Lau Pa Sat: 10 Hawker Stalls Worth Trying

With various newer arrivals and long-time favourites to choose from, this hawker centre is a good pick for a wallet-friendly meal in the CBD. While some locals may view Lau Pa Sat as a tourist trap, you can’t deny that it’s one of the more affordable places in the CBD for a meal. Gazetted as a national monument in 1973, the architecturally stunning hawker centre recently welcomed a raft of fresh faces. Now, besides the bustling Satay Street, you’ll be spoilt for choice with Michelin-rated names, gourmet Korean burgers, specialty egg tarts and more. While it’s impossible to include all the best spots on this list, here are some of our recommendations.

Lau Pa Sat is at 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582.

1. Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow

Having earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention for its Old Airport Road Food Centre stall, Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow has now opened a branch at Lau Pa Sat. They do black and white versions of the dish (roughly $10 for a medium portion). Both feature all the usual ingredients – with the addition of prawns – and pack a good amount of wok hei, though we’re partial to the black option for its delectable sweet-savoury sauce.

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2. Thunder Tea Rice

Those on the hunt for a nutritious meal can visit Thunder Tea Rice, one of the healthier choices at the hawker centre. Prices start at just over $6 for the basic bowl, which comes with chopped vegetables, tau kwa cubes, peanuts and all the other fixings, plus a serving of punchy herbal broth. There’s also a version that incorporates chickpeas instead of rice, alongside one that includes a portion of basil chicken.

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3. Kallang Airport Wanton Noodle

Another newer arrival at Lau Pa Sat is this place selling old-school wanton noodles, which has multiple sister outlets in Singapore. The signature dish comes with springy egg noodles coated in a moreish dark sauce, an ample amount of juicy char siew, leafy Chinese greens and fried wantons. Big eaters can order sides like fried chicken and fried dumplings, and you can expect to pay upwards of around $6.

4. The Warung

Since opening in mid-2023, The Warung has earned rave reviews for its comforting and authentic Balinese dishes (one of the owners comes from the Indonesian province). Go for the Ayam Betutu Original, which includes well-marinated Balinese chicken, white rice, sate lilit, veggies and assorted Balinese sambals that pack a serious punch; or sample the Ayam Betutu Bakar, in which the chicken is grilled. Prices start at roughly $9.

5. Rokus AGB

Restaurant-quality Korean burgers in a hawker centre? That’s what you can expect at Rokus AGB, which specialises in Korean-influenced burgers, rice bowls and snacks. Take your pick from the likes of a gochujang burger, tteokbokki burger and kimchi burger (all upwards of about $13, including fries), and order a Korean corndog on the side if you’re feeling particularly hungry.

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6. Swatow Bai Le Teochew Braised Duck

Those in the mood for Teochew braised duck can hoof it over to this spot. Fork out approximately $5 and up for a serving of braised duck rice featuring tender slabs of meat doused in a tasty braising sauce, which is crafted from a unique blend of herbs and spices and using a recipe that’s been passed down from the owner’s mother. Alternatively, you can enjoy your protein with kway chap.

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7. Butter & Cream Bakery

Need to satisfy those sugar cravings? Make a beeline for Butter & Cream Bakery, where you’re likely to encounter a long queue of customers with the exact same thought. Choose from an array of egg tarts and muffins in different flavours. A popular item is the salted egg tart (just under $3), a jiggly delight that’s perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. Original and chocolate egg tarts are also available.

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8. Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles

Established in 1968, Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles has a number of outlets across the city-state (including its Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded founding store at Kim Keat Palm Food Centre) and makes a downright delicious rendition of the dish. Consider getting the Lau Pa Sat-exclusive The Folks’ Favourite (around $9), which is jazzed up with ingredients like jumbo wantons, fish dumplings and an onsen egg.

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9. Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang

Treat yourself to Indonesian-style nasi lemak at this well-loved Muslim-owned stall. The standard nasi lemak retails for approximately $8, and has fragrant coconut rice, a generous piece of chicken, fried egg, cucumber slices, peanuts and ikan bilis. We like having ours with lashings of sweet-spicy sambal, and you can add extra ingredients including otak, begedil and fish fillet if you wish.

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10. Mr. Rice Pao Fan & Fried Rice

If you want something to warm you up on a rainy day, visit this joint for a helping of poached crispy rice – options include seafood pao fan, fish pao fan and pao fan with pan-fried pork chop. The stall is also known for its fried rice, which you can enjoy with a crispy chicken cutlet or in the form of their special lotus leaf-baked seafood fried rice. A meal here will set you back roughly $8 and up.

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