Traditional to trendy
Now trending: Singapore’s young & happening are breathing new life into our dying hawker culture, say welcome to this nouvelle vague of local hawkers by visiting some of our favourites across the island.
Two young brothers (who are quite the lookers too!) decided to challenge the myopic notion of hawkers being uncouth and uneducated, by setting up their own ramen hawker stall, aptly named, Brothers Ramen (Tanjong Plaza, Block 1, #02-04). Displaying perseverance and passion, which Gen Y may not be well associated with, these brothers work hard at crafting the perfect bowl of ramen for their customers.
Curry-loving couple Kim Bak and Eunice dishes out a flavourful bowl of curry at Bokky Curry (Hong Lim Food Centre, #01-67). Made from their homemade blend of rempah spice paste, and fresh chicken drumsticks, these bowls of spicy goodness have won them a fair share of regulars, and rightly so.
If your love for noodles runs deep, head to A Noodle Story (Amoy Food Centre, #01- 39) for the only Singapore-style ramen in town. Started by two young chefs Gwern Khoo and Ben Tham, who have chalked up note-worthy experience at top nosh restos like Iggy’s, Waku Ghin, Saint Pierre, and Restaurant Andre, you’ll be bowled over by their $5 bowl of springy wanton noodles, served with sous vide char siew, potato wrapped prawns, crisp wantons, and onsen egg.
Fire up your palate with Costa Rican bites at Amoy Food Centre, yes you heard us right. The CBD food centre is a regular haunt for hungry (and grumpy) CBD folks, and amidst the chicken rice, fish soups, and noodle shops, you’ll find Miss Cindy Castro Vega’s Mamacitas (Amoy Food Centre, #01-50). This spunky lady was disgruntled with the lack of authentic South American cuisine in Singapore, and decided to set up her own little joint. Kudos to her!
Like your juicy, meaty burgers at a bargain? Wait, who doesn’t. Check out De Burg – a humble burger joint nestled in the Bukit Merah district (119 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-40). Opened by burger junkie Andrew Sim, De Burg will impress with its mouth-watering burgers (choose from 100 or 200g patties), like the good ‘ol cheeseburger, wagyu beef burger, and lamb burger with nutella.
Though it’s technically not a hawker stall, give Two Face Pizza and Taproom (56 Eng Hoon Street, #01-46) credit for jazzing up the old-school Eng Hoon neighbourhood. Traditional kopitiam by day, casual pizzeria by night, it’s all about allowing everyone to dig into good pizzas and pastas, even in their berms, muscle tees, and flip-flops.
Is it us or chefs leaving fancy restaurants to start something of their own is becoming a trend? With over a decade of experience at swanky hotel restaurants, Chef-owner Gary Lum started The Soup Bar (Tanjong Pagar Food Centre, Block 6), and aren’t we glad he did. You’ll get to dig into rich, msg-free, restaurant-quality soups, served with a side of freshly toasted bread, and did we mention that its all under six bucks?
Hit up Alibabar The Hawker Bar for local grub and craft beer, kopitiam style. This Katong gem (125 East Coast Road) is a crowd favourite amongst easties thanks to their diverse range of food stalls serving up a mix of Singaporean, French, Filipino, Japanese, and Western food, along with their impressive range of craft beers.
We’ve raved about The Good Beer Company (Chinatown Complex, #02-58) and Smith Street Taps (Chinatown Complex, #02-62) before. These craft beer gurus have brought the beauty of swigging beer with the pals, sans the need to don our best party frocks, back to its full glory. Owners Daniel Goh and Meng Chao work hard to present a mean range of hard-to-find international brews at their Chinatown Complex stalls. Best part? You’ll realize that char kway teow is the best beer grub ever.
Top Image: Kopi Tabao by Vanessa Poh