5 stalls to visit at Fernvale Hawker Centre and Market
What makes the two-month-old Fernvale Hawker Centre and Market special, so much so that popular hawker stalls have flocked to set up shop there?
The hawker centre, which opened on Sept 25, is located within the Fernvale Community Centre, on its third floor. It’s spacious, clean and modern, with large ceiling fans providing ventilation to the space.
Big names have made the hawker centre their home. These include stalls such as Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken Noodle, Seng Hiang Bak Chor Mee, Whitley Road Big Prawn Noodle.
But the best part about dining at hawker centres is finding hidden gems. After some trial and error, we’ve rounded up some of our favourites.
1. Ah Er Soup
Fernvale Community Club, 03-26, 21 Sengkang West Avenue
Open: Daily (10.30am to 8.30pm)
Ah Er Soup didn’t receive its Michelin Bib Gourmand status for nothing. It is known for serving comforting traditional soups with premium ingredients that are affordably priced, with nothing above S$9.
There are 10 types of soup available on the menu. Each is cooked over long hours under carefully controlled temperatures so the robust flavours from the ingredients can be extracted.
It’s difficult to say which of the 10 soups is the most popular.
The mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (S$9), a soup dish regarded as a luxurious Chinese delicacy, is packed with premium ingredients such as scallops and abalone in a shark bone broth.
On the other hand, there are also simpler options, such as the lotus root peanut pork ribs soup (S$5.80), which are not short on flavour and quality. When paired with a bowl of pumpkin rice (S$1.20), these soups make a nourishing and comforting meal.
What to order: Lotus root peanut pork ribs soup (S$5.80), ten tonic ginseng chicken soup (S$6.80), and watercress pork ribs soup (S$5.50)
2. Mohamed Danish Prata Paradise
Fernvale Community Club, 03-19, 21 Sengkang West Avenue
Open: Daily (7.30am to 9pm)
Previously located on Elias Road, Mohamed Danish Prata Paradise was a well-kept secret by those living in Pasir Ris.
HungryGoWhere opted for the classic, foolproof order – one egg (S$1.80) and one plain prata (S$1.10). Both had great texture and leaned more towards the old-school style of prata – fluffy with a light and crisp exterior.
Of course, that’s only half the battle won, since prata and curry go hand in hand. The stall served dalcha curry, a lentil-based stew, with our prata. It was thick, not too spicy and had bits of vegetables inside, pairing nicely with the prata.
The stall also serves rojak, a salad dish. It is prepared Indian-style and served with a sweet chilli sauce. The ingredients are mostly deep-fried, including options such as fishcake, fritters and potatoes (from 90 cents each).
What to order: Plain prata (S$1.10), egg prata (S$1.80), rojak with flour items such as potato and fishcake (from 90 cents each)
3. D’Junction Bakery
Fernvale Community Club, 03-03, 21 Sengkang West Avenue
Open: Daily (7am to 5pm)
Located right beside the popular Munchi Pancakes, some may not even give D’Junction Bakery a second glance. However, the bakery sells quite a wide variety of breads that are perfect for breakfast or a snack.
Opt for its signature egg tart (S$2.20) if you want to try something new. It’s similar to a Portuguese-style egg tart, but bigger and with a flakier base. The egg pudding was thick and creamy, making it a substantial snack.
The bakery also sells classics such as hot dog bun and ham and cheese bun (S$1.30 each).
What to order: Signature egg tart (S$2.20)
4. Jin Kimchi Express
Fernvale Community Club, 03-22, 21 Sengkang West Avenue
Open: Daily (11am to 2.30pm, 5pm to 8.30pm)
Jin Kimchi Express sells authentic Korean food at hawker-centre prices. The name may sound familiar as it is run by the same folks operating Jin Kimchi, a popular Korean-owned establishment specialising in selling kimchi.
The stall’s menu comprises classic Korean dishes such as kimchi stew (S$6), kimchi pancake (S$6) and icy mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles, from S$8.80). Its dishes either use or are served with its housemade Jin “original flavour” kimchi.
If you’d like a discount K-BBQ experience or simply have a craving for pork belly, you could get its KBBQ platter (from S$32) from its butchery located nearby and top up a small fee (from S$4) to have the meat cooked for you.
Fernvale Hawker Centre houses the establishment’s first flagship stall. Aside from the express stall and its butchery, you’ll also find a minimart where you can shop for items such as its homemade kimchi and halal ramyeon, a Korean-style instant noodle dish.
What to order: Galbi pork belly grilled meat set (from S$7.60), mul naengmyeon (from S$8.80), kimchi pancake (S$6)
5. Yi Qi Fa Economic Bee Hoon and Nasi Lemak
Fernvale Community Club, 03-02, 21 Sengkang West Avenue
Open: Daily (6.30am to 5pm)
Run by a young sibling duo, Yi Qi Fa Economic Bee Hoon and Nasi Lemak opened in 2019 at a hawker centre in Pasir Ris. Its name, Yi Qi Fa, can be translated to “prosper together” in English.
The stall has fried noodles (S$1.20), fried kway teow (flat rice noodles, S$1.20), fried bee hoon (rice vermicelli, S$1.20) and white bee hoon (S$1.70) available as the noodle base.
The white bee hoon is Yi Qi Fa’s signature dish. It’s cooked with vegetables, eggs and a generous amount of sesame oil to give it flavour.
After choosing your noodle base, select ingredients to accompany your dish. There is the crowd favourite vegetarian beancurd skin, crispy fried chicken and sunny side up eggs, among a variety of other selections.
What to order: Fried bee hoon (S$1.20), chicken wing (S$1.60), sambal ikan bilis (90 cents)
All the stalls mentioned above are available on the GrabFood delivery service. You can also book a ride to Fernvale Hawker Centre and Market.
Gaelmaine Hoong
Author
Gael comes from a family of picky eaters and she also likes to talk a lot. So, writing about food seems like a reasonable pastime for her.
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