The most famous vendor here is undoubtedly New Lucky Claypot Rice, which has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention. And although you may have to wait for up to an hour for your food, we promise you it’s worth it. The rice is cooked atop a traditional charcoal stove – which yields a crackly, browned bottom crust – and combined with tender chunks of chicken, slivers of Chinese sausage and salted fish for a wholly satisfying meal. Be sure to add some piquant chilli sauce to each bite. Prices start at $15 for a two-person portion.

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Fried chicken? Yes please. Aini Muslim Food’s claim to fame is their flavourful nasi ayam penyet, which retails for $4.50. A plate includes a mound of fragrant white rice, pieces of tempeh and tau kwa, cucumber slices, a generous spoonful of fiery, tangy sambal and the standout fried chicken that’s showered in an ample smattering of crispy batter. The meat is tender on the inside and oh-so-crunchy on the outside. The establishment also serves a range of other dishes, such as seafood mee goreng, nasi goreng and gado gado.

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When it’s cold and rainy outside, nothing feels better than digging into a steaming-hot helping of soupy noodles. That’s exactly what you’ll find at this Michelin-recommended outfit. Each portion of kway chap comes with large sheets of rice noodles swimming in a savoury, herbal broth. The slippery noodles glide down your throat with ease, and pair well with sides such as pork belly, preserved vegetables and tau pok. They also do a perfectly respectable braised duck rice. Prices are upwards of $3.50.

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Kolo mee has its roots in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The simple dish consists of springy egg noodles topped with minced meat, slivers of char siew, fresh spring onions, fried shallots and pork lard. To sample some for yourself, order a bowl at Lao Chen Ji – a favourite among the area’s residents. The noodles are cooked perfectly al dente, and each strand comes fully coated in a fragrant, umami-laden sauce. The char siew is pretty tender, and you can also add extra ingredients, such as dumplings. Prices start at $3.50.

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Unlike many other rojak outlets, Rojak Line’s rendition uses a sauce that contains zero shrimp paste – thus making it suitable for vegetarians, vegans and those who adhere to a Halal diet. Their standard assortment retails for upwards of $5.50 and consists of a mix of warm dough fritters, tau pok, honey pineapple, red apple, refreshing guava, crunchy turnip and Japanese cucumber. Everything is then doused in their signature rojak sauce and crowned with crushed peanuts, making for a savoury, sweet, sour and spicy delight. 

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Feast on crowd-favourite, old-school carrot cake at this popular stall, which sometimes sells out before lunchtime rolls around. It puts out white and black options, and we recommend ordering both to get the full experience. The white variation contains plenty of egg, salted vegetables and garlic and has a nice char from the wok. Meanwhile, the black version has a wonderful sweet-salty balance of flavours, thanks to the use of dark sauce. Both renditions have a light, bouncy texture and come with spring onions. Expect to pay around $3.

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With no signs of unfettered leisure travel to Hong Kong resuming anytime soon, you can make your way to Da Chang Jin Handmade Chee Cheong Fun for your fix of the Fragrant Harbour breakfast staple. Besides classic fillings like char siew, shrimp and mushrooms, you can sample their intriguing smoked salmon variation – which, full disclosure, may not be to your liking if you’re a purist. The silky rice rolls are dressed with a light soy sauce and sprinkling of preserved vegetables, and prices start at roughly $2.50.

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You’ll run into some of the food centre’s longest queues at this outfit, which sells humble fish ball noodles. This is their original outlet, and they’ve since opened a clutch of new stalls around Singapore, including one at Old Airport Road Food Centre. The fish balls are handmade from scratch with 100% pure fish meat – they taste incredibly fresh and have a bouncy, juicy bite. For $3 and up, you can get a bowl of noodles of your choice, complete with their signature fish balls, fish cake, pork lard cubes and spring onions.

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If you’re craving a comforting bowl of yong tau foo, make a beeline for this joint. Rather than allow you to choose your ingredients, the vendor offers a fixed selection of vegetable and fish- or meat-based items – making it ideal for the indecisive diners among us. You get the likes of stuffed bitter gourd, fried wanton, tau pok, leafy Chinese greens and fish balls accompanied by chewy noodles and a light, clear broth. Be sure to grab some of their chilli sauce and tangy dipping sauce for an added kick. Prices start at roughly $3.

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Shima’s Kitchen doles out hearty helpings of nasi padang and attracts snaking lines throughout the day. And while it can be hard to nail each dish at a mixed-rice stall that doesn’t just specialise in one or two things, everything we tried here hit the mark. Create your ideal meal from a large line-up of options like curry chicken, petai beans, omelette, mutton rendang and bitter gourd. Do also top your plate with the rich curry sauce, or a dollop of sambal. You can expect to pay around $5, depending on your choices.

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