Empress Road Market & Food Centre: 11 Must-Try Hawker Stalls

Empress Road Market and Food Centre may not have the same tourist pull as Maxwell or Old Airport Road, but that is also part of its appeal.

Tucked within the quiet residential neighbourhood near Farrer Road, this relatively compact hawker centre feels very much like a place built for regulars. Come in the morning and you’ll see residents having their usual noodles and kopi; stay around for lunch and the choices gradually shift towards chicken rice, Western food, yong tau foo and more.

What surprised me was the variety packed into one small food centre. You can start the day with bak chor mee or prata, grab a plate of nasi lemak, move on to soy sauce chicken noodles, then somehow still find space for a muffin afterwards.

Prices at many of the stalls remain reasonable too, which makes Empress Road a rather enjoyable place to explore without turning lunch into an expensive project.

After eating our way around the food centre, here are 11 hawker stalls at Empress Road Market and Food Centre worth checking out.

1. Fu Gui Bak Chor Mee — #01-100

Signature Dish: Bak Chor Mee
Operating Hours: 7am – 12pm daily
Price: Fish Ball Noodles — $5

Bak chor mee is one of those dishes where everything needs to work together. You can have good noodles, good chilli and good fishballs, but if the proportions are wrong, the bowl still ends up feeling slightly off.

Fu Gui gets the balance rather nicely.

The noodles had a satisfying QQ bite, retaining enough firmness instead of becoming soft halfway through the meal. More importantly, the chilli and seasoning coated them evenly, giving each mouthful a savoury, spicy kick rather than leaving all the sauce sitting at the bottom.

Then came my favourite little detail — the fried ikan bilis.

Even after mixing everything thoroughly, they still retained quite a bit of crunch. That added texture made a bigger difference than I expected, especially against the springier noodles.

The fishballs were fresh with that familiar bouncy texture, while the meatballs carried a faint dried sole fish aroma that gave them an old-school touch.

And the chilli? This is probably what would make me return. It has enough personality to make the noodles memorable without simply relying on heat.

For $5, this is more than a respectable neighbourhood bowl of noodles.

2. Long Nasi Lemak — #01-105

Signature Dish: Nasi Lemak
Operating Hours: 5.30am – 8pm daily
Prices: Nasi Lemak with Chicken Wing — $3.50 | Fried Fish Set — $4 | Chicken Drumstick Set — $4.50

At $3.50 for nasi lemak with a chicken wing, I initially wondered whether the portion would be rather basic.

It wasn’t.

The rice was fluffy with a pleasant coconut fragrance and, importantly for me, didn’t become overly rich after several spoonfuls. The freshly fried chicken wing was sizeable for the price, with crisp skin surrounding nicely marinated meat.

Considering what $3.50 gets you these days, the value is difficult to argue with.

Long Nasi Lemak isn’t limited to nasi lemak either. There is fried kway teow and bee hoon, plus a fairly extensive selection of dishes that you can add individually.

I tried the Kway Teow ($1.20) and it was surprisingly enjoyable even on its own. The strands weren’t clumped together or drowning in oil, and a scattering of sesame seeds added a light nuttiness.

Among the sides, an Egg ($0.80) came with the gooey centre I always hope for, while another Chicken Wing ($1.70) delivered crisp skin and nicely judged seasoning.

The small Otah ($1) leaned savoury with a touch of sweetness. Personally, I’d prefer it slightly creamier, but it still made a good accompaniment.

Even the cabbage deserved a mention — crunchy, fresh and thankfully not cooked until limp.

Add the tangy chilli and you have exactly what neighbourhood nasi lemak should be: straightforward, inexpensive and satisfying.

3. Bunga Raya Prata Hut — #01-74

Signature Dish: Prata
Operating Hours: 7am – 7pm | Sun: 7am – 2pm
Closed: Mon
Prices: Plain Prata — $1.30 | Egg Prata — $2 | Chicken/Mutton Briyani — $7.50

There are generally two camps when it comes to prata.

Some people want it thin and extremely crispy; others prefer something softer and doughier. Bunga Raya’s version sits rather comfortably between the two.

My Plain Prata ($1.30) arrived with a crisp exterior but retained a soft, slightly chewy centre. It had enough crunch to make things interesting without becoming the sort of wafer-thin prata that shatters everywhere after one bite.

It also wasn’t excessively greasy, which meant I could quite easily finish another piece.

The accompanying curry was aromatic and spice-forward but manageable even if you’re not someone who enjoys very fiery food. Tear off a piece of prata, drag it through the curry and it does exactly what you want a prata breakfast to do.

An Egg Prata costs $2, while the stall also offers numerous other fillings if plain prata feels a little too sensible.

For something heavier, there is Chicken or Mutton Briyani at $7.50.

I’d still start with the plain prata on a first visit, though. With prata, there’s nowhere for the basics to hide — and theirs handles the basics rather well.

4. Hao Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice — #01-87

Signature Dish: Hainanese Chicken Rice
Operating Hours: 10.30am – 3.30pm
Closed: Sun

Chicken rice is probably one of the hardest hawker dishes to write about because everyone already knows exactly what it should taste like.

At Hao Ji, there aren’t any unnecessary tricks. It is simply a properly executed plate of chicken rice.

The chicken was smooth and juicy, with the meat retaining its moisture rather than becoming dry around the edges. I particularly liked how clean-tasting it was — nothing overly salty or aggressively seasoned.

The rice deserves equal attention.

Each grain was distinct, carrying a noticeable chicken stock and garlic fragrance while stopping short of becoming greasy. For me, good chicken rice should be tasty enough that you occasionally forget to eat it with the chicken, and Hao Ji’s rice falls into that category.

Then there’s the chilli.

Bright, punchy and suitably appetising, it cuts through the richer elements of the dish and pulls everything together.

Even the accompanying soup was pleasant instead of feeling like an obligatory bowl of flavoured water.

Add a friendly stall owner into the equation and Hao Ji feels exactly like the kind of uncomplicated neighbourhood chicken rice stall you would happily return to for lunch.

5. Tien Le Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken — #01-70

Signature Dish: Soy Sauce Chicken Rice / Noodles
Operating Hours: 8am – 2.30pm
Closed: Mon, Tue & Wed
Prices: Soy Sauce Chicken Rice/Noodles — $4.50 regular, $5.50 large | Wanton Mee — $5

With only four operating days each week, Tien Le is one stall where you’ll want to check the day before making a special trip.

Their Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles ($4.50) are a good place to begin.

The noodles had the springy texture I look for in this style of dish — cooked enough to lose any raw flouriness but still holding their bite. They were also seasoned properly, so I didn’t find myself reaching immediately for more sauce.

But naturally, the chicken is the main event.

The soy sauce chicken carried a deep savoury flavour, while the skin was silky and nicely coated in the braising sauce. The meat underneath remained soft and flavourful, making it very easy to finish alongside the noodles.

What caught my attention, though, was the chilli.

Rather than tasting like generic red chilli sauce, theirs has a distinct dried shrimp aroma running through it. That little hit of savoury seafood flavour gives the condiment considerably more character.

You can choose either rice or noodles at $4.50 for the regular portion and $5.50 for large.

The stall also sells Wanton Mee at $5, giving you another reason to return — assuming you remember not to come on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

6. Chicks N Chops — #01-71

Signature Dish: Western Food
Operating Hours: 11am – 8pm daily
Prices: Grilled Chicken Chop — $6.50 | Chicken Cutlet with Rice — $5.50 | Pork Cutlet with Rice — $6.50 | Fish & Chips — $7 | Black Pepper Steak — $12

If you grew up eating Western food from neighbourhood coffee shops and hawker centres, Chicks N Chops will probably feel familiar almost immediately.

This isn’t trying to be restaurant-style Western cuisine. It has that old-school hawker Western food character — generous portions, familiar sides and prices that don’t require too much thought.

The Grilled Chicken Chop ($6.50) was what I went for.

The chicken picked up some nicely browned areas from the grill, creating a slight crust that I particularly enjoyed. Beneath that, the meat remained juicy enough to make the whole plate easy to finish.

The portion was also respectable for $6.50.

There is a fairly broad menu if chicken chop isn’t what you’re after. Chicken Cutlet with Rice costs $5.50, while Pork Cutlet with Rice is $6.50, Fish & Chips is $7, and even a Black Pepper Steak comes in at $12.

It feels a little nostalgic, in a good way.

Sometimes you don’t need artisan sourdough, fancy plating or a sauce with a paragraph-long description. You just want an affordable chicken chop from the hawker centre.

Chicks N Chops understands the assignment.

7. Baker RST — #01-73

Signature Dish: Muffins
Operating Hours: Tue – Fri: 11am – 2pm | Sat & Sun: 8am – 2pm
Closed: Mon
Prices: Muffins from $2.90

A muffin stall isn’t necessarily what you’d expect to find while hunting for hawker food, which is precisely why Baker RST caught my attention.

These aren’t plain supermarket-style muffins with a token chocolate chip sitting on top either.

Baker RST goes quite adventurous with the combinations.

The Pandan Kaya Coconut Gula Melaka Muffin ($2.90) brings together several very familiar Southeast Asian flavours in one bake, while chocolate lovers can go straight for the impressively named Torched Marshmallow Nutella Oreo Dark Chocolate Muffin ($3.10).

Yes, that is quite a lot happening in one muffin.

There is also a Banana Mixed Berry Lemon Crumble Muffin ($2.90) and The Berry White Honey Bliss Muffin ($3).

What impressed me most was that the muffins remained moist inside rather than becoming dry and crumbly. The toppings aren’t there simply for decoration either; the fillings are applied generously enough that you actually taste them throughout the muffin.

Some flavours definitely lean towards the indulgent side, so I’d probably share one after a full hawker lunch.

Or tell myself I’m sharing one, then finish it anyway.

8. D&E Fusion Western Food — #01-78

Signature Dish: Western Food
Operating Hours: 11am – 7pm
Closed: Mon
Signature Item: Creamy Garlic Chicken Chop with 2 Sides — $7.50

Just a few stalls away from Chicks N Chops is another Western food option, but D&E takes things in a slightly different direction.

Their menu places more emphasis on sauces, which the stall says are prepared in-house.

I went for the Creamy Garlic Chicken Chop with 2 side dishes ($7.50). A portion of salad is already included, making this quite a complete meal for the price.

The chicken arrived fresh off the grill, with the skin picking up a light crispness and a bit of char around the edges.

The creamy garlic sauce was what gave the dish its identity.

It was rich enough to coat the chicken properly but didn’t turn the entire plate into a heavy pool of cream. The garlic came through clearly, which worked particularly well with the smoky grilled notes from the chicken.

The stall staff were also friendly and polite during my visit — a small detail, perhaps, but one that always makes ordering more pleasant.

At $7.50 with two sides, salad and chicken chop, I found it fairly good value.

If you’re someone who enjoys your hawker Western food with something more adventurous than the standard brown or black pepper sauce, this is the stall I’d look at.

9. Jin Ho Jiak Yong Tau Foo — #01-79

Signature Dish: Handmade Yong Tau Foo
Operating Hours: 8am – 1.30pm
Closed: Mon & Tue

With yong tau foo, the difference between mass-produced ingredients and well-made pieces becomes quite obvious once you start eating.

Jin Ho Jiak puts quite a bit of emphasis on its handmade offerings, and I could understand why after trying them.

The stuffed pieces had a generous amount of filling rather than just a thin smear in the middle. The tofu was smooth yet sturdy enough to survive the journey from bowl to chopsticks, while the vegetables tasted fresh and retained their natural bite.

What I enjoyed most, however, was the soup.

It was clear and relatively light, with a gentle natural sweetness rather than a strong salty seasoning. This is the kind of broth I find myself drinking almost absent-mindedly between mouthfuls.

By the time everything else is gone, you’re still holding the bowl and wondering whether finishing the soup counts as hydration.

Their dipping sauce goes in the opposite direction — richer and more assertive — which makes it a useful partner for the more delicate ingredients.

Together with the fried selections, you can build yourself a meal that’s comforting without leaving you feeling excessively full afterwards.

Simple yong tau foo, yes, but executed with noticeable care.

10. Somerset Fishball Noodle — #01-89

Signature Dish: Fish Ball Noodles
Operating Hours: 8am – 2pm
Closed: Wed
Price: Fish Ball Noodles — $5

A good bowl of mee pok is often about many small things going right at the same time.

At Somerset Fishball Noodle, quite a few of them did.

The $5 bowl comes in just one size, and mine arrived with an assortment that included fishballs, fish meatballs, fish dumplings, prawns and abalone slices.

The mee pok itself was cooked particularly well.

It retained an al dente bite and, after being tossed with the sauce, every ribbon picked up a good mixture of chilli, vinegar and seasoning. There weren’t random clumps of pale noodles hiding underneath waiting to surprise me halfway through.

I would definitely recommend taking the chilli-and-vinegar route here. It gives the noodles the tangy, savoury profile that works so well with mee pok.

Bits of pork lard add occasional crunch and richness, while the fishballs and fish dumplings were noticeably fresh with a pleasant bounce.

There is also something satisfying about watching an experienced noodle hawker toss a bowl properly. It looks simple until you realise how easy it is to overcook noodles by 20 seconds.

At $5, Somerset serves a nicely composed bowl that gets the fundamentals right.

11. Ah Wing’s Wanton Mee — #01-108

Signature Dish: Wanton Mee
Operating Hours: 8am – 1.30pm
Closed: Thu & Fri
Prices: Wanton Mee — $5 / $6 | Add 2 Wantons — $1

Ah Wing’s Wanton Mee has a decidedly old-school character, from the noodles to the dumplings and accompanying soup.

The noodles were springy and nicely cooked, although I could detect a slight alkaline flavour when eating them plain.

Thankfully, that largely disappeared once everything was given a proper toss with the chilli sauce — another reason not to be shy about mixing your noodles.

The wantons were one of the stronger components for me. The filling had enough substance to make each piece satisfying instead of feeling like a wrapper with something hiding inside.

For an additional $1, you can add two more wantons, which seems a fairly easy decision if you’re hungry.

I also added dumplings, which came with little pieces of prawn inside and added some extra bite to the meal.

The char siew was moist and enjoyable, though this is one area where personal preference comes in. I would have liked pieces with a little more fat running through them for extra richness.

Even the soup was worth drinking rather than treating it merely as something provided alongside the noodles.

Prices start at $5 and $6, so Ah Wing’s isn’t the cheapest wanton mee around, but the ingredients and old-school feel still make it worth considering when you’re here.

Empress Road Market and Food Centre

Empress Road Market and Food Centre isn’t enormous, and that’s precisely why exploring it is quite manageable.

You can walk one round, shortlist a few stalls, realise you’ve shortlisted too many, then spend the next five minutes deciding whether lunch should be bak chor mee, nasi lemak, prata or Western food.

There are longstanding hawker favourites, newer concepts and even freshly baked muffins within the same compact space.

For me, that mix is what makes neighbourhood food centres like Empress Road enjoyable. Not every stall needs to be famous or have a queue stretching twenty people deep. Sometimes, finding a good $3.50 nasi lemak or a properly tossed $5 bowl of noodles is already reason enough to return.

📍 Empress Road Market and Food Centre

Address: Blk 7 Empress Road, Singapore 260007

Nearest MRT: Farrer Road MRT (CC20) — approximately 3–5 minutes’ walk

Road Mae