10 Best Hawker Stalls To Try At Newton Food Centre
Everything worth sampling at this well-known food centre
Newton Food Centre is sometimes derided as a tourist trap – and making a cameo in the 2018 Hollywood blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians certainly didn’t help its case. But despite this reputation, it boasts some seriously delicious food. It’s also popular among locals, if the continued crowds during the pandemic – when tourists have been largely shut out of Singapore – are anything to go by.
Whether you’re in the mood for warming fish porridge, juicy chicken wings or authentic Thai dishes, you’re sure to find something befitting of your dime. Many of the stalls open in the afternoon or evening, so we suggest dropping by for dinner.
Newton Food Centre | 500 Clemenceau Avenue North
What’s a trip to Newton Food Centre without tucking into some seafood and BBQ dishes? You can get your requisite sambal stingray, cereal prawns, chilli crab and so much more at the Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated Alliance Seafood. The chilli crab ($40) is coated in a thick and velvety spicy-sweet gravy, and is best accompanied with fried mantou. Meanwhile, the crowd-favourite sambal stingray ($12) is slathered in a fiery paste, and is served with lime and a refreshing sauce of pickled onions, chilli and garlic.
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Beat the cold on a rainy day with a bowl of Teochew-style sliced fish soup. This stall has been operating for over six decades, and is a go-to spot for those looking to dine on the comforting dish. The clear, clean-tasting broth is light with a sweet undertone. It’s packed with thick, firm slices of fish, leafy veggies and spring onions, and is sure to warm you up from the inside out. Besides this, they also offer a delicious fish porridge, as well as fried fish soup. Prices start at $6.
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One of the food centre’s most famous vendors is Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette, which whips up an oyster omelette that’s well worth the calories. The dish leans a little more towards the crispy end of the texture spectrum, with a few pockets of gooey starch here and there for good measure. It’s topped with plenty of plump, glistening and briny oysters, plus a smattering of spring onions and coriander to finish. Pair it with lots of zingy chilli sauce for a thoroughly satisfying bite. Expect to pay around $5.
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Instagram-worthy servings of nasi lemak are what you’ll find at this spot. It’s one of the newest residents, having just opened in 2021, and is lauded for its aromatic, twice-steamed rice. The latter takes over four hours to prepare, and includes 11 ingredients such as lemongrass, pandan leaves, coconut milk and fenugreek. Their signature OG Lemak Set ($7.90), which comes with crispy chicken, a fried egg, cucumber, ikan bilis and two types of sambal, is sure to knock your socks off with its bold flavours.
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Those in the mood for popiah should visit this joint. Bee Heng Popiah has been operating at the food centre since 1977, but was originally founded all the way back in 1930 – which means that it’s been perfecting its Hokkien-style recipe for over 90 years. And although the goods are a tad pricey ($2.20 per roll, with a minimum order of two), we think it’s worth ponying up the extra cash. The turnip filling is juicy and balanced, and is paired with beansprouts, egg, prawn and crispy fish bits for a wonderful umami bomb.
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Whether you prefer drunken noodles, fiery tom yum soup or pineapple fried rice, you can satisfy your Thai-food cravings at Bangkok Express. We love the pad Thai in particular. It features chewy noodles and a decent amount of seafood, and isn’t overly sweet. You can also get some refreshing green mango salad to balance out the flavours. Other top-ranked menu items include basil chicken with rice, green curry and tom yum fried rice, and they don’t use any pork or lard. Expect to pay around $5 per dish.
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Get your fill of carrot cake at this much-loved stall, which still goes through the labour-intensive process of steaming the carrot cake from scratch before frying it to perfection. They offer both white and black types. The white version has plenty of lovely eggy pockets and crispy charred bits, while the black option is slathered in a dark, rich sweet-salty sauce. Both are pleasingly moist on the inside with a nice springy texture, and are ideally complemented with chilli sauce. Prices begin at $4.
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There are tons of great satay vendors plying their trade here, but we’re partial to TKR Satay. It offers well-marinated, caramelised chunks of meat, with chicken, pork, beef and mutton skewers to choose from. The satay is served with wedges of cucumber and red onion slices, plus a thick peanut sauce with a subtle spicy hit. Each stick costs $0.70, and you can mix and match different types of meat. Seafood lovers should note that they also dole out prawn satay for $2 a stick.
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Kwee Heng sells a variety of solid dishes – including kway chap and roasted chicken – but regulars flock here for their stellar braised duck noodles, which are usually the first thing to sell out. We recommend coming early to secure the bag, and ordering the dry version. You’ll get a plate brimming with chewy noodles swimming in an aromatic sauce, tender pieces of duck and some beansprouts. It comes with an accompanying bowl of concentrated herbal soup, and will set you back upwards of $4.
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Craving some crispy chicken? Then make a beeline for the Michelin-approved R&B Express, one of the many stalls selling BBQ chicken wings. These charcoal-grilled babies are succulent and juicy, and are best paired with a generous squeeze of lime and a dunk into the tangy chilli sauce. Chicken wings go for $1.40 a pop with a minimum order of 10, making this a good dish to share with the table. It also stays open until 3am and is a popular supper spot.
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