Prata and Nasi Lemak in the North-East: 7 Spots Near Hougang, Serangoon and Sengkang

Prata and nasi lemak are the North-East’s round-the-clock comfort foods: flaky griddled bread with curry at breakfast or at 2am, and coconut rice with sambal whenever you like. This guide picks seven places across Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, Sengkang and Punggol, including two on a single block in Hougang Village. Each was checked in September 2026 against the business’s own pages, recent reviews and, for halal status, the MUIS halal directory.

If you are considering LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), the Hougang Village pair is a short bus ride from home, and the rest are one to four MRT stops away.

Prata

Roti prata is thin dough, stretched, folded and fried on a flat griddle until crisp outside and soft inside, served with fish or mutton curry. Murtabak is its stuffed cousin, filled with minced meat, egg and onion.

1. Srisun Express (Hougang Village and Serangoon Gardens)

681 Hougang Avenue 8, #01-831 and 56 Serangoon Garden Way. A prata and Indian-Muslim chain whose website describes it as halal-certified and open 24/7. Both North-East outlets were listed in the MUIS directory when we checked. The Hougang Village branch took over a former 24-hour clinic unit and has a brighter, café-style room than a typical prata shop. The menu runs from plain and egg prata to murtabak, thosai, mee goreng and dessert pratas. The Serangoon Gardens branch is a short walk from Chomp Chomp Food Centre.

2. Al Falah Restaurant

681 Hougang Avenue 8, #01-855. On the same block, Al Falah is a long-standing Hougang name for crispy prata with fish curry and sambal, tall cones of tissue prata, murtabak and biryani. Recent reviews describe it as a 24-hour eatery. We did not find this outlet in the MUIS halal directory in September 2026, so check the certificate on the wall if that matters to you. Hougang Village is a short bus ride from Hougang Central.

3. Thasevi Food (Jalan Kayu)

237 Jalan Kayu. Jalan Kayu has been a prata destination for decades, and Thasevi is its best-known name, with roots going back to the 1960s. The shop was relaunched in late 2025 and has drawn fresh reviews through 2026. Order plain or egg prata, murtabak or roti john. Jalan Kayu is off the MRT lines, near Fernvale; ride to Sengkang (NE16) and take a bus, or drive. We did not find it in the MUIS directory. Our Sengkang cafés guide covers the brunch spots on the same strip.

4. Srisun Prata.com (Punggol and Sengkang)

The same group runs hawker-style prata stalls in two coffee shops closer to home for Punggol and Sengkang residents: 261 Punggol Way, #01-01 (Punggol Topaz, stall 9) and 182A Rivervale Crescent, #01-01 (stall 2). Both were listed as halal-certified in the MUIS directory in September 2026. Expect a shorter menu than the restaurants, focused on prata, murtabak and noodles.

Nasi lemak

Nasi lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk, served with sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, egg and cucumber, plus a main such as fried chicken. Malay-style stalls tend to have a spicier sambal; Chinese-style shops let you pick sides like chicken wings and otah from a counter.

5. Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre

965 Upper Serangoon Road. Despite the name, this is not in Punggol. The brand dates from 1979, and the Upper Serangoon Road shop is its long-standing North-East branch. It serves Chinese-style nasi lemak: rice and sambal with sides chosen from the counter, such as fried chicken wings, fish, otah and eggs. It opens from the late afternoon into the night, and diners were still reviewing it in March 2026. Recent reviews give Thursday as its rest day. It is a short bus ride along Upper Serangoon Road from Hougang Central or Kovan MRT. Muslim diners should check the MUIS directory before visiting.

6. Aliff Nasi Lemak

Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre, 49A Serangoon Garden Way, #01-27. A family-run Malay stall that stands out for using fragrant basmati rice, with a fried egg, crispy anchovies and marinated fried chicken. It is a breakfast and early lunch stall, and a mid-2026 review lists it as closed on Mondays and Fridays. Halal directories describe it as Muslim-owned; we did not find it in the MUIS directory. From Hougang, ride two stops to Serangoon (NE12), then take a bus or taxi. See our Serangoon Gardens guide.

7. 97 Nasi Lemak (Anchorvale Village)

Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre, 339 Anchorvale Road, #02-33. A branch of a well-known nasi lemak brand inside the Sengkang hawker centre, listed as halal-certified in the MUIS directory in September 2026. Expect the familiar plate of coconut rice, sambal and fried chicken. From Hougang, ride to Sengkang and take the LRT or a bus. Our Anchorvale Village guide covers the rest of the building.

How to order

• Prata words: kosong is plain, telur is egg, bawang is onion. Many shops also do cheese, mushroom and banana.
• Curry: fish curry is usually the default; ask for mutton or chicken, or a mix.
• Murtabak: choose mutton or chicken; one order is enough for two.
• Drinks: teh tarik, or lime juice if the sambal is fierce.

Halal: certified or Muslim-owned?

A Muslim-owned stall is not automatically MUIS-certified, and certification is issued per outlet, not per brand. In this guide we say “listed as halal-certified” only where the outlet appeared in the MUIS directory when we checked. Our halal food guide for Punggol and Sengkang explains how to check a certificate yourself.

From Hougang Central

LinkTown Residences is planned directly above Hougang MRT (NE14) and a new bus interchange, which puts Hougang Village, Upper Serangoon Road and the Sengkang and Punggol stalls a bus ride or a few stops away. For food after midnight, see our late-night supper guide, and for another hawker staple, our chicken rice guide.

See the location page for the transport links, and the price guide for the analysts’ indicative estimates for Hougang Central Residences (prices have not been released).

Register to get LinkTown Residences prices, floor plans and preview dates as soon as they’re released.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get prata near Hougang MRT?

Blk 681 Hougang Avenue 8 in Hougang Village has two prata shops: Srisun Express (#01-831), which says it is open 24/7 and is MUIS halal-certified, and Al Falah Restaurant (#01-855), known for crispy prata. Both are a short bus ride from Hougang Central.

Is Ponggol Nasi Lemak in Punggol?

No. Despite the name, Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre is at 965 Upper Serangoon Road, near Kovan and Hougang. It serves Chinese-style nasi lemak from the late afternoon.

Is Srisun Express halal?

In September 2026 the MUIS halal directory listed Srisun Express at 681 Hougang Avenue 8 and 56 Serangoon Garden Way as certified. Certification is per outlet and renewed regularly, so check the directory or the certificate in store.

Where is the Jalan Kayu prata?

Thasevi Food, the long-running Jalan Kayu prata shop, is at 237 Jalan Kayu near Fernvale in Sengkang. It is off the MRT lines, so take a bus from Sengkang or drive.