Geylang East Market & Food Centre Best Food & What to Eat

Geylang East Market & Food Centre (Food Corner), also called Aljunied Avenue 2 Market & Food Centre, is a newly renovated hawker centre located within the Geylang East estate. Originally built in 1978 (around 2 years after nearby Sims Vista Market and Food Centre), it is located in 117 Aljunied Avenue 2 and is primarily a day time hawker centre with most stalls open for breakfast up til early afternoon only.

Notwithstanding the recent facelift, this is a very traditional hawker centre untouched by the modern fusion cuisine or rice bowl craze that one starts to see in other hawker centres. It is also primarily a neighborhood hawker centre, with most patrons coming from within the Aljunied and Macpherson area. 

The recent facelift has made Geylang East Market and Food Centre more visually appealing than other hawker centres. The floor is now anti-slip, while large ceiling fans have improved ventilation in the venue. 

Although very few stalls open at night, I have also noticed better lighting equipment after the renovation. Perhaps this may encourage more stalls to open at night.

Without further ado, here are some stalls to try at Geylang East Market and Food Corner. I will also update this article over the next few weeks and months as I try more stalls:

Hua Kee Cooked Food

The most reliable stall in this hawker centre for late-night hunger pangs, Hua Kee Cooked Food is the venue’s defacto “zichar” stall. Most dishes are presented in single portions, although bigger portions are available as well. Popular dishes include Spring Onion with Deer Meat Rice, Sambal Petai with Prawn Rice and more. I personally go for their Sliced Fish Hor Fun which is of generous size and comes with plenty of fish slices. 

Stall Number: #01-59

Opening Hours: Daily, 10:30AM to 10:15PM

Ko Ko Xiang Claypot Rice

Another popular stall in Geylang East Market and Food Centre, especially at night, is Ko Ko Xiang Claypot Rice. They are known for the many “flavors” of claypot rice, from traditional ones with salted fish, chicken and sausages to the more novel kinds such as Black Pepper Beef Claypot Rice and Ginger Onion Sliced Fish Claypot Rice. Aside from claypot rice, they also serve various kinds of hot pot and even fragrant mala bowls. 

Stall Number: #01-63

Opening Hours: Daily, 11AM to 8PM

Bentoya

The only Japanese food stall at Geylang East Food Centre is Bentoya. They are notable for their value-for-money bento sets such as the Salmon Teriyaki and Chicken Katsu Bento as well as rice bowls. They have a steady stream of loyal takeaway customers, seemingly even more than their dine-in clientele.

Stall Number: #01-72

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 10AM to 5PM

Aminah’s Prata

There is always a queue in front of Aminah’s Prata with a steady stream of customers getting their fix of freshly made prata and murtabak. The shopkeeper here makes each prata only upon ordering so there’s always a bit of a wait. But it’s all good once one bites into the hot and fluffy bread, especially with the delectable curry sauce. Aside from prata and murtabak, they also serve heavier mains such as Nasi Biryani Chicken and Mutton.

Stall Number: #01-44

Meng Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice

There are plenty of chicken rice stalls in Geylang East Market but Meng Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice closes relatively later than the rest. Meat portions are relatively generous and the chicken is quite tender and moist. 

Stall Number: #01-32

Opening Hours: Daily, 9:30AM to 8PM

Alif Nasi Padang

Alif has probably one of the cheapest nasi padang sets in town. I over-ordered during a recent visit there and had 4 dishes – 1 meat and 3 veggies – instead of the usual 3 that people get. I ended up being charged only S$5 for everything! The chicken curry was delicious and the veggies were fresh and lacked the mass-produced feel that one often gets in these mixed rice stalls. Do take note though that queues tend to be long here – in fact it’s one of the longest I typically see in this hawker centre. 

Stall Number: #01-40

Jin Jin Hokkien Prawn Noodle

While there are a few hokkien prawn noodle stalls in Geylang East, the most popular one has got to be Jin Jin Hokkien Prawn Noodle. Come here if you are looking for a different take to this local dish. Compared to the stronger prawn broth found elsewhere, Jin Jin does it in a way such that it is the herbal pork flavor that becomes more prominent in the soup. The meat is also so soft that it disintegrates easily in the mouth. Best of all, the pricing is quite cheap. A bowl goes well below S$4. 

Stall Number: #01-27

Opening Hours: Daily, 5AM to 1:30PM