10 Traditional Breakfasts Places In Singapore To Visit For A Throwback To Good Ol’ Days

There is a lot of buzz surrounding breakfasts, and nowadays it’s usually about checking out new cafes sprouting up across the island — more often than not they’ll claim to sell the best breakfast/brunch items.

Sure, since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you’re allowed to treat yourself to an avocado toast or eggs benedict once in a while.

What we definitely can’t forget are the local old-school breakfast items, the ones our parents used to drag us out of bed to have on weekends. They may not be as healthy, but are guaranteed to put smiles on our faces and a spring in our steps.

So here’s a list of 10 breakfast spots you can visit for a good #throwback.

1. Legendary Bak Kut Teh

Legendary Bak Kut Teh Online 1
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This Bak Kut Teh joint lives up to its name as its humble store has been graced with the presence of many celebrities, both local and overseas.

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Legendary Bak Kut Teh sells bowls of soup that feature the essence of the fatty pieces of pork ribs they use. The peppery soup paired with a greasy serving of you tiao would definitely be perfect for giving you a much needed energy boost in the morning.

Expected Damage: $15 per pax

Legendary Bak Kut Teh: 154 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218431 | Opening Hours: 9am11pm (Daily), Closed on Wed | Tel: +65 6292 0938 | Facebook

2. Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee (新美香正宗卤面)

Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee Online 1
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A crowd favourite, Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee (新美香正宗卤面) sees long lines at their storefront every day. This Lor Mee stall that is open from the wee hours of the morning will be your motivation to get out of bed.

The noodles are coated in a thick five spice sauce which will awaken your senses, and the large portion of ingredients in every bowl of noodles will put a smile on your face.

Expected Damage: $4 per pax

Xin Mei Xiang Zheng Zong Lor Mee (新美香正宗卤面): #01-116 51 Old Airport Road, Singapore 390000 | Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Check their facebook for daily updates), Closed on Thurs | Facebook

3. Suriya Curry House

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On some days, greasy, salty prata is the best thing to have for breakfast. Be it with sugar or curry, a good crispy prata will satiate your hunger and keep you going until it’s time for lunch.

Suriya

The best part about getting prata from Suriya Curry House is that it operates 24 hours. That means it doesn’t matter how early or late you rise, you’ll get your prata fix any time of the day.

Expected Damage: $2 – $5 per pax

Suriya Curry House: 502, 536 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534526

4. Heavens Indian Curry

Heavens Indian Curry - Storefront

I remember eating putu mayam with bright orange palm sugar as a child. Back then, getting this as breakfast was like a reward.

Although it’s becoming more difficult to find this Indian breakfast item, one place which still does it, and does it well is Heavens Indian Curry House.

Heavens Indian Curry - Princess Apam

Another thing that this place does exceptionally well is Appam. You can get your rice pancake with a variety of toppings, including the classic desiccated coconut, and coconut sugar, as well as cheese, butter, and egg.

Expected Damage: $3 per pax

Heavens Indian Curry: #01-26 Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, 20 Ghim Moh Road, Singapore 270020 | Opening Hours: 6am1pm (Daily), Closed on Mon | Facebook

5. Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Noodle (荣成潮州鱼圆面)

hougang sengkang food guide Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Noodle - Storefront

Fishball noodles, in my opinion, is a great breakfast dish if you’re in a rush but want to get something substantial. It’s quick to prepare and easy to eat. Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Noodle (荣成潮州鱼圆面) is a popular stall, which has queues forming from the early hours in the morning.

Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Noodle

The Bak Chor Fishball Noodles come with generous portions of lean meat, minced meat, and pig’s liver. You can also add a bowl of their Teochew Fishballs for extra ingredients.

Expected Damage: $4 per pax

Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Noodle (荣成潮州鱼圆面): #02-47 Hainanese Village Centre, Block 105 Hougang Avenue 1, Singapore 530105 | Opening Hours: 6.30am – 2pm (Daily)

6. Mei Ji Fishball Noodle (美记鱼圆面)

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If Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Noodles sells a more flashy version of fishball noodles, Mei Ji Fishball Noodles (美记鱼圆面) in Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre operates on the other end of the spectrum.

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Their simple bowls of fishball noodles make for a dish easy on the palate. In one affordable bowl of noodles, you’ll get super bouncy fishballs and chewy fish dumplings, great for people who often can’t decide which to get.

Expected Damage: $3 per pax

Mei Ji Fishball Noodles: #01-70 69 Geylang Bahru, Singapore 330069 | Opening Hours: 6am2pm (Wed – Sun), Closed on Mon, Tue

7. Heap Seng Leong

Kopi gu you and cigarettes

An oldie but goldie, Heap Seng Leong whips up delicious cups of coffee which will work even better than your average Starbucks for a caffeine boost.

This coffee shop opens from the wee hours of the morning, so you can go there as early as you want before work to sit down and have a cup of joe.

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A particularly interesting cup of coffee you can get from Heap Seng Leong is the Kopi Gu You ($1.10), a creamy cup of coffee which has a knob of butter stirred into the hot coffee. If you’re there early, you can pair that with nasi lemak, or just have it with classic kaya toast.

Expected Damage: $2 – $5 per pax

Heap Seng Leong: #01-5109 10 North Bridge Road, Singapore 190010 | Tel: +65 6292 2368 | Opening Hours: 4am – 8pm (Daily) 

8. 69 Chui Kueh

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Chwee Kueh has always been one of those things we eat when we want something light yet filling in between meals.

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69 Chui Kueh tops their soft rice cakes with pretty intense chye poh, you won’t be need to spam the chilli to amp up the taste. They also sell packets of nasi lemak, so you can get the best of both worlds when dining there.

Expected Damage: $2 – $5 per pax

69 Chui Kueh: #01-43 69 Geylang Bahru, Singapore 330069 | Opening Hours: 6am4pm (Daily)

9. River South (Hoe Nam) Prawn Noodle

Best breakfast places singapore - river south hoe nam prawn noodles

Some mornings leave you craving for something soupy, and prawn noodles are the answer to your problems. The rich soup paired with the hearty noodles will warm you up on the inside and help to kickstart your day.

River South (Hoe Nam) Prawn Noodle is one of those noodle stalls that are crowded from the moment they open until its sold out; that’s how you know it’s good. The extra rich and savoury soup is also what puts the stall a notch above the rest.

Expected Damage: $5 – $10 per pax

River South (Hoe Nam) Prawn Noodle: 31 Tai Thong Crescent, Singapore 347859 | Tel: +65 6281 9293 | Opening Hours: 6.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 2am (Tue – Sat), 6.30am – 3pm (Sun), Closed on Mon | Website

10. Sin Heng Kee Porridge (新興記粥品)

hougang sengkang food guide Sin Heng Kee Porridge - Storefront

When you talk about breakfast, you definitely can’t leave porridge out of the equation. This quintessential Chinese breakfast item has so many different variations which are widely loved.

Sin Heng Kee Porridge - Signature Porridge

Sin Heng Kee Porridge (新興記粥品), located in Hougang is a popular destination for locals, known for their porridge (of course), and frog legs. Selling over 20 variations of porridge, this makes it an ideal place to visit if you want something warm, but can’t make up your mind just yet.

Their signature congee comes with a good mix of ingredients, including pork slices, pork balls, cuttlefish, fish slices, and century egg.

Expected Damage: $3 – $10 per pax

Sin Heng Kee Porridge: Block 685 Hougang Street 61, Singapore 530685 | Tel: +65 9118 1569 | Opening Hours: 7am – 9.30pm (Daily) |  Facebook


This list definitely isn’t able to cover all the breakfast gems here in Singapore. But I hope it’s able to bring back some of the old school favourites we should all revisit.

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