This famed stall used to be known for serving the rare dish of shark meat. And while you won’t currently find that on the menu, it’s one of the few remaining places in Singapore where you can sample traditional Teochew pig trotter jelly – which is certainly worth a try. It’s meaty, bouncy and gelatinous, comes topped with ample fresh Chinese herbs and is served cold. We suggest dipping the pieces in the sour-spicy chilli sauce before digging in. They also sell kway chap and assorted braised items. Prices begin at $5.

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The long-standing Lim’s Fried Oyster has been keeping hungry patrons well-fed with scrumptious, sinful helpings of the crowd-favourite dish for decades. Orders are fried on the spot, and are packed with big, briny and super-fresh oysters that work to balance out the other oilier flavours. They also manage to achieve an ideal starch-to-egg ratio, so you get a lovely crispy-chewy mouthfeel with each bite. Be sure to grab some chilli sauce for that all-important zing. Prices start from $5.

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If you’re here with a group of friends, why not have a meal at Sedap Thai? The stall claims to be the very first vendor in the city-state selling Halal-certified mookata, which allows it to cater to a wider array of customers. You can order from the a la carte menu, or opt for one of their value-for-money sets that include various ingredients: think garlic chicken, quail eggs, minced beef, prawns and assorted vegetables. Do request for the full range of spicy dipping sauces, too. You can expect to pay upwards of $10 per person.

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Nothing quite hits the spot like some soothing fish soup on a rainy afternoon. The popular Mei Xiang Black & White Fish Soup offers comforting bowls of the homey dish, and draws long queues during peak periods. Each portion (upwards of $6) boasts a rich, cloudy and flavourful broth with subtle notes of sweetness, as well as firm pieces of fish and a few leafy vegetables. Those who can’t make up their mind can order a mix of sliced and fried fish to try both varieties. Pair it with rice for a satisfying meal.

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Turtle soup, anyone? Those with adventurous palates can sample the rare, fast-disappearing delicacy at Fu He Delights, which is known as being the go-to spot in Singapore to get your hands on the dish. A small bowl costs $10 and features turtle meat, gelatine and innards submerged in a robust and comforting herbal broth. For those who can’t quite stomach the thought of consuming terrapins, there’s still lots to feast on here, including a myriad of other Chinese soups and claypot rice.

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Start your morning on the right note by digging into a classic Singaporean breakfast at Coffee Hut. We’re partial to the Set A: two slices of crispy toast with a thick slab of butter and lashings of homemade, pandan-scented kaya; a pair of jiggly half-boiled eggs; and your choice of either coffee or tea. The coffee has a strong kick, and is sure to perk you up for the day ahead. Other solid offerings on the menu include the peanut butter baguette and kaya French toast. A meal here will set you back around $4.

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For a scrumptious cheat-day meal, look no further than Hock Kee Fried Kway Teow. This joint has been honing its recipe for decades – and it shows. Fork out upwards of $3 and you’ll get a serving that’s redolent of smoky wok hei and isn’t too oily. The noodles are mixed together with the requisite cockles, fishcake, Chinese sausage and egg for a rather outstanding plate that’s further elevated with some chilli sauce. This is sure to delight fans of a drier and more savoury version of fried kway teow.

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Oyster cakes – which hail from the Fujian province in China – are a rare find these days, and this establishment is one of the best places to get some for yourself. The ginormous, pillowy, saucer-shaped delights (around $2 each) are stuffed to the gills with minced pork, oysters, prawns and chopped veggies, topped with crunchy peanuts and ikan bilis and fried until golden brown. It’s best eaten fresh, and makes for a wonderful appetiser or afternoon snack, especially when accompanied with some chilli sauce.

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Tree Coconut Nasi Lemak – which opened at the food centre in 2019 – is run by a duo of young hawkerpreneurs churning out their version of the humble meal. Each plate features a serving of fluffy and fragrant coconut rice made with premium Thai Hom Mali grains, and classic ingredients such as chicken, otak, a fried egg, ikan bilis and peanuts. The standout chicken – which is marinated in a special five-spice powder – isn’t overly oily, and has a moist interior and crackly skin. Expect to pay around $3.

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Warm yourself up on a dreary day by ordering a piping-hot bowl of chicken curry soup. Here, it comes with your choice of white or yellow noodles, and the medium-bodied broth is aromatic, creamy and slightly spicy. Besides the tender chicken pieces, you’ll also get tau pok, fishcake slices and a large piece of potato. Those who want to up the spice factor can add a dollop of addictive, shrimp-laced chilli sauce for good measure. A meal here will set you back upwards of $4.

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