Singapore is a foodie’s paradise, with no shortage of choice whether you’re out celebrating with friends, meeting with family members, or simply hanging out with your significant other. And if you’re after an affordable and unpretentious meal, hawker centres and food courts are still the best and most authentic way to enjoy local cuisine.
Here’s some street food gems that are great value for money
First stop - The Singapore Food Trail, one of the newest hawker centres to hit the local food scene. Comprising 12-stalls, five kiosks, three carts, and 800 seats, this 1960s-themed area will provide you with yummy food from renowned hawker stalls all over Singapore – satay bee hoon from Old Airport Road, nasi lemak from Selera’s at Adam Road, Hainanese chicken rice from Ah Huat at Bugis Street and the revered High Street Tai Wah pork noodles.
Level 1, Singapore Flyer, 30 Raffles Avenue.
Nearest MRT station: Promenade
If Singapore is a foodie’s paradise then Orchard Road is the gateway to heaven. The downtown area has quite few food courts for you to choose from, and many of them can be surprisingly reasonably-priced.
The stylish designer setting of Food Opera on basement four of Ion Orchard, for instance, hosts the famous Scotts Beef Noodles (previously located in Scotts Picnic food court at Scotts Road). Other food gems include local tze char experts Fatty Weng Restaurant and Ah Wok Restaurant, the famous Yong Heng Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles and the highly-regarded Hong Kong dim sum house, Luk Yu Teahouse and Restaurant.
Basement 4, Ion Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn.
Nearest MRT station: Orchard
Another favourite Orchard haunt is KOPITIAM at Plaza Singapura, which went through an extensive renovation in 2008 and is now well-known for its Indonesian BBQ rice sets. Long queues are a common sight at the Riverside Indonesian BBQ stall during meal times, but as everyone who’s there will tell you, it’s well worth the wait.
If you’re in the mood for something lighter, check out the Jia Xiang Yong Tau Foo stall. Its wide choice of fresh and fried Yong Tau Foo varieties in a vast array of colours and textures will surely delight your eyes and your taste buds. If you’re hankering after something sizzling hot, try Pepper Lunch Express. Most items on the menu are served on hotplates and only require you to “stir fry” your chosen ingredients and condiments right on your plate.
Tip : Choose to have less sauce in your dishes. The food will still be just as tasty and your pleasures will be less calorie- laden!
68 Orchard Road, #06-15/17 Plaza Singapura
Nearest MRT station: Dhoby Ghaut
Catching a movie at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard? Why not head down to the basement-level Koufu Foodcourt @ Cineleisure Orchard for a quick meal before or after the movie?
Pizza Pazza and its bright signboards are hard to miss if you're taking the escalator down from the first level. This stall offers a range of pasta dishes and other Western fare at pretty affordable prices. Another crowd favourite is Thai food at Sawadee Cuisine.
8 Grange Road, #B1-01 Cathay Cineleisure Orchard
Nearest MRT station: Somerset
If your shopping activities take you to Raffles City Shopping Centre, then the Food Place @ Raffles City will give you a simple but memorable dining experience. Most of the seating resembles a school tuck shop or canteen – long rows of communal wooden tables that have a retro kind of charm.
We recommend the Olive Vine Pasta Fusion. Standing in line waiting for your food offers a multi-sensory experience with the chef whipping up your pasta or steak right before you. Other recommendations include punggol mee goreng and fried carrot cake from Local Taste as well as delectable Hong Kong style congee and dim sum at very affordable prices.
Do also check out one of Singapore’s very first salad bars in a food court, where you can choose from some of the freshest and healthiest greens. Another must try is the fruit rojak, a variation of rojak comprising slices of red and green apples, pineapple, Chinese pear and pink jambu (rose apple) tossed in a deliciously thick, black sauce and sprinkled with crushed groundnuts.
252 North Bridge Road, #03-15/17, Raffles City Shopping Centre
Nearest MRT station: City Hall
All of these delicious suggestions are at a good price and won’t leave your finances dry, a good enough reason to stop and rest after a busy day of shopping on Orchard Road.
Fancy some delicious hawker fare that’s easy on the wallet as well as the waistline? Head down to Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre at Blk 347 Jurong East Avenue 1. It’s the first hawker centre to provide healthier food options at no extra cost. Over 90% of the hawkers offer a wide range of healthier ingredients such as brown rice and whole-grain noodles in the form; of familiar favourites like fish ball noodles, chicken rice, fish soup, etc.
Spotting these healthier hawker stalls is easy, just look out for the HCS symbol on their food hygiene decals. Menu boards at the food stalls highlight the lower-calorie dishes identified by the HCS, as well as the calorie count of the dishes. Drinks and beverages which have been certified with the HCS are also priced lower than the rest. It’s all about making informed food choices when eating out.
Look out for our spotlight on Yuhua Hawker Centre in an upcoming article.
Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre, Blk 347 Jurong East Avenue 1
Nearest MRT station: Lakeside
