Although it may not be as trafficked as Tekka Centre or Whampoa Food Centre, both of which are located relatively nearby, Pek Kio Food Centre is a lesser-known culinary gem in the Farrer Park neighbourhood where you can grab a delicious, wallet-friendly meal.
In fact, this hawker centre on 41A Cambridge Road, which has been operating for almost four decades, boasts multiple stalls that have earned recognition by the Michelin Guide. You’ll find servings of Hong Kong-style chee cheong fun blanketed in a delicate sauce; warming bowls of fish soup; and fragrant Hokkien mee with a luscious gravy. Here are some of our favourites for you to patronise on your next trip.
Many stalls selling fried carrot cake don’t make everything from scratch these days, and instead choose to obtain their radish cakes from third-party suppliers. That’s not the case at Heng Leong Carrot Cake, where they painstakingly craft their radish cakes on-site. Both white and black versions are available, and the radish cakes are chopped into chunky cubes, which yields a soft texture. A meal here will set you back upwards of $2.
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With a Michelin Plate award and over seven decades of experience under its belt, you can expect a moreish bowl of prawn noodles from this popular outfit. Prices begin at $5, and you can choose either a dry or soup option. The broth is rich with plenty of umami notes and an underlying sweetness. Servings come with juicy prawns, cubes of pork lard, beansprouts, kang kong, crispy fried shallots and your pick of noodles.
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A trip to the Fragrant Harbour may still be off the table for many people, so the next best thing would be to satisfy your Hong Kong-style chee cheong fun cravings here. Currently in its third generation of ownership, the stall does plain, char siew, prawn and scallop versions of the dish. The rice rolls are oh-so-silky with a springy bite, there’s a generous amount of filling and each serving is finished with a light sauce, plus sesame seeds and chilli sauce. Expect to pay upwards of $3.
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Min jiang kueh – with its mochi-like interior and crispy exterior – is a crowd-favourite dessert, and this stall does a great rendition that’ll make for a wonderful end to your meal. Fillings here include peanut and coconut. The pancake is soft and spongy with a good bite, and there’s an ample amount of ingredients stuffed into each slab. Each portion retails for under $1, so go ahead and grab a few extra slices to take home with you. Pineapple tarts and other sweet items are also available.
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If you want to tuck into fried rice, then this is the stall for you. Tong Siew Fried Rice turns out simple, old-school servings that are chock-full of ingredients such as chicken, egg and fishcake and topped with a smattering of ikan billis and slices of green chilli. Another dish that’s quite popular is the fried hor fun. It features thick sheets of rice noodles and similar ingredients to their fried rice, and is blanketed in a starchy and slurp-worthy sauce. You’ll fork out $3 and above.
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Whether you’re here on a rainy day or are feeling under the weather, you can warm up your belly with a comforting serving of Teochew fish porridge or seafood soup ($5 and up) from Ng Seng Heng. We’re partial to the well-portioned seafood soup, which comes with fish balls, fishcake slices, juicy prawns, slabs of fish, bitter gourd and lettuce in a clean-tasting and flavourful broth. Accompany it with some rice for a satisfying meal.
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In the mood for a sinful plate of Hokkien mee? Then make a beeline for Sheng Seng Fried Prawn Noodle, another Michelin Plate-endorsed vendor that attracts long queues at peak times. For upwards of $3.50, you’ll receive a helping of thick yellow and white noodles with prawns, fishcake slices and sotong swimming in gravy. It’s sure to please those that prefer a wetter version of the dish. Do add a squeeze of lime and chilli sauce before digging in.
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For Teochew-style kway chap, hoof it over to Double Spring Teochew Lor Duck Kway Chap. Each helping comes with large sheets of rice noodles accompanied by a rich, herbal broth that has a subtle sweetness. The slippery noodles are a delight, and you may order a range of sides to round out your meal – these include duck meat, braised egg, tau pok and intestines, all drenched in a savoury gravy. Tangy chilli sauce is a must, and you can expect to pay upwards of $3.50 for a hearty serving.
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Min Hiang specialises in traditional tau huay and grass jelly – which you can get in a drink form, or as a dessert. You can also choose to have yours unsweetened, or request for less syrup if you wish. The soya bean milk is luscious and creamy, without any gritty traces, and the grass jelly beverage makes for a cooling sip on a sweltering day. The tau huay, which has a soft and jiggly texture, is also recommended. Anticipate paying around $1 and up.
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Visit this vendor for tasty wanton mee (upwards of $3.50). Your order will come with springy, well-cooked egg noodles, which don’t have that unpleasant alkaline taste. You’ll also get a generous portion of char siew, leafy Chinese greens and wantons. The latter, which are stuffed with minced pork, are small but pack a punch. We like ours with sliced green chilli and an extra serving of their signature sambal.
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