12 best stalls at Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre worth ditching your passport for
Looking for foodie spots in Singapore’s north? Many will tell you you’ll have better luck crossing the Causeway, I believe. If that’s the case, they probably haven’t heard of Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre.
Situated in the heart of Marsiling, Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre is quite the gem hidden in plain sight.
I’ve been frequenting the hawker centre ever since it was introduced to me a few years back. It’s spacious and well-ventilated, but more importantly houses a great number of food gems. If you only ever travel to the north for a JB getaway, let me introduce to you the 12 best stalls at Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre worth ditching your passport for.
1. Ah Yi Handmade Noodle • Fish Soup (#01-66)
Though I haven’t worked my way through Marsiling Mall’s 70 stalls, I always find myself gravitating towards Ah Yi Handmade Noodle • Fish Soup. You should, too, if you don’t know where to start.
This humble family-run stall is one of the hawker centre’s most well-known. Its claim to fame? QQ handmade ban mian, you mian and mee hoon kueh that draw queues regardless of the time of day.
The Soup/Dry Mee Hoon Kueh (S$4/S$5/S$6) has won the hearts of many noodle fanatics, myself included. My usual order is the Dry version, which consists of a generous portion of hand-torn mee hoon kueh with minced pork, spinach, some piquant sambal and savoury sauce to toss your noodles in.
Each piece of mee hoon kueh is shaped and textured differently – the hallmark of hand-torn labour. They hold a good bite that’s not overly doughy, perfectly contrasted by the crunchy ikan bilis and house-made fried shallots.
If you’re not much of a handmade noodle person or want to warm up on a chilly day, Ah Yi also offers fish soup dishes like Sliced Fish Soup (S$5/S$7/S$9) and the infallible Fried Fish Bee Hoon (S$5/S$6/S$7).
Fri to Wed: 8am – 8pm
Closed on Thu
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2. Ye Lai Xiang Laksa (#01-73)
Ye Lai Xiang Laksa may be tucked away in the back of Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre, but that hasn’t hindered it from being a go-to laksa spot for those residing in the north.
Ye Lai Xiang’s Laksa (S$4/S$5) has all the workings of a textbook bowl of the local favourite dish. The springy thick bee hoon noodles are doused in a milky yet fragrant broth, then topped with tau pok, fishcakes, cockles and half a hard-boiled egg. Clearly, you can’t go wrong with it.
Laksa aside, Ye Lai Xiang also serves up various other noodle dishes like the equally well-loved Lor Mee (S$4/S$5). They also have Prawn Noodles (S$4/S$5) and Pork Rib Prawn Noodles (S$4.50/S$5.50) which come Dry or in Soup.
An order of Dry Pork Rib Prawn Noodles gets you yellow noodles coated evenly in a savoury brown sauce, topped with 2 prawns and a generous 4 pork ribs, with a small bowl of prawn broth on the side.
Alternatively, if you’re an adventurous eater, try out the Pig’s Tail Noodles (S$5/S$6).
Fri to Wed: 7.30am – 3pm
Closed on Thu
3. Sin Heng Kee Porridge (#01-10)
When it comes to porridge, I’m sure Sin Heng Kee Porridge requires no introduction. Hailing from the heartlands of Hougang, Sin Heng Kee has opened multiple stalls islandwide, including one in Marsiling Mall. While it draws quite the queue regularly, you won’t have to wait long for your order as the stall-owners prepare these bowls at top speed.
Sin Heng Kee boasts an impressive range of 20 types of porridge, with nothing priced above S$5.50. Some crowd favourites are the Meatball Porridge (S$4), Century Egg & Sliced Pork Porridge (S$4.50) and the Signature Porridge (S$5.50) which gets you a mix of all essential ingredients.
I ordered a Double Pork Porridge (S$4) on my most recent visit and opted to add an Egg (S$0.50). It comes topped with spring onions, crispy shallots, a touch of sesame oil and as much pepper as you want.
The porridge leans towards the thick side, with its rice grains boiled down to a satisfying viscosity that spares you of a need to chew. The Double Pork element comes in the form of pork slices and pork meatballs, both delightfully tender and savoury.
Mon to Fri: 6.15am – 8.30pm
Sat & Sun: 6.15am – 2.30pm
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4. Yan Ji Seafood Soup (#01-26)
Yan Ji Seafood Soup is another well-established brand with a presence in Marsiling Mall. It’s a family-run business that has been around since 1983 and is well-known for none other than its hearty seafood soup.
The stall’s menu is pretty self-explanatory, with just 4 types of soup that brim with different types of high-quality seafood. Basic Seafood Soup (S$8/S$10/S$12) aside, they offer Red Grouper Seafood Soup (S$14/S$16/S$18) and a luxurious Premium Seafood Soup (S$32/S$42) which includes crayfish and abalone among many ingredients.
“The Yan Ji Promise”, as plastered on their shopfront, reflects the brand’s commitment to producing high-quality bowls of seafood soup. Each is cooked to order, with a meticulous cooking process that allows for the perfect fusion of ingredients to achieve an exceptional richness.
Let’s just say they definitely kept their promise. I was extremely satisfied with my Seafood Soup (S$8) which I ordered with some Rice (S$0.80) on the side. The soup was robust and had an intense umami, with sweet notes of seafood and the mild savouriness of pork ribs.
Albeit high, the price point felt justified with the amount and quality of the seafood ingredients. The bowl comes packed with pieces of melt-in-your-mouth fish, fresh prawns and some hefty handmade pork balls.
Order Delivery: foodpanda Deliveroo
Tue to Sun: 11am – 8.30pm
Closed on Mon
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5. Arabica Kebab (#01-38)
Arabica Kebab is an interesting find in Marsiling Mall that’ll have you doing a double take. It’s not everyday that you chance upon a hawker stall equipped with a vertical kebab grill. Psst, some deem it a hidden gem!
The stall specialises in authentic Middle-Eastern delights that you can get at a fraction of specialty restaurant prices.
Arabica’s titular Kebabs come with a choice of Chicken, Beef or a Mix of both. They come in various forms, including Kebab with Fries (S$8/S$9/S$10.50), Rice (S$8/S$9/S$10.50), Salad (S$8/S$9/S$10.50) and in a tortilla Wrap (S$6/S$7.50/S$9).
As a sucker for a good kebab, I headed straight for a Chicken Kebab Wrap (S$6). The kebab was made fresh on the spot with meat straight off the grill.
It was chock-full of juicy smoky chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and piquant raw onions, slathered in mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce. The elements were tied together nicely by the tortilla wrap complete with crisp grill marks.
If you’re looking for something heavier, you can opt for a Chicken/Beef/Mix Burrito (S$7/S$8.50/S$10) or a Chicken/Beef/Mix Quesadilla (S$9.50/S$11/S$12). They even have Kunafa (S$12), a traditional sugar-soaked Arabic dessert layered with cheese and pistachio.
Order Delivery: foodpanda
+65 8464 9264
Sat to Thu: 10am – 8pm
Wed: 10am – 12.40pm & 2.15pm – 8.30pm
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6. Gao Ji Shu Shi Nasi Lemak (#01-60)
Gao Ji Shu Shi Nasi Lemak’s stall front may be headed by some unassuming yellow signboards, but trust me when I say you shouldn’t brush past it.
To put it simply, Gao Ji Shu Shi is a no-frills economic nasi lemak stall that executes its fare extremely well. It has 4 fixed sets, each with different combinations of crowd-favourite nasi lemak ingredients. Set 2 (S$3.60) comes with a sunny-side-up egg, chicken wing and a hotdog, while Set 4 (S$4.70) comes with a fried chicken drumstick and luncheon meat on top of those mentioned.
Still, there isn’t as much fun in getting a fixed set as there is in customising your own plate of nasi lemak by selecting your own ingredients. My personal plate had a fried chicken drumstick, fish fillet, a sunny-side-up egg and set me back S$4.40.
There are many things I can rave about for this plate of nasi lemak. Firstly, the stall-owner so thoughtfully reheated my chosen ingredients to a crisp, and even cut up my chicken drumstick into bite-sized pieces off the bone.
Not to mention, the rice was incredibly fragrant and had a perfect balance of pandan and coconut milk. And of course, not forgetting the generous helping of their delicious sambal that complemented every element and more importantly packed a punch.
Order Delivery: foodpanda
Tue to Sun: 7am – 3pm
Closed on Mon
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7. Freshly Made Hong Kong Style Zhu Chang Fen (#01-07)
Freshly Made Hong Kong Style Zhu Chang Fen is located on the outermost stretch of the hawker centre. It’s hard to miss, with its facade sporting tantalising images of their chee cheong fun alongside numerous feature articles.
The bulk of their menu consists of savoury Hong Kong-style chee cheong fun with different fillings and toppings. I certainly can attest to its “Freshly Made” title – the supple rice rolls are steamed, filled and rolled to order.
The stall’s chee cheong fun offerings include classics like Char Siew (S$3), Prawn (S$3) and Preserved Turnip (S$2.50), and interesting ones like Otah (S$3), Century Egg (S$3) and Pork Floss (S$3).
Each portion consists of 8 sizable pieces of chee cheong fun stuffed generously with filling. These are then laden in a savoury sauce and topped with fried shallots, chye poh and a dollop of sambal.
Having never thought of having seafood in my chee cheong fun, I opted for the Scallop version.
I was surprised to see a plump scallop in each cut-up piece of cheong fun, especially since the order set me back just S$5. While they did not perfectly complement the rice roll, the scallops were fresh and pleasantly sweet.
You can’t go wrong with the Char Siew version, with sweet meaty chunks of char siew embedded in the rice rolls. Have a mouthful of each piece with sauce and chye poh for the ultimate sweet-savoury satisfaction.
Tue to Fri: 8am – 2pm
Sat & Sun: 8.30am – 5pm
Closed on Mon
8. Quan Long (#01-65)
If you’re a morning person and are up to brave the queues, make a beeline for Quan Long. This well-known stall has been around for many years, attracting long queues for its wanton mee and lor mee. The early bird really catches the worm here as the stall is up and running by 7am and is said to sell out by lunchtime.
You’ll hear just about everyone order Quan Long’s Char Siew Wanton Noodle (S$5). Springy egg noodles are coated in a savoury light sauce and then topped with a fried wanton, choy sum and several slices of delectable char siew.
Part of me was a little dismayed by how the noodles came with a singular perfectly crisp fried wanton. To my surprise, there were 2 plump ones sitting in the light peppery soup. The umami of their meat filling really won me over.
I did however feel that the spice element was a little lacking despite having asked for chilli, and that the portion size was a little small relative to its S$5 price tag. Nonetheless, it’s a comforting plate of unadulterated wanton mee.
If you don’t quite like char siew or wantons, there are other options available such as Fried Chicken Noodle (S$5) and Prawn Dumpling Noodle (S$5). Their Lor Mee (S$5) is also very popular.
Daily: 7am – 1pm
9. Lian Xiang Shu Shi (#01-61)
Lian Xiang Shu Shi is among the “pioneer generation” of stalls in Marsiling Mall, having moved over during its opening in 2017 from the now-defunct Old Woodlands Town Centre. Manned by an elderly uncle and some of his family members, the stall doles out old-school plates of char kway teow and Hokkien mee.
Deemed an underrated gem by many, the Fresh Cockle Kway Teow Mee (S$4/S$5) will warm the cockles of your heart. The kway teow and yellow noodles are fried with a plentiful helping of classic ingredients: lup cheong, cockles, tau geh, fish cakes, pork lard and of course, eggs. It leans toward the dry side, with a pronounced wok hei and well-balanced flavour profile.
Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (S$4/S$5) is the only other thing on Lian Xiang’s menu and is as well-loved as the char kway teow. You’ll get a generous portion of noodles fried with eggs, sotong and several prawns, paired well with a shiok house-made chilli. It’s in the wetter class of Hokkien mee, with a flavourful prawn stock that’ll leave you feeling satisfied.
Mon to Sat: 9.30am – 8pm
Closed on Sun
10. Long Cha (#01-06)
Long Cha boasts a huge variety of drinks, including old-school bubble teas that will make your inner child scream with joy. The stall’s front boasts a polished logo with its name written in traditional Chinese, reminiscent of bubble tea shops along the streets of Taiwan.
Long Cha’s extensive beverage menu stretches several panels, with 7 series of drinks for you to peruse.
Most will definitely be drawn to their Milk Tea and Green Tea Series, with cult favourites like Milk Tea with Pearl (S$2.50/S$3.30) and Yakult Green Tea (S$4.30). There’s also the indulgent Fresh Milk Series with Brown Sugar Fresh Milk (S$3/S$4) and a pretty pink Strawberry Fresh Milk (S$3/S$4).
Beverage purists need not fret, as Long Cha has Kopi ($1.20 for Hot, S$1.40/S$1.70 for Iced), Teh (S$1.20 for Hot, S$1.40/S$1.70 for Iced) and even Sugarcane Juice (S$1.70/S$2/S$3).
Freshen up on a hot day with Long Cha’s series of Ice Blends and Milkshakes (+S$0.50), in nostalgic flavours such as Oreo (S$3/S$4) and Blue Coral (S$2.50/S$3.30). Load your drinks up with toppings like Black Pearl (S$0.50), Colourful Coconut Jelly (S$0.80) and some fun Mixed Fruit Popping Pearls (S$0.80).
Order Delivery: foodpanda
+65 8268 7026
Tue to Sun: 8.30am – 9.30pm
Closed on Mon
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11. Ah Cheng Lao Huo Tang (#01-03)
Want something to warm up your belly and soul? Look no further than Ah Cheng Lao Huo Tang. On that note, you might literally be unable to look any further than it, with the long queues it garners.
Ah Cheng Lao Huo Tang prides itself on a range of double-boiled soups, which the stall’s signboard claims to have no MSG. The Chinese words beside the stall’s name serve to nudge you in the right direction, translating to “Drink more soup if you want to be healthy”.
Ah Cheng offers a range of nourishing soups in the likes of Lotus Root Peanut Pork Ribs (S$6), Ten Tonic Ginseng Chicken (S$6 for Steamed Chicken, S$7 for Black Chicken) and even Buddha Jumps Over The Wall (S$8).
These soups are double-boiled and served in metal pots brimming with ingredients. You can pair them with White Rice (S$0.50), Pumpkin Rice (S$1) or Olive Rice (S$1).
A popular choice is the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, which comes packed with ingredients like fish maw, mussels and tender chicken among many others. The soup is flavourful and said to have a natural sweetness that won’t leave you feeling thirsty – the hallmark of MSG-absence as promised.
Thu to Sun: 11.30am – 2pm & 4pm – 8pm
Closed on Mon, Tue, Wed
12. Fu Qiang Pig’s Organ Soup (#01-17)
Rounding off this list is yet another spot for a comfort food fix, Fu Qiang Pig’s Organ Soup. Many get in line for their pork-based items such as their signature Pig’s Organ Soup (S$5) and Pig’s Kidney & Liver Mee Sua (S$6). Don’t let its long queues deter you, though. The stall-owners are highly efficient, so It’ll be your turn to order soon enough.
The crowd favourite of the lot is none other than the Pig’s Organ Soup. These hearty bowls of soup are loaded with a generous mix of pig liver and stomach, on top of lean pork slices and meatballs. Online reviews reflect that the innards are cleaned and cooked well, eliminating any unpleasant gamey-ness.
If you’re not quite a fan of innards, you can opt for the Meatball Soup (S$5) or Sliced Meat Soup (S$5) or Bak Kut Teh (S$6.50) instead. You can complete your meal with some Rice for an additional S$0.50.
Their Kway Chap is another popular item. For just S$5, you’ll get a platter generously loaded with braised intestines, tender pork belly, tau pok and an egg. It’s accompanied by a bowl of slurp-worthy rice noodles in a deep herbal broth.
Thu to Tue: 10am – 8.30pm
Closed on Wed
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