Looking to satisfy your late night cravings? This iconic makan place retains much of its old charm.
Supper in the Singaporean context is a late evening meal comprising local fare that’s rustic, gratuitous, unpretentious and never nutritious – usually partaken in the company of compatriots at an outdoor hawker setting.
Chomp Chomp at Serangoon Gardens exists for supper-goers like me. The stores’ opening hours start at 6pm and extend beyond midnight. I was introduced to ‘Chomp’ in 2008 and have found myself returning religiously ever since.
Frequent visitors have a common process: Find a seat, remember your seat number, appoint someone to stay behind to ‘chope’ the seats while the rest split up and order food. In case you are unfamiliar with the iconic food centre, here are some food that you should absolutely order when you are there.
Ah Hock Hokkien Mee
On peak days, Ah Hock will inform you of a 40-minute waiting time so order this first. This drier take on Hokkien Mee pairs yellow noodles with normal bee hoon noodles instead of the popular ‘chu mee fen’ (thick bee hoon) strands. Because the noodles are cooked, or rather less cooked, to a firmer consistency, this pairing works better in this case.
My only gripe about Ah Hock is that on good days, the sauce is rich and flavourful, the prawns are fresh and the chilli is savoury while on other days, one or more elements of the dish will go awry. My tip: order no larger than the $5 serving to hedge your risk.
Chong Pang Huat BBQ Chicken Wings
Head next door and order good ol’ Chicken Wings – the classic supper food! Sure, Chomp Chomp is filled with other stalls selling chix wings, but while competitors have come and gone, this store has stood the test of time which should mean their doing something right. At least I think so.
Traditional Hai Nam Fang Yuan Satay
Facing the chicken wings stall, make an about-turn and you’ll find this Satay stall, but don’t order the Satay. I mean, you can, but that would be beside the point. You want to try their Rojak. The ingredients come in generous crispy chunks and the thick sauce has a nice smoky flavour about it.
Swee Heng Wanton Noodle
My definition of good Wonton Mee: firm but springy strands of thin yellow noodles seasoned with an almost colourless but flavourful sauce, of course embellished with thick cuts of Char Siew pork, blanched veggies and a side of Wonton Soup. This stall delivers just that – most of the time. If you’re a purist lard lover, you may want to look elsewhere because I couldn’t detect any trace of it.
Charlie Corner Healthy Juices
Finally, what better way to cleanse your palate than with a refreshingly healthy glass of fruit juice? For that, I like to go to Charlie (as you can see accompanied with my plate of rojak) if for nothing else than his jovial service.
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Does Chomp Chomp serve the best food? I dare say, not really. But what’s unique about this place is the atmosphere. The place just comes alive at night and gives off a certain vibe. You have to visit to experience it.
