Best Of Singapore Hawkers & Casual Dining: Lontong Sayur Lodeh

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Best Of Singapore Hawkers & Casual Dining: Lontong Sayur Lodeh

Lontong Sayur Lodeh
Lontong Sayur Lodeh



Nothing was sponsored, we visited as regular paying customers. Photos in this post were taken between 2000 and 2024 (across 24 years!), as such, the quality of photos varies drastically due to advances in camera technology. Mobile smartphones were in their infancy and had yet to become widespread.


Also Known As:
Lontong Sayur Lodeh, Nasi Impit Sayur Lodeh


Average Price Per Serving:
SGD $4 - $7








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Description:
The Lontong Sayur Lodeh is a Singaporean Malay dish that consists of compressed rice cakes, stewed vegetables, and other assorted ingredients, served in a spiced coconut milk broth. Also known as Nasi Impit Sayur Lodeh, the Lontong Sayur Lodeh dish is usually priced around SGD $4 to $7 per serving. It's a popular dish commonly eaten during breakfast.

The base for Lontong Sayur Lodeh comprises of compressed rice cakes, wrapped tightly in a banana leaf or a muslin bag, boiled and then sliced into cubes. Otherwise known as ketupat, the compressed rice cakes are dense chewy soft in texture, with grainy earthy sweet flavour. It's rather filling.

The topping for Lontong Sayur Lodeh features stewed vegetables and other assorted ingredients in a spiced coconut milk broth, otherwise known as sayur lodeh. The vegetables include chayote, string beans, cabbage, carrots, and jicama turnip, all stewed till soft and tender, with vegetal sweet flavour. The assorted ingredients in sayur lodeh also includes bouncy egg with eggy sweet flavour, and spongy tofu bean curd with grainy sweet flavour. Some stalls may also add yam beans, fried ikan bilis / anchovies, or eggplant / aubergine / brinjal.

The spiced coconut milk broth for Lontong Sayur Lodeh is made from a blend of coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, candlenuts, dried shrimp, shallots, salt, white sugar, water, turmeric, and dried red chili. This is finished with kerisik / grated toasted coconut, and sambal belachan / fermented shrimp chili paste. The result is a broth with mild milky sweet savoury earthy spice flavour. Hearty and cozy, Lontong Sayur Lodeh is especially good on cold days.


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1. AlRahman Kitchen
@ Geylang Serai Market And Food Centre, 1 Geylang Serai #02-139
Opening Hours: Thu - Tue 5:30am – 3:30pm, Closed Wed

Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4.50) @ AlRahman Kitchen.

Established since September 2005, this stall serves a hearty and delicious rendition that already includes a tender begedil / perkedel / fried potato patty with starchy salty savoury sweet flavour by default.

The dense soft compressed rice cake has grainy earthy sweet flavour, while the stewed vegetables (cabbage, string beans, carrots, jicama turnip) are tender with vegetal earthy sweet spice flavour.

The spongy tofu bean curd is large with grainy sweet savoury flavour, while a bouncy whole hard boiled egg lends eggy sweet flavour.

A generous topping of crumbly kerisik / grated toasted coconut with earthy nutty sweet flavour completes. Portion is generous and filling.





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2. Dapur Hassan
@ 144 Tampines Street 12 #01-400
Opening Hours: Tue - Fri 8am – 3pm, Sat - Sun 8am – 2pm, Closed Mon

Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4) @ Dapur Hassan.

Opened and operated by the family of Singaporean goalkeeper Hassan Sunny since September 2020, this stall regularly attracts fans and personalities of Singaporean soccer.

Their rendition tends towards the mild side, though no less delicious, with a sweet savoury earthy spice broth resplendent with kerisik / grated toasted coconut, turmeric, and coconut milk.

The stewed vegetables (cabbage, string beans, carrot, jicama turnip) are tender with vegetal earthy sweet flavour. I like that the dense soft compressed rice cakes are cut into small bite size chunks, carrying grainy sweet flavour.

There's a bouncy whole hard boiled egg with eggy sweet flavour, and spongy tofu bean curd with grainy sweet flavour that absorbs the tasty broth well.





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3. Desa Rancapanggung Malay Cuisine
@ 739 Bedok Reservoir Road #01-3139
Opening Hours: Sat - Thu 7am – 3pm, Closed Fri

Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4) @ Desa Rancapanggung Malay Cuisine.

Established in November 2017, this beloved stall draws long queues daily for their delicious yet affordable fare.

No surprise their ingredients are fresh daily, with preparations for dishes commencing well before dawn.

Their rendition has a broth with creamy rich savoury sweet spice flavour. The stewed vegetables (cabbage, carrots, string beans, jicama turnip) are all piled high, tender with flavours from the broth.

The dense compressed rice cakes are chewy soft with grainy sweet flavour, the bouncy whole hard boiled egg has eggy sweet flavour, and the spongy tofu bean curd picks up the taste profile of the broth well.

The crumbly kerisik / toasted grated coconut with earthy nutty sweet flavour, and chunky sambal belachan / fermented shrimp chili paste with savoury salty spice flavour, lend depth and body.





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4. Haji Daliman Korner / Daliman’s Corner
@ Seah Im Food Centre, 2 Seah Im Road #01-32
Opening Hours: Mon - Thu 9am – 8:30pm, Fri - Sun 10am – 8:30pm

Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4) @ Haji Daliman Korner / Daliman’s Corner.

This popular stall has been serving well before May 2014, though it has shifted location within the same hawker centre since the refurbishment.

The immediate standouts here are the large spongy triangle of tofu bean curd, grainy sweet savoury in taste, and the bright hue of the creamy spiced coconut milk broth with robust sweet savoury earthy spice flavour.

The base is formed with rectangles of dense chewy compressed rice cakes with grainy sweet flavour, and bouncy spherical halves of hard boiled egg with eggy sweet flavour.

The soft tender stewed vegetables (cabbage, carrots, string beans, jicama turnip), along with kerisik / grated toasted coconut flakes, are stacked high, lending vegetal earthy sweet nutty flavour.





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5. Nusa & Tara
@ ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-22
Opening Hours: Tue - Sun 6am – 1:30pm, Closed Mon

Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4) @ Nusa & Tara.

Serving well before August 2014 and named after 'Nusantara (Outer Islands)', this stall attracts fast-moving queues at peak meal times.

Homely comfort dish, the aromatic broth is rich with lemongrass, galangal, ginger, turmeric, and coconut milk, creamy and velvety with savoury sweet earthy spice flavour.

The stewed vegetables (cabbage, string beans, jicama turnip) are fall-apart soft with vegetal sweet spice flavour, complementing the dense chewy compressed rice cakes with grainy sweet notes.

The spongy tofu bean curd absorbs the flavour profile of the broth, while heaps of serunding / fried coconut shreds lend an earthy nutty sweet spicy kick.





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6. Pondok Makan Indonesia
@ Albert Centre Market And Food Centre, 270 Queen Street #01-123
Opening Hours: Mon - Tue 8am – 7pm, Wed - Sun 8am – 8pm

Taken in 2012


Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4) @ Pondok Makan Indonesia.

This stall has been recognised since July 2019 by the Michelin guide, but I've enjoyed their rendition from as early as April 2012.

Their broth is thin yet tasty with earthy savoury sweet spice flavour, with chunky compressed rice cakes that hold softly together with grainy sweet flavour.

The stewed vegetables (cabbage, carrots, string beans, jicama turnip) are soft and chunky too, with pleasant vegetal sweet spice flavour.

A bouncy hard boiled egg with eggy sweet flavour, a spongy tofu bean curd with grainy sweet flavour, and fragrant crumbly toasted grated coconut lending earthy nutty sweet flavour, completes.





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7. Queenstown Lontong
@ Margaret Drive Hawker Centre, 38A Margaret Drive #01-27
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 6:30am – 2pm, Sat - Sun 6:30am – 11:59am

Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4) @ Queenstown Lontong.

Regularly sold out well before their official close of business each day, this beloved stall has been serving their hearty rendition since the 1960s.

The generous portion has a base of dense chewy soft compressed rice cakes with grainy sweet flavour, in a rich creamy broth of turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, coconut milk, toasted grated coconut, and other spices, resulting in a punchy sweet savoury earthy spice flavour.

Stacked high with soft stewed vegetables (cabbage, string beans, jicama turnip) with vegetal sweet spice flavour, a bouncy whole hard boiled egg with eggy sweet flavour, and spongy tofu bean curd with grainy sweet notes.

Their unique garnish of fried ikan bilis / anchovies lends a contrasting crispy crunchy texture, and robust salty savoury flavour to alleviate the richness.





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8. S.S.G. Barokah
@ 138 Tampines Street 11 #01-148
Opening Hours: Daily 6am – 3pm

Taken in 2024


Taken in 2024


Lontong Sayur Lodeh (SGD $4) @ S.S.G. Barokah.

Established in October 2020, this stall is operated by Abdul Rahman Bin Aziz and family, who also owns the adjacent Aziz Goreng Pisang Salai stall. Completely off the radar, with no online presence.

Their unique rendition feels like a Thai green curry, with a creamy thick texture to the sweet savoury spice broth, and the use of pea eggplants, tender with vegetal earthy sweet flavour.

The dense compressed rice cakes are firm chewy with grainy sweet flavour, while the stewed vegetables (cabbage, string beans, carrots, jicama turnip) are soft with vegetal sweet spice earthy flavour.

A bouncy hard boiled egg with eggy sweet flavour, spongy tofu bean curd with grainy sweet flavour, and crumbly kerisik / toasted grated coconut with earthy nutty sweet flavour, completes.





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- Anna's 108 Cafe – Stall No Longer Sells This
@ PKMS Building, 218 Lorong 108 Changi

Taken in 2009






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- Dju Dju Indonesian Nasi Padang – Permanently Closed
@ 304 Serangoon Avenue 2 #01-14

Taken in 2011






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- Earnest Restaurant – Stall No Longer Sells This
@ 286 Jalan Besar

Taken in 2012






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- Glory Catering – Permanently Closed
@ 139 East Coast Road

Taken in 2012






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