Many of Singapore’s old-school hawker centers in the city area were established to resettle pioneer hawkers that used to ply the streets of the older parts of town. One such hawker centre is Golden Mile Food Centre which was built in 1975 to resettle the original hawkers lining nearby Jalan Sultan. Today, Golden Mile Food Centre, which is also sometimes known as Beach Road Army Market, is a haven for those seeking traditional hawker fare such as claypot rice, grass jelly, chee cheong fun as well as more innovative dishes catered to younger folks. Here, I aim to present some of my favorite stalls.
Do note that Golden Mile Food Centre is a standalone hawker center that is different from the Golden Mile Complex at the opposite side of the road. I have been visiting this hawker centre for a couple of years and find that after the closure of Golden Mile Complex, they are now mainly busier during weekends while the patronage is rather light during weekdays.
91 Fried Kway Teow Mee (翠绿炒粿条面)
91 fried kway teow mee
91 fried kway teow char kway teow
While there are a number of popular food stalls at Golden Mile Food Centre, the one with the longest queues is undoubtedly at this noodle store. 91 Fried Kway Teow Mee prides itself in using no pork and no lard in its char kway teow. Some influencers even go to the extend of dubbing it as a “healthy” char kway teow though I very much doubt that claim as the noodles and the generous portion of bok choy / veggies are still doused in plenty of oil. Still, I would say each plate possesses a good amount of wok hei and I love the sweet-savory sauce they use. The noodles here are also notable for having fried anchovies / ikan bilis – something I don’t see in char kway teow elsewhere.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 8AM to 2PM
Stall Number: #01-91
Keng Heng Whampoa Teochew Lor Mee
keng heng whampoa teochew lor mee
lor mee from keng heng whampoa teochew lor mee
A contender for the most popular food stall in Golden Mile Food Centre, Keng Heng Whampoa Lor Mee offers piping hot bowls of reliably starchy and thick gravy lor mee at a good value, with bowls starting from S$4. I chanced upon the store one morning when the queue was not particularly long and ordered myself a mid-sized bowl (S$5). The serving size was huge and I can’t imagine what the large bowl (S$6) one might look like. It probably would have been good enough for two. My bowl came with relatively hefty portions (1 pc each) of ngoh hiang, pork belly, potstickers, fried fish, fish cake and even fish skin. The broth was notably thick and dark, one of the darkest I’ve seen for a bowl of lor mee.
Opening Hours: Daily except Wednesday and Sunday, 7:30AM to 1:30PM
Stall Number: #01-63
Flourful Delight
flourful delight
dan dan noodles from flourful delight
My go-to spot whenever I have cravings for Zha Jiang Noodles or Dan Dan Noodles, Flourful Delight makes their noodles inhouse and each strand is super chewy and bouncy. The flavor profile of the peanut sauce in the Dan Dan Noodles is especially prominent which makes it my go-to dish here. They are also known for their dumplings. I especially like their Spicy Sichuan Dumplings which are filled generously with ground meat.
Stall Number: #01-85
Opening Hours: Daily except Mondays, 11AM to 2PM, 6PM to 8PM
Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly
zhao an granny grass jelly
grass jelly with nata
While grass jelly is a popular drink and dessert in most hawker centers, you won’t find another stall that specializes in this refreshing treat in the way that Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly does. The establishment has been around for decades and they still make the grass jelly from scratch to this day. Customers have the option to top their grass jelly with nata de coco, sea coconut, attap seeds or longan. There’s a slight feeling of nostalgia here as each order is served in a traditional porcelain bowl.
Stall Number: #01-58
Opening Hours: Daily, 11:30AM to 6:30PM, closed at 6PM on Monday and Sunday
braise
braise
braised meat bowl
braise puts a modern spin on this most traditional of cooking methods, effectively differentiating themselves from the usual braised meat stalls in hawker centers which are typically kway chap stalls. Highlights here include the Braised Pork Rice, Braised Pork Shank Set, Braised Pork Cheek Set and Braised Pork Ribs Set. The different cuts of meat on offer here mean that diners can opt for leaner cuts if they wish. My Braised Pork Cheek Set came with thick gravy, was notably generous in portion and extremely meaty. Compared to the typical Taiwan style Braised Pork Rice, the ones at braise contain optional add-ons such as tamago egg, shiitake mushrooms, black fungus and more.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11AM to 3PM
Stall Number: #01-104
Cat in the Hat
cat in the hat
Cat in the Hat is this quaint little bakery serving up French pastries such as madeleines, caneles, financiers and tarts. The financiers, in particular, come in interesting flavors such as oolong longan and salted caramel macadamia. They open rather late, at about 10:30AM but many of their pastries run out by lunch time, especially during weekends.
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30AM to 2PM (from 11AM to 1:30PM on Saturday and Sunday)
Stall Number: #01-104
Thai Mama Kitchen
thai mama kitchen
Thai Mama Kitchen is the stall to turn to for reliable and affordable Thai fare. What sets them apart from the other Thai stalls in Golden Mile Food Centre is the sheer number of dishes they have. Choose among their range of curries or staples like tom yum and pad thai. My favorite dish to order here is the Garlic Pork Rice which always comes reliably crunchy.
Opening Hours: Daily except Sunday, 12:30PM to 9:30PM
Stall Number: #01-90
Wen Li
wen li taiwanese cuisine
The Taiwanese atmosphere is palpable the moment one approaches the stall to order. The guy running Wen Li speaks with a palpable Taiwanese accent (I was to learn later that he is actually from Malaysia). One can expect affordable Taiwan staples here including Braised Pork Rice, Popcorn Chicken, Pig Intestine Mee Sua and more. Customers can also order the dishes as a set with either the Braised Pork Rice or the Mee Sua as the main followed by a couple of sides. I ordered their Braised Pork Rice and noted that it was on the leaner side, just the way I like it.
Opening Hours: Daily except Monday, 11AM to 7PM
Stall Number: #01-65
Mr Baguette
mr baguette
Although they do serve baguettes, Mr Baguette is probably more known these days for their uniquely flavored tarts. Buy them as an assortment in order to try the various flavors. Popular ones include blueberry lava, matcha cheese, tiramisu lava as well as savory ones like chicken pie, tuna pie and more.
Opening Hours: Daily, 12PM to 4:30PM (til 6PM on Saturday and Sunday)
Stall Number: #01-65
Kopi More
kopi more
Although it opens relatively late for a coffee / drinks stall, Kopi More never fails to attract quite a queue in the few hours that it is open each day. The uncle who runs the stall sells local kopi made using western techniques. This includes grinding the beans and preparing each cup using a barista coffee machine. The drinks menu is a simple one with a selection consisting of kopi/kopi o, teh/teh o and yin yang. The stall counts some celebrities as its loyal customers including Chen Yixi and Henry Golding. Compared to typical local kopi stalls, the price here is roughly double though still lower than what barista-style coffee places charge. At the time of my visit, my cup of kopi o was priced at S$2.40. Having gone thru an espresso machine, my kopi o had a noticeable layer of froth on top and brownish hue.
Opening Hours: Daily, 10:30AM to 4PM (starts at 10AM on Saturdays)
Stall Number: #B1-49
Nyonya Bites
nyonya bites
various kueh from nyonya bites
For freshly made kuehs and steamed cakes, check out Nyonya Bites for the likes of their Ang Ku Kueh which comes in 3 flavors – ginger, peanut and tau sar. Other interesting creations at this stall include the Butterfly Pea Kueh and Steamed Yam Cake. My personal favorite though, has got to be their tri-colored Sweet Potato Kueh. Although they officially close at 5PM, I have on several occasions, visited at around 7PM on weekdays and still find them open albeit with fewer products to sell.
Opening Hours: Daily, 11AM to 4PM
Stall Number: #01-93
Xin Kee Hong Kong Cheong Fun
Xin Kee Hong Kong Cheong Fun
chee cheong fun
This relatively new stall in Golden Mile Food Centre was opened during the second half of 2022. Chee cheong fun lovers can rejoice in these breakfast staples – all made-to-order in an affordable setting. Their chee cheong fun is made Cantonese style, with thin and slippery rice rolls enveloping fillings such as chye poh, prawns and pork char siew. The Chye Poh Chee Cheong Fun intrigued me in particular as one doesn’t usually see this flavor elsewhere. The paper thin rolls easily disintegrated with just one bite while the amount of chye poh within was just enough to be quite perceptible in flavor.
Opening Hours: Daily except Monday, 8AM to 2PM
Stall Number: #01-79
Yew Chuan Claypot Rice
Yew Chuan Claypot Rice
Yew Chuan Claypot Rice is perhaps the most well-known stall in Golden Mile Food Centre and comes with the longest wait as well. Their main dish is the Claypot Chicken Rice which is sold in a variety of sizes. Do note that when it’s busy (usually at night), they don’t serve the solo sized portion. The claypot rice comes fragrant with the right amount of char, pork sausage (lup cheong), liver sausage, generous portions of chicken as well as salted fish. Diners are given a sauce dispenser as well so one can opt to put as much (or as little) of the sauce as desired. I have had varying experiences during my visits here. The wait tends to be long during dinner time and the guy taking orders can be quite grumpy on occasion. However, the claypot rice is consistently good throughout all my visits.
Opening Hours: Daily except Monday and Thurday, 12PM to 8PM
Stall Number: #01-73
Charlie’s Peranakan Food
charlie’s peranakan food
delicious nangka lemak from charlie’s
Few other Peranakan hawker stalls offer such an extensive menu as Charlie’s in Golden Mile Food Centre. This humble stall tucked away in a quieter corner of the hawker center’s basement offers dishes such as Bakwan Kepiting, Itek Sio, Ayam Buah Keluak and even vegetarian options like Nangka Lemak. For something you won’t normally find in other Peranakan places, try their Belimbing Pork – lean meat drenched in starfruit-flavored curry. The stall owners saw how much I enjoyed it that they gladly offered to top up my plain rice – for free.
Opening Hours: Daily, 11:30AM to 7:30PM
Stall Number: #B1-30
75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup
75 ah balling soup
One of the oldest stalls to operate in Golden Mile Food Centre, 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup is run by 3rd generation hawkers. This is perhaps the most well-known establishment specializing in glutinous rice balls or tang yuan in Singapore. While they no longer make their rice balls inhouse (production is done in a factory for consistency), the establishment attracts a loyal following due to their myriad of flavors including peanut, black sesame, red bean, yam and matcha. I usually get my desserts here whenever I am dining in Golden Mile. Although I find the taste and texture similar to the tang yuan you can buy from the supermarket, I enjoy trying their more unusual flavors such as the matcha which comes naturally bitter. They still make some of the soups inhouse and diners can choose between peanut soup (their signature), almond milk, ginger and longan red date.
Opening Hours: 11AM to 8:15PM (opens at 10AM on Saturday and Sunday)
Stall Number: #01-75
Chef Choo Signature
Chef Choo Signature
pasta from Chef Choo Signature
Opened by a former chef of Pete’s Place in Grand Hyatt Singapore, Chef Choo Signature whips up pasta dishes at hawker-friendly prices. Specialties include their Sizzling Seafood Spaghetti, Spaghetti Bolognese and more. This is the place to try restaurant-quality pasta if you are on a budget. What sets them apart are the sauces used. While many hawker stalls stick to pre-packaged tomato sauce, Chef Choo Signature makes their own sauces for the pasta. The result is a naturally tangy and authentic tomato taste.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11AM to 6:30PM (til 4PM on Sunday)
Stall Number: #B1-45
Oyster Boy
Oyster Boy
Oyster cake
It’s always great to see younger hawkers offering dishes that have become increasingly scarce. One such example is Oyster Boy in Golden Mile Food Centre. The stall sells Fuzhou Oyster Cake. Specifically, they sell 2 kinds. The original one includes oysters, minced pork and prawns encased in a crispy batter while the Prawn contains more prawn, minced pork but no oysters. I have personally tried their oyster cake and what I loved about it is how the batter held to its own, without any excess oil making it soggy or spilling over into the paper casing.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11AM to 5:30PM
Stall Number: #01-111
Tee’s Kitchen
tee’s kitchen
colombian chicken
Tee’s Kitchen at Golden Mile Food Centre runs a relatively simple menu consisting of Colombian Chicken served with special rice, salsa and optional vegetables. What makes the chicken here special is the creamy gravy, best mixed with the accompanying rice which is already fragrant enough on its own. The portion is also quite generous and each serving comes with a standard drumstick and thigh. While here, don’t miss out on their Apple Crumble or Banana Crumble. The crumble itself is made with oats which gives it a good contrast with the crushed biscuits.
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30AM to 3PM (til 2:30PM on Friday)
Stall Number: #01-78
Old Amoy Chendol
old amoy chendol
old amoy chendol
Golden Mile now has an outlet of Old Amoy Chendol, a brand that opened their first outlet in 2017 in Chinatown Complex Food Centre. You can expect the same artisanal chendol in this outlet – its artisanal qualities comprising the usage of azuki beans (rather than kidney beans) and gula melaka sourced from Sarawak as ingredients in this quintessential dessert
Opening Hours: Daily except Sunday, 10:30AM to 6PM
Stall Number: #01-96
