12 Stalls to Check Out at the Newly Renovated Zion Riverside Food Centre!

Zion Riverside Food Centre has finally reopened after going through five long months of renovations! Although it is one of the smaller hawker centres, it is home to several popular stalls. Here are twelve stalls that you should check out while you’re here!

Ah Wang La Mian Xiao Long Bao Shanghai Guo Tie

Hands up if you love dumplings! The dumplings sold here are not only huge, but they are affordable and tasty too! Ah Wang La Mian Xiao Long Bao Shanghai Guo Tie also offers handmade noodles like Zha Jiang Mian ($4.50).

I got the Chilli Oil Wanton ($5). The wantons came in quite a large serving and were drenched in vinegar and chilli oil. The strong flavours of the vinegar made the wanton much more enjoyable, with hints of spiciness injected from the chilli oil. The filling of the wanton had a strong sweet flavour.

I would definitely be back for the Pan Fried Dumplings ($6.50) as they looked super crispy and juicy! Do avoid peak hours as the queue gets quite long.

Xin Fei Fei Wanton Noodle

Xin Fei Fei Wanton Mee is another stall that has quite the queue. The wanton mee comes in three sizes : small ($4.20), medium ($5.20) and large ($6.20). I had the smallest portion of the signature wanton noodles along with a small portion of Fried Wanton ($4.20/8pcs).,

While tossing the noodles for an even flavour, I could barely see any difference between the before and after. However, the flavours from the chilli sauce and other seasonings sure made the noodles tasty. Don’t be deceived by the bland-looking noodles. The chilli 很够力(hen gou li/is very strong)!

The Fried Wanton was very crispy, though it felt like I was only eating the wanton skin as the filling was not as generous as what I had expected it to be. Still, it would make a good appetiser for sharing.

Ming He Fish Soup

When you’re feeling a little under the weather, you can’t go wrong with fish soup. Ming He Fish soup sells the regular Sliced Fish Soup ($3.50) and other types of soups like Batang Fish Head and Red Garoupa Fish Head.

There was quite a few pieces of fish slices in the soup and the slices were thicker than what I usually encounter. Although the fish was not very tender and its skin was a tad scaly, it wasn’t too fishy thankfully.

The soup was not the most flavourful, but it was still comforting. You can add milk to it as well. Other than thick bee hoon, there are other types of noodles, and rice to go with your fish soup.

Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap . Braised Duck

Boon Tong Kee may remind you of the popular chicken rice restaurant. However, it might not be so for fans of Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap! This stall does not only sell good kway chap but also Char Siew Rice ($4/$6), Duck Rice ($3.50/$4.50), and even Braised Pig Trotter ($5). This is another stall that has long queues stemming from it!

I got the Kway Chap Set ($3.50 platter, $0.50 kway chap) which came with the usual items such as pig’s intestines, braised egg and braised duck. I was not a big fan of the intestines as they had a pungent aftertaste. It felt like the intestines were not washed thoroughly.

I love how everything was braised really well, and the herbal bowl of soup that the kway chap was served in. No wonder there is always a queue! Will try their duck rice set the next time I’m here!

Double Happy Bak Kut Teh

Double Happy Bak Kut Teh offers Bak Kut Teh (BKT), and accompanying dishes such as steamed fish, vegetables and very uniquely, a pot of Chinese tea! You probably can’t find another BKT stall with these items on the menu.

According to online sources, this stall has been around since 1936. A third-generation owner runs the stall now, but there is no successor in line after him at the moment.

I had the $8 bak kut teh with rice($0.50). If you come looking for a very strong herbal or very peppery bak kut teh, you may be disappointed. The soup was pretty mild tasting and had a sweet aftertaste from the pork ribs.

The texture of the pork ribs were not consistent — some were tender while others were a little too tough for my liking. Even so, the bkt makes a good comforting meal especially on a rainy day!

No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow

No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow has a place in Zion’s Food Centre’s hall of fame. It’s definitely one of the most popular stalls around that sees a consistent queue.

There are various sizes available — $4, $5, $6 and $8. I got the $4 portion. I found out some interesting things about their char kway teow. Apparently, you can ask for the white version instead of black if you prefer a less sweet char kway teow. I had the sweeter black version, and it had a strong wok hei.

The noodles were pretty good. I think that the char kway teow here leans towards the sweeter side, even though the black version is fried with soya sauce. The ham was fresh and juicy and it definitely warmed the cockles of my heart! Despite the long queue, it moves quite quickly, but be prepared to queue up to 15 to 20 minutes while you are here!

Zion Road Big Prawn Noodle

Here is another one of the more well-known stalls around. This stall has received the Michelin Bib Gourmand accolade, and it surely deserves it. Zion Big Prawn Noodle serves up tasty prawn noodles packed with umami in every mouthful. Their prawns are really larger than the usual big prawns you get from other stalls.

I got the Pork Rib Prawn Noodle ($8). The soup base had a slight hint of seafood and it was really robust and very flavourful. The crustaceans were served halved for convenience.

The quick deshelling of the fresh big prawns was worth all the effort as they were very juicy and sweet!

Soon Lee’s Pig Organ Soup

Of all the stalls, this is my favourite. It may have come as a surprise but this unassuming shop with their signature dish, Mixed Pig’s Organs Soup ($4.20) wowed me.

The soup looked like any other ordinary pigs organ soup out there, complete with the usual ingredients. However, from the very first mouthful to the last, the soup was so addictively flavourful.

The uncle was saying that most stalls would claim that boiling the ingredients together over long periods of time was the trick to a rich broth. However, this is not how things are done here. The uncle shared that every bowl is boiled upon order, and this gives the soup a much more concentrated flavour. I had my doubts at first, but I think he’s right!

I also love how the pigs intestines were cleaned very well and there was no stinky aftertaste or smell! Although I’m not a fan of pigs liver, I still had it and the distinct taste of liver was not too overpowering. I would highly recommend this stall! They even have Braised Pork Rice ($3)!

Mohamed Sultan Road Hot and Cold Cheng Tng

A simple and refreshing bowl of dessert? That’s what you can find at Mohamed Sultan Road Hot and Cold Cheng Tng! It’s not the fanciest dessert, but it’s an oldie but goodie.

The small bowl of hot Cheng Tng ($2) consists of the usual tong sui (sugar water), ginkgo nut, large sago balls. It’s not the most satisfying bowl per se but it is still a comforting one, especially if you get the hot version. The “soup” had a good level of sweetness, and left an aromatic and light pandan fragrance lingering in my mouth.

Other than the cheng tng that they are known for, they have other desserts such as Gingko Nut Soup ($2.50) and Gingko Nut Longan Soup ($2.50).

Seng Huat Western Food

This is one of my favourite stalls here! The food is good, and affordable. Seng Huat Western Food is a family-run business — the son does the cooking and his parents take the orders.

I had one of their signatures : the Chicken Cutlet ($6.50). The sides here are fixed : thick-cut fries, a slice of crisp and soft garlic bread and baked beans. The chicken cutlet is drizzled with mushroom gravy. I love how generous they are with the portion and it surely left me with a very satisfied tummy!

The chicken cutlet/chop was way more charred on the outside than what you get at most places, but it’s tender on the inside. It is rare to see a chicken cutlet of this size nowadays and it certainly is great value for money.

I foresee myself coming back to try their other dishes like Fish and Chips ($6.50) and Pork Chop ($6.50).

Famous Tiong Bahru Five Spice Prawn Fritter and Fried Bee Hoon

One of my top picks at Zion Riverside Food Centre is Tiong Bahru Famous Wu Xiang Prawn Fritters and Bee Hoon.

A two-pax portion costs $10. The highlight for me was the prawn fritters. Not only because it was freshly made upon order, but also because the texture was perfect. The bean sprouts in the fritter lent an extra crunch that went very well with the juicy prawn bits.

I highly recommend getting the bee hoon as well ($1 per plate). It’s a simple plate of bee hoon but it goes hand in hand with the burst of flavours from the platter. Although it looked pale and bland, it’s actually very aromatic and it had a hint of pepper.

Wu Xiang only opens for TWO hours daily (except Monday) from 12 pm to 2 pm or until they are sold out, which is usually before 2 pm. Be sure to place your order as early as possible! The wait can take up to an hour even though there is no visible queue.

Sheng Kee Traditional Chicken Rice

Here’s one of the go-to stalls for a typical Singaporean who is too lazy to decide what’s for lunch.

I got the Chicken Rice Set ($5). It’s usually $4.50, but because I requested for the chicken thigh, hence the top-up. The set comes with a plate of blanched kai lan, a plate of chicken rice, and a bowl of soup.

The chicken meat was tender but it was a little too mushy at the end for my liking. The rice, on the other hand, was much more fragrant than expected. The rice was firm, which provided some textural contrast to the tender chicken.

The soup of the day was a cabbage soup, and refills are free. If you really enjoy vegetable soups, the free soup refills might appeal to you!

My top three picks at Zion Riverside Food Centre are definitely Soon Lee’s Pig’s Organ Soup, Seng Huat Western Food, and Famous Tiong Bahru Wu Xiang. Let us know your favourite stalls and any other hawker centres that you’d like for us to cover. PSA: Lau Goh Carrot Cake will only be opened after June 2021.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!