8 Noteworthy Stalls At Balestier Food Centre To Satisfy Your Hawker Cravings

Trying to decide where to go for a meal? Head over to Balestier Food Centre, and you just might find a new favourite haunt. After exploring the food centre, here are eight food items to satisfy your cravings in Balestier Food Centre!

1. Roasted Chicken Rice (Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Chicken Rice, #01-12)

Balestier Food Centre 16

Chicken rice is a staple dish that every hawker centre in Singapore has. Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Chicken Rice serves up chicken rice in Balestier Food Centre, so I decided to see how it compares to other stalls.

Balestier Food Centre 14

In the last few months, I’ve tried a few chicken rice stores and this one was an acquired taste. I ordered their Roasted Chicken Rice (S$3.80). The roasted chicken was cooked for a bit too long as it was tough, but it held a smoky flavour like most roasted chicken.

The rice, on the other hand, had a very strong ginger taste to it. Despite not having the traditional chicken rice aroma, I enjoyed it after a few mouthfuls as the gingery flavour grew on me.

Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Chicken Rice: #01- 12 | Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm (Daily)

2. Braised Duck Rice (Soon Kee Long House Boneless Duck Rice 順記(起骨)滷鴨飯・粥・鴨面, #01-14)

Balestier Food Centre 2

Next, we tried the most recommended stall, Soon Kee Long House Boneless Duck Rice, which is popular for their Braised Duck Rice (S$5.50).

Balestier Food Centre 9

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was really disappointed with this dish. In general, the whole dish lacked in flavour as the rice was not fragrant at all. Thankfully, the duck was braised until tender, something that you rarely find anymore.

This dish is usually topped with braised peanuts that were cooked till soft, but I was disappointed with Soon Kee Long House’s peanuts. All in all, this was one of the blandest duck rice I’ve had.

This dish is usually topped with braised peanuts that were cooked till soft, however, this was not the case when I had Soon Kee Long House’s peanuts. They were slightly too hard for my liking.

Soon Kee Long House (Boneless) Duck Rice: #01-14 | Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Thu – Tue), Closed on Wed | Facebook

3. Soup Prawn Noodles (Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodle, Longhouse 阿辉大虾面, #01-13)

Balestier Food Centre 3

Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodles was previously located at Longhouse and they’re popular for their Prawn Noodle Soup (S$5).

Balestier Food Centre 7

Usually, I am not a fan of prawn noodles. However, I enjoyed the light broth from this stall as it was infused with a tinge of sweetness from their fresh Angka prawns.

Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodles is very generous with their ingredients, as I had a bunch of prawns and pork ribs in my soup which enhanced the flavour.

Ah Hui Big Prawn Noodle: #01-13 | Opening Hours: 9am – 10.30pm (Daily) | Facebook

4. Nian Gao + Yam Goreng (Boon Pisang Goreng, #01-18)

Balestier Food Centre 17

If you are not looking for a full meal, there are also some snacks you can indulge in. At the corner of Balestier Food Centre, you can find Boon Pisang Goreng. Unlike the usual goreng (fried) stalls, this stall serves Nian Gao + Yam Goreng (S$1). 

Balestier Food Centre 12

Nian Gao is usually only found during Chinese New Year season, yet if you are craving for some, Boon Pisang Goreng is here for you all year round. Even though Niang Gao (Chinese year cake), is not my favourite, I enjoyed this a lot as the outer coat of the snack was fried until crispy whereas the inside was sticky and sweet like ambrosia.

Boon Pisang Goreng: #01-18 | Opening Hours: 11.30 am – 8.30 pm (Daily) 

5. Popiah (Miao Sin Popiah 淼鑫饼, #01-06)

Balestier Food Centre 6

Popiah lovers might have heard about Miao Sin Popiah before, as they were previously hailed as the best popiah stall in 2017.

Balestier Food Centre 8

I am quite picky with my popiah. The skin has to be thin so that I can fully experience the boiled turnip chunks, crushed peanuts, and sweet sauce.

Unfortunately, Miao Sin’s Popiah'(S$2) came with popiah skin that was too thick for my liking. Other than that, the dish was quite sweet and fragrant from the turnip and sweet sauce which I enjoyed.

Besides popiah, they also serve up traditional Black/White Fried Carrot Cake (S$3.50/S$4.50/S$5.50), which I didn’t get to try. Maybe next time!

Miao Sin Popiah淼鑫饼: #01-06 | Opening Hours: 8am – 12midnight (Daily)

6. Spaghetti Curry (Albert Western Food, #01-18)

Balestier Food Centre 5

Western-Asian fusion food is pretty popular in Singapore and Albert Western Food is one of the stalls offering these fusion dishes. This is one of the most popular stalls which brings in constant long queues.

Balestier Food Centre 11

Traditional curries are usually paired with plain rice or bread hence, it was different to see it paired with spaghetti. I had to try it, so I ordered their Curry Chicken With Spaghetti (S$8). 

The dish reminded me of the thick and rich gravy from Toast Box. I enjoyed this dish a lot as the potato chunks are first fried until lightly crispy on the outside, then boiled in the curry to soak up the gravy.

The chicken in the curry was also cooked till it was really tender, which meant it fell off the bones easily.

Albert Western Food: #01-18 | Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Daily)

7. Mee Sua (Pu Tian Shou Gong Mian 莆田手工面, #01-16)

Balestier Food Centre 1

I’ve often heard friends rave about the bee hoon from chain restaurant Putien, but the dishes are a little pricey. Imagine my delight when I found a cheaper alternative that serves up traditional dishes from the region of Putian, Fujian in China.

We found Pu Tian Shou Gong Mian nestled in a corner of Balestier Food Centre, and they offer mains and zi char-style dishes.

Balestier Food Centre 15

One of their most traditional dishes is their Pu Tian Mee Sua 莆田面线 (S$5/small, S$8/large). The mee sua and broth were cooked with minced meat, clams, prawns and vegetables, infusing the broth with sweet and savoury flavours.

They also serve the traditional Dumpling With Spicy Sauce 红油抽手 (S$4). This tasted like the original chilli sauce that you can find in mainland China. The skin, however, was too thick for my liking because there wasn’t a good meat to skin ratio.

Pu Tian Shou Gong Mian 莆田手工面: #01-17 | Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Daily)

8. Bak Kut Teh (Long Xiang Pig’s Viscera Soup 笼祥猪什汤, #01-09)

Balestier Food Centre 4

Bak kut teh is a traditional Teochew dish that both Singapore and Malaysia claim as their own. Long Xiang Pig’s Viscera Soup serves a range of pork dishes, and one of their notable dishes is their Bak Kut Teh (S$6). 

Balestier Food Centre 10

In general, there are two types of bak kut teh: white pepper bak kut teh or the herbal bak kut teh. The white pepper version is more common in Singapore, however, Long Xiang Pig’s Viscera Soup serves theirs Malaysian-style, in a rich herbal soup.

I paired my soup with a bowl of their Yam Rice (S$0.50). Even though I enjoyed the soup, I was only able to stomach a bite of their rice. It was very dry and the yam gave a slimy texture to the dish.

Long Xiang Pig’s Visceria Soup 笼祥猪什汤: #01-09 | Opening Hours: 1am – 1opm (Daily)


Balestier Food Centre also has a zi char stall which usually opens at night. This probably explains why the food centre is livelier at night.

If you find yourself there in the morning till the early afternoon, stalls like Boon Pisang Goreng and Pu Tian Shou Gong are sure to fill you up. Otherwise, I suggest heading over to Balestier Food Centre in the evening when there is a wider range of dishes to try.

Price: $

Our Rating: 3 / 5

Balestier Food Centre

411 Balestier Road, Singapore 329930

Price
Our Rating 3/5

Balestier Food Centre

411 Balestier Road, Singapore 329930

Operating Hours: 24 hours

Operating Hours: 24 hours

Newest