Newton Food Centre was brought to fame by the star-studded 2018 movie Crazy Rich Asians which featured the hawker centre. However, amongst locals, it has always been known as a tourist trap with exorbitant pricing.
Apart from its high-priced hawker fare, Newton Food Centre does have some tasty treats that are worth trying and sharing.
We checked out Newton Food Centre to present to you the 15 best hawker stalls at Newton Food Centre 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. They were given the title due to the freshness of the seafood used in their dishes which introduces a mild sweetness to the broth.
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.
+65 9769 9893
Tue to Sun: 11am – 8pm
Closed on Mon
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2. 31 Heng Heng BBQ (#01-31)
31 Heng Heng BBQ sells a huge assortment of cooked seafood. The list begins with their ever so popular stingray platter before moving down to the likes of tiger prawns and grilled lobster. I had one purpose on my visit — to dig into their BBQ Stingray (S$12).
A large slab of stingray was smothered with a thick layer of sambal chilli and grilled till smoky and aromatic. The result was flavourful and the spiciness brought a slight kick to the seafood. 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 likes it.
+65 8224 9929
Wed to Mon: 12.30pm – 10.30pm
Closed on Tue
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3. Newton Old Signboard 25 (#01-25)
A popular hawker staple is hokkien mee. No matter which hawker centre my friends and I go to, we always end up ordering a plate of hokkien mee. This was the case for Newton Food Centre — my dining companions fervently requested a serving 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 a satisfying greasy factor to the dish. The chilli was rather typical — slightly sweet. Mixing it into the noodles helped to cut through its heavy greasiness.
There was also a generous amount of ingredients within the noodles, including prawns and squid. All in all, it was a decent plate of hokkien mee, and I would definitely come back for more.
Order delivery: foodpanda
Daily: 10.45am – 10.30pm
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4. Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette (#01-73)
Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette has rave reviews online, so I had to give it a try. The store specialises in only one food item — oyster omelette. To be able to sell a single menu item, that’s when you know they have perfected their craft.
To top it off, the business has no social media presence at all! I believe the fame of this hawker gem is solely through countless recommendations from happy customers who have enjoyed their food.
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, and they exploded with their signature briny flavour that invited a second bite.
The omelette was on the eggier side, which I appreciated, as I prefer eggs to not have a gloopy starchy texture. Lastly, the chilli complemented the oyster omelette really well with its acidity. This is a must-have item at Newton Food Centre!
Tue to Sat: 6pm – 12am
Closed Sun & Mon
5. Heng Carrot Cake (#01-28)
Heng Carrot Cake has been serving customers since 1971, and was even awarded a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in 2018 and 2023! With such an accolade, Heng Carrot Cake is another must-try stall at Newton Food Centre.
Come prepared, though, as you can expect snaking queues and long waiting times for a serving of their famed dishes.
Their signature Carrot Cake (S$6) comes in both white and black versions. The base of each carrot cake should contain a generous amount of preserved radish and eggs. Luckily for us, we were delighted by the sheer amount of eggs visible on our plate!
The white carrot cake was fried till the egg bits turned crispy and was a savoury treat. As someone who prefers a stronger flavour, I thoroughly enjoyed the black carrot cake.
Possessing a sweeter and smoky wok hei fragrance, the black carrot cake clearly outshone its white counterpart. For S$6, this is definitely one of the more affordable dishes at Newton Food Centre.
Wed to Mon: 6pm – 11pm
Closed on Tue
6. Bee Heng Satay Popiah (#01-12)
Bee Heng Satay Popiah in Newton Food Centre, 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$4.40 for two pieces) has been around since 1930. After giving the vegetable stuffed rolls a try for myself, it is no wonder that the recipe has stood the test of time.
The popiah had a good bite since it was rolled into a huge wrap with a generous amount of ingredients encased within its thin skin. Radish, eggs and bean sprouts made up the main flavours.
It contained a little bit of chilli, too, and the slight kick of spice was delicious. For the price, the popiah is yet another must-get item at Newton Food Centre.
Perhaps on my next visit, I may try out their satay sticks too!
+65 9369 2009
Tue to Sun: 4.30pm – 10pm
Closed on Mon
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7. Bangkok Express (#01-04)
You can find various cuisines in Newton Food Centre, including Thai cuisine. Bangkok Express has an array of dishes starting from S$5, including Thai Fried Tung Hoon, Pineapple Rice, and Olive Fried Rice.
Do keep in mind that most of their dishes are competitively priced in comparison to neighbouring stalls!
Most customers arrive at Newton Food Centre to satisfy their cravings for local hawker fare. However, it is difficult to resist the sweet and savoury aromas of Thai cuisine drifting from this stall.
The most loved food item here is none other than their Pad Thai (S$5). It is a stir-fried noodle dish that is served with a generous amount of ingredients such as prawns and beansprouts.
The best component of this dish (I believe) is the addition of crushed peanuts and chilli flakes. Combining them with the salty noodles introduces dimension and texture which makes this dish super addictive!
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 chicken wings which I anticipated to be delish.
BBQ Chicken Wing (S$1.50 per piece) is delicious as it is charred nicely, which results in a crispy skin, and the chicken wing meat was smoky and juicy. The meat was moist and delicious, and I really enjoyed it.
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.
+65 9028 4016
Tue to Sun: 5pm – 2am
Closed on Mon
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Where to eat: 10 hawker stalls in Singapore opened by ex-restaurant chefs
9. 88 San Red Cold & Hot Dessert (#01-05)
One of the few dessert stalls at Newton Food Centre is 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.
Order delivery: foodpanda Deliveroo
Daily: 11am – 10.30pm
10. Soon Wah Fish Ball Kway Teow Mee (#01-69)
Soon Wah Fishball Kway Teow Mee has been around since 1966. The business’s popularity can be attributed to the use of freshly made fish balls and the owner’s well-loved her giao (Teochew fish dumplings).
To those who are unfamiliar with this local delight, the dumpling skin should be translucent. Texture-wise, the skin should be thin but firm enough to hold the minced meat stuffing within. As a whole, the dumpling should be slightly chewy as well.
Fish Dumpling Soup (S$5) was priced reasonably for the generous amount of fish balls and her giao found within the bowl of soup.
The soup was light but savoury which made the perfect soup base for those bouncy fish balls. The fish balls were almost juicy and were super satisfying to bite into. The fish dumplings were chewy and delectable — the perfect way to identify a well-made her giao.
Considering how there aren’t many places in Singapore left that sell such handmade delicacies, it is worth paying them a visit soon!
+65 9781 1879
Mon & Tue, Thu to Sat: 6pm – 9.30pm
Closed on Wed & Sun
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11. TKR Yummy Chicken Wing & Satay (#01-33)
TKR Yummy Chicken Wing & Satay is definitely one of my top options when craving this local delight!
I’m not sure why most stalls that sell chicken wings also have satay sticks available. Whatever the reason may be, I simply love the combination of smokey chicken wings and sweet meat skewers from this stall in Newton Food Centre!
On almost every visit to large hawker centres, I keep my eye out for the perfect charred chicken wings with the spiciest chilli dips. Chicken Wings are sold at S$1.40 per piece while Satay sticks are available for S$0.70 per stick.
They have one additional satay meat that stands out from the usual satay meat selection of chicken, mutton, beef and pork: prawns. Naturally, the premium seafood item is priced higher at S$2 per stick.
They do offer set meals that consist of a mixture of chicken wings and satay sticks sold at a bundle price. You may find more information here.
With every chicken wing eaten, I always have to dip mine into a puddle of chilli sauce and lime mixture. It had a bright orange colour which suggests that it packs a spicy kick!
Wed to Mon: 4pm – 12.30am
Closed on Tue
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12. Kwee Heng Duck Rice (#01-13)
A relatively new stall was awarded the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand this year. This may sound rather duh but Kwee Heng Duck Rice specialises in, well, braised duck dishes.
With more than 40 years of history in the business, the stall offers a wide variety of roasted chicken dishes, too. Based on the online images of their food , it seems like a pretty small serving of braised duck slices topped onto a bed of noodles in their Braised Duck Noodles (S$4).
Choose from yellow noodles or white kway teow (flat rice noodles). The slurp-worthy brown-hued gravy is filled with savoury goodness and a deep wok hei flavour. Your choice of noodles will be drenched to fully flavour them but not oversoaked till soggy.
Expect long queues so do come prepared for a long wait. Pro tip: come as early as you can; I hear they sell out by lunchtime!
Thu to Tue: 9am – 10pm
Closed on Wed
13. La Porpo (#01-80)
In Newton Food Centre, La Porpo stands out quite obviously from its neighbouring stalls with a striking orange storefront stand and a rather unique food menu. The focus here is on Malay-style cuisine — ayam goreng.
Ayam goreng basically translates to fried chicken. As with most fried goods, the quality and cleanliness of the oil used is the key to the flavour. Good frying oil creates a crispy chicken skin that does not taste too oily or greasy.
The seasoning used to marinate the chicken pieces is another contributing factor to the success of these ayam goreng dishes. Case in point, the team has chosen well-known spices, including salt, pepper and turmeric powder to preserve the natural chicken flavours.
Of course, there is something for spice lovers, too. The Nasi Sambal Penyet (S$7) and Nasi Sambal Geprek (S$7) will surely please your taste buds. In the former, red chillies are used while green chilli is smashed to a paste in the latter.
+65 8742 4850
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 9pm
Closed on Mon
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14. Alliance Seafood (#01-27)
Newton Food Centre is not short of MICHELIN-approved stalls, and Alliance Seafood is yet another one with the accolade. With an emphasis on customer service and attention to detail, they have countless fans coming back for more.
Customers should get a serving of their speciality Chilli Crab (seasonal prices). The dish features large crabs with fresh and succulent chunks of flesh encased within the shell.
Its sweet meat contrasts well against the bright orange gravy. The additional egg swirls found within the sauce introduce a silky consistency that is to die for.
Spice lovers, do not shy away. The balance of spice and sweetness is the key to a luscious and addictive gravy. Another must-have component to soak up all that savoury gravy are mantou buns. These mini fried buns are crunchy on the outside but fluffy and soft on the inside.
Expect to get addicted to the dishes’ bomb of flavours and multiple textures!
Order delivery: Deliveroo
+65 9771 9209
Tue to Sun: 12.30pm – 10.30pm
Closed on Mon
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15. Hajah Monah Kitchen (#01-83)
Nasi padang is essentially economical rice that focuses on Malay-style dishes. Hajah Monah Kitchen in Newton Food Centre specialises in exactly that.
I once asked my Malay colleague why nasi padang is priced much higher than Chinese-style economical rice. She mentioned that apart from the high ingredient prices, the dishes require a laborious cooking process and are super tedious to make.
The Beef Rendang (S$3) here is known to be extremely flavourful and rich. Huge chunks of tender and succulent beef are braised until a melt-in-your-mouth texture is obtained. Seasoned perfectly, beef rendang is one of the most popular Malay dishes found in Singapore. This is a must-get here!
I appreciate how the prices are kept relatively affordable too. They are certainly one of the more honest and sincere stalls in the vicinity! Do head down to show them your support and enjoy a scrumptious and filling meal.
Daily: 6am – 3pm
16 best affordable hawker centres in Singapore for delicious local fare
