Amoy Street Food Centre What to Eat & Best Food

As a working skilled within the CBD, Amoy Street Food Centre is one in every of my go-to lunch locations every time I’m on the lookout for genuine hawker fare. Other meals centres similar to Lau Pa Sat are literally nearer to my workplace however that eatery is extra of a meals courtroom these days reasonably than a bona fide hawker whereas my different favorites similar to Maxwell Food Centre and Chinatown Complex Food Centre are a bit farther for me. 

The 2-storey Amoy Street Food Centre was inbuilt 1983, across the identical period as close by Maxwell Food Centre. This interval coincided with Singapore’s “cleanliness drive” and plenty of hawkers who initially peddled on the streets close to Chinatown had been moved to correct “food centres” with this hawker centre being one in every of them. Today, Amoy Street Food Centre is one in every of Singapore’s most distinguished. It has probably the most variety of Michelin-listed stalls in a single place and institutions right here comprise a mixture of decades-old stalls to retailers opened by enterprising children. 

If you don’t work within the CBD and intend to come back right here exterior of a weekday lunch timing, do observe that the majority stalls are shut on Saturdays and Sundays and at evening. For weekends, your greatest guess is as much as midday on Saturdays when a minimum of half of the stalls are open.

In this listing, I current a few of my favourite stalls in Amoy Street Food Centre. I’ve been right here dozens of occasions and have tried most retailers. These aren’t organized in any explicit order.

Han Kee Fish Soup

Han Kee is kind of a tough place to dine. Despite my efforts to come back in early for this well-known Amoy Street fish soup, the queue continues to be lengthy. They open at 11AM. I attempt to depart my workplace at 11AM and attain 10 minutes later to already discover a snaking queue proper by this stall. The excellent news nonetheless, is that it clears fairly rapidly. I estimate my normal ready time to be round 15 to twenty minutes. 

Many folks swear by their Fish Soup and I can perceive why. The parts are far larger than the standard fish soup locations and the fish slices are typically chunkier. I hardly ever really feel full after consuming fish soup however I can say the one at Han Kee fills me sufficiently. You may also request for different components of the fish just like the roe/eggs which the stall homeowners are joyful to supply.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 11AM to 3PM

Stall Number: #02-129

A Noodle Story

This Michelin Bib-Gourmand stall might be one of the crucial well-known stalls in Amoy Food Centre. They’ve expanded not too long ago to close by Guoco Tower however nonetheless name this meals centre their residence base. Diners can anticipate a plethora of toppings with each bowl of noodles right here, from fatty pork sous vide for a number of hours to deep-fried wanton wrapped in potato in addition to onsen egg. The noodles listed here are a departure from the standard varieties present in Singapore and the beneficiant toppings additionally imply that one portion is filling sufficient even for an enormous eater like myself.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11AM to 8PM (til 3PM on Saturday)

Stall Number: #01-39

Mad Roaster

Mad Roaster is run by an admirable lawyer turned hawker named Madeline. She began Mad Roaster with the intention of donating a portion of gross sales to refugees in Thailand. I’ve been shopping for espresso and matcha lattes from them since they first began and at present, Mad Roaster has plenty of retailers in Singapore together with a standalone outlet in Depot Road. The Amoy Street stall nonetheless, is their very first one. Specialties right here embody the Honey Butter Latte though I personally swear by their Matcha Latte, which is created from first-flush tencha from Nishio, Japan. Food-wise, they appeal to a following for his or her Chocolate Babka and Cinnamon Brioche, which is commonly offered in whole loaves for takeaway. 

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8AM to 3PM (opens at 9AM on Saturday)

Stall Number: #02-107

Swan City Noodle House

Kolo Mee stalls could abound in Singapore however have you ever heard of its cousin, Kampua Noodles? Swan City Noodle House sells quite a lot of dishes from Sarawak, specializing in dishes which might be standard in cities like Sibu. Kampua Noodles specifically, jogs my memory of Kolo Mee however with lighter sauces and a bit drier. Other specialties embody the Sibu Bien Nuik – a wanton-like dumpling however with much less meat filling – and the Kompia – a Foochow model bagel with meat filling inside. 

Opening Hours: Daily besides Saturday, 9AM to 3PM

Stall Number: #02-105

Good Day

The simply-named Good Day is run by a really pleasant couple and makes a speciality of stir-fried dishes similar to Hor Fun and Sin Chew Noodles. My go-to dish right here is their Beef Hor Fun. Although it doesn’t possess a powerful “wok hei” taste, I prefer it that the meat is tremendous tender and beneficiant in portion, whereas possessing a sweet-savory taste that all the time retains me coming again for extra. 

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 7AM to 4PM

Stall Number: #01-25

J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff

This humble trying stall on the floor flooring of Amoy Food Centre is famous for possessing a Michelin Bib Gourmand. J2 is well-known for his or her delightfully flaky curry puffs with flavors similar to Crispy Curry Chicken Puff, Crispy Sardine Puff and Crispy Black Pepper Chicken Puff. The motive why their puffs appeal to following is as a result of the crust is crispy sufficient with out being too thick whereas the fillings are typically larger in portion. 

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 8AM to 3PM 

Stall Number: #01-21

Coffee Break

Coffee Break is considerably of a hybrid. It just isn’t a purely native kopi stall and on the identical time, it isn’t a 3rd wave espresso stall both. What it does provide are ingenious flavors of what’s in any other case conventional Nanyang espresso. Think: Hazelnut, Macadamia, Salted Caramel and extra. For tea lovers, they will just about do the identical with their vary of tea lattes (Matcha, Chai, Earl Grey, and so on) and fruit teas. Of course, for those who’d reasonably simply have a cup of conventional kopi-o, they’ve that as effectively. For breakfast, I’d suggest grabbing a few of their toasts as effectively. A very notable one is their Black Sesame Toast, consisting of completely skinny crispy toast with a wealthy black sesame and butter filling within the center.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7:30AM to 2:30PM (from 9:30AM on Saturday)

Stall Number: #02-78

Mr Batang Fish 96

Amoy Food Centre has a minimum of 3 notable fish soup stalls and I’d say Mr Batang Fish 96 might be the least recognized among the many 3, regardless of additionally having lengthy queues throughout lunch time. Relatively newer in comparison with Han Kee or Piao Ji, Mr Batang Fish 96 differentiates itself by providing tom yum flavors for his or her fish soup in addition to extra seafood toppings similar to prawns and cuttlefish. I personally discovered their serving dimension fairly beneficiant. I ordered their smallest S$5 bowl of fish soup and it got here with a number of meaty chunks. 

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30AM to 3PM / 10AM to 3PM on Sunday

Stall Number: #02-96

Pepper Bowl

Most individuals who come to Pepper Bowl come for his or her Black Pepper Beef Hor Fun (non-obligatory onsen egg add-on) that includes tremendous tender beef however my responsible pleasure is their Spring Onion Pork Rice which is actually cooked with the identical components however makes use of pork as a substitute of beef. Utterly scrumptious, particularly with the sauce. I say it’s a responsible pleasure as a result of the sauce is kind of oily however I suppose it’s superb for an occasional meal.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 11AM to 2:30PM

Stall Number: #02-102

Sarawak Kolo Mee (Jin’s Noodle)

This is the older of the two kolo mee retailers (what are the probabilities to search out 2 in the identical hawker centre?) in Amoy Food Centre. Jin’s Noodle Sarawak Kolo Mee attracts a gradual following and a few regard it as the very best kolo mee place in Singapore though my desire continues to be for the one at Haig. The noodles listed here are springy, curly and have a refined fragrant taste coming from the lard.  

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 11AM to 2:30PM

Stall Number: #02-110

Ah Ter Authentic Teochew Fishball Noodle

Run by a third technology hawker who was as soon as named the Most Handsome Hawker by The Straits Times, Ah Ter Authentic Teochew Fishball Noodle is one other stall that draws a snaking crowd, typically effectively earlier than 12 midday. As the identify suggests, their Fishball Noodle could be very standard, particularly due to the flavorful broth that is available in a separate bowl when ordering their Mee Pok or Mee Kia. Along with the soup comes a myriad of components similar to fishball, liver, minced meat, and so on. The gravy that comes with the noodles can also be noteworthy. Their chili is cooked for six hours with prawn paste, onions, pork lard, and so on.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 7AM to 8PM, Until 3PM on Saturday 

Stall Number: #01-14

Wah Kee Noodle

Everyone is aware of {that a} first rate plate of Wanton Mee must have springy and chewy noodles and by that measure, Wah Kee Noodles, situated at degree 2 of Amoy Food Centre, doesn’t disappoint. The char siew items that include every plate are comparatively skinny however beneficiant in quantity, possessing simply the correct amount of “char” or smokiness and comparatively lean. Aside from Wanton Noodles, it’s also possible to order different variations similar to Mushroom Noodles, Dumpling Noodles or Shredded Chicken Hor Fun.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 7AM to 2:30PM

Stall Number: #02-125

Hong Kee Beef Noodle

Another Michelin Bib Gourmand stall at Amoy Food Centre is Hong Kee Beef Noodle. They are well-known for his or her Hainanese model Beef Noodles which include a comparatively gooey, gravy-like soup. Go for his or her blended beef components (lean meat, tripe, brisket, beef balls) for a extra well-rounded style of what they’ve to supply.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 11AM to 7:30PM / Saturday and Sunday, 9AM to 2:30PM

Stall Number: #01-42

Grandma Ban Mee

Grandma Ban Mee differs from different ban mee stalls within the sense that they don’t overly depend on exterior flavors for his or her noodles. The broth that comes with every bowl of Ban Mee is comparatively clear and is much less hearty. The soup’s taste comes largely from the mushrooms and spinach – of which they’re fairly beneficiant with the greens. I’d say that it’s comparatively lighter when it comes to style profile in addition to on the stomach. If you’re a heavy eater, go for an even bigger bowl. It’s additionally possibility in case you are on the lookout for one thing more healthy to eat in a hawker centre.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 10AM to 8PM (til 3PM on Friday)

Stall Number: #01-07

Fried Kway Teow

The very first stall that most individuals see after they enter Amoy Food Centre is that this generically-named “Fried Kway Teow” outlet. Don’t be fooled by the unassuming identify nonetheless, that is one in every of Amoy Food Centre’s longest tenants so far. The largest promoting level of their Char Kway Teow right here, for my part, is the comparatively beneficiant portion of cockles. 

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 2:30PM

Stall Number: #01-01

Lagoon in a Bowl

Lagoon in a Bowl is bit totally different from different stalls in Amoy Street Food Centre within the sense that they focus extra on dishes that you just’d look forward to finding in additional upmarket locations. They solely have 3 objects on their menu – Mentaiko Salmon, Mentaiko Wagyu Beef or Surf n Turf. All bowls include their signature blue pea rice. What I like is that they’re fairly beneficiant with the mentaiko.

I attempted their Mentaiko Salmon which was additionally the unique dish they got here up with after they first opened and it was sous vide and really tender. The fish additionally melted in my mouth like cream with its softness. The bowl additionally got here with an onsen egg.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 11AM to 3PM

Stall Number: #01-48

Soon Lee

Soon Lee is the place to go for aromatic You Tiao (dough fritters), Ham Chim Peng (Chinese doughnuts in numerous flavors) in addition to Sesame Balls. I’m fairly keen on their Sesame Balls that are all the time freshly cooked and possess a extremely chewy and glutinous texture, not like different locations the place the balls are often powerful and starchy. 

Stall Number: #01-09

308 Coffee Shop

This espresso stall in Amoy Street Food Centre will not be as distinguished because the extra trendy drink stalls upstairs however 308 Coffee Shop has been attracting lengthy queues for espresso each morning. It could also be as a result of aggressive pricing or due to their good espresso. I attempted their Kopi O one morning and located it sturdy, with a definite burnt chocolate style. You may also order toast as a part of their units that include a scorching drink and eggs. Their toast wasn’t as crispy as I had hoped however the kaya butter filling was excellent with out being too candy. 

Stall Number: #01-60

 Luan Jie Mei Shi 

I stumbled upon Luan Jie Mei Shi by chance one morning whereas on the lookout for a second breakfast as a result of the toast I had simply beforehand was not filling sufficient. What a discovery it was! This retailer sells simply 5 objects – Yam Cake, Pumpkin Cake, Glutinous Rice, Soon Kueh and Chee Cheong Fun. The hottest objects are the Soon Kueh and Chee Cheong Fun. The latter is notable for being silky easy with an addictive savory candy sauce. While they formally open till 2pm, it’s advisable to go there by 9am to keep away from disappointment as many objects get offered out quick.

Opening Hours: Daily besides Sunday, 6AM to 2PM

Stall Number: #01-30 

What’s your favourite stall at Amoy Street Food Centre?