Nothing screams Singapore louder than hawker centre food. We’ve even got on UNESCO World Heritage’s radar for it. 😎
Regardless of whether you’re a fan of eating at hawker centres, there’s no denying that Old Airport Road Food Centre boasts some of the best eats. It has so much aura that even though I don’t live anywhere near it, I still somehow magically appear there now and then for some noms noms.
As with all hawker centres, there are options galore, so it can be a bit of a headache to pick. But you can trust my food-motivated existence to recommend only the best so that you can head straight and order without having to think so hard. 👇
01 • Dong Ji Fried Kway Teow
The quintessential Singapore hawker dish, char kway teow, hardly has any haters, and Dong Ji Fried Kway Teow is no exception. Since the late 1970s, this stall has been affectionately run by Uncle Teng, who uses his decades of experience to deliver the highest quality char kway teow.
As a self-proclaimed expert on the dish (ahem!), I can tell a good plate from a bad one based on how much of the flavour is achieved without an excessive use of black soy sauce. At this stall, the char kway teow ($5 with prawn) comes with less sauce, bringing out a natural flavour that’s tamer in its sweetness and still perfectly savoury. This gets a 10/10 from me. 🤩
📍 Stall number: #01-138
⏰ Opening hours: Fri to Wed, 11:30am – 7:30pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/dong-ji-fried-kway-teow
02 • J & J Special Beef Noodle
Any establishment daring to call its signature dish “special” better have the culinary expertise to back it up. Cue J & J Special Beef Noodle, which does it in style. What sets this stall’s Braised Beef Noodle ($6 for a small bowl, $8 for a big bowl) apart from others is the masterful slow braise technique used to cook the meat. The result is melt-in-your-mouth beef briskets. The rich broth also infuses the meat with a satisfyingly umami punch.
You can order the Braised Beef Tendon ($7.50) to enjoy a different, chewier cut of beef from the same slow braise technique. The Oxtail Soup ($9), which packs a soul-soothing flavour you’ll want to savour forever, is a great way to round up your meal.
Bestsellers: Braised Beef Noodle, Braised Beef Tendon, Oxtail Soup.
📍 Stall number: #01-162
📞 Phone: 9862 7592
⏰ Opening hours: Tue to Sun, 10:30am – 4pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/j-j-special-beef-noodle-menu
03 • Salt
Salt is an Angeline Jolie starrer. Salt is also an Asian-Western fusion stall at the Old Airport Road Food Centre that’s equally interesting.
This stall is helmed by siblings Naomi and Kenny Ngoo with a vision to share the joys of their comfort food with other people. They’re best known for their Fried Chicken Wings ($1.20/piece, minimum 4 pieces), which have super-crispy skin, yet are extremely tender and juicy on the inside. Pick one from the 4 sauce options to zhng your dish. My favourite is the Soy Garlic sauce, loved by many of the stall’s fans for its sweet and slightly spicy kick.
Another popular dish is the Sous Vide Grilled Chicken with Soy Garlic Fried Rice ($7.50). The chicken is succulent and not too oily, while the Japanese short-grain rice is cooked to the right degree. If you close your eyes, you might believe you’re eating at a high-end restaurant instead of a hawker centre!
Bestsellers: Fried Chicken Wings and Sous Vide Grilled Chicken with Soy Garlic Fried Rice.
📍 Stall number: #01-128
📞 Phone: 8831 7258
⏰ Opening hours: Mon to Thu, and Sat, 12pm – 2:30pm, 5 – 8:30pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/salt-old-airport-road
04 • Hougang Famous WanTon Mee
With almost 100 years of serving satisfied customers and a Michelin recommendation up its sleeve, Hougang Famous WanTon Mee is not just famous in name. Their Wanton Noodle ($4 for a medium portion) is cooked fantastically, being neither too firm nor too soft. The dish comes packed with a delicious medley of char siew and hints of pork lard, all drizzled in black sauce to elevate its rich savoury flavour.
If you have space for more, you must get their Fried Dumplings ($5 for a medium portion). Each pocket delivers a satisfying crunch before giving way to a generous filling of pork. Now that I’ve tasted them, I’ll always save room for these yummy dumplings on my next visit. 😋
Bestsellers: Wanton Noodle, Fried Dumplings.
📍 Stall number: #01-35
📞 Phone: 8468 2931
⏰ Opening hours: Wed to Mon, 10am – 8pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/hougang-famous-wanton-mee-menu
05 • Roast Paradise
It’s a crime for Roast Paradise to serve food this good, because I keep committing the offence of taking one too many cheat days. Its impressive lineup of well-marinated meats truly makes this a paradise for meat lovers.
Ask anyone who’s been here and they’ll recommend the Char Siew ($6.50 for 100g). Each slice has the golden ratio of meat to fat. The fats in char siew typically tend to get a bad rep, but true char siew has just the right amount of fat to seep more and more of its flavour into your tongue with every chew.
The Roast Pork ($6.50 for 100g) is another must-try. The skin is so crispy that I worry the entire hawker centre can hear me when I bite into it.
Bestsellers: Char Siew and Roast Pork.
📍 Stall number: #01-121
📞 Phone: 9786 7396
⏰ Opening hours: 10:30am – 6pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/roast-paradise-menu
06 • Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun
There’s no doubt this one’s freshly made. Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun always seems to perpetually have a long queue. You know what we like to say — long queue confirm good! 😋
Each piece of chee cheong fun is handmade in-house and has a silky skin with the perfect thickness for you to enjoy the fillings in tandem with it. Each piece goes for $2.50, and you can choose chicken, mushroom, BBQ pork, or prawn to fill it with. My favourite is the BBQ Pork Chee Cheong Fun, packed with a savoury profile that pairs best with the skin. When dipped in soy sauce, there’s a subtle saltiness that rounds up the taste.
I know I’ll get hate for this, but I personally don’t like prawn. Still, I tried the Prawn Chee Cheong Fun because it’s extremely popular here. It was tastier than I expected! The prawns had a vibrant flavour without any distinct smell. If you’re a big fan of prawns, you’ll definitely like it.
Bestsellers: BBQ Pork Chee Cheong Fun and Prawn Chee Cheong Fun.
📍 Stall number: #01-155
⏰ Opening hours: Tue to Fri, 7am – 2:30pm | Sat and Sun, 7am – 7pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/freshly-made-chee-cheong-fun
07 • Holy Grill
If you’re a regular at hawker centres, it won’t take you long to realise that Western food hawker stalls are either a hit or a miss. Holy Grill is a 100% hit. With generous portions and skillfully cooked meats, the options here are sure to satisfy your Western food cravings.
The France Pork Chop ($9.50) gets you great bang for your buck, thanks to its affordable price and impeccable taste. The tender meat came coated in a garlicky mushroom sauce that enhanced the flavour of the pork chop. Each bite blew my mind.
You can also treat yourself to the Aus Marbled Beef ($18.50). It’s slightly on the pricier side, but worth every penny. Real steak lovers will know that the key to making a good steak is in its texture. This steak was so easy to cut and even easier to chew. Holy Grill really set the standard not just in hawker centres, but anywhere.
Go with an empty stomach because each main dish comes with 2 side dishes. My favourite is the Potato Salad, which is soft, creamy, and slightly sweet, making it the perfect pairing with the savoury mains.
Bestsellers: France Pork Chop and Aus Marbled Beef.
📍 Stall number: #01-27
📞 Phone: 9786 7396
⏰ Opening hours: Thu to Tue, 11:30am – 2pm, 4:30pm – 8pm
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/roast-paradise-menu
08 • 786 Nasi Lemak
It’s no secret by now that the quickest way to my heart is through good food — specifically, a good plate of nasi lemak. That’s why I love 786 Nasi Lemak.
You can’t go wrong with the classic Nasi Lemak with Chicken Wing ($3). The rice is extremely fragrant, exuding tantalising hints of coconut milk and pandan as you carry the plate to your table. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the first and most important sign of a high-quality nasi lemak.
Next, the chicken is flavourful and tender. It comes off the bone easily, so you won’t have to start a battle with your cutlery. The other highlight is the sambal, which comes in equal parts sweet and tangy. I can go on and on about how much I loved it, but you get the drift.
If you want to be adventurous with your choice, go for the Nasi Lemak with Semur Chicken ($4). This Indonesian style of rendang lends a caramelised crisp and a subtle heat to the chicken. In short, it’s shiok!
Bestsellers: Nasi Lemak with Chicken Wing and Nasi Lemak with Semur Chicken.
📍 Stall number: #01-34
📞 Phone: 8808 0645
⏰ Opening hours: Mon to Wed, Fri, 10am – 1pm | Sat and Sun, 9am – 1pm
🍴 Halal status: Halal
09 • Xiang Ji Lor Mee
Where there is lor mee, there is Amanda. Xiang Ji Lor Mee is one of the reasons why I can’t stay away from Old Airport Food Centre.
It’s one of those places that serves only a few dishes, which is a sign of mastery and confidence. Their traditional recipe has withstood the test of time and largely remained the same through the years. I mean, why fix something that’s not broken, right? 😉
The Lor Mee ($4 for a regular portion) comes with delightful spongy and starchy noodles that I can’t get enough of. They’re topped with a generous portion of fish flakes. But the real genius is the gravy. A complex flavour profile containing hints of vinegar and cornstarch, it ties the whole dish together, and has the perfect consistency — not too gooey nor watery.
Xi Jiang also serves Zha Jiang Mian (Beijing fried sauce noodles) ($4) if you're looking for something lighter. Each bite is salty-sweet, and when combined with the chilli, it’s a party on your taste buds.
Bestsellers: Lor Mee and Zha Jiang Mian.
📍 Stall number: #01-81
⏰ Opening hours: 7am – 3pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/xiang-ji-lor-mee
10 • Nyonya Chendol
What hawker visit is complete without some dessert to wrap up a hearty meal? Nyonya Chendol is Singapore’s first chendol stall with a Michelin recommendation, and it’s on a mission to provide a nice and cool finish before you head back.
The classic chendol, known as the Red Bean Chendol ($2.50), contains a precise sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth without being cloying. They don’t skimp on the green jelly and red bean toppings, and the creamy gula melaka blends everything to turn every bite into a masterpiece. It’s a much-needed refreshing treat in Singapore’s heat!
Other chendol variations include the Durian Chendol ($3.50), which has that delicious trace of durian without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. Durian lovers can’t miss it.
Bestsellers: Red Bean Chendol and Durian Chendol.
📍 Stall number: #01-115
⏰ Opening hours: 9:30am – 9:30pm daily
🍴 Halal status: Not halal
🌐 Website: oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/nyonya-chendol-menu
(Featured photo adapted from: Miss Tam Chiak, SETHLUI.com, DanielFoodDiary, and Food Advisor)
