Hawker Hunts

This hidden gem preivously located at the basement of Concorde Hotel's food court has relocated a few floors up and expanded to accommodate the large following they have built. Do not dismiss this humble eatery, it dishes out superbly executed dishes like Kimchi Fried Rice, Bulgogi and Korean Rice Cakes. Go for the Spicy Chicken Soup Set, a fiery red soup filled with loads of ingredients and sweet potato noodles. Complete the meal by sharing a potato pancake. With nothing above $10, you won't have to worry about breaking the bank!

While the char siew is arguably much better over at the famous Fatty Cheong, Sin Heng Kee is the underdog of roast meats at ABC, quietly satisfying it's relatively shorter queue of loyal regulars. Go for their roast chicken and duck, and add sio bak if you're ravenous! Served over tasty chicken rice and drenched in light sauce with a side of chili, this is a sinful plate that will silence the table. Don't miss it.

You won't regret this choice if you love Indian food, a somewhat uncommon go-to cuisine in hawker centres. First, the queue piques your curiousity, but it's the smell that ultimately lands you in that very queue, and soon you're ordering chicken biryani with fresh tandoori chicken and spiced cabbage. The rice is light, and well-coated with flavour from chicken parts cooked with it, and the tandoori unexpectedly tender. Go for their fantastic fresh naan and curries if you don't feel like rice!

You'll be surprised at how good this hawker stall's local desserts are. Straightforward, sincere and potent. That's what the desserts at Jin Jin scream, in all their sweet glory. The Power Chendol is generous with beans and gula melaka, and is nicely lemak. The Gangster Mango Ice is an indulgent bowl of gorgeous durian puree over chunks of sweet mango. Definitely one for the durian lovers! Share these sweet treats please...

This bakery really takes you back to your childhood. Just like the good ol' days, these traditional buns are stuffed chockful of ingredients like otah, hae bee hiam, coconut, kaya, luncheon meat... The list is almost neverending. They do super simple banana and walnut cakes as well. The best way to enjoy these baked goods is fresh out of the oven, which is not that hard because the buns just keep flying off the shelves. The fact that people buy them by the box is testament to how good they are. Bonus points for cheap prices!

Some say that this is the best braised duck you can find on this island. Braised in a salty, fragrant sauce for a sufficiently long period of time, the duck is able to soak up all that sauce, resulting in tender, moist, and flavourful meat. Ladle the sauce generously on your rice, and all you teochew ah hias will be pleased. Make sure you order classic sides like braised vegetables, pig's ear, and pig's tongue. You'll need to brave the queue for this one!

Soon Huat's pig's organ soup is a slightly cloudy bowl full of lean pork, pig's stomach, liver and intestines. Finished with salted vegetables and topped with parsley, this is a dish to sooth the soul. Even if you're not a fan of innards, you may still enjoy the broth and meat, just politely ask for them to be left out. The broth is addictive, which explains why people go back for refills. They also have sides like braised intestines, pig trotters, and pork belly. If you've never had any sort of pig's innards before, don't worry, just join the queue.

Fruit juice mee siam sounds a little strange, but you'll be surprised to know that it works. Instead of tamarind juice, a mixture of several fruit juices is used in the gravy, adding a refreshing punch and lightening the dish. You get mee siam that's healthier, slightly sour and citrusy, and more tangy, making it less "jelat". For $6, you get poached crayfish on top of chicken, prawns, beansprouts, and an egg.

Everyone knows char kway teow is a sinfully delicious dish, and good ones are hard to find. The char kway teow here is coated in a sweet, special mixture of sauces and with noticeably more egg than elsewhere. Plump cockles, beansprouts and good ol' crunchy pork lard make this even better. Freshly fried, greasy char kway teow laden with wok hei? It doesn't get better than this.

When it comes to Heng Kee's curry mee, don't bother hesitating. Just throw that diet out the window and get in line for a bowl of their mouth-watering curry mee. Located on the first floor of Hong Lim Food Centre, Heng Kee delivers satisfyingly thick curry gravy that carries their signature taste from a priceless age-old recipe. Served with generous portions of tau pok, chicken, fish cake and potato, this bowl of goodness will leave you slurping up every last drop.

Trademarks of good chwee kueh are the kueh, chye poh (preserved radish) and chilli. This simple dish can be hard to perfect but Jian Bo serves one of the best you can find. The kueh is smooth but still has a good bite to it, the chye poh is not overly salty, and the chilli is so very satisfying. It can get quite oily, but this dish is truly worth the calories once in a while, if the craving hits.

Known for ridiculously flavourful and tender char siew because they use the armpit of the pig, this stall will leave you wanting second helpings. Nicely marbled and well marinated, the char siew sells out fast, and the best parts are obviously the charred bits. The noodles are thin, springy and tossed in slightly sweet and salty sauce. There are two types of char siew: Grade A & Grade B, but you gotta go early if you want the premium cut!