18 Stalls at Bukit Timah Food Centre – Put An End to Your Hunger Strike, After a Good Old Timah Hike!

Singapore is known for being a metropolis. But we also have Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, a favourite spot for those looking to get in touch with our nation’s flora and fauna. Bukit Timah Food Centre is also a place where you can get up close and personal with some of our nation’s favourite hawker food!

With over 80 hawker stalls, Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre is located just a short 1-minute walk away from Beauty World MRT Station. Here are 19 stalls which stood out to me over the course of 4 visits. There’s even a POSB ATM located directly below the main staircase leading up to the food centre, so whether you’re looking for a bite after a hike or simply in the vicinity hunting for cheap local food, this might just be the place for you!

Leng Kee Fish Soup

On my first visit to Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, I was craving for something warm and soupy to kickstart my day, so I decided to try Leng Kee’s Fish Soup! When I asked what their speciality was, I was recommended the sliced fish!

I ordered the smallest portion of their Fish Soup ($5/ $6/ $8) and added on a bowl of rice for $0.50. While I expected the soup to contain a somewhat strong and savoury taste of fish-sauce, its flavour actually turned out to be quite light and mellow. Some may describe it as bland, but I appreciated the lightness. What really took my breath away was the generous portion of sliced fish! If you decide to turn up the heat, dip your fish slices into their chilli or just drizzle it into your soup.

Bukit Timah Eating Hut

On my hunt for a stall with unique characteristics that could possibly stand out from the rest, I chanced upon Bukit Timah Eating Hut! The stall owner told me that she does not believe in the artificial fattening of chickens, so she recommended her Kampong Steamed Chicken, which is supposed to be less oily, sweeter, and healthier than normal chicken meat. She mentioned that hawker stalls seldom use Kampong Chickens because they are skinnier and thus have less meat.

I ordered breast meat as I prefer my chicken meat boneless. The meat was sweeter than usual, and very tender too. The portion of springy noodles was also generous! The stall serves herbal soup instead of the conventional chicken soup which turned out to be surprisingly flavourful. This made my meal extra healthy, yet tasty, at the same time!

Terry Katong Laksa

The owner of Terry Katong Laksa stall shared that the stall’s laksa recipe has been handed down for 3 generations, and that his grandmother had always emphasized on hard work and authenticity. She always said, “To be a laksa chef is to be in control of your ingredients.” Thus, instead of turning to MSG or preservatives, fresh ingredients are purchased from the market daily and used in very specific proportions to achieve Terry Katong Laksa’s unique taste.

The broth of the Laksa($3.50)is thick, creamy, and robust! After mixing in half a spoonful of chilli, I began to feel the heat, yet I couldn’t stop myself. The amount of coconut milk was just right, and I loved that the broth wasn’t too oily.

He Le Seafood White Bee Hoon

As its name suggests, He Le Seafood White Bee Hoon only serves white bee hoon. They do so, however, with a variety of different seafood: sliced fish, la la (clams), prawns, crayfish, squid, and red grouper. Also, every dish comes in 3 sizes.

I ordered the $5 portion of the Lala Sliced Fish White Bee Hoon! Initially, the broth appeared a little light and murky, but it turned out to be extremely flavourful. I really loved the texture of the firm bee hoon, which was similar to al dente spaghetti! Although I think the fish slices from Leng Kee are chewier, He Le’s fish was still fresh and delicious after absorbing the broth.

粥品

This porridge stall stood out to me because of the variety of porridge options plastered all over the stall front. What’s more interesting though, is the fact that every bowl of porridge comes with a youtiao!

I ordered the Century Egg with Pork Porridge($3). The fried shallots were so so crispy, I couldn’t believe my tastebuds. They had to have been freshly fried that morning. The century eggs were bouncy with a firm bite and the youtiao… oh my goodness.. The youtiao was thick and crispy, and so good with the porridge!

Sin Chew Satay Bee Hoon

Satay Bee Hoon may not be as pretty as other hawker dishes, but it definitely deserves more attention! If you’re looking to try one of the best Satay Bee Hoon in Singapore, you’ve come to the right place.

Sin Chew Stay Bee Hoon features thin rice vermicelli that’s smothered in a fragrant chilli-based peanut sauce. I ordered the smallest portion of their Satay Bee Hoon ($4/$5/$6) and received a sizeable plate of rice vermicelli practically drowning in satay sauce (as it should be!). There was a generous amount of ingredients including tau pok, pork slices and cuttlefish.

The combination of bee hoon and the luscious satay sauce was a match made in heaven. The nutty aroma was pronounced but the overall dish wasn’t too rich, allowing me to gobble down the entire plate with ease. All in all, this dish was hearty, satisfying, and incredibly addictive!

Genesis Kitchen & Grill

Genesis Kitchen & Grill was opened by two friends who saw an opportunity to enter the F&B industry in March 2018. It’s not often that you come across a Western stall in a hawker centre selling unique dishes such as Prawn or Bacon Mushroom Aglio Olio ($7), Shrimp Burger ($6), and Peanut Butter Beef Burger ($8)!

I tried the Signature Peanut Butter Beef Burger. Peanut butter in a burger may sound weird but it actually complemented the savoury beef patty very well! They were generous with the chunky and creamy peanut butter.

The fries were crispy, and the burger bun was toasted to a crisp. It may be a little pricey for hawker food but I suppose that’s just the way it is with Western food.

捷记 Boneless Braised Duck

If you’ve been here during lunch hour, you will notice that the queue at 捷记 Boneless Braised Duck is one that never dies down! After my 3rd visit, I decided to order their Duck Rice Set Meal ($3.50) to find out what was so special.

The meat was tender and soaked in a generous portion of flavourful gravy, portioned just right with a serving of rice that had just the right amount of moisture. The soup tasted a little diluted to me at the beginning, but I began to appreciate it as its light taste did not overwhelm the flavour of each spoonful of rice, meat, and gravy I ate. Instead, it complemented the overall taste and coated my throat with a warm and soothing sensation!

Seah Family Braised Duck Rice

Albeit $0.30 more pricey than 捷记 Boneless Braised Duck’s, this stall’s Duck Rice Combo ($3.80) could be the meal for you if you’re at Timah earlier in the morning or simply looking to avoid the queue. Although the set contained lesser meat than 捷记’s, I found the soup more flavourful. The stall owners did not allow me to take a picture of their stall front, but if I remember correctly, I think they serve kway chap too!

Seng Heng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice

Seng Heng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice is run by a Chinese family and is another one of the stalls at Bukit Timah Food Centre which consistently has a snaking long queue during lunch hour! When I got to the front of the queue, I asked the son of the family what made their Chicken Rice so special. To that, he simply replied with a smile: “just try and you’ll know!”

Having paid just $3.50, I was pleasantly surprised by the portion of roasted meat I received (I had even added a hard-boiled egg)! I never thought that there could be anything very special or outstanding about such a simple dish as Chicken Rice, but upon biting into the meat, I knew. Compared to most chicken rice stalls I know that flatten a small portion of meat out before cutting them (to make the portion seem larger), Seng Heng’s chicken meat which was neatly packed on a plate was soft, juicy, and thick!

Yong Seng Satay

Yong Seng Satay Stall’s satay is priced at just $0.60 per stick! What a deal what a steal. They have chicken, pork, and mutton satay and the minimum order is 10 sticks ($6).

Imagine chunks of well-marinated lean pork with bits of sinful fats in between. Just heavenly! Notice the extra ingredient in the peanut sauce? The owner explained that the Hainanese mash slightly over-ripe pineapples and add them to the peanut sauce. If you’re an onion lover, remember to request for onions!

133 Penang Authentic

The Penang Prawn Noodle, a speciality dish from Penang, is slightly different from the local prawn noodles. The broth is cooked for more than 5 hours with pork bones, prawns, and secret ingredients!

The soup was spicy, savoury, and sweet. The prawns used at 133 Penang Authentic were firm and sweet. Together with chewy meat, fish cakes, eggs, fried shallot oil and other ingredients, this dish is simply delicious. Don’t forget to add the stall’s 叁辣椒 chilli if you want to turn up the heat! The Penang Prawn Noodle is available in two portions — $3.50 and $5.

In addition to Penang prawn noodles, the stall also sells delicious Penang Char Kway Teow ($4/ $6/ $8). The boss mentioned that temperature control is essential to achieve moist noodles and eggs that aren’t too oily and an overall aroma that is both delicate and refreshing. 133 Penang Authentic is a definite must-try if you’re looking for good Penang dishes!

莲合炒粿条 Fried Kway Teow

Apart from 133 Penang Authentic, there are 2-3 stalls at Bukit Timah Food Centre which specialize in Fried Kway Teow. I decided to give this one a try because it was hidden, and the auntie was very cheerful and friendly!

When I received my $3 portion of Fried Kway Teow, the first thing I did was flip over some noodles to count the number of cockles there were in the dish. That was when it hit me — an intense wave of wok hei guaranteeing that I was in for a treat! I immediately abandoned my cockle count and dug in. There was a generous amount of fishcakes, an ample amount of egg to complement the overall texture of the dish, and crunchy fresh vegetables! Affordable and just the right portion to fill my stomach! P.S. I think there were 3-4 cockles.

He Zhong Carrot Cake

He Zhong Carrot Cake has been in Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre since 1973. You might be thinking, what makes them so special? First of all, the stall only does white carrot cake. Secondly, the stall makes their own kueh daily according to their own special recipe. You can see it from the piles of stainless steel trays that sit beside the wok in the kitchen! And thirdly…

The carrot cake($2.50, $3, $4, or $5) comes in big, springy and flavourful chunks (unlike the usual flat pancake style) with a strong garlicky aroma. The generous amount of chai poh studded throughout the cake also provided a sweetness that complemented the savouriness of the dish perfectly.

The relatively large pieces of kueh were glued together by an adequate amount of egg. The well-charred and crispy exterior and the springy and eggy interior made this carrot cake so addictive!

Hong Wen Mutton Soup

There are two stalls that sell mutton soup at Bukit Timah Food Centre, and Hong Wen Mutton Soup is one of them!

This bowl of Chinese-styled Herbal Mix Mutton Soup ($5) contains Mutton Tendon + Mutton Tripe + Mutton Ribs! Compared to the Indian-Muslim mutton soup which has a very strong gamey taste, this version was tastier and much more refreshing (is it because I’m Chinese?).

The use of Chinese herbs captures the essence of the bone, creating an aromatic and light broth. Although I felt that they could be a tad more generous with the ingredients, the tendon was really soft and tender while the slices of tripe were firm bite and not too rubbery!

Xie Kee Hokkien Mee

Xie Kee Hokkien Mee opens later than most of the stalls, but it still never fails to garner a long queue during lunch hour!

Unlike most of the Hokkien Mee stalls that use the normal cylindrical-shaped yellow noodles, Xie Kee uses flat wide yellow noodles similar to the ones found in Lor Mee! For just $3, my plate of Hokkien Mee came with two prawns and bits and pieces of chopped up squid. The noodles were also coated in the good old moist gooey goodness that I know and love!

Old Airport Road Wanton Mee

I was lured to this stall by its name and the fact that it was emblazoned on a grand black and gold signage. Was it previously from Old Airport Road? If not, I wondered if it could be a match to the famous wanton mee stalls at Old Airport Road Hawker Centre that I’ve heard so much about.

I ordered their Dry Signature Wanton Noodle ($4). It came with 1 crispy wanton, 3 boiled wantons, and a generous portion of char siew! I would have preferred to have more crispy wantons… If you feel the same, maybe you can try negotiating! Also, there wasn’t much sauce, which left the noodles a little dry after I mixed everything together. But nonetheless, the noodles still retained its springy texture.

Nyona Chendol

What better way to end your gastronomical adventure than with a yummy bowl of icy delight! The chendol I had at this stall was one that left a lasting impression. While I was there, there were unfortunately only 3 options available — the Original Chendol without red bean ($1.50), the Red Bean Chendol ($2), and Sweet Corn Chendol ($2). I had heard about the durian topping on the 4th option (Durian Chendol) being extremely fresh! Some say they used actual hand-peeled durian instead of artificial flavouring to make their paste.

I ordered the Sweet Corn Chendol because I’m not a fan of red bean. I was absolutely fascinated by the artful construction of the chendol While the sweet corn had a firm and juicy bite, the pandan jelly was soft. Absolutely delicious!

Nyona Chendol has various outlets all over Singapore. When I asked if the durian flavour was only temporarily unavailable, the auntie manning the stall replied: “全部一样没有了” (all the same, no more already). I guess all the other Nyona Chendol outlets do not have the durian flavour anymore too.

Our hawker culture faces the same threat of extinction that our wildlife faces. I fear that our future generations may not have the same good fortune of indulging in cheap and affordable local delights in a hawker centre setting. Do support our local hawkers before it’s too late!

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