If you want a hearty and affordable meal after scaling the Southern Ridges or having a beach day at Sentosa, head to Seah Im Food Centre.
Located next to HarbourFront bus interchange and opposite the road from HarbourFront Centre, this under-the-radar spot is a favourite among the area’s in the know residents and office workers.
Whether you’re in the mood for wok-fried classics like Hokkien mee and oyster omelette; want to slurp down a comforting bowl of yong tau foo or Thai beef noodle soup; or are craving some crispy ayam penyet, you’re sure to find something to suit your taste buds.
Seah Im Food Centre | 2 Seah Im Road
A trip to Thailand may still be some ways away. In the meantime, you can satiate your cravings at Thaksin Beef Noodle.
Named after the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra — and arguably the hawker centre's most famous stall — this is where you can nab aromatic bowls of beef noodle soup, moreish pad Thai and spicy Thai fried rice.
Their signature beef noodle soup comes with your choice of noodles, a mix of assorted beef cuts and plenty of fresh Thai basil, coriander and spring onions. Prices start from $3.
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Braised duck rice can be a tricky dish to execute. But this place pulls it off well, and will definitely leave you wanting seconds. Besides regular white rice, they also offer the option of flavoured rice that's studded with tiny bits of yam.
$3.50 gets you a plate crowned with thick slices of tender meat and braising sauce, as well as some herbal soup. You can also add ingredients such as braised egg, tau kwa and preserved vegetables.
Be sure to pair some sambal chilli with your dish for a spicy kick.
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If you're one of those people who can never decide what to pick at the yong tau foo stall, you're in luck.
Tian Ji Niang Dou Fu makes that choice for you. Each order consists of a pre-selected serving of ingredients — such as fried wanton, ngo hiang, fish balls and fried bean curd skin — which are then prepared as either a dry, soup or laksa version.
We personally prefer the dry option. You'll get a serving of springy noodles coated in chilli, ketchup and vinegar, plus a separate bowl of clear soup filled with cabbage and daikon. Expect to pay $3 and up.
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In the mood for some old-school fried chicken? Make your way to Farasha Muslim Food, one of the hawker centre's most popular joints.
Their calling card is the $5 nasi goreng ayam: a massive piece of fried chicken with impossibly crispy skin that shatters as you bite into it, served alongside fragrant rice, hot sambal sauce and some token lettuce leaves (so you can at least pretend that you've made an effort to be healthy).
Those who prefer noodles can swap out the rice for Maggi mee, which makes for an equally satisfying dish.
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For something a little different from your everyday cai fan, head to Kheng Nam Lee Curry Rice.
You'll find all the usual suspects — think fried chicken, pork chop, cabbage, long beans and cuttlefish — that are then plated up and drenched in a light and aromatic curry gravy.
A must-try dish is their Assam fish. It's served as a thick and tender slab and offers a perfect combination of salty, tangy and umami flavours. But do drop by early, as this is often the first thing to sell out. A plate here will set you back around $4.
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Sometimes, all you want is a messy, greasy and delicious plate of fried kway teow. And this spot certainly delivers on that front. Run by a lovely elderly couple, the stall cooks up some of the best fried kway teow in the city-state.
Their rendition stays pretty true to tradition: with cockles and beansprouts, a good sweet-salty balance and a power packed dose of wok hei.
While the fried kway teow is unquestionably the star of the show, they also serve other dishes like carrot cake and mee goreng. Prices run upwards of $3.
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Make no mistake: these aren't your average curry puffs. Rather, Makan Boleh's versions — which retail for $1 — have a fragrant, buttery and golden-brown crust that holds up well to the generous filling.
You can either opt for the classic potato, or go for the funky sardine. The former includes chunky potato cubes enveloped in a piquant curry paste, while the latter is a tongue-tingling treat that marries the strong flavours of the fish with an array of spices. Be sure to pick up a few extra to bring home with you.
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This outfit is known for its tasty Hokkien mee and oyster omelettes. The Hokkien mee is composed of thick yellow and white noodles fried with a mixture of eggs, beansprouts and prawns, then garnished with spring onions and calamansi.
It has a pleasing wok hei, and the sambal chilli is on point. We also love the oyster omelette. The large oysters used are fresh — and they're generous with the portion — and the starch mixture creates a great crispy-chewy textural contrast. Prices begin at $3.
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Boasting an over three decade legacy, the Muslim-owned Aspirasi offers hearty portions of fried chicken rice.
For $4, you'll get their signature fried chicken served with fluffy rice, cucumber slices, bits of batter and a heaping scoop of addictive and fiery sambal chilli that's bound to have you sweating.
The batter is wonderfully crisp, and the chicken — even the breast meat — is pretty tender.
You can also choose to order one of their sauced-up versions (options include black pepper, lemon and sweet and sour sauce).
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Shi Ji Noodle Stall specialises in lor mee and braised duck noodles ($3 and up). It's a favourite haunt among the area's office workers, often drawing long queues during the lunch period.
Their lor mee is enveloped in a gravy that isn't too starchy or thick, and is packed with ingredients like braised egg, braised pork, ngo hiang, springy fish cake and plenty of chopped garlic.
Meanwhile, the braised duck noodles come with a rich and comforting herbal broth, and is perfect to warm you up on a rainy day.
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READ MORE: Tekka Centre: 10 best hawker stalls to try
This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.