Guide to Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre: old-school favourites and new hawker gems

Sengkang residents now need not travel all the way to Farrer Park for a plate of this Michelin Selected chee cheong fun. The hawker joint commands snaking queues at its Pek Kio outlet, and for good reason. Each glossy roll is made freshly on-site and lined with generous servings of your choice of topping, from char siew ($4.50) to prawns ($5.50) and scallops ($6.50). Try the Hong Kong style scallop chee cheong fun for a change – the bouncy texture of the scallops complements the silky-smooth rice noodle rolls and makes for a satisfying mouthful. You can also order plain chee cheong fun without any toppings ($3.50). Doused with a special light soy sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds with a dollop of chilli, they’re delicious on their own.

Remember those old-school, deep-fried chicken wings you used to snack on before fast-food chains took the nation by storm? If there’s one place that still does it the traditional way, it’s Eng Kee. With a whopping eight joints islandwide, it’s the go-to spot for a plate of moreish chicken wings, and plain and simple economic bee hoon with the classic pairings of cabbage and sunny-side-up eggs. The chicken wings here live up to its name – at a reasonable $1.70 a piece, it’s perfectly crisp on the outside while juicy on the inside. Have these on their own or dunk them in chilli sauce for a spicy kick. A serving of bee hoon is $1.20 and comes as a generous portion, ideal if you’re looking to have a hefty meal to sustain you through the day.

The tried and true Hokkien mee stall has five outlets islandwide and is touted as one of the more reliable joints to get a faultless plate of the dish. It’s been around since the 60s after all, serving hoards of regulars its famed wok-fried noodles. Over at Anchorvale Village, it runs a tight menu of two items – fried Hokkien mee in three sizes ($5, $8 and $10), and fried white carrot cake ($3). While there’s much discussion around whether the joint serves the dry or wet rendition of the dish, ours was definitely on the drier side. Yellow noodles and white bee hoon are first fried and then simmered in a rich seafood stock to absorb all the flavours. The noodles are well-separated, sufficiently flavourful, and retain some smokiness from the wok.

Kawan Bowl is the sister outlet of Danlao – the highly-raved scrambled egg rice stall in Maxwell Food Centre run by ex-Eggslut chefs. Instead of serving Hong Kong style egg rice bowls like Danlao, Kawan Bowl puts a Malay and Indonesian spin on things, with items like ayam panggang ($6.90), Taliwang chicken cutlet ($6.90) and ayam berempah ($6.90) on the menu. Each dish comes with a generous serving of rice and eggs, and although we like our eggs scrambled with a slightly runny texture, there’s the option to have it fried to your preferred doneness. The hottest item on the menu is the signature Ayam Berempah, which comes with a hefty whole chicken leg in a flavourful spice rub. It typically runs out before dinner so be sure to head down for lunch if you want to give this a try.

Min jiang kueh (or apam balik) – a traditional peanut pancake snack – is making a return among Gen Z, and Munchi Pancake is one of the reasons why. The viral brand is Singapore’s first halal min jiang kueh stall, with humble beginnings in a small coffee shop in Yishun back in 2016. While it used to only sell peanut and coconut flavours, Munchi Pancake now offers unique twists on the nostalgic snack with green tea and charcoal-flavoured crusts, and fillings like red bean ($1.60), kaya ($1.80), black sesame ($2), and Biscoff ($2.50). Each pancake comes with a crisp crust and a warm, fluffy yet chewy middle. The stall also offers Munchi pancakes (from $1.80) which are a flatter version of min jiang kueh, and Mini Munchies (from $4.90 for six) for a more bite-sized, snackable option.