‘Western food‘ in Singapore is mainly based on English and Italian dishes that have been adapted to the local palate, and simplified into simply Western food. Back in the day, most people wouldn’t understand what aglio olio is, would they? Fish and chips in Singapore were most likely glorified via the prevalence of Western food stalls in Singapore, while the chicken chop has become a well-loved favourite.
Why go to an upscale restaurant when hawker centre Western food is half the price of low-end Western restaurants? And they’re kinda like the ultimate comfort food Singaporeans splurged on while you were younger. It was always a treat to eat Western food as it was slightly pricier than the usual char kway teow.
There are days when you just want a slab of nice grilled meat, ladled with mushroom or black pepper sauce, with a side of fries to match, but you’re not in the mood to go to a restaurant and also there really isn’t any need to. So here’s a list of notable 17 kopitiam Western food stalls that aren’t that known because discovering undiscovered gems and giving these gems a platform to shine is always good, no?
1. Fish & Chicks
First coming onto the scene as the hyped new kid around the Ang Mo Kio blocks, Fish & Chicks has gone on to open over 12 branches all over Singapore. Founded by two young men so serious about bringing you good food, that they’ve made/researched countless batters, asking goreng pisang chefs how to achieve the most optimally light batter, choosing through many suppliers of fries find the perfect one then further seasoning it themselves, and even homemaking their own dipping sauces.
One might think that this is all necessary for good food. True! But you hardly see so much effort for a random western food kopitiam stall.
Fans of fish & chips, this is also a place you’d wanna put on your list. Apart from having a decent taste and portion, they’ve taken it up to a whole new class, pimping it with salted egg sauce and chilli crab sauce. Not even kidding!
Tried it and they were not only a novelty, but they were also delicious. Definitely worth a trip. The fried chicken wings are also highly addictive and you won’t want to miss that.
Refer to locations, contact numbers, and opening hours here.
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2. Wang’s Western
At Toa Payoh Lorong 1 Hawker Centre, Wang’s Western is probably overshadowed by all the other fantastic conventional local food like chicken rice, orh luak, and wanton mee. But should you give Wang’s Western a chance? Definitely.
They serve decent chicken chop, was juicy and not overly tender—just the way I enjoy my chicken chop. The serving is pretty adequate too.
Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre, 22 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh #01-23, Singapore 310022
Daily: 11am – 9.30pm
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3. Happy Chef Western Foods
Famously known for housing the Michelin-starred bak chor mee stall, Tai Hwa Eating House at Crawford Lane is also home to Happy Chef Western, a great alternative for those who can’t see the appeal of queuing too long for a bowl of noodles.
There’s a huge menu that spans across the entire wall near the stall, so take your time and try not to get confused by the numerous options available to you. For just S$10, the Sirloin Steak was executed well (medium-rare as per our order) and definitely worth the price.
The Chicken Kiev (S$10) is also another more exquisite dish you wouldn’t expect at a western food stall that makes Happy Chef really stand out.
466 Crawford Lane, Tai Hwa Eating House, #01-12, Singapore 190466
+65 63980773
Fri to Wed: 11am – 9pm
Closed on Thu
4. UNO Beef
The chicken spaghetti was pretty good. Appreciate that UNO Beef uses fried chicken instead of minced chicken. Before you shame me for ordering chicken at a place that says Beef House, if what the place isn’t known for is good, it says a lot about it, no?
Also, I fancy chicken much more than I do beef, sue me. And don’t worry, their beef hotplates are probably good, I saw a lot of people eating them.
51 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, #01-60, Singapore 310051
+65 9003 3832
Sun to Tue, Thu & Fri: 12pm – 9pm
Sat: 12pm – 3pm & 5pm – 9pm
Closed on Wed
5. Deli & Grill
Situated in a large hawker centre with so many other stalls and easily three other Western food stalls, Deli & Grill has to be different. And differentiate they did! Deli & Grill doesn’t just serve run off the mill kind of hawker western food. Instead, they serve things like smoked duck, bratwursts, curry pasta, sambal mussels, and more .
Even dedicating a portion of their menu to Asian-Western Fusion dishes that could be as simple yet as comforting as Bratwurst Fried Rice.
Their Fish & Chips (S$5) aren’t puffed with greasy batter, instead, it is just a thin crispy and aromatic breaded skin. Though again it wasn’t fantastic, I do prefer this much more than those greasy and off-putting batter-induced-coma Fish & Chips.
Call me stupid because I didn’t expect to be served a slab of this smoked duck that we usually see in those affordable smoked duck pasta. It was a tad overwhelming in its taste and portion perhaps adding a cold salad or more stir-fried vegetables to balance the intensity would be good.
Wouldn’t try this Smoked Duck with Hickory Sauce (S$8.90) again but I would try their grilled meats and fried rice that I witnessed many people ordering. I’m sure there’s more to explore in that impressive menu.
115 Bukit Merah View Market and Hawker Centre, #01-15, Singapore 150115
Daily: 12pm – 8pm
6. Indulgence @ Tanglin Halt
Indulge @ Tanglin Halt has multiple signs requesting for you, the customer, to not bug them to take your order. Instead, you should simply wait for them to ask you. Also, I did not have a very pleasant interaction with either of the owners.
Their lousy attitudes aside, they have a huge menu because you get to pair different meats with different kinds of pasta. The pasta choices include aglio olio, pomodoro, bolognese, and carbonara. So now you get to pair your favourite meat be it fish, chicken or lamb with your favourite style of pasta, unlike many other places that don’t have such flexibility.
I ordered Chicken Chop Pomodoro (S$6.50). The chicken was really flavourful and juicy slathered with a salty sauce. The pomodoro however tasted pretty questionable to me as it tasted oddly smokey and peppery. My father, however, enjoyed it. So, verdict’s on you I guess?
Some items are a tad pricier but for the humongous portions, your penny is worth it. I would go back for the food but the surly service makes me reconsider.
48A Tanglin Halt Road, Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre, #01-06, Singapore 148813
Mon to Fri: 10.30am – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 9pm
Sat: 5.30pm – 9pm
Closed on Sun
7. Otto Berlin Haus
Another German-inspired place at a kopitiam. Although Otto Berlin Haus‘ menu is not mainly German, they do have the more well-known German dishes like Pork Knuckles, Oxtail Stew, Rosti, and a variety of Bratwursts.
Also, this hawker centre, Epic Haus, houses many other international cuisines like Thai, Vietnamese, North Indian, and Japanese. To make this place even better, they sell German beer and some craft beers, and ciders.
Blk 211, Toa Payoh Lorong 8, Epic Haus, #01-01, Singapore 310211
+65 9833 7486
Tue to Sun: 11.30am – 10.45pm
Closed on Mon
8. Vie Bistro Bukit Batok
Surprisingly good Salmon Steak ($9.90) complemented with a buttery garlic sauce can be found here at Vie Bistro Bukit Batok. Though it might be considered overcooked for some people, I thought it was more than good enough. The sides were a bit charred but the meat still retained its juices.
The presentation was also remarkable for a simple kopitiam Western food place. It might be a tad pricey for kopitiam food but hey, you’re having salmon, that’s a pretty acceptable price. Their Chicken Chop is S$6.50 while the most expensive pasta goes at S$6.
Blk 155, Bukit Batok St 11, Lee Soon Food Court Stall No 2, #01-322, Singapore 650155
+65 8514 4792
Daily: 10am – 9pm
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9. Il Piccolo
Italian food in a kopitiam? Yes, please. Imagine my surprise when I saw Gnocchi on Il Piccolo‘s menu. Yes, this random kopitiam sells gnocchi! I was over the moon. So I waited in trepidation because I really missed gnocchi but I don’t know what to expect. Thankfully, the gnocchi was fantastic—both the pasta sauce and the dumpling.
The gnocchi was smooth inside and out with a ‘QQ‘ or rebounding texture that makes it highly satisfying to chew on. The sauce was this tangy creamy sauce pack with garlic flavour and tossed with asparagus. Some of my colleagues tried their tomato-based spaghetti and largely preferred my gnocchi dish.
That aside, I’ll go back for the gnocchi again and perhaps try their more Italian dishes. I heard their pizzas are pretty good too.
Blk 78C Toa Payoh Central, Singapore 313078
Daily: 8am – 9pm
10. The Carving Board
The Carving Board may be the most well-known than any other place on this list, but I feel like its recognition pales in comparison to Bukit Merah Block 119 Coffeeshop. They have quite a substantial menu with four types of burgers, two types of wursts on top of the usual stuff.
By 8+pm, most of their mains are sold out. So if you want to catch your grub in time, you might want to go earlier.
At first glance, the salmon seems to be overcooked in which case, it’s dry and flakes easily. Instead, the insides remained surprisingly soft. The degree of doneness could be lesser to retain the juices but it was still fantastic nonetheless.
Under the salmon steak is some jalapeno salsa and a bed of quinoa for your carbohydrate source. Thought the quinoa was a great touch I mean having quinoa at a Kopitiam is pretty damn novel to me. Overall, the salmon steak had a swell combination going on and I’d recommend this.
Their Beef Burger (S$11) was very satisfying as well. Sufficiently thick succulent patty with juicy pickles and a generous dollop of sauce. Plus, caramelised onions added extra smokey sweet flavour that made this burger really enjoyable. I highly recommend the sirloin steak and cheeseburger. I spotted Currywurst (S$9) on the menu and got really excited to try it but it was only meh.
Blk 252 Jurong East St 24, #01-107, Singapore 600252
+65 9789 8262
Tue to Thu & Sun: 12pm – 9pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 9.30pm
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11. Hot Plate Western Food
Hot Plate Western Food prides itself on its Taiwanese-style x Singapore Western food as they serve about three Taiwanese-inspired dishes like Taiwan’s famous fried chicken cutlet. I wasn’t in the mood for deep-fried stuff, so I got Pork Chop (S$5.50) instead and no ragrets at all.
It’s so good; the pork chop was lean yet tender enough, retaining its tasty juices. It’s seasoned right and accompanied with a great sauce—a sizzling plate of this is power lunch to me.
P.S. there will most probably be a line during lunch hour so you might want to avoid that.
30 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market, #02-54, Singapore 168898
Mon, Wed to Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 8.30pm
Sat & Sun: 12.30pm – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 8.30pm
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12. Seletar Western Food
Sometimes when we indulge in old-school comfort food like Western food, it’s to get that sense of nostalgia and child-like sense of wonderment. As far as nostalgia goes, not many Western stalls in Singapore can beat Seletar Western Food in terms of taste and decor.
When you reach the coffee shop, the vibes hit you immediately. This is as old-school of a coffee shop as it gets. And the smells? As comforting as any.
Get a side of Fish & Chips (S$6.50) for the plain and simple crispy indulgence many of us enjoyed as kids, or sink your teeth into the meatier bites of the Chicken Chop (S$6) or Pork Chop (S$6.50). Drenched in the most bona fide brown sauce we’ve ever tasted, this is comfort food on steroids.
2 Jalan Selaseh, #01-04, Singapore 808433
+65 6481 9241
Daily: 3.30pm – 8.30pm
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13. Wow Wow West
This kopitiam Western stall has a rather moving love story—the male half of the owner duo used to be a regular customer who eventually got to know the owner, his current wife, before getting married in 2012 and has been running the stall together since then.
One of Wow Wow West’s most popular items is their Chicken Chop (S$7) which is apparently their signature. It sports a golden-brown hue and a delectably crispy grilled chicken skin and is soaked in a pool of their flavourful black pepper sauce.
If you’re a fan of Fish & Chips (S$8), it’s also worth digging into it for the moist and flaky flesh that contrasts with the crispy batter. There’s also a generous dollop of their housemade mayonnaise sauce to add that luscious twang to the fish.
6 Jalan Bukit Merah, ABC Brickworks, #01-133, Singapore 150006
Tue to Sat: 10.30am – 2pm & 4.30pm – 8pm
Closed on Sun & Mon
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14. Ye Lai Xiang Tasty BBQ 夜来香
This gem at Maxwell Food Centre is one of the last bastions of authentic and old-school Hainanese Western food you can find in Singapore. Unlike many of the older Western stalls that serve up the more modern style of Western food, you can still find the tradition of Hainanese food alive here.
Ye Lai Xiang’s true secret lies in their sweet and tangy brown sauce following the time-honoured recipe of simmering meat and vegetables for eight hours. You can find it poured all over classics such as the Pork Chop (S$7.50) and Chicken Chop (S$7.50) which pair perfectly with the punchy profile of the sauce.
1 Kadayanallur Street, Maxwell Food Centre, #01-94, Singapore 069184
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm & 6pm – 8pm
Closed on Sat & Sun
15. Ashes Burnnit
Kopitiam Western experts may remember the delicious burgers found at the basement of Golden Mile Food Centre. While previous tenant Burgs by Project Warung has moved on, Ashes Burnnit has made itself at home and even successfully expanded with branches all throughout Singapore.
What you get here at Ashes are no-frills offerings boasting of gourmet burger quality but carrying affordable price tags. One of their distinctive features is the jet black buns, which provide a striking contrast in their popular items such as the Best of Both World Burger (S$9 for single patty, S$11.50 for double patty) that’s loaded with golden mac & cheese.
But if the opulence of mac & cheese is too much for you, their gorgeous pink-centred patties are great with Truffle Mushroom (S$8 for single patty, S$10.50 for double patty) or when assembled as a simple Smash Cheese Burger (S$5.90 for single patty, S$8.40 for double patty).
Refer to locations, contact numbers, and opening hours here
Daily: 3.30pm – 8.30pm
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16. Eddy’s
When we talk about Western food available in kopitiams all around Singapore, we normally think of classic chicken chops or thick succulent burgers. But what if we told you that you can get duck confit at a hawker centre for an affordable price?
For S$10, you can get a piece of crispy Duck Confit at Eddy’s that comes with a carb choice of either aglio olio spaghetti or mashed potato to supplement the main. Considering most restaurants charge a good S$20 for their duck confit, you won’t find much cheaper duck confit than this.
Alternatively, you can get the unique Mala Shrimp Spaghetti (S$7.50) for a spicy and umami mix of flavours that would appeal to both the local-loving and western-adoring sides of your palate.
538 Upper Cross Street, Hong Lim Food Centre,#02-52, Singapore 050538
Mon to Fri: 10.30am – 3pm
Closed on Sat & Sun
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17. Smokin’ Joe
Sometimes, many young hawker’s burning passions are what led them onto these “unconventional” career paths that most parents would scoff at. For Smokin’ Joe, the passion burns even brighter—they use a Josper Grill, a high-end apparatus found in top restaurants, for their grills. Of course, the prices aren’t as low as they can be for a Western stall. But you pay for the quality of a grill that costs more than 10K.
Bestsellers range from the juicy BBQ Boneless Chicken Leg (S$8), a rather affordably priced 160g Wagyu Cheesy Hamburg Steak for S$12, and of course the high-quality Australian Angus Reserve Grain-Fed Ribeye Steak (S$18) for steak lovers looking for a bargain.
51 Yishun Avenue 11, Yishun Park Hawker Centre, #01-37, Singapore 768867
Daily: 1.30pm – 8.45pm
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