The Bullion Hawker Bar: A corner coffee shop with craft beers

It’s an obvious misnomer since we’re nowhere near Geylang Lorong 29, but like most hawker stalls that’ve painstakingly built up a stellar reputation over the years, this stall has decided to keep their good name. They’re one of the few hokkien mee stalls that still use charcoal, infusing their Fried Hokkien Mee (from $6) with a wok-heavy flavour and charred aroma. If with a larger group, the $20 serve is worth the splurge – it comes piled with fresh prawns and squid. The Hainanese pork satay stall next door is also manned by them.

The original flagship stall in Roxy Square’s food court is their claim to fame, but this wanton mee is now also a main fixture at The Bullion. It’s appreciated by many for its generous topping of roasted char siew and wanton dumplings, as well as its noodle texture – not at all overcooked, with just the right level of firmness. A bowl of black sauce Char Siew Wanton Noodles ($6) is everyone’s favourite, and rightfully so. They also dole out light bites to share: Chicken Katsu Mentai ($8.30), Braised Chicken Feet ($5.30), and Deep Fried Mushroom ($7.30).

While this is The Bullion’s newest stall, it’s bound to quickly become one of the frontrunners with their freshly steamed chee cheong fun. It’s often treated as a simple breakfast dish, but this stall offers far beyond the conventional rolls. When we realised that the hawker behind it all is a young fella in his early 20s, with restaurant experience at Les Amis, it all made sense. They offer chee cheong fun rolls like Prawn ($5) and Char Siew ($4) but more interesting are the Wagyu Beef ($7.50) and Braised Pork ($5). The young hawker prides himself on the silky texture of each roll, paramount when it comes to telling the difference between mediocre and standout. True enough, you’ll need a spoon to scoop these slippery rolls up.

It’s a stall you’ll take a double look at, if not for its brightly yellow sign emblazoned with “Bruce Lee”, then for the cooked chicken strung behind the glass window. They do up a decent plate of either roasted or steamed chicken rice, starting from $6. As we all know, a tangy chicken rice chilli makes or breaks the entire experience. It’s a spicy rendition here, so a light dollop is all you need. What’s most unique about this particular stall is that there’s achar aplenty (pickled vegetables) at the counter, freshly made and free-flow.

This Indian stall has a full menu with the usual suspects like Tandoori Chicken ($17 for a full chicken) and Chicken Tikka ($10 for five pieces). For first-timers though, the Butter Chicken Set ($10) is their forte – it comes with both plain naan and rice to mop up the curry. Just a note of caution though: while butter chicken is known for its slight sweetness, this version veers towards being overly-rich and might be too cloying for some. While it does appear to be one of the less-frequented stalls, they often get a flood of delivery orders around dinner so you might find yourself waiting longer than anticipated.