SINGAPORE — So much food, so little time. Yes, while this young country’s local culinary heritage has evolved rather impressively, parts of this heritage — mainly on the hawker-stall front — have been feeling the strain due to fickle appetites and more.

To be sure, a hearty handful have become icons, like Boon Tong Kee’s expanding chicken rice empire and the four-generation-strong Hock Lam Beef noodles. Last year’s re-launch of Thye Moh Chan by the BreadTalk Group also marked the revival of the nearly 70-year-old brand and its scrumptious tau sar piah.

But you also have the unfortunate ones. In May, the 58-year-old Mong Hing Teochew Restaurant at Keypoint Building closed down, as did Lim Seng Lee Duck Rice Eating House at Buona Vista just over a month ago, after a remarkable stretch of 45 years. Around the same time, there were rumours of Chin Mee Chin confectionary and cake house calling it quits, but thankfully it’s business-as-usual. For now.

In the spirit of the Republic’s 48 years, the team at TODAY is recommending 48 of its favourite dishes. This is not extensive, and you’ll notice how we like similar dishes from different stalls.

Not all are fancy, or are from vendors braving a crisis, but let’s just say the future of haunts like these lies in our vested interest in them. REPORTING BY DON MENDOZA, SERENE LIM, MAY SEAH, ZHANG WEIFANG, GENEVIEVE LOH, CHRISTOPHER TOH

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1. CHOCOLATE TARTS AND BANANA PIE (DONA MANIS CAKE SHOP, #B1-93 KATONG SHOPPING CENTRE, TEL: 6440 7688). Operated by an elderly husband and wife team, and 50-something baker, Soh Tho Lang, the signature banana pie is a labour of love supposedly made using a mix of ang ba cheo (red-flesh bananas) and pang cheo (fragrant bananas) while the chocolate tart (at 80 cents) doesn’t scrimp on the chocolate with every bite. Also, try the pillowy butter buns and raisin scones.

2. DIM SUM (HUA NAM RESTAURANT, 244 UPPER THOMSON ROAD, TEL: 6453 3645). Traditional dim sum baskets stacked in front of coffee shop, steamed on demand. The siew mai and spring rolls are slightly oily but exactly the way you remember them as kids. Egg tarts are pretty good too— a denser, wobbly custard version.

3. KOPI (HEAP SENG LEONG, BLK 10, NORTH BRIDGE ROAD, #01-5109). According to KF Seetoh, this is the oldest Foochow coffee shop. Owner Shi Pong Hsu, 75, and his 50-year-old son Ting Chow run the show, and the kopi here is apparently still only 70 cents.

4. FISHBALL (NOODLES HOCK SENG CHOON FISHBALL NOODLES,

BLK 16, BEDOK SOUTH MARKET). Have the mee kia, dry with chilli and fishballs — the best fishball noodles ever! The fishballs are springy, fresh, full of flavour and not doughy; and mostly made by hand. The noodles are nicely al dente, with the chilli coating every strand. Owner is a sprightly barrel-chested man who’s 70-plus and insists on opening his stall only at noon sharp.

5. FRIED CARROT CAKE (BUKIT MERAH VIEW, BLK 115 BUKIT MERAH VIEW FOOD CENTRE, #01-37). We believe this is the last chai tow kueh place to make its own carrot cake. But Wong, the owner, commented that new regulations put in place after renovations at the hawker centre last year meant that he couldn’t use his rice mill. Rumour has it, he might be relocating or buying another mill.

6. CHICKEN BAO (FUZHOU HANDMADE BAOS, BLK 116 COMMONWEALTH CRESCENT, #01-129). This retro bao stall — found in the same coffee shop as the famous Two Chefs zhi char — still makes the buns by hand. The chicken bao is juicy, the bao soft and fluffy. The caramel-coloured coffee lotus paste bao has a nice kopi-gao creaminess.

7. CHICKEN RICE (YET CON, 25 PURVIS STREET, TEL 6337 6819). Founded in 1940, and from the font on the glass doors right down to true Hainanese-styled and drier, chunky chicken, eating at Yet Con takes you back in time. The steamboat offerings arrive in metal plates while the chilli and garlic come in glass jars instead of traditional containers. The grouchy cashier uncle still uses an abacus. Don’t forget to get the pork chops, too.

8. PRATA (MR AND MRS MOHGAN’S SUPER CRISPY ROTI PRATA, 7 CRANE ROAD, POH HO RESTAURANT). It’s really crackling light and crisp. The pratas are small, almost cute in size but big on flavour—and the dough is made from scratch.

9. TOASTED KAYA BUNS (CHIN MEE CHIN CONFECTIONARY, 204 EAST COAST ROAD, TEL: 6345 0419). We get sentimental about this enduring confectionary. The traditional Singaporean breakfast of soft boiled eggs, toast and local coffee are the order of the day, although buns, rather than white bread, are preferred by patrons.

10. AMPANG YONG TAU FOO (NGEE FOU RESTAURANT AMPANG YONG TAU FOO, 928 UPPER THOMSON ROAD, TEL: 6452 1801). This decades-old business is at the far end of Upper Thomson Road but it’s a worthy pilgrimage. Order the standardised sets, which include a mix of deep-fried vegetables, lady’s fingers and bitter gourd and such, as well as wonton and pork intestines, some tofu, fishballs and kang kong. Prices start at S$4 for a single serving.

11. Claypot rice (Yuan Yuan Claypot Rice, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-38 ABC Brickworks Food Centre, Tel: 6276 5259). Fans will be divided between the versions in Geylang and Clementi, and quite possibly, still go back to Golden Mile Claypot Rice on Beach Road. But somewhere between the hype and hullabaloo is this equally fine version—including the well-marinated chicken (for hours, apparently) and clayports imported from China. Thankfully, still a family run business.

12. FRIED WHITE CARROT CAKE (LIAN HE #01-30, GHIM MOH MARKET AND FOOD CENTRE, BLK 20 GHIM MOH ROAD). Arguably the best white carrot cake in Singapore — fragrantly fried in large chunks and served with a generous portion of eggs.

13. GREEN BEAN SOUP (QING TIAN COLD AND HOT DESSERTS,

#01-60, REDHILL FOOD CENTRE, 85 REDHILL LANE). The uncle is equally well-known for his disco moves. But it’s the green bean soup with its sago and a generous dollop of coconut milk that pads our hips.

14. WONTON NOODLES (HOCK THYE NOODLES, #01-105, CLEMENTI MARKET AND FOOD CENTRE, BLK 353 CLEMENTI AVENUE 2). Staying put for a couple of decades afer moving from its previous Bras Basah premises, we have yet to tire of its secret sauce and handmade wontons.

15. KWAY CHAP (BOON TONG KEE KWAY CHAP BRAISED DUCK, #01-24, ZION RIVERSIDE FOOD CENTRE). The stall may be pimped out, but the meats meet high standards and the soup is rich, flavourful and comforting.

16. BAK CHOR MEE (SUA YAN KEE NOODLE HOUSE, BK EATING HOUSE, 21 SOUTH BRIDGE ROAD). A popular post-clubbing meal, the irresistible bak chor mee sua is a juxtaposition of soft mee sua with crunchy dried fish, enhanced by the aroma of vinegar and chilli.