You might have heard the news that the Michelin Guide Singapore 2018 features a whopping 50 hawker stalls and affordable eateries under their “cheap eats” category, the Bib Gourmand, proving once again that best food in Singapore can be found at hawker centres.
While the more famous Michelin Stars are given to high-SES restaurants with hard-to-pronounce names like Joel Robuchon and Shisen Hanten, the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand accolade is awarded to places where you can have a good meal for less than S$45.
This year’s Michelin Guide has a record high of 50 Bib Gourmand winners, of which 29 are hawker stalls. The rest are a mix of low-key casual eateries and nicer restaurants.
If you’re a kiasu Singaporean like me, you’ll want to (a) attack the cheapest Bib Gourmand winners first and (b) go to hawker centres with the highest concentration of award-winning stalls.
So I’ve done the legwork for you in this epic price list of all 50 Michelin Bib Gourmand 2018 winners.
Michelin Guide Singapore 2018 – hawker stalls
I’m a die-hard fan of hawker food, partly because food just tastes better when you’re wearing slippers and sweating like crazy.
Here’s the price list of all 29 hawker stalls in the 2018 Michelin Guide Singapore. Most dishes cost under $5, but I think some of the pricier premium items might be worth it ($8.50 crayfish laksa, anyone?).
I’ve also arranged the ones in the same hawker centre together, because… why have just one Michelin-endorsed meal when you can have three?
| Michelin Bib Gourmand hawker stall | Address | What to order |
| Ah Er Soup | ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah | Herbal soup ($3.50 to $6.50) |
| Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (NEW) | ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah | Hokkien mee ($4 to $6) |
| Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa | Alexandra Village Food Centre #01-75, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 | Laksa ($4 to $6) |
| Hong Kong Yummy Soup (NEW) | Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 | Herbal soup (from $3.50) |
| Hong Kee Beef Noodle | Amoy St Food Centre #01-42, 7 Maxwell Rd | Beef noodles ($5 to $6) |
| A Noodle Story | Amoy St Food Centre #01-39, 7 Maxwell Road | Singapore-style ramen (from $8) |
| Hoo Kee Bak Chang | Amoy St Food Centre #01-18, 7 Maxwell Road | Rice dumpling ($2.80 to $3.60) |
| J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff | Amoy St Food Centre #01-21, 7 Maxwell Road | Curry puff ($1 to $1.20) |
| Na Na Homemade Curry | Bukit Merah View Market, 115 Bukit Merah View | Curry (from $3.50) |
| Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang (NEW) | Bukit Merah View Market, 115 Bukit Merah View | Chinese mutton soup ($5 to $8) |
| Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice (NEW) | Chinatown Complex #02-197/198/199, 335 Smith Street | Claypot rice (from $5) |
| Shi Wei Da (NEW) | Fengshan Market #01-236, Blk 85 Bedok North Street 4 | Teochew porridge (price varies) |
| Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck (NEW) | Ghim Moh Market #01-161, 20 Ghim Moh Road | Duck rice ($3 to $5) |
| Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice (NEW) | Holland Drive Market, 44 Holland Dr | Chicken rice ($3.50 to $4.50) |
| New Lucky Claypot Rice | Holland Drive Market #02-19, 44 Holland Dr | Claypot rice ($10 to $15 for 2 pax) |
| Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee (NEW) | Hong Lim Market & Food Centre #02-18, Blk 531A Upper Cross Street | Char kway teow ($4) |
| Tai Wah Pork Noodle (NEW) | Hong Lim Market & Food Centre #02-16, 531A Upper Cross St | Bak chor mee ($6 to $8) |
| Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa | Hong Lim Market & Food Centre #02-66, Blk 531A Upper Cross Street | Laksa ($3 to $5) or crayfish laksa ($8.50) |
| Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice | Maxwell Food Centre #01-11, 1 Kadayanallur Street | Chicken rice (from $5) |
| Shi Hui Yuan | Mei Ling Market, 159 Mei Chin Rd | Hor fun ($4 to $6) |
| Heng Carrot Cake (NEW) | Newton Circus Food Centre #01-28, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North | Carrot cake (from $4) |
| Alliance Seafood | Newton Circus Food Centre #01-27, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North | Chilli crab (seasonal price) |
| Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow (NEW) | Old Airport Road Food Centre #01-12, 51 Old Airport Rd | Char kway teow ($4 to $10) |
| Rolina Traditional Hainanese Curry Puff (NEW) | Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market #02-15, 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza | Curry Puff ($1.50) |
| Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee | Tiong Bahru Food Centre #02-01, 30 Seng Poh Road | Hokkien mee ($3 to $5) |
| Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice | Tiong Bahru Food Centre, 30 Seng Poh Road | Chicken rice (from $3) |
| Chey Sua Carrot Cake | Toa Payoh West Market #02-30, Blk 127, Lorong 1 Toa Payoh | Carrot cake ($2 to $4) |
| Balestier Road Hoover Rojak | Whampoa Drive Food Centre, 90 Whampoa Dr | Rojak ($4 to $5) |
| Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle (NEW) | Zion Riverside Food Centre, 70 Zion Rd | Prawn noodles (from $6) |
People working in Tanjong Pagar area are super lucky, because the highest concentration of Bib Gourmand stalls are in Amoy Street Food Centre (4 stalls) and Hong Lim Market (3 stalls).
Also, did anyone notice the number of hawker stalls around District 3?
I’m guessing the award-winning stalls in ABC Brickworks (2), Alexandra Village (2), Bukit Merah View Market (2), Holland Drive Market (2), Ghim Moh Market (1) and Mei Ling Market (2) are going to be yet another favourite talking point of property agents.
Michelin Guide Singapore 2018 – casual eateries
The 2018 Michelin Guide Singapore also includes 9 casual eateries that won the Bib Gourmand accolade. These are standalone eateries that are not found in hawker centres.
What’s the difference between them and proper restaurants, you ask? There’s no official distinction, but in my totally scientific opinion, “casual eateries” are those where you’d feel comfortably strolling in wearing slippers. A meal at most of these places would set you back about $10 to $25 per head.
| Michelin Bib Gourmand eatery | Address | What to order |
| Bismillah Biryani | 50 Dunlop St | Dum biryani (from $8) |
| Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood (NEW) | 323 Geylang Rd | Frog porridge (from $8) |
| Ka-Soh (Swee Kee Fish Head Noodle House) | 2 College Rd | Fish bee hoon soup (from $8), prawn paste chicken |
| Kok Sen Restaurant | 30 Keong Saik Rd | Big prawn bee hoon / hor fun (from $16), zi char (from $14) |
| Liao Fan Hawker Chan (Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle) | 78 Smith Street | Soya sauce chicken rice & noodles ($3.80 onwards) |
| Sik Bao Sin (Desmond’s Creation) (NEW) | 592 Geylang Rd | Zi char (from $15 per dish) |
| Sin Huat Eating House | 659 Geylang Rd | Crab bee hoon (seasonal price, can be super expensive) |
| Song Fa Bak Kut Teh | 11 New Bridge Road | Bak kut teh (from $7) |
| Zai Shun Curry Fish Head | 253 Jurong East Street 24, #01-205 | Steamed fish, zi char (price varies, budget about $20/pax) |
Hands down, the most affordable eatery has got to be Liao Fan Hawker Chan, where their famous Hong Kong soya sauce chicken rice & noodles are an absolute steal.
Michelin Guide Singapore 2018 – Bib Gourmand restaurants
The remaining 12 establishments on the Bib Gourmand list are restaurants that are nice enough to go on a date at – i.e. have air con, have service charge, no kitchen staff shouting in the background.
Supposedly, the Bib Gourmand is for places where you can have a meal under $45. However, some of these places veer precariously close to the limit, so don’t go too wild if you’re minding your budget. Perusing the menu on the restaurant’s website before you go is a good idea.
| Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant | Address | What to order |
| Bar-Roque Grill | 165 Tanjong Pagar Road | 3 course set lunch ($38) |
| The Blue Ginger | 97 Tanjong Pagar Road | Peranakan dishes (mains mostly from $15 to $25) |
| The Coconut Club (NEW) | 6 Ann Siang Hill | Nasi lemak ($12.80) |
| Lagnaa | 6 Upper Dickson Rd | North & South Indian food (curries and mains from $12 for small size) |
| Man Man by Teppei | 1 Keong Saik Road, #01-01 | Unagi rice ($18.60+ to $32.80+) |
| Muthu’s Curry (NEW) | 138 Race Course Rd, #01-01 | Fish head curry ($22 to $32) |
| New Ubin Seafood | 63 Hillview Avenue, Level 6 (Canteen) | Seafood (price depends on type) |
| Shirokane Tori-tama | Robertson Walk, 11 Unity St | Chicken yakitori (from $3.50 to $5 per stick) |
| True Blue Cuisine | Peranakan Museum, 47/49 Armenian Street | Peranakan dishes (mains around $20 to $25) |
| Whole Earth | 76 Peck Seah St | Vegetarian Thai and Peranakan (mains around $20) |
| Yhingthai Palace | 36 Purvis St, #01-04 | Thai dishes (mains from $18 for small size) |
| Zaffron Kitchen | 137 East Coast Road | Mixed tandoori platter ($39.90 for 4 pax), mains & curries (from about $15) |
Of this list of restaurant, the more affordable ones are The Coconut Club, Man Man, Muthu’s Curry, Shirokane Tori-tama and Zaffron Kitchen.
If you have more cash to blow, don’t forget you can always patronise one of the restaurants with a proper Michelin Star. The full Michelin Guide Singapore 2018 will be out on 25 Jul 2018.
What do you think of the 2018 Bib Gourmand winners? Fair or foul play? Tell us in the comments!
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