Singapore (singapore)
food
Last Updated: March 17, 2020
Home to some of the best, hidden hawker gems in Singapore, Amoy Street Food Centre truly has it all. Every single hawker staple that you can crave for is nestled within this two-storey complex—from classic local delights to new-generation stalls. there’s always something for everyone here.
If it’s your first time there and you aren’t exactly sure of what to eat, here’s a nifty guide to help you get started! When you’ve already sussed out some of the best stalls, manoeuvring through the throngs of people during the lunchtime rush should be no problem at all.
Here are 13 stalls in Amoy Street Food Centre that will make you go “a-moy-god!”.
The first on my list comes as no surprise. With a Michelin Bib Gourmand award under its belt, A Noodle Story is one of the stalls that commands a long queue as soon as it opens shop.
Famed for what they call the Singapore-style ramen, the hawkers helming the stall utilises modern European kitchen techniques in crafting their very own brand of Japanese fusion noodles.
With a price ranging from S$5.50 – S$7.50, this hipster dish is the very epitome of what next-gen hawker food looks like.
A cross between ramen and the local wanton mee, each bowl consists of springy noodles, silky wontons, sous vide char siew slices, a wobbly onsen egg and crispy potato-wrapped prawns.
A Noodle Story:#01-39 | Tel: +65 9027 6289 | Opening Hours: 11.15am – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 7.30pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat & Sun | Facebook
If you’re on your Coffee Break, you’ll know where to head to for a caffeine fix. Coffee Break might look like a run-of-the-mill coffee joint, but expect traditionally brewed kopi and teh with a couple of exciting twists.
With a penchant for concocting innovative spreads for their toasts, you can expect to find flavours like Earl Grey Creme Toast (S$3) on the menu.
While most of us are accustomed to the traditional kaya toast, the fragrant floral tea base was a refreshing and modern take.
Pair your homemade toast with flavoured beverages such as Melon Milk Tea (S$3), Sea Salt Caramel Latte (S$3.80) and Caramel Rum Mocha (S$3.80). These hipster drinks are certainly the perfect way to beat the heat.
Coffee Break: #02-78 | Tel: +65 6264 5114 |Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat & Sun | Facebook
Formerly located at Cuppage Centre, Hong Kee Beef Noodle ha been operating for 50 years and they are still going strong.
Their Hainanese-style beef noodles are so popular that Hong Kee Beef Noodle has earned themselves the Michelin Bib Gourmand as well.
Each bowl of Beef Noodles with Soup (S$5 – S$6) is laden with tender beef balls and beef slices, salted vegetables and smooth kway teow noodles. Those who prefer the less soupy alternatives can also opt for the dry version of this dish.
Hong Kee Beef Noodle: #01-42 | Tel: +65 9776 6269 | Opening Hours: 11am – 7.30pm (Mon to Fri), 9am – 2.30pm (Sat & Sun) | Facebook
There is nothing like a hearty rice bowl get you through the rest of the day. At Pepper Bowl, they serve precisely that, with three different types of rice bowl combinations to choose from.
Just decide on which protein cut you prefer—beef, chicken or pork.
Whether you’re having the Black Pepper Beef Rice (S$5), Spring Onion Pork Rice (S$4.60) or Chicken Chop Rice (S$4.50), don’t forget to top it off with an Onsen Egg (S$0.60) for an excellent, lip-smacking finish.
Trust me when I say that the generous servings of meat piled onto bowls of steaming white rice will make for a gratifying and filling lunch.
Pepper Bowl: #02-102 | Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Mon to Sat), Closed on Sun | Facebook
If you’re craving for Thai food, you should make a beeline for Sap Thai right away. All your favourite Thai staples are available here and at affordable prices to boot.
The Mama Noodle Basil Chicken (S$4.50) will quell any instant noodle cravings you might have instantly. The combination of chilli, fish sauce and dark sauce is delectable when taken together with the springy noodles, sunny side up and chunks of basil chicken embedded within the dish.
Sap Thai: #01-58 | Tel: +65 9722 1235 | Opening Hours: 10am – 9 pm (Mon – Fri), 10 am – 3pm (Sat & Sun) | Facebook
Need a piping hot bowl of comforting fish soup to warm yourself up on a rainy day? Han Kee Fish Soup has got you covered.
This stall seems to be everyone’s go-to for a bowl of sliced fish soup and the consistent snaking queues during lunchtime are a testament to that.
Set in a delicately light and clear broth, the Sliced Fish Soup (S$5) comes with fresh Batang fish slices that boast a hint of sweetness to them. The flavoursome and robust soup with hints of coriander is guaranteed to have you coming back for more.
Han Kee Fish Soup: #02-129 | Tel:+65 6688 5665 | Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat & Sun| Facebook
Every bak chang connoisseur knows that Hoo Kee Rice Dumpling’s glutinous rice dumplings are where it’s at.
With a subtle fragrance that wafts through the air when you approach their stall, it’s no wonder they have earned themselves a substantial following of loyal customers.
Choose from three kinds of rice dumplings, including Chestnut ($2.80), Salted Egg with Chestnut (S$3.60) and Chestnut with Mushroom (S$3.60). Each respective flavour comes with a soy-sauce based glutinous rice that is packed with meat and different fillings.
Hoo Kee Rice Dumpling: #01-18 | Tel: +65 6221 1155 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 4.30pm (Mon to Sat), Closed on Sun | Facebook
Tucked away on the second floor of Amoy Street Food Centre, Mama’s Boy Bakes specialises in everything mac & cheese. Yes, it does sound a little too good to be true.
Samuel and Fahmy helm Mama’s Boy Bakes. They’re two friends who banded together, determined to showcase mac & cheese as the star it truly is. They first started as a home-based business, churning out delectable bowls of mac & cheese from a home kitchen.
Amongst the various mac & cheese flavours from Mama’s Boy Bakes, our favourites were the Truffle Mac & Cheese (S$10.50), Korean Mac & Cheese (S$9.50), and Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese (S$9.50).
We particularly enjoyed Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese (S$9.50) with a rich butter chicken cheese blend in the mac & cheese. It comes with perfectly fried chicken tenders covered with a dollop of that decadent sauce and topped with muruku crumbs.
The chicken tenders were well-breaded, crispy and slightly spicy. However, the most impressive part of the bowl has to be that butter chicken sauce; buttery, robust and velvety smooth. The flavours in the sauce were well-developed and not muddled with the addition of any ghee or tomatoes.
This is a bowl you’ll be dreaming about.
Mama’s Boy Bakes:#02-87 | Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat & Sun | Facebook | Instagram
Another you can’t miss in Amoy Street Food Centre is J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff. This is where you can find husband-and-wife team, Lee Meng Li and Wu Jing Hua, churning out golden, flaky, Michelin Bib Gourmand curry puffs.
With impressive layering and crispy edges, it’ll be hard just stopping at one.
J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff keeps it simple with three flavours: Crispy Curry Chicken Puff (S$1.40), Crispy Sardine Puff (S$1.40) and the Crispy Black Pepper Chicken Puff (S$1.60).
You can never go wrong with the classic Crispy Curry Chicken Puff (S$1.40). True to its name, this puff was crispy and brimming with savoury chicken curry filling.
Each mouthful was undeniably satisfying, and the curry was slightly spicy and rich. Another thing I appreciated about the filling was the uniform cubes of potatoes and chicken. This ensured that you get a good ratio of chicken to potatoes in each bite, which just keeps you coming back for more.
J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff: #01-21 | Tel:+65 9475 8425 | Opening Hours: 11.15am – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 7.30pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat & Sun
If new-fangled creations aren’t your thing, then good ole’ Fried Kway Teow would have to do. With good wok hei, charred tips and a savoury sauce to boot this makes for a perfect lunch indeed.
Less sweet than your normal run-of-the-mill char kway teow, nothing hits the spot quite like it. Spicy and with a generous serving of hunky fishcakes, this one will make all the gym hours worth it.
Fried Kway Teow:#01-01 | Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Daily), Closed on every third Sun
Lunchtime at Amoy Street Food Centre can be intense, to say the least. If crowds aren’t your thing, you’ll want to get in and get out as quickly as you can.
But you’ll be willing to brave the crowds for Kinobe. Serving up simple and delicious bowls of gyudon, butadon and chikindon starting from only S$5, you’ll never want for anything more.
One of Kinobe’s signature items, the Gyūdon (S$6) comes with a generous portion of beef strips, a silky onsen egg and a dusting of shichimi togarashi powder (Japanese seven-spice powder).
These tender slices of beef are first braised in an umami-laden beef bone broth before being placed atop a mound of gleaming short-grain rice. As an extra step, Genji and Benjamin spoon a ladle of that beef bone broth to ensure every grain of rice soaks up all that flavour.
If you’re feeling fancy, then the Wagyudon (S$10) will make you feel like you are truly living it up. With ruby folds of tender wagyu beef, it truly is time to treat yo’ self.
Kinobe:#02-126 | Opening Hours: 11am – 3pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat & Sun | Facebook| Instagram
For something a little healthier, Lagoon In A Bowl will ensure you’ll have a satisfying lunch and not fall into that deadly food coma.
A kaleidoscope in a bowl, Lagoon In Bowl features a gorgeous blushing salmon, brilliant butterfly pea tea rice and accompanied with a wobbly onsen egg before being dressed with a mix of corn, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.
Lovely to look at and even better for you—since salmon is full of Omega-3—while butterfly pea tea rice is full of antioxidants to ensure you’re still glowing for dinner drinks.
Salmon can be quite finicky to work with since it has the tendency to dry out. But for Lagoon In A Bowl, their salmon was tender and soft, a huge brownie point in my book.
With a generous drizzle of smoky mentaiko, what’s not to love?
Lagoon In A Bowl:#01-48 | Tel: +65 9119 2619 | Opening Hours:11am – 3pm (Mon to Sat), Closed on Sun |Facebook
Chop Chop Biryani & Meat is for all the meat lovers out there. The traditional Indian nasi biryani is given a twist with the addition of various unconventional meats, including roast pork, sotong, pork masala, char siew and salted egg chicken. A little controversial perhaps, but surely worth a try.
An excellent option for those feeling particularly ravenous come lunchtime.
Every plate is made-to-order, so your food will definitely arrive hot and fresh. The Siu Yoke Biryani (S$5) is a hot favourite and one that you have to get. Each plate will have a standard serving of the saffron-hued basmati rice was just right.
It was not the best we tried but the fragrant and rich curry sauce made up for it. Remember to ask for more curry on your rice!
The cabbage thoran was light and tangy coupled with the sweetness of the onions cut it added another depth to the flavour to the vegetables.
The siu yoke hit the mark for sure, with an even ratio of fat to lean meat and crackling crispy skin. It’s tender, but with a good bite. I never thought I’d say this, but roast pork really tastes so good with biryani rice.
For something truly indulgent, the Salted Egg Chicken Biryani (S$6) would be perfect. With eight cubes of perfectly fried chicken coated with a generous amount of salted egg sauce, you’d be licking the bowl.
Chop Chop Biryani & Meats: #02-101 | Opening Hours: 11am – 4pm (Mon – Fri) | Tel: +65 8118 0657 | Facebook
Amoy Street Food Centre is truly a mecca for all foodies alike. As you make your pilgrimage to Amoy Street Food Centre and jostle with the never-ending crowd, do share with us what some of your go-to stalls are.
Price: $
Our Rating: 5 / 5
Amoy Street Food Centre
7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111
7 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069111
