Two months left for you to take on the challenge!
It sure is poignant to witness yet another hawker centre stir for redevelopment. Golden Shoe Food Centre, a mine of mouth-watering hawker food, will be closing on 31 July this year after 33 years of business. Some may argue that our hawker culture must evolve to ensure survival, but the passel of white-collar workers who flock there for cheap and satisfying meals will also argue that old is gold.
Although most of the food choices will be relocated to an interim hawker centre in Cross Street, beside Telok Ayer MRT station, some of the hawkers will be wrapping up for good. Four years is a long wait, and with plans to redevelop the building into one of the CBD’s tallest office towers, there is a sense of uncertainty settling among those who’re accustomed to the hawker way of life.
So, before it’s too late, here are the food stalls that you have to try in the nostalgic ambience of Golden Shoe Food Centre before it is gone forever. You have approximately two months left… starting from now!
Golden Nur
A generous serving of fluffy long-grained rice topped with fork-tender crispy chicken sounds like a good idea any time of the day. However, you should go early as the lunch crowd snaps up the palatable plates of nasi briyani fast (served from 11 a.m. onwards), they run out by 2 p.m. every day.
And trust us, you wouldn’t want to miss the crumbs that are deep fried in corn flour and tomato puree, then drenched in curry for that extra oomph.
Unit Number: #02-02 Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Or until everything is sold out)
Hock Gooi Hainanese Curry Rice
This unassuming curry rice is highly lauded by the Burpple community. For just S$2.50, you can get a braised pork, char siew or pork chop set, open-handedly stacked with your choice of meat, savoury curry stew vegetables and a complementary sunny-side-up.
When you can have both quality and quantity, why choose one over the other? The curry rice is well worth the 20-minute wait, so don’t turn your back on the snaking queue.
Unit Number: #02-35
Market Street Long House
The popiah here, made from a recipe that is almost half a century old, is everything a classic popiah should be. Juicy stewed turnips, mashed eggs, crunchy beansprouts, lettuce, prawns and peanuts are all precariously packed into a delicate, crepe-like skin.
When the auntie asks, always say yes to the chilli as the slightly spicy tang will make all the difference to the taste of the popiah, which is going at S$1.40 each.
The elderly couple who owns Market Street Long House will be retiring with the redevelopment, so definitely don’t overlook this stall when you’re paying a visit.
Unit Number: #03-02 Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Johnson Western Food
While Western food in Singapore’s hawker centres is not entirely representative of authentic Western fare, it has certainly taken on its very own, unique flavour that most of us who grew up here would feel nostalgic about.
Johnson Western Food definitely hits the mark, if not above it. All of their meat is marinated and tenderised the night before for full flavour, and most are completed with the classic (and winning) combination of delicious fried bun, creamy coleslaw and salty fries.
Unit Number: #03-08 Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tiong Bahru Wanton Mee
A usual bowl of wanton mee comprises just noodles, char siew, and some dumplings/fried wantons. Tiong Bahru Wanton Mee throws a little more into their concoction, with extra servings of ngoh hiang and fish cakes that will undoubtedly induce a food coma after you’re done.
But you will find that it’s well worth it when the noodles are cooked al dente, coated in savoury gravy, and going for just $4 for the large bowl!
Unit Number: #02-32 Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m
Say Seng Dry Mee Pok
We dare say mee pok is a quintessential local hawker dish and Say Seng’s version is about as traditional as it gets—tossed in vinegar, light soya sauce and their homemade chilli. Yep, you heard us right, no ketchup’s involved in this time-honoured recipe. The fishballs are also handmade by the owner, giving them that desirable springy texture.
However, if you’re up for something a little more brothy, the owner’s sister is cooking up some pretty sumptuous claypot noodles right next door.
Unit Number: #03-14 Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hai Yan Cold & Hot Dessert
Wash all the savoury down with something sweet from the only local dessert store in Golden Shoe Food Centre. From ice-cold cheng tng to ice kachang, they are also perfect for cooling down in Singapore’s sweltering weather.
The grass jelly drink is a crowd favourite and boasts an unbeatable price at just 80¢. And if you’re valiant enough to opt for hot desserts in 31 degree celsius weather, you can mix two choices into one piping bowl.
Unit Number: #03-15 Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.