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When One Punggol Hawker Centre opened on 1 Nov 2022, I finally felt like Punggol was complete. Who knew that 32 months later, residents would be blessed with the arrival of Punggol Coast Hawker Centre?
Situated within the Punggol Digital District (PDD), this newly-minted 40-stall hawker centre is designed differently from other hawker centres. I almost mistook it for a huge university canteen! Though this place is spacious, the weekend crowd situation was a little overwhelming, and finding a seat was challenging.
So follow me, as I explore the grounds to spot what’s interesting and enticing in my opinion. With that, here’s my compiled list of the 10 must-try food stalls at Punggol Coast Hawker Centre.
1. You Fu Ban Mian & Pao Fan (#02-K61)
I’ll admit, I squealed a little when I spotted the word ‘pao fan’ at You Fu Ban Mian & Pao Fan. Let’s be honest, are there any food places around Punggol and Sengkang that offer this dish? I can’t think of any, especially after the food court at Compass One was renovated.
The menu is centred around ban mian and pao fan, offering a plethora of different ingredient combinations across 14 different choices. Traditionalists can go for You Mian (S$5), Ban Mian (S$5), and Ee Mee (S$5) — all 3 options are available in dry or soup. If you want something new, switch things up with the Tomato Egg Noodle (S$5.20) and Tom Yum Ban Mian (S$5.50).
I spotted 3 types of dry dan dan ramen with toppings like: Fresh Prawn + Prawn Dumpling (S$7.10), Prawn Dumpling + Smoked Duck (S$7.10), and Prawn + Fish Paste (S$8.80). There’s even sides like Chilli Oil Dumpling (S$6 for 6 pieces) and Soup Dumpling (S$6 for 6 pieces).
I went for the Signature Prawn & Fish King Prawn King Soup Pao Fan (S$7.80). The rice was crowned with 2 prawn balls, white clams, chewy fish paste, cabbage and celery slices. According to the stall owners, the soup is a modified version of a high-end seafood soup recipe that’s served in restaurants.
It truly lived up to its name. The broth was creamy, almost like an oriental-version of a clam chowder. It was flavourful, light, and addictive.
Daily: 9am – 9pm
2. Kedai Salima (#02-K80)
For a taste of homely Malay favourites, swing by Kedai Salima to fix your cravings. The stall operates as early as 6am, making it a perfect venue for breakfast! Besides Nasi Lemak Set (S$4.50), you can slurp on Mee Soto (S$4.20), Mee Rebus (S$4.20), or indulge in a bowl of Lontong (S$4.20).
Kedai Salima also offers something unique and not really found in many Muslim stalls — Kacang Pool (S$4.50). In case you’re wondering, it’s not peanuts soaked in broth. Instead, it’s a stew made from fava beans, served with a fried egg, shallots, green chilli, and a side of toasted baguette.
I tried the Mee Siam (S$4.50) that came with half an egg, a generous dollop of sambal, and mini cubes of tau pok. I liked that the gravy here wasn’t as sweet as other stalls. It was more savoury and tangy due to the assam, with a hint of sweetness coming from the sambal.
If you wish to have some after-meal dessert, they also offer homemade Assorted Malay Kueh (S2.50) and Som-Som (coconut and rice flour dessert) (S$3.50).
Daily: 6am – 5pm
Order delivery: foodpanda
3. What The Puff! (#02-K76)
What The Puff! is a speciality spot selling curry puffs that opened its first stall at Changi Village Hawker Centre in Dec 2024. I’ve always wanted to try, but are you kidding me? It’s too far away! Boy, was I delighted when I found out they had opened another branch at Punggol Coast Hawker Centre.
The weekend queue was long but organised. There was a kitchen crew of young guys frantically rolling the dough, making the puffs on the spot and deep-frying them. It was a pity that their special flavours like Charsiew Chicken Puff (S$2.50) and Black Pepper Chicken Puff (S$2.50) weren’t available on my visit.
The Original Puff ($2) was generously stuffed with shredded chicken, potatoes and egg. The skin was somewhat similar to the mainstream Old Chang Kee, but slightly thinner. The curry flavour was robust with a subtle touch of sweetness. The Cheesy Curry Puff (S$2.50) had the luxurious cheese pull and slightly mellowed down the curry’s richness.
My favourite was the Sardine Curry Puff (S$2) which, to me, tasted authentically like the epok epoks offered at Malay stalls. Just imagine that with twice the filling and size. There were crunchy bits of onions embedded inside and the spice packed an impactful punch.
+65 8944 4177
Thu to Tue: 7am – 2.30pm
Closed on Wed
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4. Huay Kwang (#02-K51)
Huay Kwang originated from a kopitiam stall within the industrial estate of Ubi and has opened another outlet here. This stall is one of the more popular ones in this food centre with long queues on both weekdays and weekends. As a fan of Thai-style wanton mee who has tried a couple of other brands elsewhere, I was excited.
The menu options include Black Sauce Char Siew Wanton Mee (S$7 for large), Thai Style Char Siew Wanton Mee (S$4.70 for small), Black Sauce Char Siew Fried Wanton Mee (S$5 for small), and Wanton Kway Teow Soup (S$3.50).
You may add-on additional condiments like Thai Fish Sausage (S$2 for 4 pieces) and Big Prawn Dumpling (S$2).
I decided to get the Signature Thai Style Char Siew Wanton Mee (S$7) with a huge ‘aroy mak mak’ label which meant it was tasty (I certainly hope so!). The loaded bowl of noodles contained Thai fish sausage, thick cuts of char siew, 2 fried wantons and green veggie. It was finished off with garlic bits and chilli flakes as garnish. On the side, it came with a bowl of soup containing 3 boiled dumplings.
The noodles were like angel hair pasta — very fine and thin. They were coated with a layer of pork lard oil which wasn’t overpowering. The wantons were meaty and done well while the garlic and chilli bits gave some texture and heat. Though the Thai wanton mee wasn’t the best I had (in my humble opinion), it was well-balanced and decent enough make it to this list.
Tue to Sat: 10.30am – 8pm
Sun: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Closed on Mon
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5. Hakka Leipopo (#02-K65)
It’s no secret that I consider Hakka Leipopo to be one of my favourite thunder tea rice spots in Singapore. The quality of their lei cha ingredients, broth, and house-made Hakka yong tau foo are top-notch and remain consistent every single time.
The basic Lei Cha lets you pair it with White Rice (S$5), or top-up an extra S$0.50 to switch it to Brown Rice, or No Rice. Each bowl of thunder tea rice consists of fried shrimp, finely-diced kailan, mani cai, cabbage, long beans and tofu.
My go-to order here is Set A (S$8.80), which consists of lei cha with Brown Rice, complemented by 3 pieces of yong tau foo. Most of the time, you’ll be asked what variety of YTF you’d like. The choices include items like eggplant, bittergourd, tau kwa, and beancurd skin.
If you would like to recreate your own version of thunder tea rice at home, Hakka Leipopo even sells packets of concentrated Hakka Leicha Paste (S$12)!
Tue to Sun: 10am – 8pm
Closed on Mon
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6. One Soy 一豆 (#02-K88)
Those who work in the vicinity of Tanjong Pagar and frequent Maxwell Food Centre for lunch may find One Soy familiar. This soy milk-centric spot makes their own fresh soya milk in-house.
If you’re feeling parched, you might want to give the unique Black Soy Milk (S$2.50) that has more protein a try. There are also a few interesting drinks like Watermelon Soy Milk (S$3.80), Icy Corn Soy Milk (S$3), Soy Milk with Pearls (S$2.80). and Bandung Soy Milk (S$2.80).
The stall also offers 7 types of desserts like Azuki Red Bean Pandan Beancurd (S$3.30), and Traditional Beancurd (S$2.50). My bowl of Pandan Beancurd Rice Balls with Soy Milk (S$3.80) came with 4 tang yuan that consisted of 2 peanut and 2 black sesame fillings. The beancurd was silky smooth but to be honest, the pandan flavour was hardly detectable. The Grass Jelly Bowl (S$2.50) was soft and jiggly with just the right amount of sweetness.
Daily: 8.30am – 8.30pm
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7. Xiang Chi Mian Traditional Bak Chor Mee 想吃面传统肉胜面 (#02-K55)
Another popular stall at this food centre is Xiang Chi Mian Traditional Bak Chor Mee, frequented by throngs of noodle enthusiasts. As the name suggests, the menu offers dry and soup versions of Traditional Minced Meat Noodle (S$4.50) and Fishball Noodle (S$4). You can even get a bowl of Laksa (S$4.80) and order a side of Mini Nhor Hiang (S$4 for 5 pieces) to share.
If you’re craving something warm and hearty, you can order a piping-hot bowl of Fishball Soup (S$4.20) or Meatball Soup (S$4.20) to complement your bowl of noodles.
First things first, the service. It felt warm and inviting and made me want to make a return trip to support them again. I tried the Signature Minced Meat Noodle (S$5.80) with mee pok that had minced pork, liver, mushrooms, a meatball, pork lard bits, sliced pork, a piece of ngoh hiang and dumpling. I requested for additional vinegar which gave a stronger oomph of zing to the noodles. The texture of the mee pok was great, the ingredients were of good quality, and overall, it was very comforting.
Daily: 7am – 9pm
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8. Jade’s Chicken (#02-K78)
I’ve got a soft spot for fried chicken and over at Jade’s Chicken, you can find authentic Korean fried chicken available in Original (S$14.50 for 7 pieces, S$28 for 14 pieces) as well as fancy flavoured ones like Honey Butter, Soy Sauce, and Sweet Spicy (each at S$15 for 7 pieces, S$29 for 14 pieces). This brand was brought into Singapore by a Korean, Noh Tae Woo, that resides in Singapore.
He missed the flavour of home… in this case, authentic Korean fried chicken! He brought the Korean brand Waker Chicken to Singapore, which is Halal-certified. Jade’s Chicken is the non-Halal version with extra Korean dishes on the menu.
Don’t fancy drumsticks? No problem! They also have chicken Wing 3PC: Original Crispy (S$6), Soy Sauce (S$6.50), Sweet Spicy (S$6.50), and Honey Butter (S$6.50).
If you’re seeking for a more complete meal, explore their other options such as Kimchi Soup (S$6.50), Kimchi Pancake (S$5), Butter Soy Rice (S$3), Tteokbokki (S$7), and Cheese Ramen (S$5.50).
Daily: 11am – 9pm
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9. S.J Sickander Ammal Muslim Foods (#02-K52)
S.J Sickander Ammal Muslim Foods is named after the owner’s mum and has 4 other outlets, including one at Eunos Crescent Market and Food Centre that sells mee goreng. Over at Punggol Coast Hawker Centre, this branch does things a little differently. It showcases Indian rojak and a variety of roti prata instead.
The menu offers an assortment of 20 pratas in savoury and sweet options. For those with a sweet tooth, enjoy Banana Prata (S$2), and Tissue Prata (S$3) available in Strawberry, Chocolate and Honey. If you love Murtabak, you can savour fillings like sardine, mutton, chicken, or tuna available in Small (S$8), Medium (S$10.50) and Large (S$14.20).
I gave the Tsunami Prata (S$6) a go and it was a beautiful mess on the plate. There were 2 pieces of plain prata that got drenched in curry potato, 2 sunny side-ups, mutton cubes, and a side of ikan bilis sambal. Break the egg, and mix everything well with the sambal to experience a myriad of flavours and textures.
Daily: 6am – 10pm
10. Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken Noodle (#02-K64)
For over 20 years, Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken has been dishing out delicious curry mee. In 2019, this brand had made it to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list and earned a spot in the 2021 Michelin Guide Singapore for its Curry Chicken Noodle (S$5.50/S$6.50/S$7.50). The curry broth is robust yet well-balanced, while the chicken is fresh and not to mention… velvety soft. It’s served with tau pok and potatoes, too.
The menu has plain Curry Chicken (S$5.50) for you to enjoy with a bowl of Rice (S$0.80). If you’re lazy like me and dislike spending so much effort to extract the flesh from the various chicken parts, the Shredded Chicken Curry Noodle (S$3.50) will be the solution.
If curry isn’t to your liking, there’s also Satay Bee Hoon (S$5.50/S$6.50/S$7.50) topped with tau pok, cockles, and kangkong.
