5 Food Stalls to Eat From in Singapore’s Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat

Built in the 19th century, Lau Pa Sat is an important part of Singapore’s local food scene. It stands for ‘old market’ in the vernacular Chinese of Singapore. Lau (老) means old; pa sat is the Hokkien pronunciation of pasar (market) in Malay. The food market has a wealth of history behind it, with a humble beginning as a fish market. The market has been reconstructed and renovated several times, with the last one in 2020. Newly unveiled last November, Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat is a dining and food retail space, born out of Singaporeans’ love of good food and shared foodie experiences. Here, you’ll find a good mix of hawker, street and mod-Sin food. Here are some stalls that you should check out at Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat. 

1. Shi Hui Yuan

Specializing in rice noodles known locally as hor fun, Shi Hui Yuan is touted as ‘Singapore’s original hor fun’ and a Michelin Bib Gourmand stall for four consecutive years. Back in the 1960s, hor fun was a dish only for people who could afford going to restaurants. Mr Fong Pak Thim and his wife, founders of Shi Hui Yuan, wanted to create their own hor fun that is not only affordable, but nutritious. Since then they have grown to six outlets in Singapore, including their flagship store in Lau Pa Sat.

The hor fun here comes with a braised sauce made with over 30 herbs. The sauce has been stewing continuously over 30 years, with meat and bones of chicken and duck, so you can just imagine how incredibly rich the sauce is. Choose to have your hor fun with braised chicken, duck or spare ribs, or get the Blissful Set (S$7.80) which gives you a taste of everything.

2. GOPIZZA

GOPIZZA was born out of the frustration of being unable to enjoy a suitable and affordable portion of pizza for one. Once a small food truck in Korea, today the brand has made its way onto Singapore shores. Unlike other pizza chains here, GOPIZZA serves on-the-go, single pax fire baked pizza. For those travelling alone, this is the perfect solution. Every order is made fresh, thanks to their specially patented oven that is able to churn out six pizzas in less than five minutes. Try their Korean Bulgogi Pizza (S$13.90), or the Bacon Potato Pizza (S$13.90) which sounds like the ultimate comfort food. Besides pizzas, there are also pasta and sides dishes such as tteokbokki and fried chicken on the menu.

3. Chef Kang’s Prawn Noodle House (Stall 26)

Chef Kang is one-star Michelin chef behind his eponymous Cantonese restaurant in Singapore. In 2019 he branched out into the hawker scene with prawn noodles. Every single day he makes the prawn broth personally with prawn heads, shells, dried shrimps and chicken feet. Try the Chef Kang’s Prawn Noodle House’s Prawn Soup Ramen (S$12.90), a Food Folks exclusive sold only at Lau Pa Sat. The fusion dish is immaculate and the ramen noodles are perfectly springy. There are two other dishes on the menu: King Prawn Noodle Soup With Prawn Paste Spare Ribs (S$10) made with low alkaline yellow noodles, and Hot Stone Prawn Paste Spare Ribs Rice (S$10) which is inspired by the lard oil rice eaten by the poor back in the day.

4. SMOL (Stall TK1)

Singapore is famous for its hawker dishes but that doesn’t mean that eating healthy isn’t a thing. For a quick healthy meal, you can’t go wrong with SMOL. The female-founded company has been serving healthy and delicious grain bowls to health-conscious diners since 2017. From a tiny 100sq ft kitchen, they grew to launch their first brick and mortar store, and you can find them in the ‘Love Healthy’ zone in Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat. Vegans will be able to find suitable options here, such as S’tay The Night (S$11.90), a Food Folks exclusive featuring jackfruit ‘satay’ and peanut sauce! 

5. Creme & Cone (Stall TK3)

End your meal at Lau Pa Sat with a sweet treat at Creme & Cone. The gelato here is hand-churned in small batches with no artificial flavourings or preservatives, and it’s low in fat and sugar too! With yummy local-inspired flavours like Lychee Rose, Pulut Hitam (black glutinous rice), Ondeh Ondeh and Sour Plum, it’s a great way to get a taste of the flavours Singaporeans know and love. Pair your gelato with their signature handmade and hand-rolled gourmet waffle cones. For an alternative twist, pair your gelato with their Instagram-worthy waffle pops with an assortment of delicious toppings!