Tampines Round Food Centre: 10 best hawker stalls to try

From expertly crafted thosai and appam; to comforting bowls of porridge; to fluffy fried carrot cake, Tampines Round Food Centre offers a veritable feast for foodies.

Named for the building’s distinctive circular configuration, Tampines Round Food Centre is a buzzing neighbourhood hub that was constructed in 1983. You’ll find a myriad of long-time hawkers – including those that relocated here together when a food centre in Toa Payoh had to be demolished – and fresh faces plying their tasty wares.

As far as the eats go, there are all the usual suspects: Velvety bowls of porridge to warm you up if it’s cold outside, well-crafted thosai and appam that draw eager foodies from all across the island and plenty of desserts to end your meal on a sweet note. Do check out the following stalls when you’re here.

Tampines Round Food Centre | 137 Tampines Street 11

Yummy Sarawak Kolo Mee

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Hailing from the Malaysian state of Sarawak, kolo mee is a well-loved dish among Singapore residents. And this is probably one of the most popular places in the city-state to sample it for yourself.

For $4 and up, you can expect springy, curly noodles dressed in a delicious sauce, alongside char siew, pork, dumplings, fried wantons and leafy vegetables. Other items on the extensive menu include chicken feet noodles, Penang bee hoon and assorted dumplings.

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Chai Chee Pork Porridge

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If the skies are dark and stormy and you need something to warm you up on a cold day, make a beeline for Chai Chee Pork Porridge.

The establishment serves piping-hot bowls of Cantonese-style porridge gussied up with various ingredients, including century egg, pork and chicken – plus crispy fried dough fritters and a smattering of spring onions to finish. You can up the creamy factor by adding an optional egg. Expect to pay about $4.

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137 Lor Mee Prawn Mee

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You’ll have to contend with long queues at 137 Lor Mee Prawn Mee, and they usually sell out well before closing time. But their popular lor mee dish – which retails for upwards of $3 – is certainly worth the wait.

A portion features thick yellow noodles with a plentiful array of ingredients: pork belly, fried fish, chunks of fishcake, half a braised egg and ngo hiang. The gravy is starchy without being too viscous, and the chilli sauce adds some heat.

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Song Han Carrot Cake

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For fried carrot cake with a twist, there’s Song Han Carrot Cake. Instead of doing things the traditional way, they add a few special ingredients to their signature item in the form of curry powder, turmeric and cumin.

Purists may scoff, but the additional spices make for a novel and delicious take on the dish, without overpowering the other flavours. The radish cake has a supple consistency, and they even have a version that includes prawns. Anticipate forking out around $3.

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Rajarani Thosai

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Rajarani Thosai specialises in thosai and appam, and pulls off both dishes with aplomb. They’re made with fermented batter, which gives a slightly tangy taste.

We recommend the masala thosai ($4). It’s spongy in the middle with crispy edges, and the filling is made of spiced potatoes and butter for a creamy hit. The appams are also delicious – they sport a crunchy border and a nice coconut fragrance, and are served with orange-hued sugar.

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Yi Le Shu Shi

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Penny pinching to beat inflation? Then you can’t go wrong with some fried bee hoon from Yi Le Shu Shi, which makes for a satisfying, wallet-friendly breakfast.

Based on the selection of ingredients, you can anticipate paying approximately $3. Items on offer include the likes of cabbage, chicken wings, assorted meat cutlets, spring rolls and fried egg. Their nasi lemak is also a solid pick, but do visit early before they sell out for the day.

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137 Market Pancake

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Whether for dessert or as a snack, classic min jiang kueh sure hits the spot. If you’re here, you can get it at 137 Market Pancake, where the sweet treats are suitable for vegetarians.

They have a bouncy and spongy texture, with crispy edges to provide a textural contrast. Flavour options include peanut, coconut and red bean, all of which come with a substantial and not-too-sweet filling, and you can expect to pay just over $1 for a slice.

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House of Dessert

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Regulars at this food centre know to complete their meal with dessert from this joint. It does a selection of both hot and cold traditional items. There’s old-school tau suan, cheng tng and black sesame paste, all of which go for under $2.

One of their more novel offerings that’s worth a try is the pretty-in-pink concoction of shaved ice, watermelon balls, corn kernels and coconut milk, which makes for a refreshing – and highly Instagrammable – choice on a particularly hot day.

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Nasi Lemak Specialist

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True to its name, Nasi Lemak Specialist sells stellar servings of nasi lemak. Some even tout it as one of the best renditions of the dish in Singapore. Prices begin at $2.50 for the most basic offering, but we suggest ponying up a little extra for additional ingredients.

There’s a version that comes with beef rendang, or fish fillet and otak. The fluffy rice has an aromatic coconut fragrance, and each helping includes a fried egg, thick cucumber slices, peanuts, ikan bilis and a dollop of piquant sambal.

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Teo Kee Mushroom Minced Pork Noodle

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Brave the crowds at this vendor for a bowl of minced meat noodles or pork rib noodles. The minced meat noodles come with a big serving of earthy braised mushrooms that are the star of the show, alongside a moreish sauce, while the pork rib noodles are crowned with saucy and succulent hunks of caramelised meat coated in a sticky marinade.

You can also supplement your main dish with an array of sides such as braised egg and tender stewed chicken. Prices start at $3.

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This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.