Kok Sen Restaurant

This old-school zi char restaurant along the Keong Saik dining enclave has seen multiple appearances on the Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore Guide. It's loud, crowded and unrefined – just the way we like it. You’ll spot a glistening plate of prawn hor fun ($16 to 48) on almost every table. Unlike the typical hor fun, the sauce here is less starchy and has a soup-like consistency. Each spoonful delivers a rich prawn stock that’s umami-laden with a hint of heat from fresh red chillies. Make sure to order the bittergourd black bean sauce with fish ($20.30) – the black bean gravy drizzled over rice makes for a satisfying, savoury mouthful. Other specialities include the claypot yong tau foo ($15.30) and poached Chinese spinach ($14) with century eggs and salted eggs.