River Valley Road is a snaking road of private properties and popular eating spots such as Boon Tong Kee and Spize. Despite being an atas area, you can still find cheap grub at Zion Riverside Food Centre. Located right in front of the Singapore River, it is a haven of good food albeit being one of the smallest food centres. Here are our picks of food you should try when you’re at Zion Riverside Food Centre.
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Having been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2018, Zion Road Big Prawn Mee is considered one of the best stalls in Singapore for prawn noodles. Available in portions sizes of $8/$13/$20/$28, each bowl comes with fresh, juicy prawns, highly fragrant and flavourful prawn broth, and spring noodles. Depending on which size you get, you may also get larger prawns, pork ribs and more. Those ordering the dry version will also enjoy the piquant chilli that is mixed into the noodles.
Read our Zion Road Big Prawn Mee review.
Unit number: #01-04
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11:30am to 3pm, 6:30pm to 10pm
Zion Road Big Prawn Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
Another crowd-favourite would be Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap Braised Duck. This stall has a queue even during non-peak hours.
Their kway chap set, priced from $16, comes with a substantial amount of pig’s intestines, braised duck meat, hard-boiled eggs, and tofu. It is then drenched in savoury braising sauce which seals the deal for most customers. Dip the tender duck meat into the thick sambal for an added spicy kick. You can either have these ingredients with some Kway ($0.80), or get their moreish Duck Rice Set (from $3.50).
Unit number: #01-24
Opening hours: Thur-Tue 10am to 8:30pm
Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap Braised Duck is not a halal-certified eatery.
Should you have any craving for good carrot cake, Lau Goh Teochew Chye Thow Kway has got you covered! A plate of this stir-fried radish cubes starts from $6, depending on the portion size that you want. If the thought of just black or white carrot cake doesn’t entice you enough, you can have the best of both worlds with both white and black versions on your plate. Their chai tow kway isn’t as artery-clogging as some out there as the owner uses vegetable oil instead of pork lard.
Unit number: #01-26
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 12pm to 9pm, Mon 12:30pm to 9pm
Lau Goh Teochew Chye Thow Kway is not a halal-certified eatery.
Having been awarded the Michelin Plate, the original Allauddin’s Briyani at Tekka Centre is one of the more famous briyani places around. But you can also check them out at the Zion Riverside Food Centre outlet. A plate of Chicken Briyani, Mutton Briyani, and Fish Briyani here will set you back $7, and features fluffy and fragrant basmati rice paired with the meat of your choice, papdum, hard-boiled eggs and more. You won’t have to worry about still being hungry after finishing this briyani, as the portions are usually quite big.
Unit number: #01-24
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 8pm
Allauddin’s Briyani is a Muslim-owned eatery.
Image credit: @xtranize
When talking about the food at Zion Riverside Food Centre, No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow tops the list without fail. Laden with pork lard and wok hei, many customers fall head over heels for their popular Char Kway Teow ($6/$8). Not only is the portion substantial, but the dish also doesn’t lack in the taste department. Every mouthful is a blessing; the matrimony of savoury soya sauce, crispy lard, and a breath of the wok packs a flavoursome mouthful that hits all the right spots.
Unit number: #01-17
Opening hours: Daily 12:30pm to 3pm, 3:30pm to 9pm
No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @minhchies
Spice up your life with a plate of Szechuan Spicy Wanton ($6 for 10 pieces) from Ah Wang La Mian Xiao Long Bao. Sichuan dishes are not complete without the hot spices; the chunky morsels are doused in red oil and red chilli paste, living up to its fiery reputation.
If handling spicy food isn’t your forte, go for their guo tie, or Pan Fried Dumplings ($7.50 for 10 pieces) instead. The crispy yet juicy dumplings go really well with their salty and vinegary dip. Of course, you should also get the dish in the stall’s name, the Steamed Mini Buns ($5.50 for 7 pieces) AKA xiao long bao.
Unit number: #01-18
Opening hours: Wed-Fri 10am to 8:50pm, Sat-Sun 9am to 8:50pm
Ah Wang La Mian Xiao Long Bao is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @casiachew
If you want a break from all of those Asian delicacies, Zion Riverside Food Centre also has Seng Huat Western Food. At $4.50, you can get a plate of Chicken Chop Rice.
Consisting of chicken chop drenched in mushroom sauce, rice, cucumber slices, and a sunny-side-up, it offers a bang for your buck. For the same price, you can also get Fish Fillet Rice, Beef Burger Rice, and Chicken Cutlet Rice.
Unit number: #01-12
Opening hours: Sat-Wed 11:30am to 2pm, 4pm to 8:30pm
Image credit: @yummicraft
Though Kang’s Wanton Noodle often draws queues, it is very much worth a wait for their old school Wanton Mee (from $5). A bowl comes with QQ noodles, a dark sauce that’s both sweet and glistening with lard, char siew, and deep-fried wontons. If you’d like more wontons, you can either get the Wanton Soup (from $5), which just gets you a bowl of soup filled with chunky wontons, or the Fried Wanton (from $5), the dry, deep-fried version.
Unit number: #01-06
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 8am to 1:30pm
Kang’s Wanton Noodle is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @tamkokseng
This ultra-traditional stall serves its namesake dessert, cheng tng, in both hot and cold versions for over 50 years. Prices start from $1.50, and for that, you get a bowl loaded with liao like longan, gingko nuts, and a generous amount of sago. It’s perfect to cool off in hot weather, or great to enjoy as a dessert on rainy days.
Unit number: #01-24
Opening hours: Mon 12pm to 2pm, Tue-Sun 11:30am to 8:30pm
Mohamed Sultan Road Hot & Cold Cheng Tng is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: Simon Y
If you’re into pork offals, you’re likely to enjoy the fare at Soon Lee Pig’s Organ Soup. A Set Meal ($6.30) is the best way to enjoy the stall’s offerings, since it gets you a bowl of pig’s organ soup with a variety of parts, as well as some minced pork rice. All the pork innards in the soup are said to be fresh and high-quality, and the broth itself is said to be flavourful and comforting. Meanwhile, the minced pork rice has a pile of tender minced pork a top a portion of fluffy white rice.
Unit number: #01-14
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 1:30pm, 6pm to 7:30pm
Soon Lee Pig’s Organ Soup is not a halal-certified eatery.
The next time you’re in this prime area, you can choose to eat good food and scrimp at Zion Riverside Food Centre. If you’re looking for a place to eat in Orchard, read our best Orchard food gems guide. If you’re in Dhoby Ghaut, check out our best Dhoby Ghaut food gems guide instead.
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