12 stalls in Keat Hong Food Centre for your foodie bucket list

There can never be too many hawker centres, am I right? Our lovely island is home to more than 120, each dishing out grub as great as the next. If you’re anything of a hawker hopper, here’s a pretty fresh addition for you to check out: Keat Hong Food Centre.

For the uninitiated, Keat Hong Wet Market got a major facelift and reopened to the public as Keat Hong Food Centre and Market in Oct 2024 after nearly 7 months of renovation. The refurbished space, brightly lit and very colourful, now boasts a seating capacity of 200 and a dazzling line-up of hawker stalls serving up a variety of cuisines — from Japanese to Korean, Indian, Chinese and local favourites.

Here’s introducing 12 stalls in Keat Hong Food Centre for your foodie bucket list.

1. Egg Talk

You’re probably familiar with Danlao, but have you heard of Egg Talk? A lesser-known sister brand of the famed establishment, it similarly specialises in the brand’s renowned scrambled egg rice bowls.

Wondering what sets them apart? I noticed that Egg Talk’s menu leans a little more Chinese-inspired, featuring sides like Crunchy Cucumber with Spicy Sauce (S$4) and a Peking duck-style Crispy Duck Roll (S$6). Their rice bowls get a spin, too, with options like the mala-style Spicy Pork Scrambled Egg Rice (S$8) and the sanbeiji-inspired Three Cup Mushroom Scrambled Egg Rice (S$6).

I couldn’t help but be curious about how Egg Talk’s Luncheon Meat Scrambled Egg Rice (S$6) would stack up against Danlao’s. While I remember enjoying the latter’s rendition, I’m happy to report that the former’s take edged it out. The creamy, silky scrambled egg paired perfectly with the sweet sauce-drizzled jasmine rice and hefty luncheon meat chunks — but what truly tied everything together was the crisp, umami kick lent by the spring onions studded throughout the eggs.

Daily: 10am – 11pm

2. Qiu Lin Yong Tau Foo

Qiu Lin Yong Tau Foo is a family-run stall that prides itself on their handmade Hakka-style yong tau foo stuffed with meat paste, as well as a range of comforting claypot dishes in the likes of Claypot Bak Kut Teh (S$9.80), Pork Trotter with Vinegar (S$8.80), Braised Pork (S$7.80) and Sesame Oil Chicken (S$7.80).

The main attraction for many would still be their yong tau foo, featuring an array of ingredients priced at a very affordable S$0.60 each. The Yong Tau Foo Set A (S$5.40) entitles you to a selection of 6 ingredients and your broth or sauce of choice, while Set B (S$6.20) includes an add-on of either rice or noodles.

I opted for Set B with rice and Laksa (+S$1) broth along with a careful selection of their handmade ingredients, including Meat Paste Tofu, Eggplant, Ngor Hiang and Meatball. Speaking of which, you can request to have these refried and served in a separate bowl for maximum crisp.

A definite must-get is the meatball, a hefty deep-fried creation featuring a crunchy meat “shell” stuffed with even more of their tasty, perfectly-seasoned meat paste. Another item that blew me away was the meat-stuffed eggplant, which was soft, savoury and positively devoid of that unpleasant sliminess that I detest. Verdict: you won’t go wrong with anything stuffed with meat paste.

Daily: 8am – 8pm

3. Global Wanton Mee

Yet another of Danlao’s sister concepts, Global Wanton Mee serves not scrambled egg rice bowls (head to #1 for that!) but elevated bowls of the humble wanton mee. And guess what? This stall in Keat Hong Food Centre is their very first stall in Singapore.

I couldn’t pay a visit to Globan Wanton Mee without giving their Signature Wanton Mee (S$5.50) a go. The egg noodles were unlike any other I’ve had before, with a curly appearance and springiness that reminded me of kolo mee. Tossed in a flavourful mix of dark sauce and chilli, they were downright slurp-worthy. The crispy wanton and caramelised char siew were stand-outs too.

Another menu item that’s sure to catch your eye is the Hot Spicy Chicken Noodles (S$6.50), which comes topped with a drunken chicken-style roulade. Tender and meaty, it’s an interesting complement to the noodles that you’re unlikely to find elsewhere.

Daily: 8am – 6.30pm

4. Xiang Chi Mian Traditional Bak Chor Mee

If you ever find yourself at a loss in a food centre, bak chor mee is never a bad idea. With a Chinese name that translates to ‘want to eat noodles’, Xiang Chi Mian Traditional Bak Chor Mee is exactly where you should get your fix.

A must-try is the Signature Minced Meat Noodle (S$5.80), which features your choice of noodles topped with a medley of ingredients: minced meat chunks, liver, lean pork slices, braised mushrooms, wanton, meatball and mini ngor hiang.

While the mee pok noodles carried a little alkalinity, I enjoyed their springiness and how well they paired with the sauce and chilli. Another stand-out was the mini ngor hiang — toothsome and juicy, it’s offered as a side dish of 5 rolls for S$4.

If minced meat isn’t your thing, Xiang Chi Mian also offers Fishball Noodles in both soup and dry variations, priced at an affordable S$4 per bowl. Alternatively, indulge in a creamy, mildly fiery Laksa (S$4).

Daily: 7am – 9pm
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5. Fu Wei Chicken Rice • Soup

On the topic of infallible meal options, how about chicken rice from Fu Wei Chicken Rice • Soup? Whether you’re Team Steamed Chicken, Roasted Chicken or, perhaps, Chicken Cutlet, this stall has something to suit your fancy. They even offer comforting bowls of ABC Pork Ribs Soup with Rice for just S$3.50!

As a proud member of #TeamSteamed, I went for the Steamed Chicken Rice (S$4.80). The plate featured a bed of fluffy rice crowned by chicken, a sprinkle of crispy fried garlic and a fresh green garnish. My favourite part of the dish had to be the fragrant rice — each spoonful made even better with a dash of black sauce and zesty chilli.

A quick tip: Fu Wei Chicken Rice typically serves the wing by default, but you can request for the thigh or Drumstick (+S$1.30) if bony parts aren’t your thing.

If you can’t get enough of the Steamed and Roasted Chicken Rice (S$4.80), the stall also offers Half (S$16) and Whole Chicken (S$28). Or, if you’d like to try something a little different, there’s the Fried Chicken Leg Rice (S$6.50) and Fried Chicken Cutlet Rice (S$6) which can be paired with either Lemon or Thai Sauce.

Daily: 11am – 8pm

6. Kim Dae Bak Korean & Japanese Cuisine

Kim Dae Bak Korean & Japanese Cuisine is a Muslim-owned stall that specialises in — you guessed it — Korean and Japanese food. If you thought having the best of both worlds is all there is to the stall, you thought wrong. With an expansive menu and wallet-friendly prices, this stall promises you bang for your buck.

You can find Korean favourites such as Beef Dol Sot Bibimbap (S$8.50), Chicken Bulgogi (S$7.80), Mandu Ramyun with Cheese (S$6.50) and Chicken Sundubu Jjigae (S$7.50) — a crowd-favourite spicy stew full of bulgogi chicken slices and soft tofu chunks that’s the perfect complement to a rainy day.

In the Japanese arena, the stall offers value-for-money bento sets such as the Teriyaki Chicken + Grilled Salmon Bento (S$9.90) and the more boujee Saba Fish + Grilled Wagyu Beef Patty Bento (S$11.50), all of which feature your choice of proteins with rice and a side salad.

Some other interesting offerings include the Teppan Omu Beef Bulgogi (S$9.90), a bulgogi beef hotplate omelette, as well as the Chicken Cutlet + Ebi Omu Curry Rice (S$8.90), which features rice blanketed by a fluffy tornado omelette along with a plentiful serving of aromatic Japanese curry on the side.

Daily: 11am – 9pm
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7. Jian Bo Shui Kueh

Ah, here’s one that needs no introduction: Jian Bo Shui Kueh. With the Michelin Guide’s stamp of approval and widespread recognition as one of Singapore’s best chwee kueh stalls, this iconic establishment is, I’m sure, a top breakfast pick for many Keat Hong residents.

The Signature Jian Bo Shui Kueh (S$3.50 for 5 pieces, S$5.60 for 8 pieces, S$7 for 10 pieces) finds itself on the top of many chwee kueh aficionados’ lists. The soft, supple white cakes are topped with a generous portion of sweet-savoury chye poh and aromatic sambal, making for quick yet satisfying breakfast fixes.

Signature dish aside, the stall also offers other traditional breakfast items such as Steamed Yam Cake (S$3 for 2 pieces, S$4.50 for 3 pieces), Glutinous Rice (S$2.50) and sweet local-style Chee Cheong Fun (S$3 for 2 rolls, S$4.50 for 3 rolls).

Daily: 6am – 5pm
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8. Confirm + Chop Western Grill

The award for the wittiest name goes to… Confirm + Chop Western Grill! This is your spot for hearty plates of Western grub like chicken chop, chicken wings, crispy fries, pasta and even striploin steak.

Confirm + Chop Western Grill offers 2 types of sets: a Fries Set (from S$7.90) and a Pasta/Rice Set (from S$8.90). Each features your choice of main, 1 side, a fried bun and either a serving of golden-brown fries or fried rice, tomato pasta or aglio olio.

True to their name, a popular choice is the Chicken Chop (S$7.90 for Fries Set, S$8.90 for Pasta/Rice Set). Each hefty slab of chicken is seasoned and grilled immaculately, with tender meat and flavourful skin embellished with crisped edges.

Other delicious options include the Grilled Dory Fish (S$8.90/S$9.90), Striploin Steak (S$14.90) and the indulgent Mixed Grill (S$15.90), which features the triple-threat combination of chicken chop, snappy grilled sausage and tender striploin steak. There are also pasta options such as Grilled Chicken Carbonara (S$7.90), Smoked Duck Tomato Pasta (S$7.90) and Mushroom Aglio Olio (S$5.90).

Daily: 11am – 9pm
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9. Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee

Chilli crab, har cheong gai, hor fun, cereal prawns… You can find them all at Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee. Best known for its local-style Cantonese zi char, this stall in Keat Hong is one of the brand’s numerous outlets and boasts a plethora of more than 90 menu items.

If you love all things crab, splurge on the Chilli Crab (Seasonal Prices) slathered in a copious amount of tomato-chilli gravy or the Salted Egg Crab (Seasonal Prices), which sees the crustacean paired with a creamy, moreish salted egg yolk sauce. Speaking of seafood, another must-try is the Cereal Prawn (S$20/S$30/S$40), featuring fresh fried prawns blanketed by a hefty pile of tasty cereal bits.

Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee also offers dishes that solo diners can enjoy too, including the classic San Lao Hor Fun (S$7/S$13/S$20), wok hei-laden Dry Fried Hor Fun (S$6.50/S$12/S$18), Kampung Fried Rice (S$7/S$13/S$20) and Black Pepper Beef Rice (S$7).

Daily: 12pm – 11pm
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10. Ju Bao Xuan Mala Hotpot

Spice up your life with some mala xiang guo from Ju Bao Xuan Mala Hotpot, because few woes can’t be solved with the savoury, tongue-numbing flavours of Sichuan peppercorn. That is, unless you can’t take spice.

Interestingly, Ju Bao Xuan Mala Hotpot offers Mala Tang (soup) on top of its dry Mala Hotpot. The bowls are fully customisable and the ingredients are priced by category, with Vegetables (S$1.30 to S$2.60/100g) such as potatoes, lotus root and Chinese cabbage, Meat (S$2.60/100g) like pork belly and chicken thigh, assorted Mushrooms (S$2.60/100g) and Beef/Seafood (S$4.30/100g).

They also have bubbling pots of their Signature Grilled Fish (S$14.80), which features fresh sea bass in your choice from a selection of 3 broths: Super Spicy, Healthy Herbal and Sauerkraut.

Daily: 11am – 9pm
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11. S&M Pacific Cuisine

No food centre is complete without a resident cai png stall, and that’s S&M Pacific Cuisine for ya. This stall is one of the prolific establishment’s many islandwide and offers tray upon tray of freshly prepared ingredients for you to choose and assemble your own plate.

A plate of cai png at S&M Pacific Cuisine goes for as low as S$2.20 for a plate with 2 Veg, while a 2 Veg + 1 Meat combo can range from S$2.70 to S$4 and beyond, depending on the type of ingredients you select.

Be spoiled for choice by the colourful array of ingredients, which includes never-go-wrong classics like Sweet & Sour Pork, Curry Chicken, Steamed Egg, Bitter Gourd and Beansprouts.

Daily: 8am – 8pm

12. An Nurul Indian Muslim Food

Fancy some good ol’ roti prata or other favourites like biryani and murtabak? An Nurul Indian Muslim Food has you covered. This halal, Muslim-owned spot offers a variety of Indian-Muslim favourites — including a pick-your-own-dish Indian rojak.

For starters, you can get classics like Plain Prata (S$2.40 for 2 pieces), Egg Prata (S$2) and some crispy Coin Prata (S$3), as well as some less-common creations like Tsunami Prata (from S$4.20) and Sarang Burung Prata (S$4).

There are also heartier offerings like Chicken/Mutton/Sardine Murtabak (from S$6), Mutton/Chicken Chop (S$8) and the loaded Roti John Combo (S$12.50), starring your selection of roti john loaded with different meats and fillings.

Daily: 7am – 9.30pm

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