Whampoa Food Center

Liang Zhao Yi Duck Porridge and Rice (above) and Balestier Road Hoover Rojak (below), both Bib Gourmand 2016 (Michelin) recommendations. Lucky to have them located next to each other!

I think I've exhausted my market options in Chinatown. As spectacular as some of the food stalls over at Hong Lim, Smith Street, Maxwell and Golden Shoe Complex are, it sure gets monotonous eating there day after day. I cajoled J into showing us around Novena, and we started first at Whampoa Food Centre. It was pouring as I exited Toa Payoh MRT and waited forlornly for Bus 145, but the food made up for the poor weather. 

(2017 Update! Because I've signed up for a 6-weeks rotation at the National Skin Centre at Novena, I've had the opportunity to revisit Whampoa over this period. I enjoy asking people milling around the market what to try, and the entries here are a run-down on which stalls I think are terrific... as well as some local gossip, but don't quote me.)

Whampoa Soya Bean and Grass Jelly Drinks
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Ever since Selegie Beancurd at Hong Lim closed down, I didn't know where to get my fix. Until now. Their generic appearance belies their creamy soya bean and their smooth-as-silk traditional beancurd. It was so good, I bought 2 boxes back home. That's no mean feat since I am taking public transport and have to transfer bus-train-train-bus. But it's worth it. 

J drinks their soya bean everyday. If I live 'round here, I'll drink this every day too. Update! Whampoa Soya Bean has opened several branches all over Singapore, including one in the area where I live. Wish come true?

Nam Xiang Chicken Rice
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The friendly owner has been manning this stall since 1986. We ordered 1 chicken and 2 bowls of rice ($23).

Portions are gigantic!

The rice wasn't oily/fragrant enough, but the chicken was tender. The breast meat was a little dry though. 


Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon 

10am is the awkward time between breakfast and lunch, and when I walked to Whampoa with a friend, I didn't expect there to be a queue anywhere. It was true for the majority of the stalls... save for this one. Like all true blue Singaporeans, no matter which country we went to for our university, we joined the queue first, without knowing what we were queuing for. (We grilled the person in front of us, who after he recovered from his shock, recommended the Fried Fish Bee Hoon Soup Noodles and the Tom Yam Soup Noodles ($4.50 each), both immensely enjoyable even in the hot morning.) And while I'm in formal clothes to boot! We especially enjoyed the tom yam's sourness with its spicy kick, but the normal soup ain't no slouch either. Kudos to the crispy fried fish fillets. 

Rabiah Muslim Food (Nasi Melayu)

The Malay cai fan here is very popular with the residents around Whampoa. Located next to the famous Singapore Fried Hokkein Mee (see below), it draws a crowd when it opens. Their Ginger Fried Chicken is one of the best fried chicken I had: it was juicy, the size of a turkey drumstick and generously coated with crunchy batter. I was in fried chicken heaven. Based on a person's recommendations, I had the squid and asked for my rice to be drizzled in their fragrant curry, both solid recommendations. Damn, this was the best meal I had at Whampoa to date. The portion was generous, but at $8 for rice, chicken drumstick and sotong, it sure doesn't come cheap. (Gossip: when I sat down, the person sharing a table with me told me he loved that Malay stall, until he found out that they overcharge Chinese patrons. He told me if I was Malay, I would have been charged $5 for my meal. Shucks. But with every bite of their curry and chicken drumstick, the sting of the news gossip lessened somewhat.) 

Hi Leskmi Nasi Lemak

I saw the queue before I spotted the stall. $3 gets you a set of fried egg, fried chicken wing, fried-peanut-anchovies (I'm sensing a theme here...) alongside a bowl of coconut rice. The chilli is splendidly flavorful that goes well with the freshly-fried chicken wings. This stall is a local favourite, and it's easy to see why. 

Wish-List
Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee 
Opens at 3.30pm. (Local tip! According to a nearby resident that I struck up a conversation with, the standard of noodles vary wildly, depending on how long the queue is. The noodles are excellent when fried in small batches, but if the queue is long, they fry noodles in giant batches and this means the noodles would lose the characteristic singed smoky flavors of Chinese stir-fry. 

Founder Ba Ku Teh
Okay, not technically in Whampoa Food Centre, but it has rave reviews online, and I've hankering to try ever since I started my 2017 rotation.
  Nearby attractions
Sing Hon Loong Bakery

They sell bread to Ya Kun. 'Nuf said. Read all about it here. 

Founder Bak Kut Teh