North Bridge Road Food Centre is a hidden gem among Singapore’s hawker scene.
Despite its proximity to more famous culinary landmarks, this food centre remains surprisingly under-rated, without the overwhelming crowds.
Established decades ago, the food centre has become a cherished locale for residents and the few tourists lucky enough to hear about it through word-of-mouth.
Here, old-school vendors who have honed their craft over generations serve up a variety of dishes from mornings till wee hours at night.
It can be quiet, but still a possible place to visit for anyone looking to experience the authentic heart and soul of Singaporean cuisine, far from the polished tourist trails.
Soon Huat Prawn Noodles
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-105
Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm (Sun – Mon), 9am – 5pm (Tues – Sat) (Closed temporary)
Spotting the signboard “Soon Huat” from afar, it is a mystery of what they sell – until you are close enough to see the noodles, prawns, and a simmering pot of stock.
This is easily the stall with the longest queue in the morning in this food centre.
The signature prawn noodles are offered at an economical price. Perhaps that is why the stall always attracts a long queue (of 45 minutes or more) of regulars.
Two versions of prawn noodles exist, dry and soup. The dry bowl came decked out with fish cake slices, whole peeled prawns, and pork slices. Fried pork lard and fried garlic add crunch and flavour.
It is also served with a bowl of prawn stock, which is moderately rich. It goes without saying that the pork bones and prawn shells have infused enough essence into the soup.
If you are looking for something more flavourful and intense, this bowl may not be it. There is still a simpler, nostalgic flavour that might appeal more to certain generations.
Read more at: Soon Huat Prawn Noodles (North Bridge Road Food Centre)
Shanyuan Teochew Kway Teow Mian 汕源潮州粿條麵
North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre #01-95
Opening Hours: 24/7
The clangs of pots and ladles at the stall go on all day long, quite literally, because the stall is open 24/7, seven days a week, satisfying your noodle cravings any time you like.
There are essentially a few permutations on the menu – Fishball Noodles ($4.50), Minced Meat Noodles ($5), Fish Dumpling Fishball Mee Tai Mak ($4.50), and Fishball Minced Meat Noodles ($4.50).
The fishballs were relatively bouncy. A decent rendition, nothing quite much out of the ordinary, but I guess it’s a ‘dependant’ bowl if you have cravings.
Get the Mee Tai Mak, also known as “Lou Shu Fun” in Cantonese or “silver needle noodles” in English. The rice noodles are short and white, resembling small rods or needles, hence the name.
You get a combination of the subtle, neutral flavour of the Mee Tai Mak and the robust mix of sauces.
The contrast between the smooth, slippery noodles and the textured, flavourful meat creates quite a multi-dimensional eating experience.
Read more at: Shanyuan Teochew Kway Teow Mian (North Bridge Road Food Centre)
Koka Wanton Mee
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-99
Opening Hours: 10:30pm – 3am (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sat), Closed Wed, Sun
Late into the night, you may see customers around this almost empty food centre anticipating their food to arrive.
Koka Wanton Noodles has been rated one of the best Wanton Mee by a local paper, passed down three generations since the Yip family’s first roadside stall at Jalan Besar.
It has also been listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore with a Michelin Selected.
The portion was small, though the variety of ingredients made the dish more exciting on the palate.
Its distinctive feature was that very thin QQ noodles, cooked al dente, swimming in watery slight-spicy chilli sauce.
There was an appealing old-school, nostalgic taste about it. I can imagine that if you grew up eating this, you would enjoy this very much as this is a taste that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Read more at: Koka Wanton Noodle (North Bridge Road Food Centre)
Ke Shuan Xing Lor Mee and Laksa
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-104
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Sun – Tues, Thurs – Fri), Closed Wed, Sat
One of the appealing aspects of dining at Ke Shuan Xing is the consistency in quality and reasonable pricing for its Lor Mee and Laska.
The Lor Mee is priced from $3.50, which is value for its money.
The highlight is the additional fried fish and chicken chop, which add that crunch and meaty texture.
The braised egg, fried wantons, and ngor hiang complete the noodles, making for a hearty meal.
An Lock Curry Rice
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-109
Opening Hours: 8am – 3pm (Mon – Sun)
Another stall offering wallet-friendly yet satisfying meals. The menu offers a variety of home-style dishes, all served with a generous ladle of savoury curry or braised gravy.
The menu offers a range of options, such as sambal sotong (squid), steamed egg with century eggs, and minced pork patties. Each dish is prepared fresh daily, as though it is prepared by mum.
The char siew (barbecued pork) had this sweet and savoury glaze, with a hint of tang.
Tasting how tender and flavourful the pork is, I understand why it is a favourite among patrons. It was fried to golden and had a light crunch.
Compared to typical Hainanese curry, this one is rather thin, resembling a light chicken curry that complements the rice and dishes without overpowering them.
Hoe Hokkien Mee
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-93
Opening Hours: 8am – 4:30pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
While Hoe Hokkien Mee is seldom mentioned on social media, I was surprised it was actually not bad.
Its Hokkien mee has a wetter consistency.
Their portion is notably generous. The medium-sized serving, priced from $5, was more than sufficient for one person.
While the wok hei might not be as pronounced, the dish compensates with its semi-robust base and portion for its price.
It is further complemented by the optional addition of crispy lard bits and chilli for a delightful contrast in texture and taste.
Tian Yi
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-112
Opening Hours: 9:10am – 3pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Mon Sun
The stall is a gem for those who appreciate traditional Chinese desserts.
The hawkers’ dedication to preserving authentic flavours and textures is reflected in its old-school approach.
My favourite is the Mixed Green Bean and Red Bean Soup. It is said to include 40 ingredients within. Wow.
The dessert is served warm and has a thick, hearty consistency, great for those seeking a nostalgic taste of traditional Asian sweetness.
Other items include Tau Suan, Bubur Terigu (white wheat sweet porridge), Pulut Hitam (black glutinous rice in coconut milk), Six Flavours Soup, Logan Sweet Potato Ginger Soup, Gingko Nuts with Barley, and Bubur Cha Cha.
Lao Huang Hakka Niang Tou Fu
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-108
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 1pm (Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun), Closed Mon, Thu, Fri
The selection process for the Yong Tau Foo is interactive, allowing customers to choose from an array of ingredients like fried taukwa, eggplant, and meatballs.
For those who are not familiar with Hakka style Yong Tau Foo, something interesting is their pieces are stuffed with a mixture of minced meat and fish paste.
On my visit, I tried their signature minced meat noodles alongside a variety of Yong Tau Foo items.
The minced meat noodles stood out with their savoury and fragrant meat minced mix (yums) and springy noodles.
One of the highlights was the clear and flavourful soup, infused with the essence of soybeans and ikan bilis. This broth complemented the Yong Tau Foo, offering a light yet hearty base.
Kun Ji Fried Bee Hoon 坤记
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-107
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 1pm (Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun), Closed Mon, Thu, Fri
Another popular breakfast stall. A standard plate costs around $2.50 to $3, depending on the chosen add-ons, which include savoury delights like ngoh hiang, otah, and the ever-popular fried chicken wings.
While the bee hoon itself might appear simple, it is the execution that stands out.
The vermicelli is cooked just right, neither too dry nor soggy, light and not too oily.
More traditional sides like Beancurd ($0.90), Fish Cake ($0.70), Fish Fillet ($0.70), Eggs ($0.70), Luncheon Meat ($0.70), Ngoh Hiang ($0.60), and Hot Dog ($0.60) are also available.
Don’t miss their deliciously tender fried Chicken Wings.
Hup Heng Fried Kway Teow Chicken Fried Rice
North Bridge Road Food Centre #01-90
Wait, what? Chicken Fried Rice?
I mean, while it is nothing unusual, you seldom see a stall specialising in selling it.
The rice, often cooked with just the right amount of oil, remaining soft and fluffy inside. The other items such as carrots, peas and eggs are straight-forward.
They are complemented by the small pieces of chicken, with that bit of wok-hei.
While I won’t say there is anything special to this, it provides a meatier take than the usual Fried Rice.
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FYI was there yesterday… An Lock curry closed already. Taken over by another cai peng stall.
Thanks for letting me know. I went quite recently, and they were pretty good 🙁