Hawker

This humble stall tucked away in Teck Ghee Square Market and Food Centre doesn't get much attention, but it should. Previously located in Bendemeer Food Centre, the underrated stall dishes out plates of wok hei-ladened Char Kway Teow (from $3), loaded with fresh cockles and lup cheong — so good! Depending on who's cooking, expect the noodles to turn out a little differently. The father cooks a wetter version while the son does it a little more dry, resulting in more wok hei. Tastemaker Cassie Ong determines a good plate of char kway teow by the presence of wok hei and egg, and therefore prefers the son's version more, liking that "you can taste the egg in every bite". Be sure to have what Tastemaker Justin Teo loves most in both plates — the really crispy pork lard!
Avg Price: $5 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Cassie Ong

Lao San Kway Chap can easily be identified by its unending stream of customers, even at the break of dawn. Innard aficionados will be happy to learn that the intestines at Lao San are consistently well prepared, extremely clean and stench-free! For maximum enjoyment, follow Tastemaker Justin Teo's lead and order a plate of innards with an extra serving of Intestines ($14). In his words, the innards are "velvety with a lovely aroma of herbs and braised in mild sweet savoury stock that is not too salty, so it was mostly the clean pork taste that shines". The Burpple Community also adores the kway (flat noodles) here, deeming it one of the silkiest in Singapore. Pro tip: Lao San Kway Chap only operates from 6am-3pm daily, so come either for breakfast or lunch.
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Justin Teo

Run by young hawkerpreneur, Desmond, this stall in 628 Ang Mo Kio Market sees long, snaking queues of up to an hour on weekends. Our Burpple Tastemakers and many others in the queue find it worth the wait, thanks to its robust soup and generous portions of seafood. Various shellfish are available here, from Big Prawn Noodles ($8) to Crayfish Noodles ($13) and the crowd favourite, Lobster Noodles ($24.90). The latter comes with two halves of an Asian Lobster, or Colombian Lobster if the Asian lobster is not in season ($29.90). Tastemaker Justin Teo notes that the fresh lobster meat can be "easily removed from its shell with a light pull using chopsticks". The umami-rich soup owes its distinct taste and colour to the use of prawn shells and pork ribs, not MSG. Tastemaker Felicia Sim also loves how each bowl, regardless of size, comes loaded with clams, which really sweeten the soup. Pro tip: Noodles and ingredients run out quickly, especially on rainy days, so best to head down early to snag a bowl!
Avg Price: $25 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Felicia Sim

Located within Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, Seng Kee Bak Kut Teh impressed the Burpple Tastemakers' with its comforting broth. The Bak Kut Teh Claypot ($12) sees fall-off-the-bone spare ribs swimming in a soup stock that is described by Tastemaker Vanessa Kou to be "a light, pepperish broth robust with sweetness derived from pork, balanced with a blend of herbal taste" that is further enhanced by seaweed. Apart from Bak Kut Teh, Tastemaker Peter Wong endorses the unbelievably tender Braised Pig Trotters ($5) while Tastemaker Zhihui Lim highly recommends going for their Teochew-style side dishes like the steamed White Rabbit Fish (three for $10) that is "not as fishy as they usually are, and our table loved the dip". Note that the fish selection is seasonal. Come by with your family for a seriously satisfying meal!
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Zhihui Lim