Singapore

Hawker Stall Heaven

Singapore

October 29th, 2023 – November 1st, 2023

Table of Contents

In early 2023, we decided it was time to pull the trigger on our dream trip. Over the past 2 years I had been saving points on my Chase Sapphire card and now it was time to use them. Flights from the US to Singapore (and then back) averaged at around $2,000 for the both of us, but with my handy dandy points, it would only cost $100.

It took a while to pull the trigger, but one night, over a glass of wine, we did it. The tickets were bought. We’d take the longest, most intensive trip we’d ever been on. 8 countries in just 3 weeks.

Thus began the Southeast Asia 2023 Trip.

The VIP’s Have Arrived

After almost 20 hours of flying we arrived at Singapore Changi Airport. We were exhausted, but excited to be here. It was our first time flying with Qatar Airways and I have to say, it may be our favorite airline to date. The comfort, quality of food, and entertainment options made those long hours in the air not as bad as they could be.

We quickly ordered a Grab, Southeast Asia’s version of Uber, and made our way into the city. Our first driver was an older lady called Low Yoke Fun. She was great and introduced us to life in Singapore.

Police on motorcycles began stopping all traffic from getting onto the highway. “There is a VIP coming. It will be our Prime Minister or another head of state.” You’re damn right VIP’s were coming, The Hungry Voyagers were in town.

A Modern Utopia

A 12 hour time difference has an incredible affect on the body. By 4am, I was entirely awake. Laying next to me, however, was the greatest sleeper I have ever met. Emily slept throughout the entire flight, got to the hotel, and then got another 8 hours of sleep. It is the most impressive thing I have ever seen.

Finally at 8am, we first stepped out into the hot, humid air of Southeast Asia. Our first impression of Singapore was pure awe of how modern everything was. Large skyscrapers dominated the sky, but were covered in plants and greenery of all kind. It felt like the classic interpretation of a modern utopia. Big, clean, environmentally conscious. All that was missing were the flying cars.

Hawker Heaven

Singapore is renowned for its Hawker Centers. We had no idea what that meant. We’d never heard the word ‘Hawker’ in our life. However, we’d soon come to find out what the hype was all about. Essentially, Hawker Centers are large, intricate complexes filled with little stalls that serve quick, cheap, delicious food. Typically, each stall is owned by an older couple known affectionately as ‘Uncle’ and ‘Auntie’. They run, cook, and serve their customers.

Walking in to Hong Lim Hawker Center, I knew we would love it here. It was bustling with locals. All around were little openings in the wall with bright signs, lit up with pictures of food and Chinese letters. Smells we’d never smelt before came from all corners of the complex. Knives hitting cutting blocks, Auntie’s yelling out order numbers, pots and pans clanging, fans blowing, people chatting and laughing. The Hawker Center Orchestra.

We made our way through the maze of hallways and stairs. The first dish on our list was a local favorite, Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee. In fact, it had recently won the Bib Gourmand award from Michelin, which is pretty much one level below actually having a Michelin Star. The line wrapped around the corner as a man went down the queue taking peoples order and money. There was only one thing on the menu, Kway Teow Mee. Online reviews said that people usually wait in line for hours for this dish, and more and more people lined up behind us.

Luckily for us, the line quickly whittled down. It was an efficient operation. The Uncle taking orders, the Auntie putting the dishes together, and a chef cooking up food.

We got our food and sat at a free table. In these Hawker Centers, you just sit wherever is open, a lot of the times with strangers. The bright red plate stood out against the light blue table. On it, the legendary Kway Teow Mee. Noodles in a dark soy sauce with garlic, chili, egg, and cockles. It was delicious, smokey, oily goodness.

Our second dish at Hong Lim was downstairs at Heng Kee. Here they specialized in a Curry Chicken Noodle Soup. The Auntie took my order as a very large man began creating it. This guys neck was about the same size as my body, yet he was so meticulous with his preparation. A wooden stump sat in the corner of their hawker. In the middle of the stump was a hole with, what looked like, stock and chicken juice. The large man took a hunk of chicken, picked up his cleaver, and carefully began chopping it in to bite sized pieces. It was like watching an artist with his paintbrush. Each stroke of the cleaver was delicate, yet purposeful. Each piece dropped into a white bowl, which he then covered in the juice from the middle of the stump.

First of all, the star of the dish is the broth. Creamy, rich with a distinct curry flavor and a little kick. The chicken is unbelievably tender, soft, and absorbs that rich curry broth beautifully. Tofu puffs also sit in and soak up the broth, becoming little flavor bombs of goodness.

Hawker National Dish

Soon enough we found ourselves at the most well-known food center in the country and tourist hotspot, Maxwell Hawker Center. Unlike Hong Lim, Maxwell was open air and only on one floor. The structure felt like we had walked in to an aircraft hanger. Hawker stalls with colorful signs of all kinds of dishes lined up and down the hallways. You could tell it was a lot more touristy than Hong Lim. There were a lot more white people, which was fine for now. We had our mission.

We were on the prowl for Hainanese Chicken Rice, the national dish of Singapore, and Maxwell had the best place to get it. Tian Tian had been hyped up in the area by Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, and even Michelin. Not a bad list of supporters. Unfortunately for us, it was closed on Monday’s. Luckily for us, there was a great alternative right in front of us.

Ah Tai was opened by a former Tian Tian chef who left, copied their color scheme, took the recipe, and moved about 5 hawker stalls down from the original location. It was close enough.

We waited in line for about 10 or so minutes before getting to the front. We were lucky, by the time we ordered, the line had doubled in size. I ordered the Medium Chicken Rice, paid $6SGD ($4.50) immediately got our plate, and sat at a nearby table with some strangers. The place was absolutely packed, there was no room to breathe.

The plate was composed of 3 main components: some slightly brown rice, sliced chicken with a brown glaze over it, and a dollop of sambal. I scooped some rice and chicken together and took a bite. After hearing Bourdain and Ramsay gush about it, we couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Is it tasty? Yes of course it is. The glaze is sticky and a little sweet, the chicken was tender, and the rice was….rice. In our humble, non-chef opinions, it needs something else going on with it. I wanted to love it, I ended up just liking it.

In the couple weeks leading up to this trip, Emily had become obsessed with the idea of having freshly squeezed Sugar Cane Juice. As we took the last bites of Chicken Rice, her Sugar Cane Juice detector off. Low and behold, a couple of hawkers down, a white sign with red Chinese symbols. But underneath, the words ‘Sugar Cane Juice’. The Uncle at the stall took some sugar cane and ran it through a grinder which caused it to shoot out some juice into the cup. Emily was very happy.

A Flower Oasis

The Sugar Cane Juice was very, very refreshing. Sweet, a little grainy, but most importantly, it was cold and this heat was starting to get to us. It was 91 degrees Fahrenheit with a 93% humidity. Buckets of sweat were being extracted from my body. Our original plan to walk to the next destination was scrapped and, instead, a nice air-conditioned Grab called our name.

Gardens by the Bay had to be the most iconic sight in all of Singapore. Google Singapore right now, it will be in the first photo. Even now, I still didn’t really know what it was. You see the photos and it looks cool, but what exactly is it? Well it’s essentially a massive, fancy garden complex split into different attractions. Like most of Singapore, it focuses on blending nature and sustainability with technology.

The first attraction we showed up at was the Supertree Grove. Seeing them in real life was surreal. They are giant, vertical gardens that tower above everything. Made from metal beams wrapped with plants growing up them, they’re designed to look like trees and gave us some good shade from the sun beating down on us.

We stepped inside one of the trees and took an elevator to the top. At the top the first thing that hits you is another of Singapore’s iconic sights. Another example of the modern metropolitan it wants to be. The Marina Sands Bay. It looks like a surfboard on three skyscrapers.

An older German couple offered to take this for us

The first giant, glass dome that we entered was Cloud Forest. The cool air hit immediately. All of the senses were touched. The sound of running water. The smell of fresh air and plants. The feeling of cool mist hitting your face. In the middle, a massive 120 foot tall mountain covered in greenery and housing the worlds tallest indoor waterfall. Emily’s eyes lit up. She is a proud Plant Mom and if she had it her way, our apartment would look like this.

At the time, there was a special Avatar collaboration so the Cloud Forest. Special plants from the movies and creatures were scattered around the dome. We even got our faces scanned to become Avatar people.

We walked into the center of the massive structure in the middle and took an elevator to the top. It was crazy up here, we were practically touching the roof.

The second massive, glass dome was called the Flower Dome. In here were thousands of different plants from all over the world. Each section was broken into different continents which contained plants native to them. It wasn’t as grand in scale compared to the Cloud Forest, but it was incredible to see just how much there was.

We crossed the Marina and ended up at Little Island Brewing Company. Our first Asian brewery! The excitement was palpable. It was located in a posh looking mall area and definitely had the ‘look’. But would the beer be good, would it be a good representation of Asian beer? The answer is, meh. I had Famous Last Wort, a Golden Ale, and Emily had Penny Lane, a Pale Ale. The standard of craft beer is so high in America that it’s hard to not judge, but they were very average. An English couple sat by us and asked what we were drinking. They ended quickly scuffled off before finishing it. Guess we’re not just snobs after all.

Rib Soup

That night for dinner we would be going to yet another Bib Gourmand awarded restaurant. Singapore actually has 79 Bib Gourmand restaurants, and is one of the highest concentrated areas of eateries with this award.

The restaurant was only a 15 minute walk from our hotel so we decided to walk. By now it was dark and there was a slight drizzle, making the air far cooler than before. We walked down the streets, dodging cars and weaving in and out of back alleys. It was late, but the city was alive. The bright lights from tiny alley restaurants reflected off the wet floor. I was in love with the food culture of Singapore. Eating was a big thing for these people. All these tiny, hole in the wall restaurants were filled with people.

Our stop for the night was Song Fa Bak Kut Teh to try their famous Bak Kut Teh (Pork Rib Soup). Originally started as a single pushcart stall in 1969, Song Fa has now expanded to multiple restaurants around Singapore, all serving the original dish that started it all.

For hours under the hot sun, he served bowl after bowl of piping hot Bak Kut Teh to the tables gathered by his pushcart.

The bak kut is running out, he thought. It was time to get more meat from the chiller at his friend’s liquor stall down the road.

These were the humble beginnings of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh.
Our Legacy. Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

We were given a number and waited in line outside. The restaurant was packed, but it only took around 30 minutes to get us seated. We both ordered the special. Two Premium Loin Rib Soups. They quickly arrived. A small, humble, white bowl. Inside, a light brown broth, 2 bulbs of garlic, and a single rib larger than the bowl itself.

The broth was peppery and rich with depth. Meat from the ribs fell off the bone with very little resistance. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Crossing the Border

The next day we booked a tour guide from ToursByLocals to take us across the border to Malaysia. Our guide, Han, was absolutely incredible and gave us a great food tour of the area. Click here to read about our adventure around Johor Bahru.

Making our way Downtown

It was 2pm and we had just spent 8 hours travelling around Johor Bahru. We were exhausted, so we jumped into bed and took a quick power nap to recharge our batteries.

Singapore really is a beautiful place. Even though it was hot (and I really mean hot as hell), we loved the vibes. We couldn’t get over just how well modern technology has been integrated into nature. I said it before, but it really is a modern utopia.

We stopped for a bit on the Jubilee Bridge and watched over Marina Bay. You could see the whole main downtown skyline from here including the Marina Bay Sands. Boats came chugging by filled with people as we waved from the shore. It’s hard to describe this view and even the pictures don’t do it justice, it was just a really cool place to be and I’m glad we got to experience this.

The Cheapest Michelin Star Dish in the World

It had become dark outside as the rain poured down. Our Grab dropped us off to a small, opening in the wall. Inside it’s white, tiled floors were tables and small plastic chairs and in the back, 3 small hawker stalls that lit up with bright signs. The buzzing of lights, clanging of pans, and shouting of orders filled the room. Inside this humble abode was home to a very special dish. The cheapest Michelin Star dish in the world.

It wasn’t hard to tell which one it was as everyone had lined up at one place. It’s bright yellow sign with crimson Chinese text stood out amongst the others. On the left, the sacred Michelin Star sign. Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle would be our first Michelin Star dish ever. To say we were excited would be an understatement.

The line didn’t seem that long, about 15 or so people, and it took about 45 minutes to get to the front.

An Auntie signaled me forward to take my order. I went with a version of their specialty, dry Bak Chor Mee. I handed over my cash (only $5USD!) and stepped back to watch the artists in action.

Behind the stall, putting the dishes together, were 2 supporting chefs and a head chef. Each component of each dish was individually prepared from scratch. Fresh noodles were put into a cage and dropped into boiling water. Various meats were dropped into a bowl, different sauces were scooped on and mixed together, then another meat was added, and different sauces added. It was incredible to watch and took about 5 minutes to finish.

So what exactly was this Bak Chor Mee? A combination of egg noodles, minced pork, sliced pork, pork liver, pork meatballs, dried sole fish, chives, and vinegar sauce.

The anticipation was killing us, and Emily jumped in for the first bite. The noodles were soft, chewy, and fresh. The pork meat was tender and flavorful. We liked the texture that the dried fish brought, but the flavor was a little overwhelming. And the liver? Liver is my arch enemy, I can never seem to like it, and this was no different. The texture was too soft and gritty for me. The vinegar sauce, however, was wonderful. An earthy, umami flavor with a kick of spice that really brought together the whole dish.

Honestly, we probably wouldn’t wait in line for almost an hour again for it. For a Michelin Star, you’re expecting something out of this world that knocks you off your feet. Maybe expectations are too high and hype has propelled it into something that can never be met, but Michelin Stars do mean the best of the best. And in the end, we found this to be good, just not the best.

One Last Brewery

Earlier we had gone to a brewery and been slightly disappointed at the beer, so this was Singapore’s chance at redemption, Lion Brewing Company. Our Grab driver on the way was hilarious. We talked about this trip we were embarking on and all of the countries. “You guys are crazy. In Cambodia they will take your organs.” Alrighty then, we’ll be sure to protect our organs at all times.

We arrived and danced around in the rain until we found the entrance. It must have been a funny sight to those who were driving by. Walking in, I could immediately tell the type of people in here. It is my Spidey Sense. This place was filled with Brits. It looked and smelled like a pub. My type of place, the vibes were already better than the previous. We ordered a flight and, again, the beer was just average. I do have to point out one in particular that was really good. The Kohia Australian Pale Ale was a collaboration between breweries in three countries, this one, Big Shed in Australia, and Hakuba in Japan. It is the first Australian Pale Ale either of us have had and it definitely left us wanting more.

Here are my Untappd ratings out of five.

Melaka Pumpkin Ale: 2.25
Volksfest Vintage: 2.75
Lunar Osmanthus Wit: 3.25
Kohia APA: 4.0
Island Lager: 2.25
Straits Pale Ale: 2.50

Country Number One, Done.

And just like that, the first country in our Southeast Asia 2023 Trip had been completed. These 3 days in Singapore had been a great introduction to this month long adventure we had planned. It felt like a great balance between Western and Eastern culture that would prepare us for what was to come. There definitely felt like far more to do, but in this short time we really connected to Singapore. The food culture is the best we had seen thus far and we’d discovered dishes and flavors we didn’t think possible.

But now, it was time to move on, and we set off early to Singapore Changi Airport. This airport is absolutely incredible by the way. The center and main part is called The Jewel, a massive glass dome that holds almost like a nature park inside with a giant waterfall (for whatever reason this wasn’t turned on today). I mean it doesn’t even look real, a monorail goes through it.

Anyway, it was now time for the third country in our trip. Click here to read about our next adventure, Brunei!