Food gems in Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre
Ask me for the most famous food stalls in Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre and the first few names that come to mind include the famed Seng Kee Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle and Garden Street Kway Chap. However, if you’re a Serangoon-er like me who tried every stall there, you will know that the food centre offers way more than those names.
Here are 15 food stalls at Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre that are lesser-known but serve food that will not lose out to the big names!
1. Hokee Wo Lai Ye
Image credit: @ivanity07
Hokkee Wo Lai Ye is one of the latest additions to Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre, but definitely not a new name in the hawker trade. Started in 1970 by Madam Sau, the stall was popular for offering generous portions of rice and free soup to workers who were struggling to pay for meals.
Today, the stall is run by Madam Sau’s son and they continue to serve their affordable Soy Sauce Chicken Rice ($3). If you are hooked on their tender and well-marinated Soy Sauce Chicken, you can order the whole chicken at $14 or half of it at $7. Like the old days, you can also help yourself to their free-flow soup that is filled with chicken feet, black fungus, and white cabbage.
Stall number: 1
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8:30pm
Website
2. Bossi Ban Mian
Image credit: @aranfoong
If you are looking for a satisfying bowl of hot soup, you will be spoilt for choice at this food centre. But for one that tops the rest in its shiok factor, it’ll be Bossi Ban Mian. Priced at $4, you can get their Handmade Noodles in soup or dry versions and choose from a variety of noodles such as thin noodles and mee hoon kueh. Whether it is the dry one tossed in black sauce or the soup option, you can expect every spoonful to be addictively flavour-packed. A unique feature would be their green chilli sauce that adds a zesty and spicy punch to the dish.
While their simplest bowl of noodles comes with minced meat, spinach, and an egg, they also serve other variations including those that come with Sliced Fish ($5), Clam ($5), or Sliced Abalone ($5).
Stall number: 18
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 9am to 8pm
Website
3. Fong Kee Delicacies
Image credit: @visitor_life
An old-school gem that has been around since 1948, Fong Kee Delicacies is where you can get dumplings that are kneaded, folded, and fried or steamed upon order. Served in a plate of 10 pieces are their Fried Dumplings ($7) or Steamed Dumplings ($7).
Whether fried or steamed, you can expect the dumplings to come with a springy translucent skin that wraps around a generous filling of pork, chicken, and chives. A personal preference, however, would be the fried version where the crispy skin adds an additional crunch to the dumplings.
Stall number: 12
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 11am to 8:30pm, Fri 11am to 7:30pm
Website
4. Poh Poh Roasted Chicken And Duck Rice
Image credit: @chez_will
Those who are familiar with the food scene in Serangoon Gardens would remember that Poh Poh Roasted Chicken And Duck used to be found opposite myVillage, and was known for their snaking queue that extends to the neighbouring stalls. Two years back, they moved to Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre, drawing their loyal customers there even though they occupy a much smaller space.
For $4, get their Roasted/Steamed Chicken Rice that comes with fragrant oily rice which is satisfying without being greasy. Another worthy option you can go for would be their Whole Chicken ($20), or Half Chicken ($10) that comes served with sesame oil and light soy sauce.
Stall number: 15
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 8am to 8pm
Website
5. Delicious Vegetarian Food
Image credit: @livetotrek
If you are one of those who actively shun all vegetarian food stalls, Delicious Vegeterian Food might change your mind. Most popular for their Fried Bee Hoon ($3/$4), their stir-fried bee hoon comes with generous toppings such as vegetarian char siew, fried beancurd skin, and white cabbage. Mix their house-made black sauce and chilli sauce together to add an additional kick to the dish. On certain days, you can also try their Lor Mee ($3/$4) or Vegetarian Nasi Lemak ($3/$4)!
Stall number: 6
Opening hours: Daily 7am to 2:30pm
6. Serangoon Garden Mixed Vegetable Rice
Image credit: @fatwithin
Found right at the corner of the stretch of stalls where the famous Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery is, Serangoon Garden Mixed Vegetable Rice is a cai png stall that serves Fried Beehoon Mee and Pumpkin Porridge in the morning and steamed rice to the lunch crowd. Compared to many other cai png stalls, you’ll find a smaller variety of dishes here but the food is constantly whipped up in small batches.
Price-wise, having a meal here is a steal as a plate of rice with two vegetable dishes costs just $2, while one vegetable and two meat dishes will set you back $3.80. If you cannot decide what to get when you’re there, some must-tries include their fried fish fillet, chicken curry, and fried ngoh hiang!
Find out where else to get cheap cai png at $2.50 or less!
Stall number: 34
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 7am to 2pm
7. Bee Heng Prawn Noodles
Image credit: @betty_always_hungry
Unless you pay close attention, you would probably be too distracted by the insane queue at Seng Kee Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle to notice Bee Heng Prawn Noodles. Go for their Prawn Noodles ($4/$5) and you will realise you have been missing out on this lesser-known gem. Though the broth looks light, it still carries a strong sweet and savoury flavour that goes especially well with a mixture of yellow noodles and beehoon.
For the same price, the stall also sells the dry version of hae mee as well as other dishes such as Fishball Noodles and Laksa.
Check out more cheap and good prawn mee stalls!
Stall number: 35
Opening hours: Daily 7am to 4pm
8. Zhou
Image credit: @ruthlessreviews30
Easily spotted by their white signboard with the Chinese word for “porridge”, Zhou specialises in porridge, but the must-have here has to be their Fried Mee Hoon ($3/$4/$5). This is one of my childhood favourites that even those who frequent the stall may not know about.
While fried bee hoon is a common dish, the taste of this one will be unlike most that you’ve had. Like a drier version of fried Hokkien mee, this comes with wok hei, and intensely flavoured noodles thanks to the seafood broth that it is stir-fried in.
Stall number: 10
Opening hours: Thur-Tue 7am to 3pm
9. Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee
Image credit: @lianneelow
Seng Kee Bak Chor Mee has been running for over three decades, pushing out bowls of hearty bak chor mee. Immense care is put into every element of this BCM, from the springy al dente noodles, to the four-hour-braised mushrooms, the thick mushroom gravy, and the accompanying pork broth that’s rich and savoury. Bowls start from $5 here, but you can get a fish maw bak chor mee for $11 too.
Stall number: 36
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 7:30am to 1:30pm
10. Hock Kee Fried Oyster
Image credit: @nadine_eat_play_breath
Whether it is eaten as a meal or a dish to share, a must-have at hawker centres would be fried carrot cake. For one that will not disappoint, look out for Hock Kee Fried Oyster. Known for their signature Tang Shan Fried Oyster ($5/$8/$10), this stall offers freshly fried omelette with a generous amount of plump and juicy oysters.
My favourite, however, would be their Fried Carrot Cake ($3/$4/$5) that comes with the typical black or white choices. If you want a mixture of both, you can also get their Mixed Fried Carrot Cake ($5). In this dish, you can expect the radish cubes to be much thicker and more fragrant than the usual ones elsewhere.
Find out where else to get good fried carrot cake!
Stall number: 19
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 7:15am to 2pm, 5:45pm to 10pm, Sat-Sun 7:15am to 3pm, 5:45pm to 10pm
Website
11. Aliff Nasi Lemak
Image credit: @stanzfoodhunts
Aliff Nasi Lemak offers fragrant basmati rice nasi lemak that has been a breakfast favourite for those living in the ‘hood for years. Praised for their light and fluffy coconut rice made with fresh coconut milk, as well as the quality ingredients used across their deep-fried goodies, Aliff Nasi Lemak serves up shiok fare that won’t leave you feeling jelak after. Prices start at $3.
Stall number: 27
Opening hours: Tue, Thurs-Sun 8am to 5pm, Wed 8am to 2pm
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12. Garden Street Kway Chap
Image credit: @sgfoodaffair
Garden Street Kway Chap is run by a former pilot, who took over the stall from his grandfather. Expect to wait a while in the queue for their hearty kway chap platters, where all the liao is cut to order. Prices differ according to servings, but expect to spend at least $5.50 per person.
Stall number: 21
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 9am to 3pm
Tel: 9001 7884
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13. Soon Huat Pig’s Organ Soup
Image credit: @happicow12
Soon Huat Pig’s Organ Soup serves both kway chap and pig’s organ soup. Fans love the latter because the innards taste clean, and the broth carries the distinct flavour of the sweet and sour vegetables well. Priced from $4, the soup is good to enjoy on its own or with a bowl of rice.
Stall number: 42
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 9:30am to 4pm
14. Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice
Image credit: @j_dn
Teochew-style braised duck is what you can expect at Ah Seng Braised Duck, made with a recipe that has been around for decades. Apart from their popular duck rice (from $3.50) starring tender duck meat, the stall also sells pig organ goodies, including Pig’s Stomach Soup ($3.50), to go with your rice.
Stall number: 44
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10:30am to 5pm
Website
15. Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery
Image credit: @letan1981
$1 fluffy buns still made by hand is the main reason why Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery draws super long queues till they’re sold out. Fans love their wide variety of savoury and sweet buns, with fillings that range from luncheon meat, yam, coconut, sausage, and more. Grab these for breakfast, or for a midday perk-me-up with a cup of kopi.
Stall number: 45
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 6am to 4pm
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Good food without the queue at Serangoon Garden Market
Satisfying your hunger with good food that only residents in the area know makes for a day well spent. If the heat is too unbearable for you to eat at the food centre, here’s a list of Serangoon cafes in the area that are worth checking out too!
Address: 49A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555945
Nearest MRT Stations: Lorong Chuan (CC14), Serangoon (NE12/CC13) and Kovan (NE13)
This article was originally written on 23 February 2018.
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