11 best hawker stalls to visit at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre
Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre is an extremely popular hawker centre with a good mix of local delights like bak chor mee, yong tau foo and nasi briyani. Thrown into the mix of its 80 food stalls, you’ll also spot unique fare from neighbouring countries like Vietnam and Thailand.
Surrounding the area is a cluster of flatted factories and industrial buildings, First Toa Payoh Primary School and of course, residential flats. Nearby office workers, students and residents flock here to enjoy all kinds of delicious hawker food.
I walked up and down exploring the place while taking notes on my handphone. With that, I present to you a food guide of the 11 best hawker stalls to visit at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre.
1. Hai Kee Noodle (#01-59)
Hai Kee Noodle was one of those stalls that I came across by chance when I was exploring Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre.
When I patronised them on 2 separate occasions, there was a friendly aunty sitting outside the stall. She took orders while hand-making the wantons and dumplings, while her son took charge of the cooking and serving.
The menu only specialises in 3 dishes. Wanton Noodle (S$3.50), Dumpling Noodle (S$4), and Chicken Feet Noodle (S$5).
I ordered the Wanton Noodle, and I was astonished with what was served to me. It came with a generous amount of char siew and green veggies piled on top of the mee kia with a side bowl of soup with 3 wantons.
“All that for S$3.50? How are they earning money?” I thought to myself.
Every strand of noodle managed to soak up the delectable gravy and made me reminisce about the the old-school taste of great wanton mee that many establishments fail to achieve nowadays.
The wanton filling was also well marinated and delicious. Even the clear broth that came with it was robust in flavour and naturally sweet. Try it for yourself and you’ll know what I mean.
Thu to Tue: 8am – 3pm
Closed on Wed
2. Wanted Western Delights (#01-55)
Wanted Western Delights was perhaps one of the only Western hawker stalls which I spotted out of the 80 stalls at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre (unless I have poor eyesight). The menu is clear and concise as every individual dish is photographed and displayed at the stall’s front.
The selections include classic crowd favourites like Spring Chicken (Half) (S$8) and Chicken Cutlet Set (S$7.50), and side dishes like Cheese Fries (S$3.50) and Chicken Wings (S$1.60 each).
You can have breakfast at any time of the day with Bacon n Hotdogs with Scrambled Eggs (S$6.50). Premium items like Ribeye Steak (S$13) and Lamb Chop (S$13) with the option of additional Cheese (+S$1) are also available.
I gave the Fish & Chips (S$7.50) a try and it came with 2 huge pieces of breaded fish fillet, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and baked beans. The fish was delightfully crispy and not oily, and the coleslaw was creamy and flavourful.
Wed to Mon: 12pm – 9.30pm
Closed on Tue
3. Sin Sin Prawn Crackers (#01-46)
You’ll know that a stall serves great food when the queue is extra long. Sin Sin Prawn Crackers was one such example. Wu Xiang, as it is called, was one of my favourite foods growing up. And I’ll order this dish at a hawker centre without fail (if it’s available).
You’ll be greeted by a brightly-lit display of various items (both fried and non-fried) for you to take your pick. The options include Fish Roll (S$0.90), Beancurd (S$0.90), Prawn Cracker (S$1.50), Cuttlefish Chip (S$1), and Century Egg (S$1.20).
Once you’ve made your choice, the items are re-fried and chopped into bite-sized pieces for you to pair with the shiok chilli dip.
For a more substantial meal, pair your platter of snack items with a plate of freshly prepared Fried Bee Hoon (S$1). Do note that if you’re having it without the Fried Bee Hoon, you must order a minimum of 5 pieces.
Fri to Mon: 12pm – 8pm
Closed on Tue to Thu
4. Nine Stone Avenue – Seletar Sheng Mian & Mee Hoon Kway (#01-05)
For ban mian aficionados, Nine Stone Avenue – Seletar Sheng Mian & Mee Hoon Kway is the stall to patronise. It is one of the dishes to have on a cold, rainy day which feels extra comforting.
The menu has options like Mee Hoon Kway Soup (S$4.50/S$5.50), Mee Hoon Kway Dry (S$4.50/S$5.50), Sheng Mian Soup (S$4.50/S$5.50) and Mian Xian Soup (S$4.50/S$5.50).
Each bowl is served with the noodle of your choice, anchovies, a poached egg, pork slices, 2 large prawns and green veggies. The mee hoon kway and ban mian are all handmade and the broth is brewed with pork bones for a rich and umami taste.
If you’re having the dry option and happen to be a spice enthusiast, be sure to ask for it to be spicy for that extra satisfying kick.
5. Li Huat Hot & Cold Cheng Tng (#01-80)
I haven’t met anyone in my life who hates dessert. I mean, we always have extra stomach space for it, right? Do not be misled by Li Huat Hot & Cold Cheng Tng as they offer much more than just a bowl of cheng tng. They have 63 different types of dessert to be exact— a dessert lover’s paradise, indeed!
The extensive menu offers choices like Mango Ice Kachang (S$2.80), Sea Coconut Nata De Coco (S$2.50), Aloe Vera Longan (S$2.50) and Pulut Hitam (S$1.50) (just to name a few).
I gave the Red Ruby Pearl/Tadpole (S$2.50) and Mango Pudding Corn (S$2.50) a go. The former was a colourful bowl consisting of multi-coloured sago, tapioca pearls (similar to bubble tea), and those delightful pink chestnut pieces from a bowl of Thai red ruby. It had various interesting textures and the broth was rich and coconutty.
The latter was a yummy bowl of mango pudding filled with corn kernels which gave it loads of satisfying juicy bursts.
Wed to Sun: 9am – 8.30pm
Closed on Mon & Tue
6. Da Lao Fried White Kway Teow (#01-23)
I’ve not encountered many stalls in Singapore that offer both black and white options for char kway teow. Da Lao Fried White Kway Teow at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre has the localised Fried Cockles Kway Teow (S$4 for small, S$5 for medium) as well as Fried White Kway Teow (S$4 for small, S$5 for medium) (usually popular in Malaysian states like Penang).
This stall is known for dishing out plates of char kway teow with whiffs of wok hei without being overly oily.
If you think that’s all the stall sells, you’re in for a surprise. They also have Fried Oyster (S$5 for small, S$6 for medium), Oyster Egg (S$5 for small, S$8 for medium), and Fried Carrot Cake (S$3 for small, S$4 for medium). The menu surely has something for everyone. I’m actually surprised that for a one-man show, this stall offers a variety of dishes.
7. Hock Kee (Lor.8) Bak Kut Teh (#01-64)
Hock Kee (Lor. 8) Bak Kut Teh is one of the heritage stalls in Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre that has been in operation for over 40 years, and is owned by an elderly aunty. If you prefer the Singaporean pepper version of bak kut teh and not the Malaysian herbal variety, then this is the stall for you.
The menu is pretty straightforward and nothing fancy, just 3 key items which are wallet-friendly. The Bak Kut Teh (S$4/S$5/S$6) has a strong robust flavoured broth with fork-tender pork ribs and comes with a bowl of plain rice.
The Pig Liver & Kidney Soup (S$4/S$5/S$6) is ideal for those who love innards (like me). The innards are handled well and possess no foul or unpleasant smells or taste. The Pig Trotters (S$4/S$5/S$6) is braised to perfection and is full of gelatinous goodness.
Tue to Sun: 10am – 9pm
Closed on Mon
8. Alauddin’s Briyani (#01-79)
Specialising in Halal southern Indian-style cuisine, Allauddin’s Briyani was established back in 1968 and is currently run by the 2nd generation. They have a few branches around Singapore and it so happens that there’s a branch located at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre.
They’ve achieved a Michelin Plate in the past and were featured in various publications like The Sunday Times.
The menu has platters of Chicken Briyani (S$6), Mutton Briyani (S$6) and Fish Briyani (S$6) with an option of topping up S$1 for a set that gives you a serving of egg and papadum. There’s also à la carte meats like Sambal Chicken, Sambal Mutton and Sambal Fish at S$4 each for a spicier kick.
You can also pair your plates of briyani with a side of creamy Raita (S$0.70) if the spice hits you too much. This is a cooling Indian dish of yoghurt and cucumber.
Daily: 10am – 8pm
10. No.9 Thai Kitchen (#01-09)
I was immediately attracted to the bright yellow signboard and menu of No.9 Thai Kitchen which is run by native Thais (judging from the accent I heard).
If you’ve not been able to fly to the Land of Smiles for some time and miss Thai food, you’ll be able to get your cravings fixed here with their large-scale selections.
The menu has popular Thai street food favourites like Phad Thai (S$5.50), Moo Tod (S$10) (Thai style deep fried pork), and Crab Meat Omelette (S$10). I ordered the Thai Style Fried Fish Cake (S$5 for 5 pcs). Each fish cake was aromatically perfumed with notes of kaffir lime leaves and it was great as an appetiser.
I’m looking forward to returning to try out their Thai Style Lemon Fish (S$20) and Crispy Sea Bass In Red Tom Yam Soup (S$22).
Wed to Mon: 11am – 9pm
Closed on Tue
11. Coffee House Banh Mi (#01-10)
Coffee House Banh Mi may pass off as a regular drink stall at first glance, but if you look closer, you’ll notice that it offers more than just drinks.
I met a friendly Vietnamese lady who was manning the stall and she offered me various banh mi options like Grilled Pork Belly (S$6), Baguette Speciality (S$6) and even Stick Baguette (S$3 each) (which are mini thin versions of banh mi stuffed with a range of fillings).
I ended up with the Baguette Specialty which was a huge piece of baguette stuffed with 2 types of cold cuts, a generous spread of pâté, pickled carrots and radish, cucumber, and fresh coriander.
The bread was incredibly crispy and fluffy and the stuffing had a myriad of textures and tastes going on all at once (super satisfying).
I also spotted something interesting: Sugarcane Tower 1L (S$15). It’ll be perfect to be shared amongst a group of friends on a hot, sunny day. The hawker stall also has other beverages like Thai Green Tea Jelly + Pearl (S$3.50), Bandung (S$2), Sour Plum (S$2), and Calamansi (S$2).
+65 8727 6799
Wed to Mon: 8.30am – 8.30pm
Closed on Tue
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