15 Bedok 85 Market hawkers to feast at, all day

Dining at Bedok 85 Market can be defined as an “enjoyable chaos”. Lured by the flurry of sights, sounds and aromas, it’s easy to find yourself heroically over-ordering and piling your table high with dishes. Be it sambal-covered barbequed seafood, bak chor mee soup to Heng Hwa cuisine, the hawkers at Bedok 85 offer a gratifying feast, no matter your budget.

Also known as Fengshan Food Centre, you can find a long list of established stalwarts of various cuisines at Bedok 85 as well as new, young hawkers; Bedok 85 is undoubtedly a melting pot of both traditional and modern. 

While synonymous with supper, especially among east-siders, this Bedok food market is actually a beloved F&B institution that serves the community round the clock. To make the most of your visit if you ever head there, here’s 15 hawkers that’ll take you from day to night.

1. The Blend Inc

Bedok 85 Market, 01-66, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Monday to Sunday (6am to 2.15pm)

Why visit? Going beyond the usual offerings of kopi, teh and diao yu (which literally means “fishing” in Chinese, but is usually used to refer to teas in a reference to the floating tea bag), The Blend Inc adds a modern touch to Bedok 85 Market with its cafe-inspired specialities. 

Crowd favourites: Do not miss its mocha (S$2.50 for hot, S$3 for cold). Traditionally roasted beans, known for its nuttiness and buttery texture, are topped up with a dose of BonChoco Chocolate — the bitterness of the coffee is tempered by the rich, creamy cacao notes. The best part? It’s all at a price point that you can enjoy on the regular. 

Its Monin syrup-flavoured teas also get my seal approval, with the Lychee Tea (S$3.00) being the most popular among other patrons. It made for a refreshing drink when taken with the many palatable hawker fare around the rest of the food centre.

2. Ah Boy Nasi Lemak

Bedok 85 Market, 01-67, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Friday to Wednesday (6.30am to 1pm)

Why visit? A seemingly endless amount of sides make up the display at Ah Boy Nasi Lemak. It’s hard to miss the mountain of fried chicken wings, chicken cutlets and eggplant amongst many other attention-grabbing options. 

Run by a couple of young owners (a nod to the “Ah Boy” in the stall’s title), Ah Boy Nasi Lemak serves up a dazzling variety of sides with fragrant basmati rice. Chosen for its fluffy, light texture, with a more subtle take on lemak (richness from coconut), the Ah Boy Nasi Lemak’s mildly flavoured rice allows its well-executed proteins, vegetables and, of course, sweet sambal to stand out. 

Crowd favourites: The star here is the chicken wing set (S$3.50).The fried wing, which has clearly spent ample time in a marinade of aromatics, such as lemongrass, is chopped into sections for easy munching. For those of you who can take the heat, ask the auntie for extra sambal.

Plan your trip to Bedok 85 market early for the chicken rendang set (S$4) — it comes in limited portions as the rendang is meticulously slow cooked. A quick tip: Mash the overeasy egg it comes with, and mix the gravy into the rice.

Here’s a list of 30 stalls to get your Nasi Lemak fix in Singapore.

3. Swatow Wanton Noodle

Bedok 85 Market, 01-50, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Thursday to Tuesday (8am to 2pm)

Why visit?  Swatow Wanton Noodle has spent over five decades doling out wanton noodles which is a good amount of time spent perfecting the humble noodle dish. The store is run by a Teochew family — with its legacy secured thanks to their daughter — and is highly-regarded for its “gu zhao wei: (or “old school taste” in Chinese). 

It may have expanded its menu over the years but it has not diluted its unapologetically traditional flavours in the least. Its wantons, dumplings and Teochew-style ngoh hiang are still handmade, as are its chicken feet and mushroom braise — a whiff of its aroma is enough to instantly whet your appetite as you wait in line.

Crowd favourites: If you aren’t already convinced by its long queues, your first bite of its signature wanton noodle (S$4.00/S$5.00/S$6.00) will seal the deal. Trust us and opt for the dry version — springy egg noodles, coated with a dark sauce, lard and fiery chilli paste, are topped with slices of char siew and pork wontons. The price has increased slightly but the portion remains generous. 

You’d want to go for an additional order of wanton soup (S$4 for 10 pieces, S$6 for 16 pieces) or fried wanton (S$2.00/S$3.00/S$5.00). Swatow mixes salted fish into the pork paste filling, making these plump morsels an umami bomb.

Check out 30 other wanton mee stalls in Singapore.

4. Omage

Bedok 85 Market, 01-69, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Thursday to Tuesday (8am to 2pm)

Why visit? A relatively new addition to Bedok 85 Market’s food selection, Omage (pronounced like homage) is owned by chef Brandon Chin, who took over the stall with his partner Avin Tan. Both run Omage with the key mission of preserving and introducing traditional flavours of their childhood to the masses. 

What sets Omage apart is its owners’ dedication: Brandon may shutter his hawker stall right after lunch but you will often find him whipping up fresh batches of his homemade rempah, kaya and curds till night. 

Crowd favourites: Its signature mee tai mak (from S$4.500) is a generous dome of chewy glutinous rice noodles, century egg, preserved Chinese radish, minced pork, prawns and mushrooms tossed with the key ingredient, Omage’s homemade rempah (spice paste). The sizzling wok and Brandon’s expert flash-frying gives it just ample wok hei, reminiscent of char kway teow.

Next is a toss-up between its dry laksa and dry mee siam (S$4.50), though we have to say the former stands out with its glossy gravy made of another well-guarded spice recipe — Brandon reveals that the key is using both fresh prawns and hei bi (dried shrimp).

5. Fu Zhou Oyster Cake

Bedok 85 Market, 01-39, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Monday to Sunday (8am to 8pm)

Why visit? With its crisp crust and airy yet protein-packed filling, it’s no wonder oyster cakes are enjoying a renaissance in Singapore. You may have seen the savoury fried snack popping up in pasar malams across town, but no one does it quite like Fu Zhou Oyster Cake with its heaping golden brown mounds in a staggering nine different flavours.

A popular spot since its opening in 1982, Fu Zhou Oyster Cake serves up dough fritters, fried a la minute and stuffed generously with different combinations of seafood, meat and vegetables. The best part about this Bedok food market stalwart is the owner’s dedication in only using fresh oysters and pork — the freshness is evident in every bite. 

Crowd favourites: What better way to acquaint yourself with this old school snack than with the original oyster fritter (S$3.50 a piece or S$10 for three pieces). This stellar snack features the classic combination of oyster, prawn and minced pork, that’s a dream with the zingy yet sweet chilli. 

Feeling indulgent? Go for the seafood special (S$4 a piece), with scallops, oyster, prawn, pork and imitation crab stuffed in one fluffy disc. The scattering of whitebait and peanuts stands out for the additional taste and crunch.

6. Shanghai Xiao Long Bao

Bedok 85 Market, 01-16, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (8am to 5pm)

Why visit? Adding variety to the iconic Bedok food market is this humble store’s assortment of handmade dumplings and noodles. See if you can spot the owners of Shanghai Xiao Long Bao deftly wrapping rows upon rows of xiao long baos (soup dumplings) and jiao zi (dumplings), or rolling out mian tiao (noodles).

Its succinct menu has dishes that can be enjoyed as appetisers or as a meal, depending on your capacity, and is a delicious proof that handcrafted delicacies don’t need hoity-toity restaurant prices. 

Noodle dishes range from only S$4 to S$6, and dumplings go from just S$5 to S$6. 

Crowd favourites: Steamed upon order, the xiao long bao (S$6 for 6 pieces) here are made to be eaten in one bite. The quintessential stock in the baos comes with a hint of vinegar, whetting and satisfying your cravings at the same time. 

You’ll want to come with friends and share another order of the pan-fried dumplings (S$5 for 8 pieces). There’s the steamed version but trust us, everyone loves these succulent pockets of minced pork and Chinese chives when it comes in a crisp yet chewy shell.

7. Ah B Fried Prawn Mee

Bedok 85 Market, 01-43, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11am to 2pm, 4pm to 10pm)

Why visit? Finding the perfect Hokkien mee can be a lot like dating — we all have a type. If your type is heavy on the gravy, lots of lard and fresh chilli paste, then swipe right on Ah B. 

The menu at Ah B Fried Prawn Mee is exclusively fried prawn noodles, in either regular or large portions, served from one wok. A silver pot, positioned right beside, hides the foundation of the dish — a savoury, lip-smacking pork and prawn broth.

Crowd favourites: Its fried Prawn Mee (S$5 for small, S$6 for large) comes with a handful of pork belly slices, prawn and squid flash-fried with a mix of yellow noodles and thin bee hoon. The combination spends just enough time in the wok to soak up that all-important broth, and is best followed up by a burst of its citrus-heavy chilli paste.

8. Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian

Bedok 85 Market, 01-07, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Friday to Wednesday (11am to 11pm)

Why visit? Touted as the original soup-style Bedok 85 bah chor mee, Xing Ji was started by Sim Geok Him in 1968. What was once a roadside store in Changi is now a highlight of said Bedok market, with queues snaking its way out of the periphery of the hawker centre on any given day. 

Even though Sim’s grandchildren are now at the helm, Xing Ji’s menu of its famed soup-style minced pork noodle remains the same. A quick note: Don’t expect customised orders here — you’ll get it in either small or big, with the same toppings as everyone else. Not that you’ll need the customisation, anyway; Xing Ji’s got the formula right for the perfect bowl, and we can’t blame them for keeping it exactly like that.

Crowd favourites: Unassuming yet unmissable, its Rou Cuo Mian (S$4 for small bowl, S$5 for a large bowl) is greater than the sum of its parts: First, there’s the homemade egg noodles, chewy with a subtle egg aroma. Second, the savoury pork broth swimming with clouds of minced pork and crunchy lard and garlic chunks. 

The final piece of the puzzle — sliced red chilli — adds a much-needed citrusy crunch.

9. 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup

Bedok 85 Market, 01-25, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 10.30pm)

Why visit? Aw Kim Chye started peddling his ah balling (literally “mother duck’s egg” in Hokkien, a reference to how glutinous rice balls bob on water when cooked) in 1947. His humble pushcart has since expanded into multiple locations in Singapore, with an accompanying expanded menu to accommodate modern tastes. 

The Bedok 85 Market branch offers the same menu as its other outlets: You can opt for two to six glutinous rice balls in its assortment of Chinese dessert soups. While the glutinous rice balls are now factory made to meet the higher demand, the quality of its mochi-like balls — packed with either peanut, sesame, red bean and newer flavours of yam and green tea paste — remain just as good. 

Crowd favourites: For the uninitiated, or those simply wanting the best in one bowl, go for the combination of five ah balling flavours in the peanut soup (S$2.80), an undisputed classic. Its claim to fame? The peanut soup is freshly prepared every day and the soft peanuts go extremely well with the just-as-soft, chewy ah balling. 

You can also reach for the ginger soup (S$2.80 with five ah ballings) for digestion after your Bedok 85 Market feast. The heat of ginger makes for a warming soup that’ll tame the tummy.

10. 85 Ngor Hiang Hie Biar

Bedok 85 Market, 01-14, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Friday to Wednesday (11am to 11pm)

Why visit? For groups seeking a wallet-friendly snack platter, there’s the ever-reliable 85 Ngor Hiang Hie Biar. Traditionally from Fujian, our Hokkien ancestors brought the ngoh hiang dish over to Singapore with items such as the titular ngoh hiang (five-spice pork rolls), prawn fritters, pork liver roll, pork sausage, and egg rolls. 

To cater to the voracious appetites of Singaporeans, most ngoh hiang stalls like 85 Ngor Hiang Hie Biar sell a wider variety of items these days. However, the ngoh hiang, bean sprout cake and fish cake at 85 Ngor Hiang Hie Biar still remains handmade to this day. 

Crowd favourites: You are free to pick and choose what you’d like but its crispy prawn cracker (S$2) is a must. This lattice of wheat flour and prawns is what I call the “crown” of any ngoh hiang platter. Best dipped in the sweet chilli, the prawn cracker, with a hint of sour, offers an addictive crunch. 

The handmade ngoh hiang (S$2) also reveals a range of flavours and textures, courtesy of the heavy handed sprinkling of five-spice in the pork mix, and the contrasting crisp tofu skin exterior. 

11. Uncle Lai Putien Signatures

Bedok 85 Market, 01-15, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Wednesday to Monday (11.30am to 9pm)

Why visit? The coastal city of Putian, China is known for its seafood, a fact that’s clearly celebrated in their cuisine. The natural flavours of Putian’s produce are allowed to shine at Uncle Lai Putien Signatures, with dishes that are both clean and comforting, with affordable hawker prices to boot.

Over at Bedok 85 Market, Uncle Lai presents a concise menu of classics, which were recently condensed from a previously more robust menu, to reduce wait times. Despite the now absence of favourites such as caramelised yam and sweet and sour pork, he continues to see a healthy crowd for his hefty servings. 

Crowd favourites: This umami-laden bowl of Putien lor mee (S$6.50) embodies what you’d expect from Henghwa cuisine — simple and delicious. Essentially a seafood-braised noodle dish, the accompanying starchy broth hints at the hours it has spent simmering away, right before it is kissed by the wok alongside mushrooms, pork, prawns and clams. 

Similarly, the Putien fried bee hoon (S$6) features thin, chewy bee hoon noodles soaked in a flavoursome chicken stock, before it’s stir fried with the usual suspects of prawns, clams and mushrooms. It’s entirely up to you, but we’d also toss in that zesty chilli for the perfect bite. 

12. Sin Bedok North BBQ Chicken Wing

Bedok 85 Market, 01-12, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (3pm to 12am)

Why visit? In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve been frequenting Sin Bedok North BBQ Chicken Wing for over a decade now. This is what happens when you’re consistently presented with delicious, charcoal-kissed chicken wings, coated in a fragrant soy sauce glaze. 

The husband-and-wife duo, assisted by one other staff member, work like a well-oiled machine to churn out orders of wings, plus an expanded menu of otah and nasi lemak. 

Crowd favourite: There is a bit of a wait and the prices may be higher than its competitors, but when you’re served up that handsome heap of reddish-brown chicken wings (S$1.40 a piece, minimum order of two pieces) with juices dripping, you just know you’re in for a treat. The best way to enjoy is with your hands and that tangy, fiery chilli it comes with.

The wings may get all the fanfare, but the pandang otah (S$1.10) is just as worthy for that top contender spot — the big slab of ground fish and spices comes lightly perfumed with pandan, and is best savoured as a side with the many other seafood dishes you can find at the Bedok food market.

13. Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee 

Bedok 85 Market, 01-08, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Monday to Saturday (3.30pm to 12am)

Why visit? Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee may have changed its menu over the years since moving into Bedok 85 Market (it sold char kway teow and satay in the past), but it’s since found its sweet spot with bak chor mee. Featuring a recipe birthed from trial and error, Seng Hiang now offers both dry and soup versions. 

This pivot is perhaps what started the battle of the Bedok 85 Market bak chor mee. While opinions may differ on which stall serves up the best noodles, what’s clear is Seng Hian’s dedication to the quality of its fare. 

The stall has since been taken over by second-generation hawker Chua Yi Ok, who doesn’t seem to mind the competition and focuses only on preparing affordable, delicious noodles.  

Crowd favourites: The gelatinous broth of its bah chor Mee Soup (S$3.50 for a small bowl, S$4.50 for a large bowl) is prepared daily from pork bones, further amplified by the use of three types of garlic — raw, fried and garlic oil itself — and fried lard. Seng Hiang’s broth is heavier on the palate, and the stall owners have found more alkaline mee kia (thin yellow noodles) to match this with. It is finished with marinated minced pork chunks. 

One of the beautiful things about its bah chor mee dry (S$4.50 for a small bowl, S$5.50 for a large bowl) is its homemade lard-infused sambal. The dry version is literally the best of both worlds as you would still get a bowl of that gorgeous broth and pork balls, and the lard-infused chilli. 

Here’s where to get the best BCM in Singapore.

14. Chai Chee Pork Porridge

Bedok 85 Market, 01-23, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (4pm to 12am)

Why visit? What makes the Hainan-style pork porridge so stellar here at Chai Chee Pork Porridge is its use of quality Thai rice grains. Lightly seasoned with fresh pork or fish, depending on your choice of protein, the rice grains are simmered into a light yet creamy base and topped with a variety of traditional toppings such as century egg and cuttlefish. 

Chai Chee Pork Porridge’s titular dish is easy on the stomach and a favourite among the older residents to start their day, and for the younger folks to end the night with. 

Here’s an interesting fact while you wait your turn at the stall: Chai Chee Pork Porridge is a family business that has lasted six decades. The owner helms the store here, while his brother runs the other at Tampines Round Market. 

Crowd favourites: We highly recommended the original pork porridge (SG$3.50) — the fragrant porridge base comes with numerous hand-shaped pork balls, made fresh daily, and further accentuated by a swirl of sesame oil. 

Similarly, the black fish porridge (SG$4) is also a good alternative, boasting sweetness from its fresh fish delivery to the store, daily. Tip: To amp up the creaminess of the porridge, add an egg and stir it into your piping hot porridge. 

15. Chomp Chomp BBQ

Bedok 85 Market, 01-44, 85 Bedok North Street 4
Open: Monday to Saturday (5pm to 12am)

Why visit? We can’t fault you for feeling overwhelmed when faced with the menu at Chomp Chomp BBQ — there’s a plethora of grilled seafood and zi char classics, sides and carbs to choose from, and there’s even the day’s freshest on a bed of ice in front of the store. 

Named after the famed food centre in Serangoon, Chomp Chomp BBQ is most popular during the evenings, as residents and easties come to indulge in its seafood dishes, over with buckets of beer. There’s a bit of a wait but that’s only because every grilled seafood order is steadily grilled over charcoal, upon order.

Crowd favourites: The hotplate BBQ stingray (from S$14) is the edible equivalent of a blockbuster, served sizzling on a hotplate and banana leaf and slathered generously with a hae bee-heavy (dried shrimp) sambal. The tender, oily flesh of the stingray tastes best when dipped into the salty, zest mix of chinchalok (a sauce made of fermented tiny shrimps), shallots and lime juice.

In case you haven’t already realised from the stingray dish, the sambal makes even the simplest dish pop — that rings true with the sambal kangkong (from S$8), flash-fried to retain its crunch and subtle nutty flavour.

Hungry for more? Check out the newly revamped Toby’s Estate at Robertson Quay and read about this 27-year-old selling artisanal butter. 

Fu Zhou Oyster Cake, 85 Ngoh Hiang Biar, Seng Hiang Bedok 85 Bak Chor Mee, Chai Chee Pork Porridge, and Chomp Chomp BBQ are on the GrabFood Delivery Service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited.   

Do explore the GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.  

Alternatively, book a ride to these places Bedok 85 Market.