From char kway teow to chicken rice to nasi briyani, hawker centres and kopitiams are paradises for food lovers. With the rise of young hawkers, the hawker affair is slowly changing. Restaurants are no longer the only places if you’re craving for German food or British food. Here we have a list of fancy food that you can find in hawkers.

#1 Lad & Dad

Located at Serangoon Garden Market and Hawker Centre, Lad & Dad is a joint effort between a father and son. They brought about British-inspired food with a local touch. The Lad’s Beef Stew ($12) is a set which came with hand-mashed potatoes, seasonal salad and fragrant rice. The stew was robust. Flavored with herbs and loaded with huge chunks of beef, it is the kind of comfort food that brings warmth on a rainy day. The fragrant rice paired well with the stew, but as for the potatoes, they were a tad too raw for my liking.

#2 Garçons

Serving up French and Italian, Garçons is set at an upscale foodcourt, Essen at The Pinnacle. When I first saw the 12-Hour Belly of Pork ($16.90), it looked just like roasted pork belly that one could get from hawker. But taking a bite explains the price tagged. The skin was so crisp that it could be broken into two with a fork, yet the meat was so tender and succulent. You won’t get the sick greasy feeling as there aren’t any fats on the roasted pork. The creamy mashed potato was very smooth and addictive too!

#3 Gangnam Bingsu

With the influx of Korean food in Singapore, it can be seen that there were many bingsu places popping up. But did you know that you can now enjoy bingsu at a foodcourt? Located within the newly renovated Tiong Bahru Plaza, Gangnam Bingsu opens a stall at Kopitiam Foodcourt. The bingsu comes in 2 sizes, small and big. We had the big Strawberry Bingsu ($10.90) which was beautifully drizzled with strawberry sauce and topped with whipped cream. The shaved ice was fluffy and airy, but lacked in milky sweetness. On the other hand, the strawberry sauce did add flavor and sweetness to the ice. The whipped cream didn’t exactly blend well with the bingsu either. Being slightly cheaper than the rest, we can’t expect much from quality.

#4 Green Bites

More and more Singaporeans are getting health conscious. We can see salad bars almost everywhere these days. Nonetheless, it can be quite pricey when buying off such bars. Green Bites provides a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts and dressings, and it is priced as low as $5! There are also premium toppings such as Cajun Chicken and Smoked Duck, with an additional charge of $1 to $1.50. The vegetables were very fresh. I tried the Asian Spicy dressing, and the burning sensation it gives would surely suit those who loves very spicy food!

#5 Cinqo Tapas

FIVE Square is another upscale foodcourt located at Great Eastern Centre. The food stalls varies from Korean to Japanese to salad. Cinqo Tapas is a stall that serves Spanish food. Although unique, the Seafood Paella ($9.50) did not taste as flavorful as I thought. The paella was slightly moist, but the seafood was overcooked. The add-on Pork Knuckle ($5) was also tough and dry.

#6 Fish & Chicks

Set in the heartland of Ang Mo Kio, Fish & Chicks is not your typical western food stall. The name itself depicts that only Fish and Chicken are served. Their signature combo is none other than Chili Crab and Salted Egg Fish & Chips ($12.90). The batter on the fish was crisp and airy, and the fries were well seasoned with Cajun spices and other herbs. The salted egg sauce was creamy and not too overwhelming, while the Chili Crab sauce was sweet with a hint of spiciness. Sadly, the “crab” flavor was lacking in the sauce. Overall, I would prefer to have more sauce and served separately to prevent the fish from being soggy.

#7 Wasai-Ya Japanese Mixed Rice

Japanese Chap Chye Png or Mixed Vegetable Rice is a first-timer for me. What’s more surprising is to find it in Junction 8’s foodcourt! The stall has a variety of dishes such as tonkatsu, gyoza and vegetable tempura. For my lunch ($6.90), I had Salmon Teriyaki, Chawanmushi and Stir-fry Egg Plant and Cucumber. Each set comes with miso soup and rice. The Chawanmushi was silky and flavorful. However, the Salmon Teriyaki was a tad too tough and the vegetables didn’t taste much like Japanese food. The other downside of this stall is that the food weren’t kept warm while it was displayed.

#8 Otto Berlin Haus

German crispy Pork Knuckles in a kopitiam? That’s right! Otto Berlin Haus serves a variety of German cuisines such as Pork Knuckles, Bratwursts, and Rosti. The Half Pork Knuckles ($14) was a generous portion. As much as I enjoyed the crispiness of it, I found the meat slightly dry. Nonetheless, the savory brown sauce that was served together enhances the taste of the pork knuckles. Otto Berlin Haus also added a local touch to this dish by serving it with achar.

#9 Ah Bong’s Italian

Instead of being fancy hawker food, Ah Bong’s Italian is more of hawker food turn fancy. Rather than the common spaghetti Bolognese or carbonara, the menu here is ever-changing. It’s so “hip” that even the pasta is served on old school chicken plate. I ordered the Spicy Prawn Aglio Olio ($14) has linguine tossed with prawn, zucchini and celery. The pasta was cooked al dente, and the chili flakes added a tinge of spiciness to this dish. Nonetheless, it lacked in the garlic flavors.

#10 Two Wings

The Chicken Wings ($8.50/4pcs, $12.50/6pcs, $24/12pcs) are only freshly fried upon order. What arrived on our tables are beautifully fried till golden brown. There is literally no traces of oil on the skin. As I sink my teeth into the meat, I get the immediate crispy crunch from the skin before the tender and moist meat. Something else worth mentioning is the homemade garlic chilli sauce which is similar to the ones we eat for chicken rice. It’s more zesty with strong garlic glavour. Superb pairing with the wings!

#11 HamBaoBao

Owned by a young couple, HamBaoBao is asian interpretation of burgers. The Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($5) was impressive. The minced chicken patty is infused with the buah keluak. Pairing with homemade chilli paste and chap chye, it all works harmoniously for this delicious and unique burger. The stall currently the stall sells only 5 types of burgers only with adds on such as fries, cheese, bacon and additional patty. Read about our Downtown Line 2 Hawker Guide.

#12 The Pasta Stop

Venturing out from Restaurant Valentino, The Pasta Stop is the hawker version with food sold at a more affordable price. The recipes are similar to the restaurant, and even some handmade ingredients like the pasta was brought over from the restaurant. The Chicken Pasta ($7.50) is a great dish for cheese lovers. The tangy tomato base compliments well with the cheesy pasta, hence you won’t feel too overwhelmed by the cheese. The Grilled Spicy Chicken Chop Combo ($9) comes with Aglio Olio and Chicken Chop. The grilled garlic in the Aglio Olio has a tad sweetness to it, which was very unique. The grilled Chicken Chop was marinated with a tinge of sourness, which gives it a refreshing taste. This dish also has the localized feel to it as the chicken is accompanied by our well-loved chicken rice chilli.

#13 Kitchen @ Work

Who said that you can only find Japanese cuisine in foodcourt and restaurants? Kitchen @ Work, is the hawker version that serves a variety of Japanese food, ranging from Donburi (rice bowl dish), to Fried Udon; all of which are tagged with an affordable price. The Yaki Niku Don ($6) is a rice dish topped with sliced beef, shredded onions and capsicums. It was a rather impressive dish, as the ingredients were slightly torched, giving it a tad burnt taste. Despite being in a hawker, Kitchen @ Work has definitely shown quality in the food that they prepare. Read about some of the must try dishes at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre.

#14 A Noodle Story

A Noodle Story is a contemporary take on traditional wanton noodle as the bowl served here has some influence from Japanese Ramen. Consisting of thin and springy Hong Kong style wanton noodle, Japanese charshu, Japanese-style braised egg and potato-wrapped prawn fritter, the flavours are enhanced by lemongrass scented oil, konbu and dried shrimps.

#15 The Burning Oak

From Bedok Marketplace, The Burning Oak is a Japanese yakitori stall. Unlike the typical food we see in hawker, The Burning Oak offers premium yet affordable donburi such as Wagyu Beef Rump Cap Don ($13) and the succulent Wagyu Rump & Iberico Pork Combo Bento ($15). If you prefer something light, there’s the 72-hour slow-cooked Angus Beef Short Ribs Skewers, priced tagged at $6 per stick.

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