Downtown MRT Line Hawker Guide – 12 Cheap & Good Eateries You Should Not Miss!

12 Cheap and Good Eateries You Should Not Miss Along Downtown MRT Line!

Keen to explore some hawker food places around the Downtown MRT Line stations? We have compiled a list of cheap and good hawker food near some of these Downtown MRT Line stations. Hope you will enjoy a hearty meal at any one of these eateries. Have a blast!

• Bukit Panjang Station
• Cashew Station
• Hillview Station
• Beauty World Station
• Sixth Avenue Station
• Botanic Garden Station
• Newton Station
• Little India Station

BUKIT PANJANG STATION

Hai Xian Zhu Zhou (海鲜煮粥)

It may look like a simple dish of instant noodle yet this particular Koka instant noodle is what makes this stall stand out! Koka instant noodle here is available in two flavours – the original and the seafood. With prices beginning from as low as $2.50, the ingredients that come with the Koka instant noodle soup are generous. We had the big size of the original flavour of Koka instant noodle with an egg ($3.50).

The portion consists of liver, minced meat and vegetables. Their broth, which did not consist of MSG, has the sweetness that came naturally from the meat. This stall also sells porridge, crispy noodle, e-mee, mee sua, bee hoon and mee hoon kuey. Be prepared, the wait can be 30 minutes or more.

P.S They have another outlet at Yishun! For more information, please refer to our article here!

CASHEW STATION

Hup Choon Roast Meat

To be honest, initially, when we started our “Downtown Line” food discovery journey, we did not hold high hopes for coming across any good food. However, at this dull looking coffee shop, which also ‘houses’ Beng’s Bak Kut Teh, we stumbled across a gem – Hup Choon Roast Meat! We had Char Siew and Roast Duck platter ($5) for two and immediately fell in love with this succulent meat.

The duck used here is huge and fattier than most of the places that we have been to, making each bite more satisfying. The skin is crispy while the meat is tender and juicy. I love it when we get the savoury juices in our mouth after one bite. According to the owners, their roasted meats are so popular that they are sold out by 1pm on a usual Saturday. If you happen to be around the neighbourhood, do give this a go! We’re quite certain you won’t be disappointed!

HILLVIEW STATION

New Teck Kee Chicken Rice

Located just a stone’s throw away from Hillview MRT station, The Rail Mall is a food haven. We shared a chicken rice set ($7) from New Teck Kee which comes with steamed chicken, rice and a canned drink of your choice. The fragrant rice was not as fluffy but their steamed chicken was quite tender and succulent. We were surprised by their Curry Chicken Noodle ($5.50). Its base was thick, rich and aromatic. We love the tau pok and steamed white chicken soaked in the curry broth.

BEAUTY WORLD STATION

Top 1 Homemade Noodle

Beauty World may be an old but their food centre on the 4th floor has got lots of good food! Boosting this delectable homemade noodle with slurp-worthy soup, it’s hard to resist not returning after your first visit. We had the Fish Maw Mee Hoon Kway, Spicy Mala Ban Mian with Big Prawn and Homemade Yu Mian with Black sauce and meatballs. The homemade noodles were cooked to a nice bite.

If you’re a lover of spicy food, come challenge yourself to this bowl of spicy goodness! We do enjoy the spicy kick which caused us to break out into a sweat. Simply delicious! Perfect, especially for the rainy season! You may wish to check out our full review of Top 1 Homemade Noodle!

HamBaoBao

Owned by a young couple, HamBaoBao is Asian interpretation of burgers. The Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($5) was impressive. The minced chicken patty is infused with the buah keluak. Pairing with homemade chilli paste and chap chye, it all works harmoniously for this delicious and unique burger. The stall currently the stall sells only 5 types of burgers only with adds on such as fries, cheese, bacon and additional patty.

SIXTH AVENUE STATION

6th Avenue Briyani (Nasi Briyani Specialist)

Fancy having a sinful meal to start your day? Bring on Nasi Briyani! We are not exaggerating but this has got to be one of the best Nasi Briyani in Singapore! We tried the chicken briyani ($6). The rice was flavourful as the spices were evenly distributed and almost every grain was close to uniform in colour. We really like that the rice was not oily at all.

A mouthwatering chunk of super crisply deep fried chicken sat atop the fragrant rice. The chicken was covered with a crisp crust and the insides were so juicy and tender that we could not wait to get our hands on more! A pity we were too full to try their mutton briyani or prata, where we noticed most of the customers were having. Fret not as this is a stall that we’ll certainly return to! It’s definitely worth every count of calories!

BOTANIC GARDEN STATION

Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Mee

Speaking of Prawn Mee, it’s quite tough to beat the uniquely delicious one from Pek Kio Market and Food Centre but congrats Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Mee! You’ve made it into our Top 3 favourite prawn mee in Singapore! We were very impressed with the quality and size of the prawns. We learnt from the hospitable owner that these prawns are not the common pond bred tiger prawns that you get at most stalls. Instead, these are Wild Prawns harvested from the ocean. We really love the tender texture and sweetness of the flesh, what a treat!

The soup was fantastic too – so rich in taste and bursting with flavours. It was impregnated with all the seafood sweetness from hours of simmering of the prawn shells. The combination of the soup and the noodle truly made our day. The good part is that you can go back and request for a refill anytime. The two hot favourites are their pork ribs big prawn noodle and sliced meat big prawn noodle, which starts at $5 per bowl and could go up to $15 per bowl. Note that their pork ribs sell out very quickly so be more kiasu and go earlier to chope your seat and start queuing to avoid disappointment.

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak at Adam Food Centre has been labelled as one of the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore. Food comes in sets, with prices ranging from $2.50 to $5.50, depending on the ingredients you order. We ordered their “Royal Rumble” ($5.50) which consisted of Potato Croquette, Fried Egg, Deep-fried fish, Ikan Bilis, Otah and Deep-fried chicken wing.

Our verdict? We have to agree that the rice was fragrant and well-enriched by the coconut milk. They use Basmati Rice which gave it a lighter texture, better flavour and the grains are wonderfully separated. Expect a queue in this stall, but it’s worth the wait!

NEWTON STATION

Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette

Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette ($5 for the small portion) is an iconic stall here and so well-known that it has a perpetual queue outside on most nights. I liked the mixture of crispy eggs and sweet potato flour. The oysters were also quite plump and tasted relatively fresh.

Bee Heng

Another stall that can’t be missed will be Bee Heng’s popiah! We love that it’s healthier due to the amount of vegetables it consisted of, such as Chinese lettuce, chopped bamboo shoots, turnips and bean sprouts. These greens are mixed with shrimps and eggs and rolled into a layer of skin made of flour. This stall added crispy bits into their popiah, how can one not love this? When making your order, do remember to let them know whether you want chilli in it. Each popiah costs $2 and there is a minimum order of 2 popiahs here.

LITTLE INDIA STATION

Allauddin’s Briyani

At Tekka Market, which is conveniently located right outside Little India Station of the Downtown MRT Line, we are having nasi briyani by Allauddin’s Briyani. Their rice is stored in large aluminium pots. The worker will scoop the rice, top up the curry meat and cover with rice. The taste of their chicken briyani ($5) was excellent and the Dhalchat and the chicken curry complemented the rice really well. Personal preference but we really like that the Dhalchat was a little on the sweeter side. Having running the business for over 40 years, their fame is undisputed.

Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice

Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice was originally opened by Uncle Yang and the Teochew old man has been braising duck rice for 60 years since he was a kid! But Uncle Yang has left to set up a stall in Hong Lim called Ah Heng Duck Rice. The current stall in Tekka Centre is now operated by his disciples. Here, their dark sauce is very fragrant. The duck meat was rather tender and flavorful, it is still one of the best that I ever eaten.

And their chilli is really good too. It is vinegar based with garlic, hence it is quite appetizing. At $3.50, you get a portion of braised duck rice for one person, accompanied by a piping hot bowl of herbal-based soup that is simmered with duck bones and does not contain MSG. I can easily finish 2 bowls of rice! You may wish to check out our full review of Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice!

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the stalls listed. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!