Hawker Food To Try Before You Die

The noodles, on the other hand, were very much just passable. You've got the most generic sauces and a decent noodle texture that wasn't particularly springy or soggy.

Don't be mistaken, they are simply a stall of soup savants masquerading as noodle peddlers.

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One of my favourite hawker gems closer to the north of SG — Ding Ji is a famous teochew noodle stall where the noodles aren't the actual star. Yep that's right, the real showstopper at this hawker is actually the soup that comes with their 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲 ($5, $8 with fish maw)

Each bowl is an ocean of richness, a treasure trove of ingredients, and running your spoon through it is like churning up tidal waves brimming with indulgence. One moment there're sightings of soft gelatinous fish maw chunks. The next, wisps of umami seaweed swim onto your spoon. Eventually, you'd be slowly fishing out more and more well-cooked parts, like meatballs and pork liver, to never ending bewilderment.

But really, the essence of the soup is in itself — there's no greater warmth than slurping down the wholesome elixir, enriched from being clouded with porky particles while tinged with the vibrant sweetness of Goji berries.

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To many, this stall at Golden Mile serves the best dry 𝗛𝗼𝗸𝗸𝗶𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗲 ($5) in Singapore. Yes, they can be inconsistent but these retro flower-adorned plates have the potential to floor you with an astounding home run.

For starters, it's not easy to locate a good plate of dry-style Hokkien Mee. It's a different experience with how sapid seafood flavours are locked into each strand of moist, bouncy noodle — not gratuituously sloppy or borderline slimy, which the ubiquitous wet variety can be guilty of.

You won't find many plates rivalling this in satiating your appetite for rich, bold seafood flavours. The unbridled umami, the tasteful whiffs of smoke, the medley of chilli heat, and the complementary citrus twist — simply chef's kiss.

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Alas, my experience did meet a slight dip in enjoyment as I dug into their noodles. Honestly, these noodles that were pretty forgettable but serviceable enough to not dampen the overall mood — not with the euphoria this bowl of soup elicited.

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It was a long wait, but after Mui Siong's legendary 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗽 ($5) hit the table, I could feel my lips quaking in anticipation of those salaciously thicc and pinkish pieces of liver, submerged within a pool of murky broth shimmering tantalisingly under the glow of the noon sun.

I fished out a single slice into my mouth and took a meek bite — what a life-changing bite. The pig organ seemingly dissolved with a satin-like elegance despite its impressive size. But as I chewed on more, it became apparent each bite was still answered by a bouncy recoil even with its gentle melt-in-mouth properties.

A second piece was quickly fished out, then a third, then I was smitten like a crack addict. Taking a break from devouring those morsels of iron-filled richness, I then fiercely slurped down a mouthful of broth and was greeted by a robust and umami-loaded indulgence.

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A hidden gem opened by an ex-Crystal-Jade chef — expect comfort food with the heartiest flavours at this stall tucked away atop Bishan Bus Interchange. Oh, and expect super affordable prices too.

You can't pass on their 𝗣𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘇𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗲 ($6). Delicate and silky parcels engorged with flavoursome meaty goodness, then bathed in a crimson pool of vinegar-laden sauce that delivers a satisfying spice kick without being overpowering.

It's simple but soul stirring with its efficacious medley of flavours — a choice you won't regret at its price point, comparable to offerings at iconic institutions such as DTF. Sometimes, it's the stripped-down indulgences that really hit the spot the hardest.

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Yishun might be a hellhole but it's also an underrated food haven. So as a denizen of said hellhole, I've decided to make a 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗶𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗻. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴, 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗼!
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Starting with this 𝗺𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 ($5) from Old World Bak Kut Teh. A hood known for psychopaths are experts at cooking organs. Who knew? 😈🔪
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Wok-fried with a wealth of pork and organs, it was supremely rich and heavy-hitting in profile whilst perfumed with a gratuitous dose of smoke. 🔥😩
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This would scratch all your wok hei itches and the smoke even helps to soften the offal taste. So damn good, I've eaten this more than my blood sodium levels are comfortable with. 🙃 Skip their bak kut teh though.

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Wanna send noods to your crush? The famous #Michelin Bib Gourmand 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻 ($9) will send them crawling back for more.
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I thought their wanton mee base was done well and chili was fragrant, but the allure was in the 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒖𝒎 💯 ingredients.
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Besides thicCcc boi prawn wantons and sensual melt-in-mouth chashu, the famous potato wrapped prawn was a true star with its sexy crackle. 😩
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Worth a try even if prices are a bit steep — 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲.

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Honestly, I haven't had enough claypot rice to judge, but this #Michelin Bib Gourmand stall had a pretty good one.
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Claypots are only put to the charcoal flame upon ordering, which means minimum wait times of around half an hour. The result though, was a 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 ($12) brimming with well-separated grains of rice that packed good moisture.
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After jumbling the rice with some dark sauce, we indulged in spoonfuls of savoury bliss. Intermittent charred bits infused a gratuitous crunchiness along with intoxicating smokiness, but the rice itself was pretty mild in smokiness. Ingredients were also included rather generously, with the chicken being particularly succulent. For regular hour-long waits though, maybe pair it with a craft beer night at Smith Street Taps.
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[𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣] 𝙇𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙣 𝙅𝙞 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙚
📍 𝟯𝟯𝟱 𝗦𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝟬𝟮-𝟭𝟵𝟳/𝟭𝟵𝟴/𝟭𝟵𝟵, 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅, 𝟬𝟱𝟬𝟯𝟯𝟱
⏱️ (Fri-Wed) 4.30pm-10pm; 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒔 (was open on my Thurs visit though)
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*P.S. Minimum wait time of 30 mins, up to 1hr+, you can call in advance to reserve.

While most hawker food see a pool of contenders for "best", Xin Mei Xiang's rendition of 𝗟𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗲 ($4/5/6) seemed to have abnormally strong backing and recommendations from many — reflected in their hour long queues.
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The essence of the dish is in its gravy and theirs was expertly rendered — thick and consistent with little hint of starchiness. The drab shade of brown deceptively concealed a wealth of deep and robust flavours, accented by agreeable sweentess. Punchy vinegar zest and bright chili added levity to the hefty richness — proportioning was inch perfect and not a shred of cloyingness was felt.
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In place of fried fritters commonly found in other renditions, an eye-catching amount of pan fried fish swam about the pool of brown, each mouth flaky and fresh. A very convincing classic, but didn't astound to the extent for me to consider another 1 hour queue. The Tiong Bahru ones might suffice for me.
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[𝘿𝙖𝙠𝙤𝙩𝙖] 𝙓𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙚𝙞 𝙓𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙚𝙚
📍 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲, 𝟱𝟭 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗥𝗱, # 𝟬𝟭-𝟭𝟭𝟲, 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝟯𝟵𝟬𝟬𝟱𝟭
⏱️ (Wed-Tues) 6am-2pm; 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒔

Yishun is a bastion of diversity — home to cat murderers, inter-dimensional wormholes and crazy people... If you class people who'd queue 30 mins for carrot cake as "crazy".
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Waiting time goes from 30 mins to 1 hour, but it's worth a try. Their 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 ($4) was an outstanding rendition with a substantially crispy and eggy exterior which blanketed the moist but fluffy innards. It's supplemented with a lavish heap of cai poh that gave it a further sweet-savoury punch, but nothing too overwhelming. Plus, portions were generous, even with takeaway! Maybe my favourite stall in the hood.
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[𝙔𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙣] 𝟲𝟭𝟴 𝙎𝙄𝙈 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙠𝙚
📍 𝟲𝟭𝟴 𝗬𝗶𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗱, 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝟳𝟲𝟬𝟲𝟭𝟴
⏱️ (Wed-Sun) 7am-2pm; 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑴𝒐𝒏-𝑻𝒖𝒆𝒔

It was $19.50 for a 2 person platter with rice and noodles.
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The showstopper here was undoubtedly the 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗸. My head cavity constantly echoed with the gratifying shattering of the stunningly crunchy skin, whilst my tongue was met by the beautiful texture of the meat with it's impeccable lean-fat ratio.
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The 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗲𝘄 was also applaudable as an exercise in decadence with its melt-in-the-mouth fat, though I normally prefer my charsiew leaner. Still, I indulged in sweet-smokey bliss from its pronounced caramelisation, which had a better char than my previous visit.
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[𝙇𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧] 88 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙈𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩
📍 𝟭𝟱𝟯 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘁 𝗥𝗱, 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟳𝟱𝟲𝟲
⏱️ (Daily) 10am-8pm