Newton Food Centre has been popularised due to the star-studded movie Crazy Rich Asians, which came out in 2018 and featured the hawker centre. However, amongst locals, it has been known as a tourist trap with exorbitant pricing.
Putting the pricing aside, Newton Food Centre does have some tasty treats within it that are worth eating and sharing.
We checked out Newton Food Centre to present to you 10 best hawker stalls that’ll make you feel like a Tasty Rich Asian.
1. Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge (#01-20)
Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge had a MICHELIN guide sign, which immediately caught my eye. After having a talk with the friendly store aunty, I decided to order three dishes to try.
I got the Dual Fish Soup with Bee Hoon (S$7.50), Fish Head Soup (S$6), and Fried Sliced Fish Bee Hoon (S$6.50). The sliced fish was fresh and did not have a fishy taste at all, while the fried fish was seasoned well and had a slight savoury taste.
The only gripe I had with the fish was that it could’ve been fried slightly longer to be more golden brown, as it was pale yellow in colour, which was different from the picture on the signboard. Despite that, it was a hearty bowl of fish soup that I would definitely come back for.
Tue to Sun: 10.30am – 8pm
Closed on Mon
2. 31 Heng Heng BBQ (#01-31)
31 Heng Heng BBQ had all kinds of seafood, including stingray, tiger prawns and grilled lobster. However, I was there for only one dish— BBQ Stingray.
BBQ Stingray (S$12) was covered with a layer of sambal chilli which was flavourful and had a slight kick to it. The stingray meat reminded me of chicken meat as it was slightly stringy. It was my first time eating BBQ stingray and I was really impressed with how good the dish was. Eating the stingray meat together with the raw onion in chilli sauce gave it a tangy note.
My companion had been raving about the BBQ stingray at Newton Food Centre for three years, and I finally had the chance to try it. I can see why she greatly likes it.
Daily: 12.30pm – 10.30pm
3. Newton Old Signboard 25 (#01-25)
One hawker staple is hokkien mee, and no matter which hawker centre my friends and I go to, we’d always end up ordering a plate of hokkien mee. This was the exact same case for Newton Food Centre, with my dining companions requesting for a plate of hokkien mee from Newton Old Signboard 25.
The moment I received my plate of Hokkien Mee (S$5), the strong wok hei immediately wafted into my nostrils. Despite that, it was not overly smoky in terms of flavour. The noodles were well-cooked, and the lard pieces added grease to the dish. The chilli was your typical hokkien mee chilli, which was slightly sweet, and helped to cut through the greasiness of the noodles.
There were also a generous amount of ingredients within the noodles, including prawns and squids. All in all, it was a decent plate of hokkien mee, and I would definitely come back for more.
Daily: 10.30am – 10.30pm
4. Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette (#01-73)
Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette had raving reviews online, so I had to give it a try. The store only sells one thing: oyster omelette. That’s when you know they have perfected their craft— to be able to sell a key menu item.
The Oyster Omelette Orh Jian (S$8) had a crispy egg and cornstarch batter, while the inside remained soft and fluffy. The oysters were plump and juicy, which made for a great bite. The omelette was on the eggier side, which I appreciated, as I prefer eggs to have a starchy texture. The chilli complemented the oyster omelette really well, and this is a must-have at Newton Food Centre.
Tue to Sat: 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Closed on Sun & Mon
5. Heng Carrot Cake (#01-28)
Heng Carrot Cake has been serving customers since 1971, and has even been awarded MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in 2018! With such an accolade, Heng Carrot Cake is a definite must-try at Newton Food Centre.
The Carrot Cake (S$6) came with both white and black carrot cake and a generous amount of preserved radish and eggs. The white carrot cake was fried till the egg bits turned crispy and was a savoury treat, while the black carrot cake was sweeter, with a smoky wok hei-like taste. For S$5, this is definitely one of the more affordable dishes at Newton Food Centre.
Sat to Mon & Wed to Thu: 5pm – 11pm
Fri: 6pm – 11pm
Closed on Tue
6. Bee Heng Satay Popiah (#01-12)
Bee Heng Satay Popiah, as the name suggests, sells both satay and popiah. I originally wanted to get a roll to try as my friends and I had already ordered a table full of food. However, the store had a two roll minimum, so we ended up getting two rolls of popiah.
Hokkien Popiah (S$4.60 for two pieces) has been around since 1930, and it’s no wonder that the recipe has stood the test of time. The Popiah had a good bite since it was rolled big with a generous amount of ingredients inside, including radish, eggs and bean sprouts. It contained a little bit of chilli too, and the slight kick of spice was delicious. For the price, the Popiah was definitely a must-get.
Tue to Sun: 11.45am – 11pm
Closed on Mon
7. Bangkok Express (#01-04)
There are many different cuisines in Newton Food Centre, including Thai cuisine.
Bangkok Express has all kinds of dishes starting from S$5, including Thai Fried Tung Hoon, Pineapple Rice, and Olive Fried Rice.
Pad Thai (S$5) is a stir-fried noodle dish that was served with a generous amount of ingredients such as prawns and beansprouts. The noodles were savoury, and with the addition of chilli flakes, made for a decent meal. Especially at S$5, it is an affordable meal to keep one full.
Daily: 11.30am – 9.30pm
8. R&B Express (#01-76)
From where I was sitting, I could see the MICHELIN sign on R&B Express. I asked myself “What do MICHELIN-approved chicken wings taste like?” and knew I had to give it a try. I queued patiently, excited for the delicious chicken wings.
BBQ Chicken Wing (S$1.50 per piece) was delicious as it was charred nicely, which resulted in a crispy skin, and the chicken wing meat was smoky and juicy. The meat was moist and delicious, and I really enjoyed the wings.
We also ordered Satay (S$0.80 per stick), which had a minimum order of five sticks per meat. As we wanted to try all the different meats, we ordered pork, beef and chicken. The chicken and beef satays were tender and flavourful, and paired well with the peanut sauce. The pork satay was slightly on the tougher side but was just as flavourful.
Daily: 5pm – 1.30am
9. 88 San Red Cold & Hot Dessert (#01-05)
One of the few dessert stalls at Newton Food Centre was 88 San Ren Cold & Hot Dessert.
We had Chendol (S$3) and Durian Ice Kachang (S$3.50). The Chendol was delicious, with a good balance of coconut milk, gula melaka sauce and green jelly. The only gripe I had was with the Durian Ice Kachang, as it was overly sweet with the rose syrup and gula melaka, and it did not suit my taste buds.
Daily: 12pm – 10.30pm
10. Soon Wah Fish Ball Kway Teow Mee (#01-69)
Soon Wah Fishball Kway Teow Mee has been around since 1966 and its popularity is thanks to its freshly made fishballs and her giao.
Fish Dumpling Soup (S$5) was priced reasonably for the generous amount of fishballs and her giao found within the bowl of soup. The soup was savoury, and complemented the fishballs, which were chewy and delectable, while the her giao was cooked well and had a decent bite to it.
Mon to Tue & Thu to Sat: 6pm – 9.30pm
Closed on Wed & Sun
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