Along with shopping and queueing, eating ranks as the other national pastime of Singaporeans. But not eating just any food — hawker fare, especially at stalls with long lines ’cos this means the food is good, right? Well, celebs are no different from us. Ahead of Singapore’s 55th birthday, we asked our local artistes to share their favourite hawker haunts, as well as tips on how to avoid waiting in line for too long.

It was love at first bite for Dennis when he tasted the Teochew-style Bak Kut Teh ($7.60 for a breakfast set) at Lau Ah Tee just last week. The pork ribs are tender and fall off the bone, while the aromatic broth is robust and not too peppery, says the 972 DJ. One of the pioneers of Teochew BKT in Singapore, they are also known for their steamed rabbit fish which is traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year.

“I have never had such good bak kut teh before. Some places make their soup very peppery, but theirs isn’t like that. I also like the blanched kidney, which doesn’t have an offensive smell, and melt-in-your-mouth braised pig’s trotters. In fact, just thinking about it makes me hungry,” he says with a chuckle. If you plan to head there on a weekend, Dennis recommends getting there by 9.30am before the crowd starts streaming in.

#01-67, 34 Whampoa West, S330034. Tel: 9755 5250. Open daily 7am-3pm.

This is no ordinary rojak, claims Joanne Peh. Made with apple, pear, pineapple and guava, the Vegetarian Fruit Rojak ($3) has a mix of flavours unlike any other. The secret is in its addictive sauce, which is sweet and savoury with a spicy kick, plus the heaping amounts of aromatic chopped peanuts piled on the dish. Joanne chanced upon the stall while filming Say Cheese in 2018 and was hooked. “I wanted to have it every day,” she laughs, adding that the longest she’s had to queue was 30 minutes. “I used to think that rojak is quite simple and tastes the same everywhere until I had this. I can’t say exactly what is different but the uncle puts a lot of heart in it. He also toasts his you tiao which makes it really crispy.” Looks like the uncle is a fan of Joanne too. There are photos of the star plastered at his stall.

Toh Guan Food & Drinks Market, 282A Toh Guan Rd, S601267. Open daily 9am till sold out, with one rest day a week.

Xiang Yun’s love affair with prawn noodles started when she was in her 20s. She would often go around Singapore checking out new prawn noodle stalls. One of her favourites is Beach Road Prawn Mee Eating House (from $5.80 for the Prawn Noodles) which has since moved to her ’hood in East Coast. She says that in addition to the A+ broth — rich and umami with free refills — the prawns are sweet and crunchy and slide off the shell easily. “Their big prawn noodles are very popular but I still prefer the smaller prawns with the delicious broth. The stall knows how I like my prawn noodles, with less bee hoon and more vegetables, and I prefer my shallots on the side, so they will separate it for me,” says Xiang Yun. “Sometimes I crave for it when I wake up so I will go at 7am when they open, to avoid the queue.”

370 East Coast Rd, S428981. Tel: 6345 7196. Open Mon, Wed – Sun 7am-4pm; closed on Tue.

Mei Xiang’s “black and white fish soup” ($6 for Mixed Fish Soup set with rice) is perfect for those who can’t decide whether to have fried fish or boiled sliced fish soup. Chen Liping tells us that the stall sells their fish soup “Michael Jackson-style”, alluding to the late King of Pop’s hit song ‘Black Or White’, because each bowl has a mix of both fried and fresh sliced fish. And you can’t have it any other way, thank you very much. Despite this and other quirks, there’s always a line at the stall at Berseh Food Centre. “They don’t allow you to order just one type of fish. It has to be mixed. But the fish slices are thick and fresh, and the soup, which comes with cabbage and bits of fried egg, is very sweet and flavourful. I find their chilli very special too. It’s fragrant and garlicky,” shares Liping. “But the owners are quite eccentric. Despite serving their food in disposable containers, they do not do takeaways so I will bring my own container if I want to tapow.” You’ve been warned.

#02-44 Berseh Food Centre, 166 Jln Besar, S208877. Open weekdays 11.30am-2pm.

Sin Huat Eating House is infamous for its tasty but pricey crab bee hoon, and its ‘Nazi’ hawker, but in the day, it’s braised duck rice stall Sean Kee that pulls in the crowds. Terence says he loves it as the duck meat (boneless!) is tender and juicy, and slathered in a heavenly braised sauce, which is gooey with an herbal taste. If you like yam rice like Terence, you’d want to order an extra serving of sauce just to eat with it.

“I find that their duck rice is a little different from what you’d find elsewhere in Singapore and Malaysia. Theirs has braised peanuts, salted vegetables, tofu and tau kee. I like the thick gravy. You see bees flying all over the coffee shop because they put honey into that sauce, so it is a little bit sweet and savoury, and the homemade chilli … [I love it ] to the moon and back,” says Terence.

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Sin Huat Eating House, 659-661 Lor 35 Geylang, S387936. Tel: 9690 6606. Open daily except Sat 11.30am-6pm. www.facebook.com/yalorsg/

If there’s one dish Yasminne could eat every day, it would be laksa. And her top pick is the one from Sungei Road Laksa ($3 a bowl) — her standard order is laksa mai hum (“I'm really not a fan of cockles”) and with a side of otah. Cooked over a charcoal stove, the lemak and mildly spicy gravy is “bursting with flavour yet still remains light, and the homemade chilli has a good kick”. Despite the relatively small serving, one bowl is enough to satisfy the Class 95 DJ “because it leaves you feeling just [sated] and craving for more”. “[The gravy] is the best part. I slurp up every single drop of it. I've tried having two bowls when I was greedy and it was just a bit too much,” says the foodie.

#01-100 Jin Shui Kopitiam, 27 Jln Berseh, S200027. Open daily except Wed 9am-5pm.

When Dawn wants her chai tow kway fix, she heads to Clementi Fried Carrot Cake (from $3 a plate), where she’s been a fan since her teens. Here, tiny cubes of radish cake are stir-fried with copious amounts of egg, cai poh (preserved radish) and sweet dark sauce till fragrant. “Usually when you eat chai tow kway, you can see big chunks of radish cake but their style is to chop them into small pieces, so small that it melts in your mouth. You can taste radish and cai poh [in every mouthful], and it is very flavourful compared to your typical carrot cake,” she says. But expect to wait around 45 minutes for your plate, so be sure to get there early as they usually sell out by noon.

#01-45 Clementi Market & Food Centre, 448 Clementi Ave 3, S120448. Open daily from 6am till sold out.

Way before Heng Carrot Cake was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, Cynthia has been a regular of the popular stall. Made with handmade radish cake, their crispy Carrot Cake with Prawn (from $4 a plate) is moist and laced with wok hei. “You can tell they make their own radish cake which is very fresh and springy, and you can taste the shreds of radish within. Their chai tow kway is very fragrant and you can also add prawns which [help to] bring out the flavour,” says Cynthia.

#01-28 Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave North, S229495. Open daily 6pm-1am.

For Jeanette, the black version of Chai Tow Kway, which is nicely caramelised and not too sweet, is the winner at this same stall. “It’s comfort food. I don’t get homesick when I’m away, neither will I crave local food, but when I’m finally home after being away for months, one of the first few things I feel like eating is carrot cake,” says the actress. Don’t expect any star treatment here, though. Jeanette also waits in line at this stall, just like everyone else.

#01-28 Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave North, S229495. Open daily 6pm-1am.

Also a fan of Heng’s (the super popular stall sells orh luak too, despite its stall name) is Chantalle who indulges in their Oyster Omelette ($5) once a month. “Always perfectly cooked”, she says the wok hei-laced omelette is flavourful and not too starchy, and the juicy and fresh oysters are the icing on the cake. Another highlight for the actress and girl boss is the slightly tangy chilli sauce. “It is not too spicy and refreshing to eat with the omelette. I must dip the orh luak in the chilli before every bite,” says Chantalle, who has introduced her favourite hawker dish to many friends, including Old Is Gold co-star Edwin Goh. Pro tip: If you are getting dishes from various stalls, place your order at Heng’s first as the waiting time can be more than 30 minutes.

#01-28 Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave North, S229495. Opens daily 6pm-1am.

Xiuhuan loves her nasi lemak and only the one at Thohirah Restaurant (from $6), she says, is worth busting her carb quota for. She shares that the restaurant uses basmati rice, which is light and fluffy, and goes perfectly with the mildly spicy sambal on the side. A regular at the restaurant for many years, Xiuhuan says the waiters even know her standard order: nasi lemak with extra chilli and extra ikan billis.

“The first thing I go for is the chilli which is sweet and a little bit spicy. I can’t really take spicy food so this is perfect for me. The ikan billis and chicken wing are very crispy too. The portion is quite big but I will finish everything. And I’d feel so contented after that,” sighs Xiuhuan.

258 Jln Kayu, S799487. Tel: 6481 2009. Open 24 hours daily.

As for Michelle, she heads to Changi Village hawker centre where she can enjoy the best from both her favourite stalls. How her family “operates” is they will order different side dishes from both stalls so they can “mix and match” to create their ultimate nasi lemak dish.

“I like the rice from Mizzy Corner, which is the more popular stall, ‘cos it is more lemak. They use more coconut milk and there is a strong coconut taste. I also prefer their sambal, which is slightly sweet but spicy. For the chicken wings, we will order the ones from International, which is just opposite Mizzy. They are juicy and stay crispy for a long time. Even though you can see the coconut flesh in their rice, it is not as fragrant [as Mizzy’s],” shares Michelle. If you want to beat the dinner crowd, go after 8pm when “there isn’t a queue any more but the nasi lemak is still very good”. A true foodie, indeed.

Mizzy Corner Nasi Lemak is at #01-26 Changi Village Hawker Centre, 2 Changi Village Rd, S500002. Open daily 7.30am-1am.

International Muslim Food Stall Nasi Lemak is at #01-03, Changi Village Hawker Centre, 2 Changi Village Rd, S500002. Open daily except Sun & Mon 9am-3pm; 6pm-midnight; Sat 9am-7pm.

When Elvin has a hankering for satay, he heads to the stall BBQ Satay and Fruit Rojak in Jurong for its beef, mutton, chicken and pork skewers. He raves that the well-marinated meat is juicy, tender, and lightly charred. “I always order 30 to 50 sticks [for myself], with a mixture of everything. They are not stingy with the meat and it isn’t too fatty, which I like, and it is coated with honey so it’s slightly sweet and crispy on the outside. I also like their sauce which has pineapple in it,” he beams. But there is another reason that keeps the actor returning. “The auntie also gives me extra attention,” he quips. “Sometimes she will throw in a plate of rojak or give me tissue paper. Too much love. She captures my heart so I will keep going back.”

#01-82 Coffee United, 496 Jurong West St 41, S640496. Open daily 6pm-midnight.

If you want to have your cake and eat it too like Kayly, try the “yuan yang” Chai Tow Kway ($5) at Hock Kee. The black carrot cake is slightly sweet, which is a nice contrast to its crisp and savoury white counterpart. She gushes: “I like that the chai tow kway is crispy on the outside and still chewy and soft on the inside. There’s a generous amount of egg and the chilli is very good too. I will eat a little bit of the black, a little bit of the white separately, cannot mix. I just like the best of both worlds”.

#01-19 Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre, 49A Serangoon Garden Way, S555945. Open daily 7.15am–3p; 5.45–10pm.

Kimberly is a hardcore fan of the Kway Chap at To-Ricos, which is known for their traditional and tasty take on the Teochew dish. She says the clean-tasting pork innards braised in flavourful gravy, go perfectly with the silky kway, and they have a pretty good selection of ingredients here, including pig’s stomach, trotters and rectum. “I order everything and then add the pig skin and salted vegetable. I won’t go anywhere else for kway chap because it is a bit pointless. But the queues are always long so I usually go around 10.30am when they are about to open, otherwise the queue will never end or you risk the food running out completely,” advises Kim. Expect the line to be longer now that they have a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod.

#01-135 Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Rd, S390051. Tel: 8923 0892. Open Wed to Fri, Sun 11am-3pm; Sat 10.30am-3pm. www.facebook.com/toricos.sg/

Whenever Shane is in the Telok Ayer area, he will make a beeline for the traditional Fuzhou deep-fried Oyster Cake ($2) at Maxwell Market. Though the palm-sized UFO-shaped snacks are “quite small”, they are stuffed with ingredients like minced pork, plump oysters, prawn, chives, and is “very value for money”. The stall is very popular, but the line there moves very quickly. And because it is such a hot commodity, you are almost always guaranteed freshly-fried oyster cake.

“I have always been a fan of this stall at Maxwell. The oyster cake is crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside, and they are very generous with the ingredients. Usually when I go, I will buy quite a bit, either for my family or to bring to set. I can eat four at one go,” says the actor proudly. “The uncle told me that he plans to retire soon, so I can only eat it for a few more years.”

#01-05 Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, S069184. Tel: 9344 1296. Open daily except Sun 9am-8pm. www.facebook.com/maxwellfuzhouoystercake/

Why are we not surprised that the Chix Hot Chicken towkay’s favourite hawker food is ayam penyet? The singer’s go-to place for Ayam Penyet (from $5) is Indonesian Express, where he is not only a fan of their “juicy, tender” smashed fried chicken, but also their “out-of-this-world” curry sauce. “I don’t know how they came up with this idea of the curry sauce but it is dope! I know that’s kind of alien but it goes really well with the chicken and the crispy batter crumbs,” raves Taufik.

3 outlets including Stephen Riady Centre, 2 College Ave West, University Town, S138607. Open daily 9am-6pm. www.facebook.com/indonesianexpress/

If you follow Sheila on Instagram, you will know the actress loves the Fishball Mee Pok ($3) from Song Heng at Telok Blangah Crescent Market and Food Centre. She says the handmade fishballs are firm and bouncy, noodles springy, and the big pieces of crispy lard yum. “It is actually a very simple dish, just noodles with five huge and very delicious fishballs. A lot of places use fishballs made with mostly flour but this is the real deal — they [only] use fish meat. I have been eating this since I was a child and every now and then my dad would buy this for me and ‘lure’ me with it,” says the mum-to-be.

#01-124 Telok Blangah Crescent Market & Food Centre, 11 Telok Blangah Cresent, S090011. Open daily except Sun & Mon 5am–3pm.

One thing that Enlai misses when he is overseas is bak chor mee. Sometimes he satisfies his craving at the food court at Changi Airport (“it’s the nearest”) but if he had a choice, he would have the one at Bras Basah Complex ($4.50 a bowl). He tells us the vinegar taste is not too sharp and the springy noodles are packed with the usual suspects like fish balls, meat balls and minced meat. But what sets this Bak Chor Mee apart from others is the fried cloves of garlic — their chilli padi comes with chopped garlic too — that add an interesting dimension to the noodles.

“It is not famous or anything but I find it quite tasty and the noodles are springy. I tend to always eat the same thing — mee kia with extra chilli. I also help myself to the chilli padi and garlic, so don’t meet me after I’ve eaten this!” laughs Enlai.

#01-79 Coffee Express 2000 Food Court, 231 Bain St, S180231. Open 24 hours daily.

Apart from its chicken rice, Sin Heng Kee is also famed for its “holy trinity” of roast meats: char siew, sio bak and roast duck. “The sauce is good and it is not too oily. I like all their roast meats which have the perfect meat-to-fat ratio. Plus, the portion is big and it is affordable,” says Jeremy. Prices start from $3.

#01-37 ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, 6 Jln Bukit Merah, S150006. Open daily 9am-9pm.

A hawker food listicle wouldn’t be complete without Singapore’s national dish, Hainanese Chicken Rice. Hong Ling’s favourite one is the poached white chicken version ($3.50) from Feng Feng in Woodlands, which is cheap and tastes “restaurant-standard”.

“I don’t usually eat chicken rice because the chicken can be quite tough, but the one here is restaurant-standard and the rice is very fragrant too. I usually order the ji wei (bottom part of the chicken) as it is juicer and tender, along with chicken feet and offal,” says Hong Ling.

3 outlets including #01-125 304 Woodlands St 31, S730304. Tel: 9831 7741, Open daily 10am-9pm. www.facebook.com/fengfengbonelesschickenrice/