The Adam Road Food Centre in Singapore reopened after a comprehensive three-month renovation period.
This vibrant and bustling 32-stall hawker centre located in the Bukit Timah area, is known for its diverse range of culinary offerings (especially Muslim food), attracting both locals and tourists alike.
Significant improvements included the installation of five large fans to address ventilation issues and the addition of new tables, chairs, and tiles to refresh the space.
The renovation aimed to upgrade facilities and enhance the overall dining experience, and I found it indeed airier, brighter and looked more welcoming.
Post-renovation, some vendors increased their prices but it is understandable due to rising costs of ingredients.
Check out the following 12 stalls at Adam Road Food Centre: (Note that operational hours may differ as some stalls are not completely settled in or may change as and when)
Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari
Adam Road Food Centre #01-09
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm (Mon – Thurs, Sat – Sun), Closed Fri
It is not often you find a stall specialising in just Mee Soto and Mee Rebus, and Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari is probably where you need to head down if you love Mee Soto.
The stall was also recently included with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Items served include Mee Soto, Bee Hoon Soto, Mee Rebus, Sup Ayam or Chicken Soup, Sup Babat or Beef Tripe Soup, and Bubur Ayam Chicken Porridge.
Top up with a Bergedil (deep-fried potato cake) for $1.20.
The Mee Soto ($4 onwards) is not for the faint-hearted in terms of spice levels, but this is one that hits you on the palate with shiokness and satisfaction.
The robust broth is said to result from the brewing of whole chickens for a minimum of 3 hours.
The other recommended dish is the hearty bowl of Mee Rebus ($4) which came with cut green chilies, coriander, fried shallots, and a whole egg.
The thick gravy was also on the spicier side, and a dash of sambal kicap gave the flavours a whole new dimension.
Read more at: Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari (Adam Road Food Centre)
Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak
Adam Road Food Centre #01-02
Opening Hours: 7am – 5pm (Mon – Thurs), 7am – 3pm (Sat – Sun), Closed Fri
Perhaps some people do not know that they are one of the partners behind Nasi Lemak chain store CRAVE.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong once served this Nasi Lemak to Indonesian President Joko Widodo when he was here in Singapore; and the Sultan of Brunei would request this frequently whenever he visited Singapore.
No matter what time of the day you plan to go, there is no escaping the long queues, but fans say the wait is surely worth it.
So, what is the “secret to success”?
The current owner attributes it to the family recipe that emphasizes on the 4 key ingredients: basmati rice, sambal chilli, chicken wing and otah otah.
There are 7 choices on the menu, from the basic Regular Meal ($4), Fish Meal ($5), Chicken Wing Meal ($5), to the most ‘elaborate’ Royal Rumble ($7).
This Royal Rumble Nasi Lemak includes the full-works of ingredients including fried chicken, otah-otah, fried egg, sliced cucumbers, sambal and fried anchovies.
What stood out for me was first the aroma of the basmati rice, then the rich quality that went unbelievable well with the coconut milk, lemongrass and pandan leaves.
The winning element to me was the Sambal Chilli, specially cooked with both Indian and Japanese chillies.
The story goes that the owner’s grandmother wanted a less spicy version of the chilli to cater to more customers. Thus, the store created this sweet-savoury-spicy version of sambal that would help to elevate the taste of the crispy fried chicken wings.
No.1 Adam’s Nasi Lemak
Adam Road Food Centre #01-01
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 1pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues
This is another popular stall for Nasi Lemak here. Although it faces tough competition from rival stalls at the food centre, it stands out simply because of its authenticity and traditional flavours without any special ingredients or flashy choices.
Note that even though the queue may not look that long, customers still have to wait quite a while due to the assembling time.
There are the Starter Set ($4), Chicken Set ($5), Sutra Special ($6), and Adam’s Special ($7) included with mutton rendang.
I got the standard Sutra Special ($6) with otah, slices of fish cake, chicken wing, ikan bilis, and nuts.
The winning part was the fluffy rice, soft in texture with a faint coconut aroma.
I loved the balance of sweetness from the coconut milk and the spicy and savoury flavors from the sambal and other ingredients. I wished that the ingredients stood out a little more (i.e., crispier wings?).
Bahrakath Mutton Soup
Adam Road Food Centre #01-10
Opening Hours: 11am – 12am (Mon – Sun)
Bahrakath Mutton Soup which has been around since 1973 is known for its hearty Mutton Soup and Briyani, now awarded with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
There are many variants of the Mutton Soup available, from Mutton Leg, Tripe, Ribs, Tongue, to Meat.
Each bowl is priced at $7 or $8, with bread at an additional $1. It is perhaps slightly more expensive than the average stall.
One of the unique features of the Bahrakath Mutton Soup is the use of a special spice blend, which gives the soup its distinctive flavour.
The blend includes a range of spices and herbs, including cumin, coriander, turmeric, making it rich yet not overly greasy.
Read more at: Bahrakath Mutton Soup (Adam Road Food Centre)Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Noodle
Adam Rd Noo Cheng Big Prawn Noodle
Adam Road Food Centre #01-31
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 4:30pm, 6:30pm – 11:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
If you find the name of this prawn noodle stall vaguely familiar, that is because a family member has another prawn noodle stall – Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle at Zion Road, which is also sometimes called “Noo Cheng Prawn Noodles”.
The Prawn Mee stall was also recently included with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The basic Pork Ribs Prawn Noodles in dry or soup options come at $7, though customers could go for the Big Prawn Noodles ($13, $17) to get larger-sized juicy prawns.
I must say though pricy, the portion is quite huge with sizable pieces of ribs and prawns.
The broth was flavourful and had hints of sweetness from fresh prawns, though I wished it could be more gao-gao (rich and robust). I hear this taste better at night.
Read more at: Noo Cheng Adam Road Big Prawn Noodle (Adam Road Food Centre)
Siti Nur Liyana Nasi Lemak
Adam Road Food Centre #01-14
Opening Hours: 6:30am – 10pm (Mon – Wed, Fri – Sun), Closed Thurs
A competitor of the above-mentioned stall at the Adam Road Food Centre offers you a trip down memory lane with traditional and comforting flavours.
There are those who head down here for the Nasi Lemak instead of the other two famous stalls.
Also available are Mee Siam, Lontong (both only for breakfast), Mee Soto Ayam, Tahu Goreng, Mee Bandung, and Mee Rebus. (I saw a lot of people ordering the Mee Rebus and therefore was curious.)
The Mee Rebus had a scrumptiously thick gravy with a pleasant sweet-nutty taste. Plus, it was served hot such that you could see steam coming out as you lift the noodles up.
With just the right balance of spices, the heavenly sweet potato cake aka Bergedil ties the flavours nicely with garnishing of fried shallots, tofu, green chili, and celery.
I found that the noodles were also cooked to the softer side, which gels better with the sweet gravy.
Zaiton Satay
Adam Road Food Centre #01-07
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Among all the stalls at Adam Road Food Centre, Halal-certified Zaiton Satay appears to be one of the most popular. The stall also serves Gado Gado.
The satay pieces are $0.90 per stick, with a minimum order requirement of 10 satay sticks.
On the menu are choices of chicken, mutton, and beef satay, though many give a thumbs-up more for their mutton.
There was a delicious aroma of the grilled meat, quite tender in texture and tasty in every bite.
I loved the subtle hints of cumin, and it paired well with the savoury yet mildly sweet peanut sauce.
Al-Sheik Mee Stall
Adam Road Food Centre #01-16
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 3am (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed
For those with supper cravings, this stall serves a wide range of Indian Muslim cuisines and is especially famous for their Roti John which comes with a steak option.
Also available are Nasi Ikan Bilis, Mutton Steak, Bee Hoon Putih Ikan Bilis, Maggi Goreng, Nasi Goreng, Pattaa Maggi, and Cheese Fries.
Adam Fishball Noodle
Adam Road Food Centre #01-25
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 4:30pm (Wed – Fri), 7:30am – 7:30pm (Sat – Mon), Closed Tues
Adam Fishball Noodle, which has been operating since 1988, was opened by Aunty Leng, who was previously a fishball noodle helper in Whitley Food Centre before deciding on her own stall.
The cooking has been passed to the 2nd generation, Jeffrey and Wendy.
On the menu include Fishball Kway Teow Noodle in dry or soup, Mushroom Minced Meat Noodle, Fishball Mee Pok, Fishball Soup, Tong Hoon Fishball Soup, and Fishball Minced Meat Noodle.
The bowls generally start at $4 or $5.
While I wished that the noodles could be cooked slightly less soggy, the fishballs had supple bounce and springiness and went well with the chilli padi and a dip of soy sauce.
Cheng Ji
Adam Road Food Centre #01-24
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
While many Pig Trotters Bee Hoon I found are within restaurants or zi char eateries, this is one sold by a hawker stall.
Cheng Ji 成记 at Stall 24 of Adam Road Food Centre sells the typical hawker dishes of Fried Kway Teow, Fried Hokkien Mee, and Fried Ee Mee, but somewhere in its menu is Pork Leg Bee Hoon.
The familiar yellow Narcissus cans of pork trotters are found behind the display shelf.
This is as homely as it gets, I suppose, surprisingly on the bland side, but the chilli and lime helped lift up the flavors.
Teck Kee Hot & Cold Dessert
Adam Road Food Centre #01-31
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
There are a number of old-school desserts sold at this stall, from Ice Kachang, Chin Chow Longan, Gingko Nuts & Lotus Seeds, and Tao Suan.
Their Cheng Tng ($2), which would be considered a more ‘modern’ version, was refreshing (especially after some heaty BBQ food here), with ingredients of dried longan, ice jelly, and white fungus. Didn’t find the ‘pang da hai’, though.
Special mention would go to the small jelly balls (like pearls) that added some soft touch. I thought that it was slightly on the sweet side.
Fruitopia
Adam Road Food Centre #01-29
Opening Hours: 10:45am – 10:45pm (Mon – Sun)
Not just like the usual fruit juice stall, Frutopia has a more modern look with milkshakes, special drinks, and 1.5-liter tower drinks of Thai Iced Tea, Watermelon, and Orange.
Many choices, quick service, and fresh taste.
You can opt for fresh fruit juices, mix and match to make it healthier and add variety, go for special drinks or special tower drinks with additional ingredients, or have a good old milkshake to have a wholesome beverage.
That includes the non-alcoholic version of Lychee Margarita ($3.50), Lime Margarita with mint leaves ($3.50), and Lime & Orange Margarita ($3.50).
The Power Avocado ($3.50, $3.90 with chocolate) is one of their best sellers. It had a rich and creamy taste from the texture of avocados that was quite refreshing.
Other Related Entries
Newton Food Centre Hawker Guide
Holland Drive Food Centre Food Guide
Lau Pa Sat Food Guide
Shunfu Mart Food Centre Hawker Guide
Seah Im Food Centre Hawker Guide
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