Have yourself a refreshing lunch with some rojak from Lau Hong Ser Rojak. It’s one of the oldest establishments here and has been up and running for almost five decades. The fried dough fritters are seared over a charcoal grill, which adds a touch of smokiness to the dish, and the chilli sauce and shrimp paste that coat the different ingredients – think pineapple chunks, cucumber slices, crunchy turnip cubes and fresh beansprouts – are made from scratch. It’s finished with a dusting of ground peanuts, and prices start at about $3.

#02-14

For a hearty meal of braised duck rice, you can’t go wrong with patronising this stall, which is one of the more famous outfits at the food centre with long queues to boot. For around $4, you’ll receive a plate of well-flavoured rice with tender duck slivers, a braised egg and cucumber wedges, all topped with gravy. It’s served with a side of herbal soup, and you can choose to go for kway chap instead of rice if you wish.

#01-10

The fast-disappearing dish of tau kwa pau – chunky tau kwa cubes stuffed with delicious ingredients – is not something you’ll find at the average hawker centre. If you’re here, you have to pay a visit to this vendor, which has been in existence for over 60 years and is now in its second generation of ownership. Their tau kwa pau ($2) is crammed with tasty fried fishcake, cucumber, braised egg and fried yam and is drenched in a plentiful amount of yummy braising sauce.

#01-05

You can tuck into a serving of wanton noodles at Dunman Road Char Siew Wan Ton Mee, one of the multiple places here that sell the dish. Fork out approximately $4 and you’ll be treated to a plate of springy egg noodles, thin slivers of char siew and some leafy greens, alongside small but juicy wantons swimming in a bowl of clear soup. We like ours with a scoop of chilli sauce and some pickled green chilli slices on the side.

#02-19

If you’re in the mood for a little snack, Gina’s Vadai has you covered. The stall sells these appetising fritters for under $2 a piece, and offers a plethora of options: from a vegetarian rendition made with carrots and cabbage to the likes of ikan bilis, prawn, cheese and even tofu. The deep-fried morsels are served with whole fresh green chillies for some heat and have a cushiony interior and crispy exterior when enjoyed immediately.

#01-06

Lovers of prawn noodles can hoof it over to Heng Heng Prawn Mee Soup, which makes old-school servings of the crowd-favourite dish. They have both dry and soup versions, and you can get the classic prawn noodles or request for the addition of pork ribs or pig’s tail. The thick yellow noodles are chewy with a firm bite, and the rich and fragrant broth is complemented with fried shallots and pork lard cubes. Expect to pay roughly $4.

#02-12

Retailing for below $2, the popiah from this vendor makes for an affordable snack that won’t break the bank or a sumptuous addition to your hawker feast. Fun fact: they used to operate as a food cart outside the old Palace Theatre at East Coast Road back in the day. Delicate popiah skin is coated in sweet dark sauce and chilli sauce and encases a host of ingredients – including stewed turnip, Chinese sausage, egg and lettuce – for a flavour-packed bite.

#02-17

Dunman Food Centre is home to a clutch of solid zi char joints, with Fu Xing Mei Shi drawing especially long queues, particularly when dinnertime rolls around. Sample the steamed fish head, which is covered in a special sauce and pairs well with a warm bowl of rice. Other menu items include pork ribs, sambal sotong, sambal kang kong, claypot brinjal and fried rice, and you can anticipate forking out about $10 per person depending on what you order.

#02-30

My Pancake’s owner certainly didn’t take the traditional hawker route. In fact, she used to work in the fashion industry and entered the hawker business as somewhat of a retirement venture (her husband, a full-time pilot, pitches in from time to time). My Pancake sells min jiang kueh in an array of traditional flavours: think coconut, peanut and red bean priced at upwards of $1 per piece. Be sure to grab a few extra slabs to take home with you.

#02-18

Early birds can fill up with breakfast at Rong Ji Chicken Rice & Porridge, which was founded back in the 1970s and is helmed by an elderly couple. The velvety porridge is offered in options such as fish, chicken and pork, and is topped with a smattering of sliced fried dough fritters, egg, some aromatic sesame oil and a few shakes of white pepper. You can complement this with succulent poached chicken, and prices start at around $3.

#02-13

Read Next

Satisfy Your Supper Cravings At The Best Frog Porridges In Singapore

Where To Find The Best Kway Chap in Singapore

Messy, Ugly, Delicious: The Best Satay Bee Hoon In Singapore