I’ve been living in the West my whole life, and by far, the best in Jurong is undoubtedly Yuhua Village Market And Food Centre.
Home to more than a handful of “powerful” hawker stalls, you’ll find that some of these stalls get long queues, and sell out within hours of opening.
Yuhua Village Market And Food Centre is pretty massive, so I’ve sussed out 10 hawker treasures to queue for at Yuhua Village Market And Food Centre.
1. Beef Hor Fun (CAI 财, #01-14)
I’ve tried quite a few hor fun dishes, but the hor fun from CAI (财) is truly the best. Although the stall sells a variety of hor fun, majority will go for the Beef Hor Fun ($4.50).
I’ve yet to come across any other stall that’s as generous with the ingredients; they don’t hold back on the beef slices! Thick yet really tender, the meat still had its natural gamey beef taste. I also liked the gooey gravy, which tasted a little sweet with a prominent wok hei fragrance.
This stall gets pretty busy during the dinner period and waiting time can go up to at least 15 minutes.
CAI (财): #01-14 | Opening Hours: 10.30am – 2.30pm & 5pm – 8.30pm (Daily)
2. Laksa (Heng Heng Cooked Food, #01-12)
Right beside CAI (财) stands a strong contender: Heng Heng Cooked Food. The stall’s Laksa ($3) sells out really fast!
Although the queue gets pretty long, don’t worry, because the stall auntie works the laksa station like greased lightning. I liked that the broth was richer and thicker than most, and had a good balance of coconut milk and shrimp paste.
Each bowl also came with a decent amount of fresh and plump cockles, which tasted a tad briny just the way I liked it. The spice levels weren’t too strong, but you can add some sambal to your liking.
Heng Heng Cooked Food: #01-12 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 7.30 pm (Daily)
3. Steamed Chicken Rice (Hup Hong Chicken Rice, #01-51)
Hup Hong Chicken Rice may very well be the runner-up for “the longest queue for a chicken rice stall in Singapore”, bested only by the Michelin Hong Kong chicken rice stall at Chinatown Complex.
What sets their Steamed Chicken Rice ($3) apart from other variants boils down to a couple aspects. The rice had a fragrant garlic flavour, and the chicken was soft and flavourful, yet not too oily. It’s definitely worth the wait!
Hup Hong Chicken Rice: #01-51 | Opening Hours: 10.30am – 6pm (Daily)
4. Min Jiang Kueh (Taste Min Jiang Kueh 品味面煎粿, #01-38)
Whenever I’m itching for a snack I can always count on Taste Min Jiang Kueh 品味面煎粿 for a fat slice of Min Jiang Kueh ($0.80 per piece). The stall sells old-school style Min Jiang Kueh with three variations (Red Bean, Coconut and Peanut).
The kueh was generously filled and can get a little messy to eat. The exterior of the kueh was crispy, and the interior was moist and chewy in pleasant contrast.
My all-time favourite is the Peanut, which had a good ratio of peanut bits to sugar, giving the kueh a strong sweet and nutty taste.
Taste Min Jiang Kueh 品味面煎粿: #01-38 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 3pm (Daily)
5. Frog Leg Porridge (Our Porridge 我们粥品, #01-57)
A humble family business, Our Porridge 我们粥品 serves up a variety of porridge made with utmost care and love. And the stall’s most popular dish is the Frog Leg Porridge ($6.50)
The price is well-justified because the portions could easily be enough for two. You’ll also get the option to 加辣 (add spice), in the form of dried chilli.
Coupled with the sweet dark sauce, the tender juicy frog legs become extra tasty and packed with flavour! Tip: if you find the porridge a little too bland, pour in some dark sauce to give it a little boost in flavour.
Our Porridge 我们粥品: #01-57 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 10pm (Daily)
6. Roasted Pork Rice (139 Hainan Chicken Rice, #01-39)
139 Hainan Chicken Rice is probably one of the last few chicken rice stalls in Singapore that sell chicken rice and other meat and rice for just $2. It amazes me how they manage to keep the prices so low and yet serve such generous portions.
This plate of Roasted Meat Rice ($2) came with quite a few slices of meat! Although not the best, I can’t deny that these pork slices were quite tender and flavourful.
And there’s even plain tofu in the soup! I liked that the soup was clean tasting from the spring onions and chicken stock from boiling the bones.
139 Hainan Chicken Rice: #01-39 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 8.30pm (Daily)
7. Ondeh Ondeh (Mei Wei Snacks 美味糕点, #01-59)
Traditional pastry stalls like Mei Wei Snacks 美味糕点, which I grew up eating are becoming a rarity. The stall sells a variety of pastries such as Soon Kueh ($0.60); Ji Dan Gao ($0.60); and my personal favourite, Ondeh Ondeh ($0.60).
The Ondeh Ondeh was big and chunky, with skin that wasn’t too thick. It managed to strike a balance between being delightfully bouncy and soft to the bite.
What’s more, they were thoroughly stuffed with gula melaka and coconut shreds. Yummy!
Mei Wei Snacks 美味糕点: #01-59 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 9pm (Daily)
8. Fishball Minced Meat Noodle (254 Fishball Minced Meat Noodle 鱼圆肉脞面, #01-32)
254 Fishball Minced Meat Noodle 鱼圆肉脞面 is my grandparents’ favourite stall. Service is lightning fast, and customers come and go by the minute.
Their rendition of the Fishball Minced Meat Noodles ($2.50) was served without soup. The portions were also pretty generous with soft yet springy noodles.
Each bowl comes with three large fishballs, which actually had fish bits in the fishball, proving its quality.
254 Fishball Minced Meat Noodle 鱼圆肉脞面: #01-32 | Opening Hours: 8.30am – 9pm (Daily)
9. Mee Goreng (West Coast Arifin Ali, #01-41)
If you’re looking for authentic Singaporean Indian fare, then my best recommendation is West Coast Arifin Ali. This no-frills hawker stall offers a pretty wide variety of staple Indian food, especially the Mee Goreng ($3.50).
The flavours were bold and spicy, with the dish’s incredible taste coming from the mutton chunks. Each forkful carried a pronounced gamey flavour.
I’d patronise this stall more if not for the waiting time; the queue gets pretty long and service isn’t really fast.
West Coast Arifin Ali: #01-41 | Opening Hours: 4am to 11pm (Daily)
10. Sliced Fish Porridge (Xiang Ji Cooked Food 香记, #01-53)
Xiang Ji Cooked Food 香记 is ridiculously popular, it opens early in the morning and sells out within two or three hours.
This Fish Sliced Porridge ($3) contained you tiao pieces, fish slices and a generous amount of chye poh and coriander. You can also add an egg ($0.50) for a boost in flavour.
The fish slices were actually sprinkled with a little pepper, which further accentuates the taste and removes any existing fishy taste.
Xiang Ji Cooked Food 香记: #01-53 | Opening Hours: 5.30am – 11.30am (Tue-Sun), Closed on Mon