11 best stalls at North Bridge Food Centre
The North Bridge Food Centre on North Bridge Road often gets overshadowed by its more popular neighbour Golden Mile Food Centre. It can most certainly hold on its own, with its own set of regulars and bustling lunch crowd. They even have a stall here featured in Singapore’s Michelin Guide.
The food here is simple and traditional, with hawkers who have been working away at their craft for years. The majority of the diners here are elderly, so food fares are kept wallet-friendly. If you’re looking for an affordable place to eat in the area, here are the 11 best stalls at North Bridge Food Centre for you to check out.
1. Xiao Ling Fried Carrot Cake (#01-103)
If you’re ever stumped on what to get, head to Xiao Ling Fried Carrot Cake. You can hardly go wrong with chai tow kway. This stall exclusively sells just carrot cake but in 3 variations.
The husband and wife who run the stall are extremely friendly and chatty. The auntie especially will love to trade small talk while you wait for your order.
Their Fried Carrot Cake (Black) (S$3.20/S$4/S$5) is nothing to scoff at. It’s fragrant with wok hei and has an abundance of chye poh. The chunky pieces of radish cake all gleam with the sweet and savoury dark sauce. Here, the bits of egg are in smaller bits, but you can ask for an additional Egg (S$0.80) for your plate.
Together, they create a medley of smokey flavours with a strong garlic taste which will surely curb any carrot cake cravings you have been building up to.
The real kicker here though, is their Deep Fried Carrot Cake (S$1 for 5 pieces). There’s something quite nostalgic when you bite into the crispy treat with soft insides. I can almost picture myself holding a bag of these and walking home from school.
The carrot cake sticks were light and not overly oily, making them a satisfying snack to munch on.
Daily: 7am – 1pm
2. Hoe Hokkien Mee (#01-93)
Never have I been shocked at the smallest portion more than I have been at Hoe Hokkien Mee. At first, I was a little shocked by the price point as it was S$5.50 for a Small plate of their Hokkien mee. It all made sense when the plate was brought out to me.
When I asked the owner if this was correct, she laughed and said that she felt everyone who orders at her stall should eat their fill. This even applies to the smallest size.
Here, they serve the wet version of Hokkien mee. You have a mix of yellow noodles and thick bee hoon, mixed with pieces of pork belly, sotong and prawn. You have the option of adding an extra portion of lard (S$0.50), which is always a huge plus.
There’s a good deal of egg fried together as well, as my plate of Hokkien mee never had a bite without a bit of egg in it.
The prawn broth has a creamy texture to it and when you add the lime while mixing in the sambal chilli, you get a tangy and full-bodied plate of Hokkien mee. The chilli itself reminds me more of hae bee hiam.
+65 9099 1178
Mon to Sat: 8am – 4.30pm
Closed on Sun
Facebook
3. Ke Shuang Xing Lor Mee (#01-104)
Ke Shuang Xing Lor Mee is managed by two friendly uncles who have been working on their craft for a long time. Here, they keep things old school with no frills. The laksa gravy and broth for their other noodle dishes are worked on for hours before serving.
Their garlic, parsley and vinegar are freely available at the counter, so you may add how much you like based on your personal preference.
At Ke Shuang Xing, the Laksa (S$4) stands out as the only other noodle dish that isn’t lor mee on the menu.
The yellow noodles are springy. Once soaked in the laksa gravy, they become addictive and you will want nothing more than to continuously slurp on them.
The gravy here definitely has a spicy kick to it, but it blends well with the creaminess. The consistency here is more like a soup than a sauce, which is why your noodles will be drowning in it. They even add cockles to the laksa.
Their lor mee menu items are also very popular. It’s kept fairly old-school with no added frills, but they are generous with their noodle portions and ingredients. The most popular pick is the Chicken Chop Lor Mee (S$3.50) and Fried Fish Lor Mee (S$5).
Sun to Fri: 6am – 2pm
4. Shan Yuan Teochew Kway Teow Noodle (#01-95)
Did you know that North Bridge Food Centre is open 24 hours daily? There’s even a stall that runs for the whole 24 hours too. That would be Shan Yuan Teochew Kway Teow Noodle. If you’re looking for a new supper or midnight snack option, this is surely a good choice to keep in mind.
Everything on the menu is an excellent choice but if you’re stuck on what to get, order the Handmade Fishball Noodle (S$4.50). The fishballs are bigger than what you would find in an average bowl elsewhere. They were bouncy and soft to bite into and had a full-bodied fish flavour. It’s worth ordering from them just to taste their fishballs.
If you have a craving for something spicy, you should order your noodles with chilli. At Shan Yuan, they use their handmade vinegar special chilli sauce. Your noodles will be coated with a well-balanced blend of spicy and savoury.
Mon to Sat: 24 hours
Closed on Sun
5. Tian Yi (#01-112)
If you’re looking for some old-school-style sweet bites, look no further than Tian Yi. The aunties whip up bowls of desserts the same way your grandmother would have. They don’t use any shortcuts or substitutes in their ingredients either.
It’s difficult to not recommend everything on their menu. Everything on the menu, except the Bo Bo Cha Cha (S$2.30), is just S$2.
Their Bo Bo Cha Cha is highly praised by regulars. The soft yam and sweet potato become a medley of comforting sweetness. They’re not stingy with the portions either, as your bowl will be loaded to the brim.
I’d personally recommend getting the Pulut Hitam (S$2) as they’re very generous with their coconut sauce. It was a wholesome treat and the consistency wasn’t too watery or too thick. It didn’t taste just like pure sugar either, as you can get subtle notes of pandan with the prominent taste of coconut.
If you ever need to curb a craving for nostalgic and traditional desserts, this should be your pick.
Tue to Sat: 9.10am – 3pm
Closed on Sun & Mon
Facebook
6. An Lock Curry Rice (#01-109)
An Lock Curry Rice is North Bridge’s generous curry-cut rice stall. Here, it’s home-style dishes on the menu. All the sides are cooked fresh daily and are served hot.
This is one of the more popular stalls at North Bridge, with a constant queue till they are either closed or sold out for the day. Their popularity likely can be attributed to their extremely wallet-friendly fare. For 1 Vegetable option and 1 Meat option with Rice, it will cost you S$3. 2 Vegetable options and 2 Meat options with Rice only go up to S$4.50.
The most popular side dishes are their stir-fried cabbage, minced pork patties, steamed egg with salted and century egg, as well as their sambal sotong. Do note for the latter that prices for seafood sides depend on market price.
Customers will receive generous portions of their choices, all topped with either a savoury curry sauce or the option of braised gravy.
Daily: 8am – 3pm
7. Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu (#01-108)
Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu is a stall for early risers. They close an hour into lunch, so most of their customers are part of the morning crowd. Your total will be based on your options and amounts, with choices ranging from S$0.40 up to S$2. A standard order of noodles, soup and 5 choices would bring you up to an estimated S$6.
The main stars here are their Hakka noodles and soup. The noodles are a delightfully springy treat, topped with minced meat. The clear soup is naturally sweet, with the prominent flavours of soya beans boiled into it alongside notes of ikan bilis.
The main joy of YTF is being able to pick the sides you want, but if I could offer some suggestions, you should get their fishballs, fried tofu and meatballs.
Be sure to scoop some of their chilli into a sauce plate. Many have found it to be a perfect cross between chicken rice chilli and Thai chilli.
Tue to Wed & Sat to Sun: 7.30am – 1pm
Closed on Mon & Thu to Fri
8. Thomson Big Prawn Noodle (#01-101)
I can’t quite recall the last time I saw a prawn mee stall serving up more than just their titular dish. But that is what Thomson Big Prawn Noodle is doing.
Here, you can have your pick of prawn noodles, chicken rice, and even wanton mee. The amount of variety may have you raising a brow in scepticism and concern. But many customers have walked away with a satisfying meal.
Their Big Prawn Noodle (S$5) is many customer’s go-to, especially the soup version. It has a nice prawn flavour permeating through the broth, with a good balance of robustness and sweetness to it. The ribs used are tender as well, easy to tear apart and consume.
Another very popular pick is their Soya Sauce Chicken Rice (S$4), which you can also opt to have with noodles instead. Like the ribs, the chicken meat is extremely tender.
Tue to Sat: 9.30am – 8pm
Sun: 10am – 4pm
Mon: 11am – 2pm
9. Ah Heng Braised Duck Rice (#01-120)
When ordering from Ah Heng Braised Duck Rice, you’re sure to be greeted with a friendly face. The stall owner is nothing but smiles and polite conversation and this adds to the homely vibe of the stall and its dishes.
Here, you can find affordable kway chap and braised duck dishes. To start, you can get their single portion of Kway Chap (S$4.50), with an extra serving of Braised Egg or Tau Pok (S$0.70 per piece) and Preserved Veg (S$1/S$2).
If you rather not have flat rice noodles, you can get a plate of Duck Rice (S$4.50/S$6) instead.
Their sauce isn’t overly thick nor is it too salty, which lets you taste the herbal broth more prominently. Both the braised duck meat and pork belly are tender. The well-cooked meat and the price point are why a good deal of their customers are the elderly.
Tue to Sun: 6.30am – 4pm
Closed on Mon
10. Hua Mei Zhen (#01-119)
Hua Mei Zhen is a zi char specialist that’s open for an hour and a half at lunch but shines and gets busy during their evening operating hours.
Like many of the stalls, they have been serving regulars for years. Many point out that during dinner, you will likely have to wait up to 20 minutes. But as a reward, you get aromatic side dishes that go delightfully well with white rice.
Here, they are best known for their Wok Hei Fried Rice (S$5/S$6/S$8/S$15). You get a great balance of seafood and rice, all cooked till they’re fragrant with a smokey aroma. It’s a great pick for both eating solo or in a group.
For more group eats, the other popular picks are their Fried Chilli Fish Head (S$20/S$30/S$40) and Sweet and Sour Pork (S$8/S$12/S$15).
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 1.30pm & 5.30pm – 8.30pm
Closed on Mon
11. Koka Wanton Noodles (#01-99)
Calling all midnight owls and supper foodies – Koka Wanton Noodles is the stall that you need to check out. They’re only operational during the wee hours of the night, and have a reputation for attracting long queues despite the unusual timing.
Do take that small bit about queues a little seriously. Customers have claimed to have waited 2 to 3 hours just for a plate. But why would they want to?
It’s because the Wanton Mee (S$4/S$5/S$6/S$7), despite being simple and traditional, is so fragrant. Many customers have felt nostalgic as they chowed down.
Some customers order with no black sauce, tomato ketchup or chilli, yet will vouch for their noodles. It helps that even the vegetables come with pork lard.
Their dumplings are generously filled with tee por (鳊鱼), which results in a savoury treat, especially when dipped in their chilli sauce.
Mon to Tue & Thu to Sat: 10.30pm – 3am
Closed on Wed & Sun
+65 6225 5632
861 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 198783
Daily: 24 hours
The post 11 best stalls at North Bridge Food Centre appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
