At Ryde, community and morality are the heart of what we do. Ryde Supports Hawker is an initiative started in May 2021 to support older hawkers who were unable to benefit from delivery options. We hope that we were able to help these hawkers by buying selected items from their menu and allowing our users to redeem them for free, simply by flashing the Ryde app and Ryde Driver app. We also sent food from these hawkers to our front liners at NTUC Health Hub (Geylang East) – Elderly Care, Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home, Irene Nursing Home, and St Luke Hospital. We wanted to involve as many people as possible in this meaningful initiative. We held a contest and allowed users to nominate their favourite hawkers for Ryde to support. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to fill-up the form. We have compiled the top 10 most non-halal popular hawkers below (not in sequence of popularity). For the list of halal restaurants and stalls, check out our other article here. Read on to learn more about these hidden gems. From fried fish soup to vadai, you will be spoilt for choice!
Moli Food Stall was nominated by Stephen, situated in the buzzing market and food centre in Bedok South.
Stephen shares how her first encounter with this stall began with a pleasant exchange with the stall owner, auntie, who is described to be a “soft-spoken” vendor who operates her stall daily with barely any help. Her days begin early in the morning and her stall operations remain offline, as she is unfamiliar with delivery platforms and the use of social media.
She further shares that she is very thankful for government initiatives that provide hawkers like her some rental rebates to tide over during this period of time as her earnings are limited especially after taking the cost of ingredients into account. She also limits the quantity of her food preparation like Vadai (a savoury snack) to ensure that customers can enjoy it hot. Her refusal to compromise the quality of her food despite the circumstances was what moved Stephen to make the nomination.
Address: Bedok South Food Centre, #01-18, 16 Bedok South Road, Singapore 460016
This stall is operated by an old couple and is nominated by Goh. Despite being affected by the circuit breaker last year, the couple never fail to turn up at the hawker every morning at 7am.
Goh shared that the hawker serves old-school Fried Kway Teow that are hardly seen in the local hawkers anymore. The couple also maintained their prices and portions of food despite the challenging times.
Address: Seah Im Food Centre, #01-26, 2 Seah Im Road Singapore 099114
Nominated by John for their impeccable service, he shares that the auntie that runs Soon Kee Chicken Rice and Noodles recognised him after 3 visits, and has a tendency to remember all her regulars and their orders. The owner also asks to make sure that they are satisfied with the portion size.
Although adopting technology has been a challenging step for them, they have recently introduced QR code payment methods for cashless transactions. John hopes that the central location of this stall would encourage patronage from others.
Address: Blk 17 Upper Boon Keng Road #01-46, Singapore 380017
Also known as Kelly’s Mum Wantan Mee, this stall was nominated by Sin. He shares that the hawker, like many others, were struggling since the pandemic hit but thankfully they had a tech savvy daughter who assisted in signing up on the various delivery platforms.
Even through the many challenges faced, the couple provided free meals for those who are in need and customers can choose to pay any amount they feel that they are comfortable with. Mr Sin was amazed by the idea of them giving back to society and hopes the hawker will gain the recognition they deserve.
Address: Block 409 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #01-22, Singapore 560409
This western food stall is more than meets the eye, described by Lee to be “the best old school style western” food stall, one that can bring us all back to our teenhood.
The recommendation with this stall is their burgers that come with a generous side of homemade coleslaw – an appetising combination indeed. Lee continues to share that they are not on delivery platforms and hopes that they continually get support.
Address: 211 Marsiling Cres, Lucky Star Eating House, Singapore 730211
Ye Xun wrote that she would always patronise the stall with her parents to eat the curry noodles despite the long queue.
She adds “I have never regretted queuing for it as it is very nice. I have been eating [it] before Covid. However due to Covid [restrictions], I could not travel far and have not eaten it yet”
She hopes to be able to visit the stall after the situation improves. She calls it “one of my favourite curry noodles in Singapore”. An entry from Terence also shared that “their curry chicken broth is extremely delicious”.
Address: Hong Lim Market And Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street, #01-58, Singapore 051531
Su shares that Ah Tee Ko Ko Mee relied on a few regulars to patronise the stall ever since the recent Phase 2 Heightened Alert. Especially with a bigger and more well-known competitor nearby, business has been slow in the recent months.
She also mentioned that Ah Tee continues to operate on a loss, relying on the owner’s personal savings. Technology adaptations are also not for consideration as he is unable to read. We ask that you try your best to support our older generation and illiterate hawkers, to thank them for feeding generations of Singapore.
Address: Blk 27 Kelantan Court, Gourmet Street, #01-100, Singapore 200027
Nominated by Alanis, this entry is for fish soup lovers. A nostalgic taste of old school fried fish – tucked away in Havelock Cooked Food Centre, Alanis described the stall to be popular in the area and is a humble local business worth supporting.
It is advised to head down early to beat any possible lunch time crowd. The owners also allow you to help yourself to a generous amount of their chilli for your fried fish. Do give it a try if you’re a massive fish soup lover!
Address: 22A Havelock Road, Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre, #01-30, Singapore 161022
This nomination from Foo is a Claypot Bak Kut Teh stall that has been operating for over 30 years and is frequented by him and his grandparents in the past.
He talks about how the mouth-watering soup is made from daily fresh cut ribs, which attributes to its quality and richness.
Located in the heartlands of Teck Whye, this hearty bowl of soup is, as Foo describes, “to die for”. They are also generous with their claypot rice servings.
Address: 143 Teck Whye Lane, Kimly Coffeeshop, #01-243, Singapore 680143
This nomination from Foo is a Claypot Bak Kut Teh stall that has been operating for over 30 years and is frequented by him and his grandparents in the past.
Here is a pro-tip for you – go to the bike rental store early to snag one of the four available carriages. This way, your furry friend can be by your side whilst you take in the scenic view of the island.
Nominated by Vanessa, she shares that the hawker Aunty is generous with her portion sizes that 2 rolls are enough as a filling portion.
Address: Old Airport Road Food Centre,51 Old Airport Road, #01-94, Singapore 390051
We love food stalls that make their customers feel like home and family that makes up the hawker culture we have here in Singapore. So if you’re in any of the above areas, we implore you to check these hawkers out and show some support. Many of the hawkers or small stall owners still operate, as usual, waiting for people to come and patronize. We hope to let these hawkers know that we appreciate them for feeding generations – it’s time for us to do our part. Together, we can keep the Singapore Hawker Culture alive and thriving for the generations to come.
