Explore Singapore’s hawker food scene with our monthly guide to some of Singapore’s favourite hawker centres and food courts
What can’t you find in Serangoon Gardens? You’ve got hipster craft beer stores, quaint café concepts, retro pubs, mookata and the 24-hour R.K. Eating House for your roti prata supper fix. But there’s one place in this foodie enclave in particular that draws people from all over the island – we’re talking about the hawker centre affectionately known as Chomp Chomp.
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In this month’s edition of Hawker Hunt, we took a trip down to this hawker haven and put together a list of our favourite stalls. Hope you’re hungry!
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Hokkien Mee – Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee
This longstanding hawker gem is probably Chomp Chomp’s most famous stall, and for good reason. After a short-lived retirement, the legendary Ah Hock returned, spatula in hand, wok at the ready. Unfortunately, as a result of his fame, you’ll have to wait 30 to 45 minutes for a plate of his hokkien mee, even if you get there early at 5pm, like we did. But, it’s well worth the wait – the ample portion of rice and egg noodles comes with a rich, umami-laden gravy with bits of cooked egg. And it’s chock-full of seafood too! You get three perfectly cooked fresh prawns and chunks of chewy squid. Definitely worth the hype!
Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee, stall 26. Open daily 5.30pm-12am.
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BBQ Chicken Wings – Chong Pang Huat
Chicken wings don’t usually come to mind when we think of hawker food, but walk into Chomp Chomp, and you’re bound to see plenty of tables with a plate of chicken wings piled high. Chong Pang Huat has been my go-to for many years (along with a big bottle of Tiger beer), because of its addictively sweet and spicy chilli sauce – squeeze in some lime for an extra kick!. The wings themselves are served fresh from the fire, with skin that’s roasted ’til crispy, and juicy meat that’s bursting with the slightly-sweet marinade. We’re pretty sure you won’t just stop at one.
Chong Pang Huat, stall 26. Open daily 5pm-12am.
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Kuih Pie Tee – I-Chai Speciality
This nostalgic Peranakan dish is becoming increasingly hard to come by in hawker centres, but Chomp Chomp’s I–Chai Speciality does up a great rendition of the dish. For just $5, you’ll get a quintet of kuih pie tee – these crisp shells are mildly sweet and filled with a crunchy mixture of shredded Chinese turnips and carrots, and topped off with a halved prawn. Like most stalls that do kuih pie ti, I-Chai also serves popiah – what we like to call the Singapore burrito.
Kuih Pie Tee, stall 19. Open Sun-Thu 4.30pm-12am, Fri-Sat 4.30pm-1am.
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Or Luak – Ang Sa Lee Fried Oyster
Our oyster round-up is proof of our love of this beautiful bivalve, but we’re also fond of the unforgivingly-greasier, Singapore-style fried oyster omelette, or or luak. Quit the calorie counting and order up a plate of this eggy, starchy dish dotted with plump, briny oysters. What makes this dish stand out is the freshness of the oysters (check!), the firmness of the omelette that isn’t too flaky, and the watery ‘chinchalok’ sauce that’s tangy and spicy.
Ang Sa Lee Fried Oyster, stall 33. Open 4pm-11pm.
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Sambal Stingray & Sambal Kangkong – Fu BBQ Seafood
Fu BBQ Seafood doesn’t get nearly enough credit as its neighbour next door (Hai Wei Yuan Seafood BBQ), which is a shame, because they too have stellar seafood offerings. We ordered up a portion of sambal stingray, and in an attempt to be slightly healthier, a plate of their sambal kang kong as well. The chewy, stringy stingray meat was well-marinated, and covered in lashings of savoury sambal sauce, while the sambal kang kong was fresh, not too soggy with a nice bite, and goes perfectly well with rice.
Fu BBQ Seafood, stall 18. Open daily 5pm-12am.
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Sugarcane Juice
With a feast like this, you’re going to want something cooling and refreshing to wash everything down. In a group? Beat the heat and order the massive three-litre tower for just $15, and you’ll have enough bevvies for a group of six. After all, there’s no better way to end a Singaporean hawker feast than pints of ice-cold sweet, milky, sugarcane juice that’s known to have a cooling effect. With all that chilli you’ll be downing here, you’ll need some heat relief!
Sugarcane Juice, stall 15. Open daily 5pm-12am.
Chomp Chomp Food Centre, 20 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557269.
