Chinatown Complex Food Centre What to Eat & Best Food

Chinatown Complex Food Centre is among the largest hawker facilities in Singapore, boasting over 260 stalls. Chinatown Complex is well-known amongst Singaporeans and residents from everywhere in the island would make the lengthy journey right here to buy on the moist market within the basement and to buy their meals from the plethora of stalls upstairs. You can virtually discover the complete gamut of Singapore hawker meals right here and extra – from Michelin-starred joints to more and more uncommon conventional snacks. 

Chinatown Complex Food Centre is personally considered one of my most continuously visited hawker facilities, particularly because the pandemic started. I simply love the broad selections of fine meals right here and attending to attempt some uncommon dishes provides an unique issue to 1’s foodie exploration. 

Without additional ado, listed below are the issues you should eat (and drink!) the following time you end up at Chinatown Complex Food Centre. The stalls listed below are not organized specifically order and also you’d most likely must make a number of visits to attempt all of them.

The Nineteen Fifties Coffee

The Chinatown Complex outlet (the principle department) of The Nineteen Fifties Coffee is listed within the Michelin information and is famous for meting out fragrant cups of thick kopi/kopi-o. The toasts are additionally price a attempt – having been charcoal-grilled. If you aren’t a espresso individual, do take a look at their Iced Lemon Tea – one other drink of theirs that I swear by, particularly on heat days.

They are closed on Mondays however they’ve one other stall not too distant at Maxwell Food Centre that’s open if ever you might be longing for a scorching cup through the begin of the week.

Stall Number: #02-048

Opening Hours: Daily besides Monday, 7AM to 5PM

Pan Ji Cooked Food

Don’t let the title deceive you. This isn’t a cheap rice stall. Pan Ji Cooked Food is frequented by Singaporeans from everywhere in the island for its exceedingly uncommon old style snacks. At the center of all of it is the Sachima. It’s not onerous to overlook everytime you drop by this stall. You will see an enormous slab of crispy crackers in entrance. Sachima are basically honey crackers coated with malted sugar syrup. Pan Ji Cooked Food sells them in numerous sizes and each bit goes effectively as a snack with espresso or tea.

Apart from Sachima, you can too purchase Honey Twists and Sesame Egg Splits right here. 

Stall Number: #02-078

Opening Hours: Daily, 8AM to 3PM

Ah Kong Wa Kuih

Another stall to take a look at for its uncommon snacks is Ah Kong Wa Kuih. They serve rice puddings (Wa Kuih), steamed in spherical dishes. With each order, the rice puddings are slathered in a do-it-yourself sauce and served with sambal and uncooked garlic. 

Stall Number: #02-116

Opening Hours: Daily besides Monday, 7:45AM to 2PM

Chef Leung’s Authentic Hand-milled Rice Noodle Rolls

Chef Leung is an ex-Raffles Hotel dimsum chef who determined to arrange store in Chinatown Complex Food Centre in 2021. Those who drop by – particularly throughout lunch hour – can anticipate lengthy queues. Chef Leung’s chee cheong enjoyable are in excessive demand and rightly so. Chef Leung (and his household) makes the rice rolls and the sauces from scratch. There are 5 flavors to select from – Plain, Prawns, Tuna, Char Siew and Minced Pork. Other than rice rolls, Chef Leung additionally sells Hong Kong model Pork and Century Egg Congee that are equally good.

Stall Number: #02-96

Opening Hours: Daily besides Monday, 7AM to 2PM

Fatty Ox HK Kitchen

Situated on the far finish of Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Fatty Ox HK Kitchen makes a speciality of springy Cantonese-style egg noodles. Think: Char Siu Noodles or Beef Brisket Noodles. The roast meats are the highlights right here and virtually every little thing is price ordering. If you’ll be able to’t make up your thoughts, you’ll be able to order their assorted meat platters. I typically discover myself longing for a plate of their noodles for lunch, strolling all the best way there from my workplace solely to search out that they’re closed. Do observe they aren’t open on each Mondays and Tuesdays.

Stall Number: #02-84

Opening Hours: Daily besides Monday and Tuesday, 7:30AM to 2:30PM

Claypot and Cooked Food Kitchen

Situated simply subsequent to Fatty Ox HK Kitchen close to the home windows, the plainly named Claypot and Cooked Food Kitchen makes a speciality of precisely that. If you might be searching for one thing extra substantial in your lunch, that is the place to be. Almost every little thing right here is served in a claypot, together with Sweet and Sour Pork. I’m not complaining although because the parts are beneficiant, with a comparatively thick serving of meat with every chunk. If pork isn’t your factor, you can too take a look at their Sea Cucumber that comes with pork stomach in addition to their Steamed Garoupa Fish.

Do observe this stall is extra appropriate for the workplace crowd, as they’re solely open throughout weekdays for lunch.

Update: The uncle serving this stall sustained accidents after a fall and as such, the stall stays closed whereas he’s recovering.

Stall Number: #02-83

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 10AM to 2PM

Peng Guan

One of Singapore’s hottest bak kwa manufacturers originates from Chinatown Complex Food Centre the place it nonetheless thrives to this present day. Peng Guan can get very busy throughout Chinese New Year however luckily they’ve additionally gone on-line and clients may also order their roasted pork for supply.

Stall Number: #02-36

Opening Hours: Daily besides Monday, 8AM to three:45PM

Old Amoy Chendol

Old Amoy Chendol was established in 2017 by a millennial entrepreneur. The stalls sells artisanal chendol – its artisanal qualities comprising the utilization of azuki beans (quite than kidney beans) and gula melaka sourced from Sarawak as components on this quintessential dessert. Despite not having another product, the enterprise has expanded through the years, with 5 stalls everywhere in the nation. I’ve personally tried the chendol right here and it is rather good. They don’t stray removed from conventional components (you received’t discover durian toppings right here) so one can anticipate extremely aromatic gula melaka and creamy coconut milk in every bowl.

Stall Number: #02-008

Opening Hours: Daily besides Sunday, 10:30AM to 6PM

Bedok Chwee Kueh

Just like the unique outlet in Bedok, one can discover snaking queues for chwee kueh at their Chinatown outlet within the morning and maybe rightly so. The chwee kuehs are topped generously with chye poh. Add of their sambal for an additional kick.

Stall Number: #02-43

Opening Hours: Daily, 7AM to 7PM

Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Xiao Long Bao stalls aiming to duplicate Northern Chinese choices are a comparatively new phenomenon in Singapore – having been began by more moderen immigrants from China. One of the extra distinguished ones is Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao which was additionally awarded with a Michelin Plate a while again. The stall serves up baskets of Xiao Long Bao, Spicy Oil Wantons, Pan Fried Dumplings, Zha Jiang Mian and extra. Expect to queue up particularly in case you go to throughout lunch hour.

Stall Number: #02-135

Opening Hours: Daily besides Monday and Tuesday; 11:30AM to 3pm, 5pm to eight:30pm (begins from 10am on Sundays)

Shang Hai Fried Xiao Long Bao

Shang Hai Fried Xiao Long Bao serves up nearly precisely the identical dishes because the older Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao. During a random go to, I noticed queues forming right here at Shang Hai Fried Xiao Long Bao as effectively though they weren’t so long as on the Zhong Guo La Mian stall. After attempting a number of dishes right here, I’d say this might make for a worthwhile various particularly when the queue at Zhong Guo La Mian is simply too lengthy or through the days when they’re closed. 

Stall Number: #02-104

Hakka Hamcha and Yong Tou Fu

Set up by a younger couple from Malaysia, Hakka Hamcha and Yong Tou Fu affords a twist in its Thunder Tea Rice by incorporating a puffed rice possibility for added texture. Other than this, additionally they supply a lot of choices for yong tau foo which works effectively with their housemade chili sauce. At the time of my go to, the couple had only in the near past arrange store and so they had been fairly keen in receiving suggestions.

Stall Number: #02-123

Opening Hours: Daily besides Monday, 11AM to 7PM

Li Ji Cooked Food

This humble wanting stall could look similar to another economical rice stall but it surely by no means fails to draw a protracted queue, particularly among the many older crowd. A have a look at the counter reveals seemingly easy dishes. Think: steamed pork, steamed fish, eggplant yong tau foo, and so on which don’t appear like the varieties of meals that will appeal to a queue. However, that is the kind of place to go if you’re on a funds, with regulars testifying to Li Ji being “cheap and good.”

Stall Number: #02-139

Opening Hours: Daily besides Saturdays, 11:30AM to 2PM

Hawker Chan

Despite shedding its Michelin star and after opening a number of retailers worldwide (together with a sit-down restaurant in Chinatown itself), one can nonetheless discover lengthy queues forming on the authentic Hawker Chan stall at Chinatown Complex. The star dish – Soya Sauce Chicken – is flavorful, with plump and tender items of meat slathered in a candy savory sauce. While I wouldn’t queue for greater than 10 minutes, I do discover deserves in visiting the unique stall.

Stall Number: #02-126

Opening Hours: Daily besides Sundays, 10:30AM to three:30PM

Jia Ji Mei Shi

I nonetheless have very vivid reminiscences shopping for from right here for the very first time whereas I used to be nonetheless in my 20s. The auntie was fairly awed that somebody from the youthful technology would have an interest to purchase Sooh Kueh, Yam Cake and Green Bean Rice Dumpling – and she or he additional remarked that she hardly encountered any younger people shopping for from their stall. I like having platters of those assorted dumplings within the morning. Their Bee Hoon can also be fairly widespread though I discover it fairly run-of-the-mill. It’s actually the Soon Kueh you must go for right here.

Stall Number: #02-166

Opening Hours: Daily besides Wednesdays, 6AM to 10PM

Monan

Monan is my go-to place at Chinatown Complex Food Centre each time I’m searching for a meal that isn’t oily and with much less synthetic components. Their shabu-style pork soup could be personalized and if you would like one thing a bit extra sinful you’ll be able to go for the pork stomach and even innards corresponding to gut, abdomen, liver, and so on. Personally, I’m going for his or her lean meat with spinach and a serving or two of their do-it-yourself meatballs. It actually hits the spot with the soup possessing the pure sweetness of daikon. The meatballs are additionally fairly widespread as takeaway objects because it’s 100% pure and so they don’t use flour as additive. 

Stall Number: #02-137

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11AM to 8PM

Omelette Chef

Omelette Chef was opened in 2020 by an ex-hotel chef who dons a flowery chef’s uniform whereas getting ready omelette filled with components corresponding to diced hen, prawns, spam, smoked duck and extra. Although the idea was solely opened a few years again, the stall house owners have been within the hawker enterprise for some time now. The stall used to promote soups. 

Each serving of omelette comes with rice or noodles and a facet of candy corn. Diners may also prime it up with a serving of mushroom soup for a small complement.

Stall Number: #02-136

Opening Hours: Daily besides Sunday, 11AM to 8PM