What to eat in this quiet part of Singapore, from hawker grub to solid brunch plates at hipster cafes
Hougang, which has long been overshadowed by its hipper, more upscale neighbour Serangoon, seems to be holding its own of late, what with a new crop of modish spots opening up in the area in the last few years. While it’s still far from becoming the next It suburb like Tiong Bahru, we can’t deny that this part of Singapore is a hot spot for enthusiastic foodies seeking out indulgences beyond the white-tablecloth variety. You’ll want to make return visits to cover everything on this list!
The Bread Table
What was previously an old dental clinic has been transformed into this artisanal bakery – a sure sign that the neighbourhood is growing up. Opened by self-proclaimed bread lover and former engineer Joseph Lee, this heartland gem boasts a strong team of Le Cordon Bleu Australia-trained bread masters, who use traditional bread-making techniques and natural fermentation for their freshly baked creations. The must-try has to be the sourdough (the bakery’s specialty), with its thin caramelized crust and soft, chewy interior.
The Bread Table, 1010 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534748, p. 6282 3546. Open Tue-Fri 11am-10pm; Sat-Sun 8:30am-10pm.
Hainanese Village Centre
There’s much to dig into at this hawker centre, and not particularly of the Hainanese variety. Da Zhong Café is famous for its strong, aromatic kopi, while foodies can often be seen waiting in line (the queue is constant, mind) for a steaming bowl of braised noodles from the well-loved Lorong Ah Soo Lor Mee. Other worthy mentions include the addictive Punggol Noodle, as well as the crispy yet moist carrot cake from Hup Huat Carrot Cake.
Hainanese Village Centre, 105 Hougang Avenue 1, Singapore 530105.
Hatter Street
Hatter Street Bakehouse & Café
A step into this whimsical loft is a little bit like falling through the rabbit hole: the quirkily decorated desserts, crafted by chef Yvette Chua (formerly at Bo Innovation, a three-Michelin star restaurant in Hong Kong), mirror the treats in Wonderland. Cakes are aplenty, but the star of the tea party is the Whoaffles with pandan ice-cream and gula melaka sauce. Go with a group of friends, so that you can order a variety to share. Trust us, it’ll be tough deciding on one or two.
Hatter Street Bakehouse & Café, #01-333, 212 Hougang Street 21, Singapore 530212, p. 6988 4591. Open Tue-Sun 1pm-10pm.
Ice Edge Cafe
The ice cream concoctions at this unassuming establishment, a stone’s throw away from Lola’s Café, merits a trek out to Hougang even if you don’t stay nearby. Especially so for those who love durian – their Mao Shan Wang gelato is ridiculously good. The food here’s simple and rather satisfying, comprising mostly of familiar Western and Italian classics like pasta, risotto, pizza and barbecue pork ribs.
Ice Edge Cafe, 2 Kovan Road Simon Plaza #01-10, p. 6858 5729. Open daily 12pm-12am.
Knuckles
The pork knuckle is obviously the star of this convivial eatery, but that’s about as German as it gets at this hipster-type, industrial-looking bistro. The menu’s concise and pretty run-of-the-mill (truffle fries, crispy wings, aglio olio pasta, grilled chicken chop), but people flock to Knuckles for its cheap but decent grub and beer – places with $3 starters, $8 mains, and $5 beers are far and few between these days. We’re not complaining!
Knuckles, #01-33, Blk 212 Hougang Street 21, Singapore 530212.
Kombi Rocks
Vintage automobiles, retro curios, and three-generations old Thai-Chinese recipes (Kombi Rocks was formerly Koon Kee Restaurant) make for a neighbourhood jewel. It’s many things at once: a diner, a museum, a quirky vintage shop, and a vehicle rental company with a fleet of restored Kombi and bugs available for bookings at events and weddings. Pop by with friends and order the Kombi-Nation Platter, consisting of the best of the restaurant’s home-style dishes, to go with the bucket deals.
Kombi Rocks, 66 Yio Chu Kang Road, Singapore 545568, p. 9008 6918. Open Mon and Sun 12pm-11pm; Tue-Sat 12pm-12am.
Lola’s Cafe
Lola’s Café
Along a quiet row of nondescript shophouses near Kovan MRT sits this cosy eatery that’s big on brunch and beer (music to our ears). For a neighbourhood spot, their selection of craft beers, categorised into light, hoppy, roasted and sweet, is pretty amazing – cult labels like Brewdog and Magic Hat are on the menu. Go for the Full Monty Breakfast, which includes scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, ham, and a huge sausage, if you’re there for brunch.
Lola’s Café, 5 Simon Road, Singapore 545893, p. 6343 1808. Open Tue- Thu 10am-1130pm, Fri-Sat 10am-12am, Sun 10am-1130pm.
Nakhon Kitchen
Be ready to stand in line for the authentic Thai plates served at this no-reservations, no-frills restaurant. Hungry folks, pour over the menu and decide on your order while waiting, so you’ll get your food within minutes of getting a table. All the usual zesty suspects are available here – tom yam soup, phad thai, mango salad, and stir-fried kang kong belachan – and they don’t stray far from traditional Bangkok’s street food.
Nakhon Kitchen, #01-341, 212 Hougang Street 21, Singapore 530212, p. 6286 8785.
P.Osh
There’s not much else except brownies, cookies and cheesecakes at P.Osh, but that means all the focus is on making them perfect. They are, in fact, absolutely delightful: the brownies, topped with a variety of flavours, are rich and chewy, cookies have just the right crunch, and their cheesecakes rival other specialty bakers. Another sign P.Osh is good at what they do: the dessert spot has two other branches – one in Orchard, the other in the CBD.
P.Osh, #01-02 The Old House, 1011 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534749, Open Mon-Sat 12pm-10pm.
Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre
Every night (except Thursday when it’s closed), nasi lemak lovers line up for their coconut-rice-and-fried-food fix at this ridiculously popular nasi lemak specialist. Its juicy and super crispy wings, smoky otah, crunchy ikan bilis, fragrant rice, and chilli (help yourself, spice junkies) are consistently stellar and super satisfying. Other familiar sides like their perfectly fried sunny side up, sotong balls and ebi-fry don’t hurt either.
Ponggol Nasi Lemak, 965 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534721, p. 6281 0020.
Soon Soon Teochew Porridge
Hougang is known as a teochew enclave, home to more than a handful of eateries serving teochew porridge, a staple meal among the dialect group. Soon Soon boasts a heady spread of 30 dishes including braised dark, salted vegetables, curry chicken and fish cake to go with your standard bowl of plain, watery porridge, and most are pretty amazing.
Soon Soon Teochew Porridge, 13 Simon Road, Singapore 545897. Open Mon, Wed-Sun 7am-10pm.
Sunday Market
Sunday Market
Brunch gets an Asian spin at this quirky-retro diner, which serves solid plates like beef rendang toast, and the best-selling Bangkok toast (cinnamon thick sweet brioche toast with matcha green tea custard, served with Thai milk tea ice cream) on weekends. On regular days, they serve a variety of Western classics, again infused with Asian flavours, like the spicy tom yam prawn pasta, and the savoury pancakes with roasted duck, mixed cress and a drizzle of garlic hoisin. If you’re just hankering for ice cream, we say try the Sea Salt with Almond and kyoho grape gelato for their unusualness.
Sunday Market, 22 Lim Tua Tow Road, Singapore 547772, p. 6287 8880. Open Mon-Tue 12pm-10pm; Thu 12pm-10pm; Fri 12pm-11pm, Sat 9:30am-11pm & Sun 9.30am-9.00pm
Yong’s Teochew Kueh
This long-standing establishment makes some of the best teochew kuehs (traditional bites with savoury fillings encased in rice-floor skin) in the city. Its soon kueh (or turnip dumplings), our favourite of them all, is packed with crunchy strips of turnip, and bits of shitake mushroom and flavoursome dried shrimp. Douse it with sweet sauce and/or the housemade chilli for an extra kick!
Yong’s Teochew Kueh, 1022 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534760, p. 6287 4328. Open daily 7am-5pm.
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