hakka-style noodles. Unlike most run-of-the-mill yong tau foo stalls where the ingredients are served just as they are, this particular stall takes a different approach as the pieces are hand-stuffed with minced meat. Better yet, each bowl of noodles is topped with a generous portion of minced meat. According to some online reviews, the fried yong tau foo pieces are freshly deep-fried upon order for added crispiness.
Unit number: #01-108
Opening hours: Tue-Wed & Sat-Sun 7.30am to 1pm
Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: Nick Tan
Open 24 hours daily, with the exception of Sundays, Shan Yuan Teochew Kway Teow Noodle is a Michelin-recommended stall to visit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper. Well-loved for their Minced Meat Noodles, they also serve other variations of noodles such as Fishball Noodles ($3.50) and Fish Dumpling Fishball Mee Tai Mak ($4.50). For those looking for authentic and affordable bak chor mee, Shan Yuan Teochew Kway Teow Noodle is a must-try.
Unit number: #01-95
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 24 hours
Shan Yuan Teochew Kway Teow Noodle is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @hungryflodiary
Fried carrot cake is a simple, no-frills hawker dish anyone can enjoy at any time of the day. Old-school deep-fried carrot cake sticks, on the other hand, are harder to come by. For a taste of both, head to Xiao Ling Fried Carrot Cake. Crispy on the outside yet chewy on the inside it’d be easy to mistake the Carrot Cake Sticks (price TBD) for perfectly-shaped potato wedges as they are deep-fried in piping hot oil. If you want to stick to the classic Carrot Cake ($3/$4), you can also get them in either white or black.
Unit number: #01-103
Opening hours: Sun-Tue & Thurs-Fri 8am to 2pm
Xiao Ling Fried Carrot Cake is not a halal-certified eatery.
Foodies will be well acquainted with Bugis’ famous eateries. But just a short journey away at Lavender, North Bridge Road Market and Food Centre has plenty of great makan options to choose from too. For more great hawker eats nearby, check out Golden Mile Food Centre. Otherwise, you can head down to Geylang Bahru Food Centre for legit ban mian, boneless braised duck and more!
Featured image adapted from @injeenius, Seref Isler, @yippi312_eatdrinklove, @365days2play, @evonne1411 and 华美珍煮炒 Hua Mei Zhen.
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