Heritage Hawkers: Stalls to try at Golden Mile Food Centre
PSA: Golden Mile Food Centre is not the same as Golden Mile Complex.
The latter – also known as Little Thailand – however, will see eateries moving out gradually before the building is handed to developers in May 2023, following the (rather devastating) news of its en bloc. This will see some of the best eateries like mookata stalls, bars, and Thai grocery stores move out, which will surely be a loss for foodies around the island.
But on to the food centre, which is the star of our hawker guide today. Also fondly referred to as Beach Road Army Market – thanks to the array of military items being sold on its second floor – the popular locale thankfully remains untouched. It’s been in operation since 1975, and even went through a facelift and reopening just last year. Despite its renovation, plenty of its most loved stalls are still serving up plenty of good eats. Head down to the basement and you’ll even find plenty of superb Halal options waiting too.
If you’re stumped for choice, we don’t blame you. Here are 12 of the best stalls at Golden Mile Food Centre that you should try the next time you’re in the area.
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore
12 best stalls at Golden Mile Food Centre
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It’s not just the plate of wok hei-d prawn noodles that will keep you coming back to YouFu Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle. It’s also the homemade chilli, the airy lard that’s fried to perfection in-house, and the eight-hour, slow-cooked broth made of prawn heads, pork bones, pork rind, and more. Go for the thick bee boon for a wetter version, or the thin bee hoon if you like your noodles on the drier side.
(Image credit: @anthonyong0309 via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, 01-57, Singapore 199583
This unassuming bowl of chilli mee is probably one of the dishes we’d go back to time and time again. A huge dollop of chilli sauce (made from a combination of belacan, dried shrimp, garlic, onion and other secret spices) is ladled into a generous bowl of noodles, bean curd, bean sprouts, fish cakes, pork ribs, and prawns for you to mix together. Punctuate your bites with sips of herbal broth on the side, and you’ve got yourself a comforting, fragrant meal.
(Image credit: @jall_pix via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, 01-59, Singapore 199583
You get the best of both worlds here at Da Po. You can either go for the tender roasted chicken and oily rice, or you can grab a sinful serving of curry noodles. The broth is wonderfully aromatic and milky, but still light enough for you to slurp on its own. The thin bee hoon is an excellent choice here if you want to properly soak up all the flavourful soup.
(Image credit: @niuniuwong via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, B1-53, Singapore 199583
Kheng Fatt is one of the most iconic stalls in Golden Mile Food Centre. Here, they serve Hainanese beef noodles (soup or dry), and diners aren’t allowed to order the broth on its own — noodles are a must. We recommend getting the soup version if you prefer cleaner flavours that still pack a punch, but for the ultimate meal, trust us when we say that you have to give the dry beef balls and tendon noodles a go. Each noodle strand is coated with thick gravy, complete with a dash of nuttiness from the peanuts that are thrown on top of the bowl.
For more beef noodle options around the island, head to our list here.
(Image credit: @calebkiu via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, 01-89 Singapore 199583
For a feast with friends and family, head straight to Yong Kwang Yummy Seafood. Here, the tze char stall offers an array of classic dishes, including the ever-popular Claypot Crab Bee Hoon, Salted Egg Pork Ribs, Sambal Sotong, and San Lor Hor Fun. The Oyster Omelette is also a fan favourite, served to you in a neat, round disc that cuts open to reveal some seriously fluffy eggs.
(Image credit: @yongkwangseafood via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, B1-55, Singapore 199583
What’s not to love about claypot rice? Each of these claypots at Yew Chuan Claypot Rice is cooked over wood-fire stoves to impart a beautiful, smokey flavour to the dish, crowned with succulent chunks of chicken, Chinese sausage, vegetables and our favourite flavour enhancer — salted fish. For more delicious claypot rice in Singapore, head to our link here.
(Image credit: @bz_ninja via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, 01-73, Singapore 199583
Ashes Burnnit is a popular name not just in Golden Mile Food Centre. The humble halal burger joint here is now the flagship location of the brand (they have five other outlets islandwide), and they’ve even announced a New York outpost at Urban Hawker, opened in collaboration with Makansutra and Glutton Bay’s founder KF Seetoh. Here, popular orders include the Truffle Mushroom burger and the Ashes Smash Cheeseburger.
Pro Tip: there’s an off-menu burger called the Best of Both Worlds, and it’s a sinful combination of creamy mac-and-cheese that’s built on top of your juicy beef patty. You’re welcome.
(Image credit: @ashessgburnnit via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, B1-24, Singapore 199583
Diners can head to Charlie’s Peranakan Food for some authentic, no-frills Peranakan fare. The Ayam Buah Keluak is a little lighter in flavour compared to the others we’ve tried, so it’s an easy but equally delicious gateway for those who want to dip their toes into the dish. The flavourful buah keluak and minced pork mix pairs beautifully with a serving or two of rice. Other dishes to try include the Bakwan Kepiting and Chap Chye.
(Image credit: @seantan1198 via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, B1-30, Singapore 199583
For a delicious version of sup tulang merah, you have to pay a visit to Deen Tiga Rasa. The recipe here spans over three generations, and each piece of the bright red mutton bone is infused with a medley of sweet, tangy, and spicy sauce that’s painstakingly tedious to prepare. After you’re done with the larger meat chunks, there are still plenty of sinews, tendon and cartilage that’s worth getting your hands dirty for. Don’t forget to get all that buttery marrow out at the end.
(Image credit: @marina_nasya via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, B1-16, Singapore 199583
Keng Heng Whampoa Teochew Lor Mee is such great value for money. The most expensive dish here is a five-dollar order that comes with a bounty of crispy fish skin, fried wantons, fish, fishcake and pork belly, and glossy black sauce that coats each noodle without the dreaded starchiness. Be sure to add some raw garlic, vinegar and chilli sauce to really elevate the dish.
Head to our link here for all our favourite lor mee stalls in Singapore.
(Image credit: @jiana.giam via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, 01-63, Singapore 199583
The glistening wantons, juicy pieces of char siew, and chewy noodles are just some reasons why diners come back to Wen Kang Ji Wanton Noodles all the time. The noodles are slightly thinner than ramen noodles but thicker than your regular egg noodles, which make each order extra substantial for hungry diners. It’s topped off with a sprinkle of pork lard for extra taste, but if you’d like even more of these oily, crunchy bits, don’t be afraid to ask.
(Image credit: @yums.in.tums via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, B1-29, Singapore 199583
The grass jelly at Zhao An Granny Grass Jelly is still made by hand, a rarity at many local dessert joints these days. The stall finds its roots in the streets of post-war Singapore in 1946, and still uses the same original recipe for these refreshing, ice-cold bowls of dessert today. Have the smooth pieces with a choice of attap seeds, nata de coco, longans or sea coconut.
(Image credit: @zhaoangrannygrassjelly via Instagram)
Address
505 Beach Rd, 01-58, Singapore 199583
