SINGAPORE: Blk 16 Bedok South Hawker Centre, Pasar 16 @ Bedok, brings back many memories for me. It is standing between my primary school and my aunt's place. Some of these stalls are even older than I am. I used to come here very often to have fishball noodles. Unfortunately, that specific fishball stall no longer tastes how I remembered, so I will not mention it here. However, after some research and asking my aunt, who has lived there for the past 40 years, these are the stalls I have tried and are worth mentioning.
Hill Street Fried Kway Teow
Hill Street Fried Kway Teow is the megastar in this hawker centre. There are two Hill Street Fried Kway Teow, and this one located in this hawker centre is the better-known one. Currently, over by the son of the original hawker. There were concerns about whether he could be as good as his dad. Judging by the queue and the wait of up to 45 mins, the concerns are unfounded. Hill Street Fried Kway Teow is in my Top 5 char kway teow in Singapore.
Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle
If the fried kway teow is the star of this hawker centre, then Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle is the supporting actor. There are many opinions about the hawker who won the Michelin Star for the same dish and many wonders if there is another better Soy Sauce Chicken. Look no more and here is one great example of a hawker serving this awesome dish!
For half a chicken, it is only going to set you back by S$7.5 and a bowl of rice for S$0.30. This is not just delicious, it is also very affordable. The chicken is filled with a strong soy flavour which many will appreciate, yet it is not just savoury and salty but it also has a hint of sweetness. The skin of the chicken is soft and silky and you can hardly spot any fats beneath it. At Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, they have won over our hearts with their excellent Soy Sauce Chicken.
Koon Kee Duck Rice
I don't know how long Koon Kee Duck Rice has been around, but it is one of those stalls that my mom will say she used to eat there a lot. If you look around Bedok South Market & Food Centre, you will always spot a few queues, and one of them will lead to Koon Kee. The two most popular meat are their braised duck and char siew. When you taste the duck, you can pick up a distinct herbal aroma. As for the char siew, there is a nice char on the soft meat, yet not fatty. However, the star is the chilli. It reminds me of a large braised duck chain dotted around Singapore, but at a much affordable price. We had a plate of Braised Duck Rice and a plate of Char Siew Roast Pork Rice, all for S$7.5.
Koon Ji Kway Chap Duck Rice
Koon Ji Kway Chap has been around for a long time. This might not be a Kway Chap you will travel just to have it, but the local residents swear by it. One of them walked up to me to tell me how good this is when she saw me taking photos. Koon Ji Kway Chap serves only breakfast and lunch, a set of for two is only at S$9.4. The braised tofu is heavenly. If you don't want to have the Hill Street Char Kway Teow, this is a great option!
Bedok South Niu Ji Prawn Noodle
This is an old famous Prawn Noodle stall which during its heyday is known for selling very cheap prawn mee, at S$2 to be exact. In front of the stall, you can see all the newspaper coverages and TV appearances it had previously done. Started in 1973, they have been selling this single dish for more than 40 years. Currently, a bowl of dry prawn noodles is only S$3.5. It is quite a large serving for the price I paid. It has some slices of pork and five small prawns. There is pork lard, but I don't think this is made in-house. This prawn mee stall is still popular with the surrounding residents.
Wong Porridge
Wong Porridge is as old as me! It has been around since 1975. Judging from the queue, it is one of the neighbourhood favourites. You can get a bowl of pork porridge for S$3.5. I added an egg and an extra century egg, which pumped up the price to S$5. It is a decent bowl of porridge, with the shallot oil making it even better. This is great for a morning or a cold day. Avoid this during a hot day.
The Pancake Garden
If you are looking for some dessert or a very light breakfast, this is it. A slice of the pancake will be healthier than a youtiao. Each piece of the pancake is from S$1 onwards depends on the filling. The most popular will have to be the one with peanut filling.
Address: 16 Bedok South Road, Singapore 460016