Queues here form before the stall is open for the day. After decades of serving staple Malay dishes, Inspirasi needs little introduction. Managed by second-generation hawker Rashid Bin Amat, 55 and three of his siblings, the stall’s roots can be traced back to 1970 when Amat’s late father first arrived from Indonesia and came up with Inspirasi’s recipes to make a living.
The stall focuses on four signature items: mee soto, mee rubus, soto ayam and chicken porridge. Order yourself a messy bowl of mee rubus ($2.50) and dig into yellow noodles – that are cooked just right – doused in a rich yet well-balanced gravy. Sweet potatoes, tau cheo and ikan billis are the heroes of the dish. For something a little lighter, opt for the mee soto. The chicken stock is boiled for hours in a cauldron so you don’t have to worry it being too watery. And though the mee rubus and mee soto ($2.50) are the perennial crowd pleasers, don’t miss the soto ayam ($2.50). Nasi impit and tender shredded chicken are doused in the same sweet and savoury turmeric-spiced broth to make for a hearty meal. The portions here aren’t all that generous but for the more than reasonable prices, we’re not complaining.