The secret lunch spots of Raffles Place office ladies for under $10

News of the hawker centre at Golden Shoe Car Park closing for redevelopment has foodies on a budget lamenting, in the spirit of Joni Mitchell, “They paved paradise and put in a parking lot”.

Unfortunately, no home-made fishball or old-school kopi can escape the relentless tide of progress. You might find yourself groaning, along with one of our friends, that you no longer know where to have lunch for less than S$10 after the Shoe shuts next year, much less where to find comforting, down-home fare amid all the grain bowls and protein pots that have turned the area into a zone where carbohydrates fear to tread.

But fret not. Just because Raffles Place’s bastion of affordable hawker fare will soon be a construction site does not mean your lunchtime expenditure has to go up. And while Hong Leong Building’s basement food court might also be temporarily closed for renovation, there are plenty of fish in the sea. If you know where to look, there are many other cheap options in the area that will satisfy even the most demanding palette.

To map out the treasure spots, we twisted the arms of those who know the terrain best: Office Ladies (OL) and salarymen. Yes, these lanyard-wearing OLs, armed with their formidable packets of tissue, are the shrewdest bargain-hunters in the land. They know what they are doing and pity the fool who stands in their way.

Here is our guide to their not-so-secret go-to lunch spots.

HUP LEE CAFETERIA FISH SOUP

This eatery was mentioned the most number of times in our survey, so it is definitely a crowd favourite. And who can blame the smitten OLs? A bowl of fish slices in milky soup — each portion is cooked in its own pot over a fire — is a comforting and, at S$5.50, cheap option at The Arcade. Just make sure you get there early. “You have to start queuing before 11.30am because the queue gets crazy by noon,” said accountant Germaine Lim, adding: “The fish soup here is full-on flavourful and you can ask for more condensed milk to up the shiok factor. But its true appeal lies in the chili sauce and fried garlic. Add them both into the soup and you get the most satisfying fish soup you’ve ever had.”  

The Arcade, #01-35/36, 11 Collyer Quay. 10.30am to 6pm. Closed on Sundays.

PORK LARD FRIED BEE HOON AT GOOD OLD TASTE 

Photo: Chua Hong Yin

This is another Raffles Place stalwart that got multiple votes. At S$2.50 a pack (S$3.80 if you add a fried egg and a slice of luncheon meat like we did), this is “the power breakfast of the CBD crowd”, said trader Steven Kong. “Some even come here early from Tanjong Pagar to get this greasy goodness. It’s known to be fried with lard bits, which makes it so darn delicious — diet be damned.” And lawyer Aimee Choo was in perfect earnest when she said: “The bee hoon is the essence of pig captured in a little brown packet.”

Good Old Taste (formerly 108 Eating House), The Arcade, #01-08, 11 Collyer Quay. Come between 7am and 10am before the bee hoon sells out.

AUSSIE ROLL

Photo: Chua Hong Yin

Maybe you binged on pork lard bee hoon for breakfast and you want something light for lunch. Aussie Roll offers easy, convenient grab-and-go rice rolls with fillings such as salmon with avocado, Korean chilli pork and softshell crab, all priced between S$2.60 and S$3. “There are so many varieties to choose from,” said senior executive Sherone Pang. “I am always spoilt for choice when I come here.”

Chevron House #B1-04A. 8am to 7pm on weekdays. Closed on weekends and public holidays.

109 TEOCHEW YONG TAU FOO

Photo: Chua Hong Yin

Forget about choosing yong tau foo because it is healthy — people flock here because it is tasty. Manager Jasmine Chu, a yong tau foo fanatic, chose this as her go-to place for a fix because “I like that they fry some of the ingredients, which not many yong tau foo stores do”. It is also good for control freaks who need to pick out every item in their meal themselves — all for under S$8.

90 Circular Road. 10am to 9pm.

BAK CHOR MEE SUA, YAN KEE NOODLES AT BK EATING HOUSE

Photo: Chua Hong Yin 

Bak chor mee is perhaps Singapore’s ultimate comfort food. Here, it is available in mee sua, too, at S$4 a bowl. “The mee sua stays springy, which is rare,” said advertising accounts manager Karen Ho. “While I wouldn’t say it’s very generous, it’s enough for me, and most importantly, it tastes good. It includes ikan bilis and lots of vinegar, so be prepared!”

32 South Bridge Road. 24 hours (closed on Sundays).

GOLDEN CAFE AT CIRCULAR ROAD

Photo: Chua Hong Yin 

Nothing is golden here except, perhaps, for silence because it is always bustling. “This place serves up good cze char food,” said financial analyst Henry Fang. “I usually have the garlic beef rice or seafood mee goreng, which are both delicious. They are about S$6.50 per plate — that’s not too expensive.” Indeed, when we visited, almost every table had at least one order of the mee goreng, giving it the “legit” stamp.

5 Lorong Telok. 10am to 3pm.

AUTHENTIC HOCK LAM STREET POPULAR BEEF KWAY TEOW

Photo: Chua Hong Yin 

It has the words “authentic” and “popular” in the name, so that must be true, right? If you need proof, “they provide pickled cabbage, which is very important for me,” said public relations consultant Beatrice Lau. For S$7.80, you can get a rich-tasting bowl of mixed beef and kway teow. “The broth is not MSG-laden and not too salty. The beef comes in generous portions. They also have beef balls, innards, sliced beef — you can mix and match. In general, it is hard to find good beef noodles anywhere, so I like it,” she said.

6 North Canal Road. 11am to 8.30pm on weekdays; 11am to 4pm on Saturdays; closed on Sundays.

THE PALACE KOREAN RESTAURANT

We all know those days when only strong, spicy flavours can hit the spot. Clerical officer Jane Tan recommends the chicken ramen at The Palace, where your S$8 instant noodle meal is souped up with different toppings. “It’s not too expensive and it satisfies my cravings for spicy instant noodles,” she said.

30 Raffles Place, Chevron House, #B1-03A. 11am to 8pm (closed on Saturday and Sunday)

BAN MIAN AT ASIA SQUARE

Photo: Chua Hong Yin 

Research director Belinda Chng likes the ban mian with fish and minced meat at Asia Square food court’s Chinese noodle stall for its “big hearty portions, good value and tasty stuff”. At S$5.50 a bowl, “the ban mian has lots of ingredients and it never disappoints”, she said. We like how that sounds.

Food Garden, Level 2, 8 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 1. 8am to 9pm. Closed on weekends and public holidays.

WHEAT

For S$8 or less, you can get teriyaki chicken with cold soba; ramen with curry chicken, carrots, potatoes and egg; or green soba in sesame sauce with shredded chicken, quail’s eggs and Japanese cucumber. “It’s healthy — or at least, it feels healthy!” said laywer Samantha Chan. “It’s a guilt-free but delicious indulgence.”

1 Raffles Place, #B1-23. 10.30am to 9.30pm