The area around Henderson Industrial Park isn’t teeming with street life, but this modest little hawker center ensures office workers have plenty of delicious lunchtime options. Here are some of our favorites.
Bukit Merah View Carrot Cake (#01-37)
There are a couple of carrot cake stalls in the market, but this one by far does the best rendition of black carrot cake or chai tow kay ($2.50 for a small portion). It’s got a balance of spicy sambal, soft radish cake, a generous dose of eggs—and of course plenty of pleasantly burned edges for that crunch and texture.
Hong Xing Handmade Fishball and Meatball (#01-07)
There are fishballs and then there are fishballs. The couple that runs this store makes theirs fresh each morning and boil them in a simple but flavorful fish and meat stock. The balls are smooth, springy and are not overly fishy. Plus, the mee pok is cooked al dente and doused in a generous amount of chili oil and spring onions. A small portion ($2.50) gets you five mixed balls, but you can request for fishball or meatball only.
Sisaket Thai Food (#01-01)
Although there are two Thai food stalls in the food center, this one packs a spicier punch, so we like it more. Stick to classics like basil leaf minced pork with rice ($4.50) that gets you a generous heap of white rice and stir-fried meat with long beans. If you’re in the mood for curry, the green curry with chicken and rice ($5) is packed with soft chicken chunks and thick gravy.
Hao Man Yi Xiao Long Bao (#01-55)
Most people don’t know they can find Shanghainese cuisine here. The stall makes their dumplings fresh each morning and steams it to order. You can’t go wrong with juicy xiao long bao ($4/six pieces) that come bursting with soup, as well as the addictive pork dumplings in hot chili sauce ($4) that have smooth skin, are plump with pork and chives and come in a tangy sour and spicy sauce.
Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang (#01-51)
There are often snaking queues at this mutton soup stall. The flavorsome broth is peppery, full of coriander leaves and has a distinct gamey mutton aroma. The deep bowl of herbal soup ($4 for a regular portion) has chunks of tender mutton with pleasant layers of fat and skin. It’s a comforting dish that’s perfect as a rainy day cure-all.
Qing Tian Hot and Cold Dessert (#01-42)
This dessert stall has a loyal following probably because of its reasonably-priced local options. The aunties who man the stall are efficient and don’t skimp on the toppings. The classic ice kachang ($1.40) is piled high with shaved ice and a myriad of colors topped with condensed milk and corn kernels. The chng tng ($1.20) is equally reliable with herbal, not-too-sweet cane sugar water. We prefer the ice version that is refreshing in full of pearl barley, white fungus, dried longan, red dates and gingko nuts.
The hawker is located at 115 Bukit Merah View.
