11 stalls in Pasar 16 @ Bedok South worth travelling there for
When I say East Side, I’m sure you think of East Coast, Joo Chiat and Katong. Bedok? You think of Bedok Mall, maybe. Food Centre wise, I’m sure you’ll namedrop the one at Block 216 or 1 Bedok Road.
That makes
Block 16 Bedok South Market & Food Centre, Pasar 16 @ Bedok, a less travelled option outside its neighbourhood. It wasn’t really out of my comfort zone, but even living in the east didn’t make getting here any less easy.
Outside of its peak hour, it gives off a cosier vibe. It helps that it’s surrounded by HDBs and across a junior college. The regulars are heavily made up of long-time customers who live in the area. They also won’t hesitate to talk you up and encourage you to check out and eat at their favourite stalls.
I’d like to convince you it’s worth at least dropping by for a look too, with my food guide of 11 stalls worth travelling to Pasar 16 @ Bedok South for.
1. Hill Street Fried Kway Teow (#01-41)
Starting off with a bang, let’s cover Hill Street Fried Kway Teow. It’s best to call it a one-hit wonder as there’s only one thing on the menu, and it’s in the name. The only thing you can pick is if you want a S$4 or S$5 plate of Char Kway Teow.
You’d better be an early bird, or else you’d be stuck in an over 30-minute queue. Though, even if you do end up waiting, the reward is pretty worth it.
Maybe it’s a no-brainer considering their popularity, but this stall is on Singapore’s Michelin guide in the “intense flavours” category. It’s pretty well-earned. See, I usually despise bean sprouts in my food. But between the strong scent of wok hei and the deep sweet-and-savoury sauce that is deeply fried into the kway teow, I have no complaints.
It doesn’t hurt that the bits of oysters and lap cheong only add to the richness of the plate. Even the S$4 portion ended up feeling pretty heavy.
11am – 4.45pm (Tue – Sat)
Closed Sun & Mon
2. Wong Porridge (#01-55)
On paper, porridge is such a simple dish. In practice, a well-executed bowl that isn’t too mushy or just plain ol’ rice in broth is a lot harder than it looks. Wong Porridge offers just 4 things on its menu, but each dish is the ideal blend of a Hainanse-style porridge.
Wong Porridge has been around since 1975, and everything feels both old-school and home-cooked as there’s no added fancy fluff.
The 4 options available to you are the Pork Porridge, Chicken Porridge, Century Egg Porridge and Fish Porridge. They all start at S$4 and you can get the bigger portion for S$4.50. If you’re really hungry, you can ask for more ingredients at additional costs.
The Pork Porridge is the most highly rated as it’s filled with pork livers, pork balls and pork slices. Considering the price for it, it’s light on the wallet and a good deal for a filled stomach. Just be warned that they may be sold out by lunch.
6am – 3pm (Daily)
3. Yong Hua You Tiao (#01-20)
Putting a You Tiao store right after the porridge place is 100% intentional of me. I just think no good bowl is complete without them.
I’m not talking about small, cut-up bits. But fried You Tiao that you’d have to hold in your hand while you dip it into the porridge. In fact, it’s a must-have to pair with a lot of the dishes at Pasar 16, like a bowl of Bak Kut Teh or a simple cup of kopi.
Yong Hua You Tiao sell ones that are as long as my arm, fresh off the fryer when you get them. The size justifies the price of S$1.10 per piece.
These are a sinfully delicious snack all on their lonesome and provide a crunch with every bite. In inside is still fluffy and you can see the inside puffed by air pockets. It feels like the right combination of a soft inside with a toasty fried shell.
Be warned though, once the lunch crowd rushes in, they could be sold out by 1.30pm.
11am – 9pm (Mon – Tue & Thu)
6am – 9pm (Wed)
10am – 9pm (Fri)
Closed on Sun
4. Bedok South Love Heart Prawn Mee Soup (#01-91)
Don’t let the name fool you, it’s not just the soup version on the menu here at Bedok South Love Heart Prawn Mee Soup. The brand is an old-timer, here since the 80s and has been serving up noodles to the residents of Bedok South for a long time.
It’s nostalgic, both in taste and the general vibe of the stall as a whole. I guess you could say that the Traditional Prawn Mee Noodles (S$4 for regular, S$5 for large), both dry and soup, are the real deal. Moreso to those who have been regulars for a long time.
Despite the name, they don’t just sell regular ol’ prawn mee here. They also offer a plate of Hokkien Mee (S$4) fried with thin bee hoon and yellow noodles. Just note that this only gets sold in the evenings. Just like how the regular prawn mee dishes are only sold during the day.
5.30am – 4pm (Daily)
5. Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle (#01-22)
Considering that it’s in the name, it’s no surprise that Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle has authentic Hong Kong-style dishes.
While they have rice as an option like their Soy Sauce Chicken Rice (S$3.50 for regular, S$4.50 for large), the noodles are more popular. Well, again, it’s in the name.
You can have a bowl of Soy Sauce Chicken Noodle (S$4 for regular, S$5 for large) or Soy Sauce Chicken Hor Fun (S$4 for regular, S$5 for large). Either one is topped with chopped-up juicy and succulent soya chicken.
A customer told me that this stall’s H.K Style Shrimp Wanton Noodle (S$4) can sometimes be sold out by 10am. So it’s not just their chicken dishes that are a hit among their customer base.
If you check them out on a weekend, even before the lunch crowd, just be prepared to wait in line.
7am – 2pm (Tue – Sun)
Closed Mon
6. You & Me Coffee (#01-45)
Not going to lie to you, I couldn’t find this stall at all at first. The lantern they have hung out for decoration has blocked out the corner displaying their name. The warm and cosy breakfast made up for the circles I walked, though.
My order of their Traditional Bread Set (S$3.80) is made up of Kaya toast, runny soft-boiled eggs and your choice of drink is a pretty typical Singapore breakfast. I’m a bit of a sucker for the traditional combo of this toast with the eggs.
If you want something softer and puffier, maybe get the set with their Kaya Butter Bun (S$3.80) instead.
Both will be filled with melty butter and kaya jam that isn’t too sweet that it overpowers everything. Otherwise, it may take away from the taste when you dip it into your bread or drink.
Just be prepared to wait a while as they start toasting on every new order.
5am – 8.30pm (Daily)
7. Kun Qi Kway Chap & Duck Rice (#01-35)
If noodles drowning in gravy is your thing, look no further than Kun Qi Kway Chap & Duck Rice. Like many of the stores on this list, it’s an old-timer in the area. Residents will vouch for them and there’s good reason as to why.
If you order their Braised Duck Rice (S$4/S$5), you’d like a portion of fragrant rice with their tender braised duck. You should try to get the braised tofu with your meal as well, delicious after it sits in the soy.
You can even just buy the parts of the duck you like, and not just from the duck. They have Pig Stomach (S$3 for small portion, S$4 for medium portion, S$5 for large portion) for instance.
Even if you encounter a queue, it’s not the worst in terms of waiting time. But staring at the ducks on the rack may make your mouth water so check if you’re drooling. Do also keep in mind they’re only available for breakfast and lunch.
9.45am – 7pm (Wed – Mon)
Closed on Tue
8. Bedok South Teochew Porridge Rice (#01-63)
We usually get rice at an economic rice stall. But here, Bedok South Teochew Porridge Rice is quite renowned for its Teochew Porridge. Having it à la carte alongside your chosen 3 sides will still leave you under S$5. That said, it will depend on which side dishes you pick.
I went well before the lunch crowd and there was already a line. It seems mostly popular among the elderly, likely due to its wallet-friendly price range.
It’s also not just the porridge that is authentically Teowchew, but all their side dishes as well. Like many economic rice stalls, you’re bound to find your favourites. But with a choice of porridge as the carbs, it seems easier to eat as it feels light at the end of the day.
With the early line forming at this store, it’s one of those that can run out of side dishes by 1pm. One of the queueing customers said I should hurry and be in line as well. A good deal of dishes were already almost gone.
7am – 2pm (Daily)
9. Xiang Xiang Chwee Kueh (#01-38)
If an elderly woman sitting by the stall lights up when she sees you and continuously insists the food from her favourite stall is ‘Ho Jiak!’, you better listen to her. The praise she’s giving Xiang Xiang Chwee Kueh is both wholesome and true.
The Chwee Kueh (5 for S$2.30, 6 for S$2.70, 8 for S$3.60) is the softest and topped with chye poh that was not overly salty and contrasted with a nice crunchy topping.
Ladled over with a sweet and salty sauce is the Chee Cheong Fun (2 for S$2.20, 3 for S$3.30). Said sauce, like everything, is homemade and you can taste the care that goes into them.
To try an array, you may as well get a Combo (S$2.80) to get them together as everything is very wallet-friendly.
While I feel those two steal the show, you can also opt for Dumplings (S$2.50); like the other two, it fits right into the array of comforting snack food.
7am – 2pm (Daily)
10. Wak Ana (#01-08)
Maybe the continuous queue may deter you, but Wak Ana servers up customers fast enough that I don’t think you’d be waiting that long. The stall is family-run and you can see them working like clockwork in the tight stall space.
I could already smell the spices even when I wasn’t near the display rack.
With a cosy home-cooked style array of Malay food, you The general price range is under S$10, with Rice Set Meals within the S$6 to S$7.50 range. Their Nasi Sambal Goreng set is one of the more popular ones.
It’s not just the Nasi Sambal Goreng that has generous portions. Both the rice and the sides fill the plate. The crispy tempeh is also a customer favourite, with regulars recommending you order this with your main.
If you have a huge craving for sambal, and not looking for anything watered down and thick in consistency, this is your stall.
6am – 2pm (Tue – Sun)
Closed Mon
11. Moli Food Stall (#01-18)
It’s pretty rare, even at food centres, to find a menu that mainly ranges from as low as S$1.50 to S$3.50. In fact, the most expensive thing at Moli’s Food Stall is the Egg Cheese Masala at S$4.
That low price doesn’t mean they skimp on portions either. The Plain Thosai (S$1.50) and everything on the menu is made fresh by order. The Thosai in particular is one of the popular items, with the accompanied sauces.
One reviewer even states they would travel just to eat the varieties of Thosai offered by Moli.
The Samosa (S$0.70 per piece, 3 for S$2) and Vadai (S$0.70 per piece, 3 for S$2) are frequent favourites among customers as well.
If hunting down specific Indian breakfast menu items has been a challenge lately, this is the answer for you. It helps that Moli is extremely wallet-friendly as well.
7am – 12pm (Mon – Sat)
Closed Sun
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