Hawker Series Part 1: Popular Local Delight Stores You Can Visit

picture of chicken rice

“What to eat ah?” “Don’t know leh, you decide” – sounds familiar? This is probably a standard conversation we always have with either our family members or friends when we are out trying to look for a place to settle our meals. To help you solve this dilemma, Outside presents to you 5 popular local signature dishes, and where you can find them to know exactly what, and where to eat for your next outing!  

Chuan Kee Satay

Chuan Kee Satay is a Hainanese-style satay that is best known for their pork satay. While there used to be mutton satays, it is now removed from the menu and the only other option is chicken satays. Both the chicken and pork meat are well marinated with sweet caramelised syrup, giving a glisten after being grilled to perfection. The satay meats are tender and juicy, setting it apart from the many other stores. Their succulent satays are best paired with the peanut sauce that has a punch of pineapple to it. Definitely a satay store that you must not miss out on!

Chuan Kee Satay (Image taken from: danielfooddiary.com)

  • Waiting Time: 1 hour or more 
  • Price: $0.60 per stick (min. order of 10 sticks) 
  • Location: East
  • Operating Hours: 1700 to 2200, Sunday: 1300 to 2200 (Closed on Monday and Thursday)
  • Address: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-85 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051 (nearest MRT: Dakota) 

Chuan Kee Satay Storefront (Image taken from: danielfooddiary.com)

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak is a perennial favourite Nasi Lemak that is Chinese Style. It has a wide spread of economical yet tantalising side dishes that you can add to your Nasi Lemak and we have narrowed down some of the must-trys ingredients. Their spicy stir-fried long beans, sambal brinjal, chicken wing, sweet and sour chicken and otak otak are those that are constantly raved about so be sure to get your hands on them before they run out! Their aromatic coconut rice is fragrant yet light and not overpowering. This comes with their tangy sambal chilli that complements the ingredients so perfectly such that it provides a mild spiciness along with the slight sweetness. All this combined to give us the perfect Nasi Lemak, no wonder it is sometimes called ‘the pride of Chong Pang’. 

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak (Image taken from: Uncoverasia)

  • Waiting Time: Long hours even at wee hours (exact hours unknown)
  • Price: Dependent on selection 
  • Location: North 
  • Operating Hours: 1700 to 0700
  • Phone: 9655 1868
  • Address: 447 Sembawang Road, Singapore 758458 (nearest MRT: Yishun) 

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak Storefront (Image taken from: Uncoverasia)

Keng Wah Sung (Kaya Toast)

Missing the old school local breakfast? Then you should visit Keng Wah Sung! Their breakfast set consists of coffee, toast and eggs for only $3.20, making it one of the cheapest around. Their perfectly crisp kaya toast is served with large slabs of butter and generous spread of handmade kaya, which wonderfully complemented their traditional Hainan coffee that leaves a slight bitter aftertaste. Their kaya toast set really hits the spot with their traditional taste! If you do not wish to keep travelling to Geylang for their kaya toast, you will be pleased to know that you can purchase a jar of their kaya! 

Keng Wah Sung Kaya Toast (Image from: burpple)

  • Waiting Time: Normal (busy in the morning) 
  • Price: $3.20 (for their breakfast set which consists of coffee, toast and eggs) 
  • Location: East  
  • Operating Hours: 0600 to 0000
  • Address: 783 Geylang Road Singapore 389672 (nearest MRT: Paya Lebar) 

Keng Wah Sung Storefront (Image taken from: Ace Residences)

Chomp Chomp BBQ (Sambal Stingray)

Chomp Chomp is known for their tasty foods and Chomp Chomp BBQ’s Sambal Stingray is unmistakably one of it! Their stingray is juicy, stringy, soft yet firm at the same time. As the stingray was marinated in the sambal before being grilled, their meat is significantly more savoury. It has a stronger sambal flavour along with the taste of smokiness and aromatic smell of banana leaf, making it a plate of goodness that leave you wanting for more! If you are someone that cannot take spice well or have children eating with you, you do not have to worry as it only has a mild spiciness level. 

Chomp Chomp BBQ’s Sambal Stingray (Image taken from: Sethlui)

  • Waiting Time: Normal
  • Location: East  
  • Operating Hours: 1700 to 0100 (Not open on weekends)
  • Address: 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-44 Fengshan Market & Food, Singapore 460085 (nearest MRT: Bedok) 

Chomp Chomp BBQ Storefront (Image taken from: Sethlui)

Janggut Laksa

There are many variations of laksa but Janggut Laksa is the original Katong Laksa which is one of Singapore’s food icons. Janggut Laksa specialises in Nonya Laksa, which requires a lot of ingredients and a long preparation time. 

Janggut Laksa is a bowl of rice noodles served in a bowl of coconut milk, spices and prawn stock, topped with prawn, cockles and sliced fish cakes. You can also top it with the shop’s sambal chilli since the soup is only mildly spiced. The thick creamy soup of Janggut Laksa is extremely fragrant and you can even taste the coconut milk in this savoury broth. A plus point would be the soup also does not have too strong of a seafood taste despite having lots of seafood ingredients. This bowl of hearty laksa gives off a very flavorful yet light taste and is definitely not one to be missed. If you are looking for a special dish, the outlet at Upper Paya Lebar even serves crayfish laksa!

Original Katong Laksa (Image taken from: vkeong.com)

Crayfish Laksa (Image taken from: vkeong.com)

For the branch at Upper Paya Lebar (the one where crayfish laksa is available), 

  • Waiting Time: Normal
  • Location: East  
  • Operating Hours: 1000 to 2130 daily except Tuesday where it operates from 1000 to 1600 only 
  • Phone: 9658 6133
  • Address: 331 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, Singapore 534949 (nearest MRT: Bartley) 

The Original Katong Laksa Storefront (Image taken from: misstamchiak)

There are 4 other stores at:

  • Queensway Shopping Centre (Janggut Laksa)
  • East Coast Road (The Original Katong Laksa)
  • Wisma Atria Food Republic (The Original Katong Laksa – Janggut Laksa)
  • Chinatown Point (The Original Katong Laksa – Janggut Laksa) 

Here you have it – 5 popular local signature dishes for you to suggest for meals the next time you head out! 

However, if you’re not too keen on travelling to the stalls but am currently fighting a strong craving for any of these dishes, don’t feel discouraged! Post a task on Outside to get taskers to buy and pick up these dishes for you, so that you can have the best meal in the comforts of your home. This way, you can #supportlocal while getting your food delivered to you at the same time! 

Singapore’s signature cuisines are very diverse as they consist of Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian and Western influences and this can be attributed to how ethnically diverse Singapore is. In this article, I will be sharing about 5 local signature dishes, specifically Satay, Nasi Lemak, Kaya Toast, Sambal Stingray and Laksa, that have captured the hearts of many!

  1. Satay – Chuan Kee Satay

Chuan Kee Satay is a Hainanese-style satay that is best known for their pork satay. While there used to be mutton satays, it is now removed from the menu and the only other option is chicken satays. Both the chicken and pork meat are well marinated with sweet caramelised syrup, giving a glisten after being grilled to perfection. The satay meats are tender and juicy, setting it apart from the many other stores. Their succulent satays are best paired with the peanut sauce that has a punch of pineapple to it. Definitely a satay store that you must not miss out on!

Chuan Kee Satay is known to have snaking long queues, with the wait time lasting up to an hour and beyond. However, the wait is all worth for their affordable and mouth-watering satays priced at $0.60/stick, with a minimum order of 10 sticks. If you are too lazy to queue for their satays, post a task on Outside for taskers to queue for you while you sit back and wait for these delicious satays to be delivered right to your doorstep!

Image taken from: danielfooddiary.com

Location: East

Address: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-85 Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051

Operating Hours: 1700 to 2200, Sunday: 1300 to 2200 (Closed on Monday and Thursday)

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Dakota MRT (circle line)

– Walk 5 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: danielfooddiary.com

  1. – Alight at Aljunied MRT (green line)

– Walk 18 minutes to the store

  1. – Alight at Kallang MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Kallang Stn’, bus stop number: 80101

– Board bus 33 and alight at the 4th stop at the bus stop named ‘Blk 39’, bus stop number: 81171

– Walk 1 minute to the store

  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Blk 39’, bus stop number: 81171 consists of Bus Number 10, 16, 16M, 30 30e, 31, 32, 33. Alight at this bus stop and walk 1 minute to the store.

2. Nasi Lemak – Chong Pang Nasi Lemak

Chong Pang Nasi Lemak is a perennial favourite Nasi Lemak that is Chinese Style. It has a wide spread of economical yet tantalising side dishes that you can add to your Nasi Lemak and we have narrowed down some of the must-trys ingredients. Their spic stir-fried long beans, sambal brinjal, chicken wing, sweet and sour chicken and otak otak are those that are constantly raved about so be sure to get your hands on them before they run out! Their aromatic coconut rice is fragrant yet light and not overpowering. This comes with their tangy sambal chilli that complements the ingredients so perfectly such that it provides a mild spiciness along with the slight sweetness. All this combined to give us the perfect Nasi Lemak, no wonder it is sometimes called ‘the pride of Chong Pang’. 

There are long queues even at the wee hours but you can always get your hand on these Nasi Lemak without queueing by getting a tasker on Outside to bring you your food when your stomach is grumbling at midnight! 

Image taken from: Uncoverasia

Location: North

Address: 447 Sembawang Road, Singapore 758458

Operating Hours: 1700 to 0700

Phone: 9655 1868

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Yishun MRT (red line)

– Walk 15 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: Uncoverasia

  1. – Alight at Sembawang MRT (red line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Opp Sembawang Stn’, bus stop number: 58219

– Board bus 858 and alight at the 7th stop at the bus stop named ‘Blk 101’, bus stop number: 57119

– Walk 4 minutes to the store

  1. – Alight at Marymount MRT (circle line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘ Opp Shunfu Est’, bus stop number: 53021

– Board bus 980 and alight at the 23th stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Blk 713’, bus stop number: 57081

– Walk 2 minutes to the store

  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Blk 101’, bus stop number: 57119  consists of Bus Number 167, 167e, 800, 811, 811A, 856, 858, 858A, 859, 883M, 969, 980. Alight at this bus stop and walk 4 minutes to the store.
  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Opp Blk 713’, bus stop number: 57081 consists of Bus Number 167, 167e, 171, 980. Alight at this bus stop and walk 2 minutes to the store.

3. Kaya Toast – Keng Wah Sung

Missing the old school local breakfast? Then you should visit Keng Wah Sung! Their breakfast set consists of coffee, toast and eggs for only $3.20, making it one of the cheapest around. Their perfectly crisp kaya toast is served with large slabs of butter and generous spread of handmade kaya, which wonderfully complemented their traditional Hainan coffee that leaves a slight bitter aftertaste. Their kaya toast set really hits the spot with their traditional taste! If you do not wish to keep travelling to Geylang for their kaya toast, you will be pleased to know that you can purchase a jar of their kaya! 

Image from: burpple

Location: East

Address:783 Geylang Road Singapore 389672

Operating hours: 0600 to 0000

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Paya Lebar MRT (green line)

– Walk 6 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: Ace Residences

4. Sambal Stingray – Chomp Chomp BBQ

Chomp Chomp is known for their tasty foods and Chomp Chomp BBQ’s Sambal Stingray is unmistakably one of it! Their stingray is juicy, stringy, soft yet firm at the same time. As the stingray was marinated in the sambal before being grilled, their meat is significantly more savoury. It has a stronger sambal flavour along with the taste of smokiness and aromatic smell of banana leaf, making it a plate of goodness that leave you wanting for more! If you are someone that cannot take spice well or have children eating with you, you do not have to worry as it only has a mild spiciness level. 

Image taken from: Sethlui

Location: East

Address: 85 Bedok North Street 4, #01-44 Fengshan Market & Food, Singapore 460085

Operating Hours: 1700 to 0100 (Not open on weekends)

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Bedok MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Bedok Stn Exit B’, bus stop number: 84031

– Board bus 222 and alight at the 5th stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Blk 85’, bus stop number: 84239

– Walk 3 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: Sethlui

  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Opp Blk 85’, bus stop number: 84239 consists of Bus Number 14, 14e, 46, 222. Alight at this bus stop and walk 3 minutes to the store.
  1. – Alight at Tanah Merah MRT (green line)

– Walk 19 minutes to the store

  1. – Alight at Bedok Reservoir MRT (downtown line)

– Walk 15 minutes to the store

5. Laksa – Janggut Laksa

There are many variations of laksa but Janggut Laksa is the original Katong Laksa which is one of Singapore’s food icons. Janggut Laksa specialises in Nonya Laksa, which requires a lot of ingredients and a long preparation time. Janggut laksa is a bowl of rice noodles served in a bowl of coconut milk, spices and prawn stock, topped with prawn, cockles and sliced fish cakes. You can also top it with the shop’s sambal chilli since the soup is only mildly spiced. The thick creamy soup of Janggut Laksa is extremely fragrant and you can even taste the coconut milk in this savoury broth. A plus point would be the soup also does not have too strong of a seafood taste despite having lots of seafood ingredients. This bowl of hearty laksa gives off a very flavorful yet light taste and is definitely not one to be missed. If you are looking for a special dish, the outlet at Upper Paya Lebar even serves crayfish laksa!

Janggut Laksa has islandwide delivery at a flat fee of $8, with a minimum order of $40. You can also choose to pick up at any of their 5 outlets as well. There is a 10% off for pick up for Chinatown Point Outlet only but do remember to check out with the promo Code: 10OFF. You can order from them directly at janggut laksa.oddle.me, which we encourage you to do so in order to #supportlocal in this trying time. However, if you cannot hit the minimum order yet still prefer delivery, Janggut Laksa is also available on GrabFood, Foodpanda and Deliveroo. Don’t forget that you can also use Outside to get taskers to deliver this bowl of tasty laksa straight to you! 

A bowl of the original katong laksa

Image taken from: vkeong.com

A bowl of crayfish laksa

Image taken from: vkeong.com

They have 5 outlets selling the original Katong Laksa – Janggut Laksa in Singapore. 

  • Store Name: Janggut Laksa

Location: West

Address: Queensway Shopping Centre #01-59 Singapore 149053

Operating Hours: 1000 to 2100

Phone: 9669 6010 / 9622 1045

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Redhill MRT (green line)

– Cross the road to the bus stop named ‘Opp Redhill Stn’, bus stop number: 10201. 

– Board bus 120 and alight at the 5th stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Queensway Shop Ctr’, bus stop number: 11519

– Walk 3 minutes to Queensway Shopping Centre as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: Wikimedia

  1. – Alight at Queenstown MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Queenstown Stn Exit A/D’, bus stop number: 11141

– Board bus 51 and alight at the 6th stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Queensway Shop Ctr’, bus stop number: 11519

– Walk 3 minutes to Queensway Shopping Centre

  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Opp Queensway Shop Ctr’, bus stop number: 11519 consists of Bus Number 14, 33, 51, 61, 93, 100, 120, 195(A), 197. Alight at this bus stop and walk 3 minutes to Queensway Shopping Centre
  • Store Name: The Original Katong Laksa

Location: East

Address: 50 E Coast Rd, Roxy Square, Singapore 428769

Operating Hours: 0830 to 1730

Phone: 9622 1045

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Lavender MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Lavender Stn Exit B’, bus stop number: 01311

– Board bus 12 and alight at the 14th stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Roxy Sq’, bus stop number: 92111

– Walk 2 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: hungrygowhere

  1. – Alight at Aljunied MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Aljunied Stn’, bus stop number: 81089

– Board bus 40 and alight at the 11th stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Roxy Sq’, bus stop number: 92111

– Walk 2 minutes to the store

  1. – Alight at Raffles Place MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Raffles Pl Stn Exit F’, bus stop number: 03031

– Board bus 10 and alight at the 14th stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Roxy Sq’, bus stop number: 92111

– Walk 2 minutes to the store

  1. – Alight at Promenade MRT (circle/downtown line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Promenade Stn’, bus stop number: 02161

– Board bus 36 and alight at the 2nd stop at the bus stop named ‘Opp Amber Gdns’, bus stop number: 92249

– Walk 7 minutes to the store

  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Opp Roxy Sq’, bus stop number: 92111 consists of Bus Number 10, 10e, 12, 14, 14e, 32, 40, 47. Alight at this bus stop and walk 2 minutes to the store.
  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Opp Amber Gdns’, bus stop number: 92249 consists of Bus Number 31, 36, 36B, 43, 43e, 48, 134, 135, 135A, 196, 196e, 197, 853M. Alight at this bus stop and walk 7 minutes to the store.
  • Store name: The Original Katong Laksa 
  • The only outlet that sells Crayfish Laksa

Location: East

Address: 331 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, Singapore 534949

Operating Hours: 1000 to 2130 daily except Tuesday where it operates from 1000 to 1600 only

Phone: 9658 6133

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Bartley MRT (circle line)

– Walk 9 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: misstamchiak

  1. – Alight at Paya Lebar MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Paya Lebar Stn Exit C’, bus stop number: 81119

– Board bus 24 and alight at the 10th stop at the bus stop named ‘Bef How Sun Rd’, bus stop number: 62031

– Walk 1 minute to the store

  1. – Alight at Aljunied MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘ Opp Aljunied Stn’, bus stop number: 81081

– Board bus 80 and alight at the 13th stop at the bus stop named ‘Bef How Sun Rd’, bus stop number: 62031

– Walk 1 minute to the store

  1. Buses at the bus stop named ‘Bef How Sun Rd’, bus stop number: 62031 consists of Bus Number 22, 24, 43, 58, 62, 70, 70M, 76, 80. Alight at this bus stop and walk 1 minute to the store.
  • Store Name: The Original Katong Laksa – Janggut Laksa

Location: South

Address: Level 4 Wisma Atria Food Republic, 435 Orchard Road, 238877

Operating Hours: 1000 to 2200

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Orchard MRT (red line)

– Walk 3 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: Surprising Horizons

  1. – Alight at Queenstown MRT (green line)

– Get to the bus stop named ‘Queenstown Stn Exit B/C’, bus stop number: 11149

– Board bus 111 and alight at the 11th stop at the bus stop named ‘Orchard Stn/Lucky Plaza’, bus stop number: 09048

– Walk 1 minute to the store

  1. Buses at the bus stop named  ‘Orchard Stn/Lucky Plaza’, bus stop number: 09048 consists of Bus Number 1N, 2N, 3N, 4N, 5N, 6N, 7, 7B, 14, 14e, 16, 16M, 65, 106, 111, 123, 175, 502, 502A, NR6. Alight at this bus stop and walk 1 minute to the store.
  • Store Name: The Original Katong Laksa – Janggut Laksa

Location: South

Address: 133 New Bridge Rd, #B1-49A Chinatown Point, Singapore 059413

Operating Hours: 1030 to 2100

Phone: 9658 6133

How to get there?

  1. – Alight at Chinatown MRT (purple/downtown line)

– Walk 2 minutes to the store as seen in the picture below

Image taken from: Google

  1. – Alight at Outram Park MRT (green/purple line)

– Walk 10 minutes to the store

  1. Buses at the bus stop named  ‘Opp Hong Lim Cplx’, bus stop number: 05131 consists of Bus Number 51, 63, 124, 174, 174e, 186, 851, 851e, 961, 961M, 970. Alight at this bus stop and walk 1 minute to the store.

Here are our top picks for some of the local signature dishes! What do you think of the stores and their food?  Share with us your experience and tag us in it!

To end off, we will like to encourage all of you to to order directly from the store itself in order to #supportlocal instead of ordering via food delivery applications. At the same time, if you cannot meet the minimum order and do not wish to pick up yourself, you can consider posting a task to Outside to get taskers to pick up your food and deliver it to you. This way, you can #supportlocal while getting your food delivered to you at the same time. 

Outside is a community-tasking app that connects users to help each other out for their daily inconveniences. Since its launch in 2017, the app has gained recognition for its work through media features and competitions, where it has won multiple awards. Currently, the app boasts over 10,000 users and is officially supported by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY)’s #SGUnited and Majurity Trust’s #SGStrong. 

Schedule a meeting with us

Fill in the form and we’ll get back to you!