Be it fish soup from a stall that just got a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention, crispy and creamy rosti or other classic hawker fare like sambal stingray, char siew rice and lor mee, diners will be absolutely spoilt for choice at Taman Jurong Food Centre.
Popular among the area’s residents, it was formerly Yung Sheng Food Centre – one of Singapore’s first hawker centres. It’s also positioned a short distance from Jurong Lake Gardens, which makes for a picturesque post-meal stroll.
Taman Jurong Food Centre | 3 Yung Sheng Road
This third-generation family operation recently scored a Michelin Bib Gourmand accolade and is the place to hit up for comforting fish soup. Their sliced fish soup comes with tender slabs of fish, jiggly tofu, spindly egg floss and leafy vegetables, is dusted with spring onions and coriander, and is best accompanied by rice or noodles. Other items include fried fish soup, mixed fish soup, and fish head soup. You can expect to pay about $5 and up.
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True to its name, this well-trafficked establishment is known for its scrumptious barbecue seafood items. Take your pick from the likes of their signature sambal stingray — flaky and succulent fish smothered in a fiery paste and topped with red onion slices — or sample the other dishes like sotong, barbecue fish, prawns, petai and kang kong. Anticipate forking out around $8 and above, and do visit in the early evening before they sell out.
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Helmed by the folks behind ButterNut (a pizza vendor located at the same hawker centre), Ang Moh Zi Char is all about rosti: pan-fried shredded potato pancakes that sport a crispy exterior and soft interior. Prices begin at roughly $6 for plain rosti with zesty sour cream, and you can select additional toppings including beef, salmon, chicken chop and mushrooms. They also make a solid Portuguese flavoured rice.
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This spot draws long lines of hungry patrons, all eager to get their hands on the famous char siew rice that often sells out before noon. For around $4, you’ll get a plate of white rice topped with glistening, well-caramelised chunks of char siew, which pairs perfectly with their piquant chilli sauce. Other protein choices include roasted pork and roasted duck – order a combination plate if you want to taste all three.
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Sikkander’s Briyani is known for its delicious and affordable briyani. For approximately $5, you can nab a serving of either chicken or mutton nasi briyani. The former features a hefty piece of fried chicken, while the latter gets you a dollop of mutton stew. Both come with tangy pickles, aromatic basmati rice and a small bowl of curry. Other menu highlights include ayam penyet, murtabak and thosai.
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Run by a third-generation owner who was formerly a national tennis player, Xin Sheng Gor Hiong Prawn Cracker is a ngoh hiang (or wu xiang) vendor that lets you mix and match moreish fried items to assemble your desired plate. You’ll encounter the usual suspects like ngo hiang, spring roll, fishcake, Taiwan sausage and century egg, alongside the must-order crispy prawn cracker. Make a meal of it with bee hoon and anticipate forking out about $5 and up.
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Selling various colourful traditional desserts (priced at roughly $2 and above), The Dessert House is a must-visit to cap off your meal. Want something cold? Go for one of the shaved ice dishes topped with ingredients such as fruit cocktail, nata de coco, jelly or sea coconut, or order a crowd-favourite sweet treat like ice kachang, red ruby or chendol. They also have a range of hot desserts.
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Bak chor mee, anyone? Swing by 58 Minced Meat Noodle – in business for around five decades – for al dente noodles gussied up with all the requisite ingredients: minced meat, pork slices, crispy cubes of pork lard, liver, mushrooms and a smattering of spring onions. We like ours with extra chilli and vinegar, and you also get a small bowl of soup on the side. Pony up approximately $5 for a generous portion.
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You don’t need to dine at a fancy Italian eatery to satiate your pizza cravings. Just visit 168 Neapolitan Style Pizza, which doles out Neapolitan-inspired pies made with hand-stretched dough that’s been fermented for a minimum of three days. The thin-crust pizzas (roughly $10 and above) have puffy, speckled edges from the high heat of the oven and come in varieties including ham and cheese, pepperoni and premium cheese.
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Indulge in a satisfying serving of old-school lor mee at Feng Zhen Lor Mee. For about $4, you can try the signature traditional lor mee, which comes with thick yellow noodles, fried fish, pork belly, meatballs, fishcake, and braised egg, all bobbing around in a velvety and viscous gravy. Be sure to add lots of chilli slices, black vinegar and minced garlic to cut through the richness of the other ingredients.
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This article was originally published in Singapore Women’s Weekly.