10 best stalls to makan at in Sims Vista Market & Food Centre

Located at 49 Sims Place is Sims Vista Market & Food Centre, which was constructed in 1976. It’s relatively low-key as far as hawker centres go, especially when compared to the bigger and more famous locations. It’s located less than 10 minutes away from Aljunied MRT, and apart from food, it also houses a market area with a variety of produce and sundries for residents to choose from. 

Even though it’s low-key, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing good to have here. Check out our recommendations for the 10 best stalls to try at Sims Vista Market & Food Centre.

1. Tai Dong Teochew Duck Rice (#01-04)

With their bright yellow signboard and snaking queue, it’s hard to miss Tai Dong Teochew Duck Rice. Located at the front of Sims Vista, this stall has over 30 years of experience in traditional braised duck, and it clearly shows. The stall owners are fast and efficient, so even a long queue moves relatively quickly.

Tai Dong Teochew Duck Rice has a straightforward menu: Duck Rice (S$4 per plate) and Duck Rice (S$5 per serving).  The distinctions between these options lie in portion sizes and plating style. In the first style, the duck is placed directly on the rice, whereas in the second, it is served separately. If you want to beef up your meal, there are sides available like Cabbage (S$1), Peanuts (S$1), Duck Liver (S$1) and Beancurd (S$0.70).

+65 9476 2449
Tue & Wed: 10am – 5pm
Fri: 10am – 4pm
Sat: 10.30am – 2pm
Sun: 10.30am – 4pm
Closed on Mon & Thu
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2. Havelock Hainanese Curry Rice (#01-70)

Havelock Hainanese Curry Rice has been around for more than 50 years, and is run by a lovely couple who prepare each order with great efficiency. While the curry rice staples of fried pork cutlet, stewed cabbage and braised meats are available, they have other offerings that are quite unique. There are big steamed pork balls, chunky otah, fried fish and fried chicken thigh. The best part is the affordability and their generosity with portions – 1 meat, 1 vegetable and 1 fried egg will set you back just S$4.50. 

The fried pork is one of the “must-orders” – each piece of pork is a thin, extremely crispy slice with a crunchy batter that has a nutty flavour. It’s almost like eating chips, but made of pork. Their curry is also on the runnier side and slightly sweet, so if you don’t like very thick, gloopy curry, this is the one for you.

Tue to Sun: 6.30am – 3.30pm
Closed on Mon

3. Green Chilli Chicken Rice (#01-09)

When a stall names itself after a dish, and sells nothing but that dish, you know it’s going to be a great time. That holds true for Green Chilli Chicken Rice, which has been selling its iconic dish since 1999. The stall moved into Sims Vista in 2014, and has been drawing crazy queues even before their shutters open for business.

The only thing you can order at this stall is Green Chilli Chicken Rice (S$6). Each serving comes with a chicken leg bathed in their signature chunky green chilli mix, fish keropok, fragrant basmati rice, a dollop of housemade sambal and cucumber slices. Do take note though that the fish keropok is reserved only for dine-in customers. 

There’s also clear soup as an accompaniment and it’s available in a large pot at the front of the stall for diners to help themselves to. The soup seems unassuming, but is packed full of chicken goodness and spices.

+65 8280 0096
Sun to Fri: 10.30am – 1.30pm
Closed on Sat

4. AMK 628 Hao Qing Xiang 好清香 (#01-05)

This unassuming stall is a gem hiding in plain sight. AMK 628 Hao Qing Xiang 好清香 sells chee cheong fun, steamed tapioca cake (kueh ubi kayu), glutinous rice and yam cake. The tapioca cake, glutinous rice and yam cake are made fresh at the stall, and prices are pretty reasonable.

Their Tapioca Cake (S$2 for 3) is a humble dish, but it gave me immense joy. Each little block of this squishy yellow cake had a mild sweetness, and was both chewy yet soft. It didn’t stick to my teeth either. The grated coconut added another layer of texture and flavour that went very well with the tapioca flavour. 

Their Chee Cheong Fun (S$2/S$3) is the old-school version with a sweet sauce, topped with sesame seeds. The rice rolls are tender and soft, and you really couldn’t ask for much more from a simple yet satisfying dish. 

Daily: 7am – 1pm

5. Boon’s Chicken Rice (#01-24)

Boon’s Chicken Rice is a lunchtime favourite at Sims Vista, often drawing queues for their food. According to their signboard, they’ve been in business since at least 1992 and used to be at a kopitiam in Geylang East before moving to their current location. Roast chicken is the more popular option here, along with the sio bak (roast pork). 

Despite their roast chicken being the one ordered more often, their steamed chicken isn’t one to be sneezed at either. The breast meat is tender and quite moist with a pleasant flavour. Their rice is flavourful and fragrant, and not clumpy. It isn’t excessively oily either, which can feel like a weight in the stomach.

Soup is self-service from a large dispenser at the counter – it’s a classic chicken rice soup, rich with chicken goodness and lightly sweet. Don’t forget to grab some of their chilli sauce as well to complete your meal!

+65 8818 3328
Daily: 9.30am – 2.30pm

6. Old Flavour Spinach Soup (#01-23)

Old Flavour Spinach Soup is another one of those quiet hawker stalls without much online presence. They don’t have any social media accounts, but come lunchtime, a queue slowly forms at this stall. They sell spinach soup with a variety of different ingredients, and a choice of carbs. In addition to spinach soup, there’s also congee and ban mian/mee hoon kway. 

A second outlet (which had a Michelin Bib 2023 recommendation) used to operate at Eunos Crescent Market and Food Centre, but due to a sudden hike in rental costs, the owner made the decision to shutter it. 

Dishes start from S$4, and it costs S$0.50 more for the carbs. You can choose from noodles, rice, macaroni, mee sua, bee hoon or mee tai mak. Adding extra ingredients is also possible, and prices start from S$1 depending on the item you want. The friendly auntie cooks every bowl to order, so you may have to wait a while if there’s a queue. 

Each bowl is generously filled with fresh spinach and your choice of protein. The soup is savoury and slightly vegetal from the spinach, while carrying sweetness from goji berries. A very wholesome and satisfying lunch option if there ever was one!

Daily: 10am – 7pm

7. Uncle Sim Teochew Fishball Noodle (#01-72)

A bowl of Teochew-style fishball noodles always does me good when I’m feeling under the weather. There’s something comforting about the combination of al dente noodles, ketchup and bouncy fishballs. Uncle Sim Teochew Fishball Noodle, a newer stall, sells bowls of this traditional favourite for a relatively affordable price point – S$4 gets you a generous bowl that doesn’t skimp on ingredients. They’re also open till evening, which makes them one of the few dining options after the lunch hours are over.

Each bowl of noodles is a hybrid of the usual fishball noodle ingredients, plus some yong tau foo elements. The accompanying soup is described as having a strong ikan bilis flavour. In each bowl, there’s stuffed tau pok and homemade ngoh hiang, pig skin (which can be an acquired taste) and her giao (Teochew fish dumplings). Uncle Sim’s also has a slightly sweet minced meat topping, adding oomph to the mix. 

Daily: 7am – 7pm
Closed on alternate Thu

8. Warong HJH Kamisah (#01-13)

Now run by the 3rd generation, Warong HJH Kamisah serves up Indonesian food. The menu includes Javanese staples like mee rebus, lontong, mee soto, soto ayam and of course nasi ayam penyet. The queue is constant, with a steady stream of regulars lining up for their food. Prices are also quite affordable – dishes like their Mee Rebus, Lontong, Soto Ayam and Mee Siam are all priced at S$3.50.

Their Nasi Ayam Penyet (S$5.50) is incredibly popular, and you’ll find more than a few diners with this dish on their tables. Each plate comes loaded with a huge freshly-fried chicken thigh, sambal, and a few pieces of keropok. Tempeh isn’t included, but you can request it for an extra S$0.70. Another popular item is their Nasi Ikan Penyet (S$7.50), which comes with a whole deep-fried pomfret. Don’t forget to mix in their sambal to take the flavours to the next level.

Mon to Thu: 6am – 1.30pm
Sat & Sun: 6am – 10.30am
Closed on Fri

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9. Hock Heng (#01-31)

If you wanted to compare queue lengths at stalls within Sims Vista, Hock Heng would no doubt be in the top 3 contenders. They’re open only 3 days a week, and start selling their signature fish and seafood soups from 5am onwards. Talk about needing to be an early bird! They also have another outlet at Upper Boon Keng Hawker Centre, which is operated by the owner’s son.

Along with fish and seafood soups, they have a dish called Seafood Noodle Dry/Soup (S$4/S$5) which is best likened to a bowl of bak chor mee, but instead of pork, you get fresh seafood. It comes with batang slices and prawns, and either ketchup or chilli. No vinegar here, unfortunately. The slices of batang are fresh and tender, while the crunchy prawns are full of natural sweetness. 

Hock Heng’s use of extremely fresh ingredients takes the simple dishes to the next level, and it’s easy to see why they command the queues they do. 

Mon, Wed & Fri: 5am – 1pm
Closed Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun

10. Hollywood Braised Duck Rice · Duck Porridge (#01-73)

Originally known as Lian Kee Braised Duck which used to operate at the Hin Hollywood Canteen in Tanjong Katong Road in 1976, Hollywood Braised Duck Rice · Duck Porridge is the other braised duck stall in Sims Vista, and they too draw their share of the lunch crowd.

In comparison to Tai Dong Braised Teochew Duck Rice, Hollywood Duck Rice offers more items, notably kway chap, duck porridge and duck noodles or kway teow. They also have yam rice on offer if that’s your preference. 

Their sauce is also different – it’s sweeter and very herbal, and also much thicker and starchier. If you like your braised duck lor strong, you’ll probably prefer Hollywood Braised Duck Rice · Duck Porridge. Tai Dong’s leans more savoury and is very thin, and is considered to be more traditional by its fans. 

Come here for the Duck Porridge (S$4) – their thick gravy is the perfect partner to the creamy porridge, and don’t forget to get braised peanuts to round off the meal, too. Their duck is also tender and moist, and doesn’t have that gaminess that some find off-putting.

+65 9084 3407
Thu to Tue: 9.30am – 3.30pm
Closed on Wed

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