11 picks for your first visit to Buangkok Hawker Centre
Buangkok Hawker Centre is spoiling diners for choice as it opened with a bunch of fresh faces and old-timers running 38 stalls. When I say fresh faces, it’s because a good chunk of hawkers at Buangkok are second-generation or first-timers.
Everyone’s already hard at work and here to prove their mettle, carrying with them family recipes or dreams of success.
1. Nana Nonya (#02-K31)
Nana Nonya is a 3rd-gen stall as it all leads back to stall owner Vera’s great-grandmother. You’re in for some good old-fashioned Nonya-style food here.
This isn’t Vera’s first rodeo in the food industry. 6 years ago, she ran her own Japanese eatery. Now, she returns to more nostalgic roots with Nana Nonya and even keeps up the generational bond. Her daughter helps Vera out when she’s not busy at the neighbouring drinks stall.
You get a good deal of food made from scratch at Nana Nonya. Some examples would be the Dry Laksa (S$6 for Small, S$8 for Medium, S$10 for Large) and Dry Mee Siam (S$6 for Small, S$8 for Medium, S$10 for Large). The Ngoh Hiang (S$4 per roll, S$6 for 6 pieces) stuffed with chestnut, prawn and minced pork and Prawn Paste Wings (S$2 for 2 pieces, S$5 for 6 pieces) are handmade.
Wed to Mon: 11am – 9pm
Closed on Tue
+65 8081 0667
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2. Teochew Fish Soup (#02-L27)
Teochew Fish Soup is run by a young couple in their early 30s who are lovers of the dish. They went all over to sample all the variants they could find. That adoration shows in the effort that have put into their stall.
With a mixture of their personal experiences and advice from others in the craft, their fish soup was born. It helps that they also double as seafood wholesalers, supplying the majority of stalls and eateries selling batang fish soup.
It’s hard to pick a single dish to recommend. It’s all going to be fresh, as they boast of air-flying their batang fish. Maybe eye the Sliced Fish Soup with Minced Meat (S$9.80 for regular, S$12.80 for large) as it has homemade minced meat, which uses fish and prawns. It’s much more tender than the store-bought stuff as it’s handmade, after all.
Daily: 10.30am – 9pm
3. Liu Kou Shui (#02-K25)
Japanese bentos and dons have managed to worm their way into our hearts. So much so that it’s expected that there’s at least one stall that’s going to specialise in them at every hawker centre.
Darryl, a 26-year-old first-time hawker has always enjoyed dishes of this sort. With Buangkok Hawker Centre being brand new, he took the opportunity to open a stall there to specialise in them himself.
He was already studying culinary arts, so this move to open his own stall was a no-brainer.
I didn’t get the chance to try the Mentai dishes like the Mentaiko Chicken Katsudon (S$7). So, the Pork Shogayaki (S$7) was recommended to me instead. The bowl had a large serving of rice, all tightly squished into the bowl. Because of that, I didn’t notice how much there was at first.
The sauce had soaked through the rice and between every layer of meat were slices of ginger and onion. In fact, the latter two were the most prominent components of the dish.
The soft-boiled egg added a nice coating of richness over the pork and balanced out the rather intense ginger flavour.
If you’re up for rice bowl dishes topped with generous ingredients under S$10, this is for you.
Daily: 11am – 9pm
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4. Jua Shuang Braised Delights (#02-K24)
It may have been just the first day but Jua Shuang Braised Delights had an endless queue the whole time I was there and sold out well before closing. Unlike the majority here, the owner isn’t a first-time hawker and even has 3 different outlets. He has been in the business for 7 years, specialising in lor mee dishes.
The recipes used were passed down from his father to his brother, who then passed them down to him.
The dishes here are bound to be strong tasting as the gravy alone is infused with star anise, cinnamon and liquorice, among other spices.
By far, I think most people would eye the S$3.50 Fried Yam Chicken Roll Lor Mee (S$3.50). But the owner insists the most popular dish is the Signature Lor Mee (S$5.50), chock-full of ingredients that lets you sample their dishes across the board.
Tue to Sun: 9am – 8pm
Closed on Mon
5. Feng Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice (#02-K16)
Marcus, the owner of Feng Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice, is a second-generation hawker. He learned the trade from his father, who managed his own stall in the 1990s. Marcus assisted him at the stall but had no intention of taking over said business but things changed when he graduated.
Although simple, his chicken rice manages to attract endless queues. Maybe it’s the combination of his fresh ingredients, wallet-friendly prices and the old-school style of chicken rice.
Marcus insists you take the rice dishes like the Chicken Rice Combo (S$5.50) over the noodles. I wouldn’t fully ask you to look past the Shredded Chicken Hor Fun, though, especially for its S$2.80 price point.
The fluffy rice is subtly fragrant, which may entice people who crave stronger flavours to go for the sauces. You should take the chilli, in that case, which is a household recipe.
Daily: 10.30am – 8.30pm
6. ORIGANICS (#02-K44)
Vegetarian dishes are usually not the most popular. The owner of ORIGANICS, who comes from a family of vegetarians, wants to break that stereotype. His stall serves a combination of economic rice sides and noodle dishes.
There’s quite a bit to recommend here, from the handmade Buttermilk Chicken in the economic rice selection to the Char Siew Kolo Noodle (S$4) and Mala Kolo Noodles (S$4.50).
It wasn’t there when I visited, but another greatly recommended dish is the Laksa Kolo Noodles (S$3.50). ORIGANICS uses freshly made Sarawak kolo noodles, beansprouts, laksa leaves, fishcake and tau-pok for this dish.
Looking at the price point for everything, it looks to be an extremely wallet-friendly stall.
Tue to Sun: 9am – 8pm
Closed on Mon
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7. Penang Alley (#02-K11)
Penang Alley is managed by Grace and her mother. With assistance from a chef from Penang with 10 years of experience, you can say they’re dishing out authentic Penang cuisine.
Grace’s mom has been in the hawker business for over 20 years. But instead of continuing alone, she decided to join her daughter at her new stall instead.
The sauce and sides are all made from scratch as they do their best to recreate the Penang dishes authentically.
While Grace is still planning to update her menu, she recommends her Penang stir-fried Char Kuay Teow (S$5.50). You may think it’s the usual plate, as it has Chinese sausage and cockles but it also has prawns.
If you’re looking for soupier dishes, I recommend the Assam Laksa (S$5.50) and the Jawa Mee (S$5.50) instead.
Tue to Sun: 11am – 7.30pm
Closed on Mon
8. Tian Tian Xiang Shang / Lift Me Up (#02-K04)
You can call this place sweet, literally. It is run by a husband and wife duo who aren’t exactly newcomers to the hawker industry, just not in the way you may think.
The husband had been a manager for coffee shop chains for the past 20 years and his wife was an admin executive in the industry. Both wanted to take a break from the more corporate side of things, so they moved on to participating in the culinary side instead.
Maybe Singaporeans just can’t go without their Iced Kacang (S$2.50) or Iced Chendol (S$2.50). The ice for both is freshly shaved on the spot. I thought it looked more like a Bingsu shaved ice machine, which wasn’t far off. They have potential plans to add the Korean treat to their menu as well.
You can’t go wrong with either one of these local treats. I did prefer the Chendol, though, as the dollops of whip made it creamier.
It’s not just local delights they’re serving up here, of course. Ice Cream (S$2 per scoop) with flavours like Tutti Frutti and Mango are very popular here.
Daily: 11am – 9pm
9. Shawarma N Kebab and Sweets (#02-K01)
The owner here is as mixed as the cuisine he’s plating up. Being Turkish on his mother’s side and Egyptian on his dad’s, everything here is a delightfully strong-flavoured blend to try out.
H arrived in Singapore in 2004, managing a Mediterranean eatery with a friend but left the business when Covid hit. Instead of returning, he decided to open his own stall instead.
I do mean it when I say strong flavours. Everything from the rice to the kebab meat was fragrant and rich with spices. Being a sucker for Turkish food, I can’t recommend enough the Kebab Rice (S$7 for Small, S$8 for Medium, S$9 for Large).
Even the smallest size was a huge plateful, so it’s extremely good bang for your buck.
If rice is not your preference, take the Kebab Wrap (S$5 for Small, S$6 for Medium, S$7 for Large) instead. For the ‘sweet’ portion in their name, they also offer Original Kunafa (S$10) and Original Baklava (S$10).
Daily: 11am – 9pm
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10. Rizqia Muslim Food from Geylang Serai Market (#02-K03)
After 15 years at Geylang Serai, this stall’s owner decided to move to the newly opened Buangkok Hawker Centre. The dishes are all made using his own recipes and with that many years behind him, you’re at least in it for a well-crafted dish.
Try the Mee Goreng Combo Meal (S$10). It’s topped with an egg and swimming in gravy and comes with a side of fries. You can have it as a Nasi Goreng, Kway Teow or Maggie set if you prefer.
They even have Malay-style Western food, like their Mutton Chicken Chop (S$7). Like the mee goreng set, it comes with a portion of cheese fries.
If you’re craving soup, they have Kambing Soup (S$6), with a mixture of fatty and lean lamb meat.
Fri to Wed: 10am – 10pm
Closed on Thu
11. Al Yusra Muslim Food (#02-K02)
The owner of this stall also runs stalls at both East Coast Lagoon Food Village and West Coast Food Centre. At Buangkok, they’re the only prata stall in the whole hawker centre.
Maybe it’s a personal bias, but I believe no hawker centre is complete without Indian-style food. So if you’re hankering for Murtabak (S$8 for Small, S$10 for Medium, S$12 for Large) or a simple crispy Plain Prata (S$1.30 per piece), this is for you.
Unless you specify something else, mutton curry is the default for the prata. It has subtle hints of tomato, which makes it slightly sweet. This and all other mutton-based dishes on the menu are his family’s recipe.
Thu to Tue: 7am – 10pm
Closed on Wed
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