What to eat at Lau Pa Sat: 10 hawker stalls worth the queue

Run by 4 young hawkers (2 of whom are ex-chefs at Eggslut), Danlao (蛋佬) literally means “guy who does eggs” in Mandarin. As hinted from the stall’s name, the stall sells Hong Kong-inspired scrambled egg rice bowls, with comforting toppings such as luncheon meat cubes and tomatoes. Most of the ingredients such as its char siew and chicken cutlet are being made in-house, and everything is being cooked to order to ensure the best flavour for each rice bowl.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

Having earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention for its Old Airport Road Food Centre stall, Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow is certainly one to visit. They do black and white versions of the dish. Both come with the usual ingredients and prawns, infused with that good amount of wok hei. That said, we’re leaning toward the black version for its rich, sweet-savoury sauce that hits all the right notes.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

Those on the hunt for a nutritious meal can visit Thunder Tea Rice, one of the healthier choices at the hawker centre. Each bowl comes with chopped vegetables, tau kwa cubes, peanuts and all the other fixings, plus a serving of punchy herbal broth. There’s also a version that incorporates chickpeas instead of rice, alongside one that includes a portion of basil chicken.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

This signature dish comes with springy egg noodles coated in a dark sauce, an ample amount of juicy char siew, leafy Chinese greens and fried wantons. If this still doesn’t satisfy, big eaters can order sides like fried chicken and fried dumplings.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

Restaurant-quality Korean burgers in a hawker centre? That’s what you can expect at Rokus AGB, which specialises in Korean-influenced burgers, rice bowls and snacks. Take your pick from the likes of a gochujang burger, tteokbokki burger and kimchi burger. What more? Order a Korean corndog on the side if you’re feeling particularly famished.

Those in the mood for Teochew braised duck can hoof it over to this spot. You’re guaranteed a feast with braised duck rice and tender slabs of meat doused in a tasty braising sauce, crafted from a unique blend of herbs and spices — a cherished family recipe passed down from the owner’s mother. Alternatively, you can enjoy your protein with kway chap.

Need to satisfy those sugar cravings? Make a beeline for Butter & Cream Bakery, where you’re likely to encounter a long queue of customers with the exact same thought. Choose from an array of egg tarts and muffins in different flavours. A popular item is the salted egg tart, a jiggly delight that’s perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up during lunch hour. Original and chocolate egg tarts are also available.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

Established in 1968, Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles has several outlets across the city-state (including its Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded founding store at Kim Keat Palm Food Centre) and makes a downright delicious rendition of the dish. Consider getting their Folks’ Favourite, which is jazzed up with ingredients like jumbo wantons, fish dumplings and an onsen egg.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

Treat yourself to Indonesian-style nasi lemak at this well-loved Muslim-owned stall. Their nasi lemak includes fragrant coconut rice, chicken, fried egg, cucumber slices, peanuts and ikan bilis. We like having ours with lashings of sweet-spicy sambal, and you can add extra ingredients, including otak, begedil and fish fillet if you wish.

Various locations islandwide. Visit here for more information.

If you want something to warm you up on a rainy day, visit this joint for a helping of poached crispy rice – options include seafood pao fan, fish pao fan and pao fan with pan-fried pork chop. The stall is also known for its fried rice, which you can enjoy with a crispy chicken cutlet or in the form of their special lotus leaf-baked seafood fried rice.

This article was originally published in Singapore Women’s Weekly.

Additional reporting by: Latisha Sonia Shaymentyran