PUBLISHED April 8th, 2021 05:00 am | UPDATED April 18th, 2021 09:35 pm
Located at the end of Beach Road, Golden Mile Food Centre is a treasure trove of authentic Singaporean street food. The place remains packed, and hawker stalls – from first-gen to third-gen – boast long queues of customers. The popular haunt was closed for renovations last December and in celebration of its reopening, here are the must-try hawker stalls at this local gem.
Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck
A local favourite, Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck is a stalwart at Golden Mile. Run by second generation hawker, Rui Hai, his secret to success is using his parents’ traditional recipes. Their Braised Duck Rice (S$3) is a safe choice for a satisfying meal. The rice is fluffy and drenched in a generous drizzle of duck sauce. While the duck was a little tougher on the day we tried it, it was flavourful nonetheless. All in all, a good ol’ plate of classic Teochew duck rice.
Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck is located at #B1-43, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583
Yew Chuan Claypot Rice
Hot and crispy, Yew Chuan Claypot Rice serves up large portions of their claypot rice. Usually, their portions are good for sharing, but if you’re in the mood to hog one by yourself, then try their Claypot Chicken Rice (S$7 for one pax). The dish is extremely fragrant, and the taste lives up to this standard. The rice is slightly yellowed and satisfyingly crispy, and pieces of lap cheong (Chinese preserved sausage) create a subtle sweetness under bites of rice and chicken. This stall proves that you can never go wrong with claypot rice!
Yew Chuan Claypot Rice is located at #01-73, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583
91 Fried Kway Teow Mee
91 Fried Kway Teow Mee has built up an impressive reputation – and for good reason too. Featured on the 2019 Michelin Guide, their regular plate of Fried Kway Teow Mee (S$4) looks deceptively ordinary, but packs a punch of flavour. The noodles are wonderfully smoky, and surprisingly light – it doesn’t leave you feeling bloated. Plus, the addition of chye sim, which was cooked separately and then added, creates a fresh taste in contrast to the fried noodles.
91 Fried Kway Teow Mee is located at #01-91, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583
Keng Heng Whampoa Teo Chew Lor Mee
One of the most popular hawker stalls at Golden is undoubtedly Ken Heng Whampoa Teo Chew Lor Mee. The stall serves up food fast, with snaking queues of locals to tend to. Their Lor Mee (S$3 for small) is very reasonably priced for the amount of ingredients you get in a bowl. Fishcakes, fried wanton, and fried fish skin are thrown into a bowl of noodles doused in thick gravy. To enhance the flavour, ask for chilli and raw garlic on the side. Adding too much of the condiments will take away from the flavour.
Keng Heng Whampoa Teo Chew Lor Mee is located at #01-63, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583
Flourful Delight 知味面点
There’s only once place to go for your fill of dumplings, and that’s Flourful Delight 知味面点. Their Dan Dan Mian is immensely popular, but if you can only try one thing, make sure it’s the Xiao Long Bao (S$5, seven pieces). The stall makes their dumpling skin by hand, and it pays off. The dumpling skin was just thick enough to carefully hold the hot soup, but thin enough so as not to absorb all the flavour. We finished those dumplings in no time, and so will you.
Flourful Delight 知味面点 is located at #01-73, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583
Charlie’s Peranakan Food
Husband and wife duo Charlie and Amy have been operating Charlie’s Peranakan Food stall for years now. Frequently deemed one of the best authentic Nyonya places to eat, go for their Ayam Buah Keluak (S$12). This dish is not for the faint of heart. Usually eaten with rice ($0.50), the dish is a mixture of meat, nuts, and tamarind paste. Although the mixture of minced meat and nut paste that we dug out from the buah keluak nut was not as rich and gooey as we’d hoped, the tamarind flavour was refreshingly appetising with the chicken and white rice.
Charlie’s Peranakan Food is located at #B1-30, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583
Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly
Picture this – it’s a scorching hot day (as it usually is in Singapore) and you’re dying for a cooling dessert. Look no further than Zhao An Grass Jelly. At an affordable S$1.80 (small size) for a Cold Grass Jelly, Zhao An serves a simple and smooth jelly dessert. Handmade and rich in herbal taste, the grass jelly at this stall is one of the most authentic ones you’ll find. The bitterness of the jelly comes through, but stirring the sugar syrup will solve any qualms about this dessert.
Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly is located at #01-89, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583
75 Ah Balling Tang Yuan
For a hot dessert, 74 Ah Balling Tang Yuan takes the cake. They serve an array of different glutinous rice balls, from yam to sesame, as well as different soups. But their signature dessert is their Peanut Soup with Peanut Tang Yuan (S$2.90 for six). The soup itself isn’t mind-blowing, but it does coat the tang yuan with an already sweet and nutty flavour. Cooked well, with the right amount of chew, the peanut filling is a party in your mouth when you bite into the rice ball.
75 Ah Balling Tang Yuan is located at #01-75, Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, Singapore 199583