Prata & Nasi Lemak in Hougang, Sengkang & Serangoon: Where to Go
Round-the-clock prata shops in Hougang, Serangoon Gardens and Jalan Kayu, and two long-running nasi lemak names, plus how to order and what halal certification to look for.
Prata and nasi lemak are Singapore’s round-the-clock comfort foods: flaky griddled bread with curry at 2am, and coconut rice with sambal and fried chicken at any hour. The North-East has some of the island’s best-known names for both, including the original Jalan Kayu prata strip near Fernvale and a nasi lemak shop that has drawn evening queues on Upper Serangoon Road since 1979. This guide names five long-running places, explains how to order, and covers halal certification. Details were checked in September 2026.
Opening hours below come from each business’s own listing or recent reviews as of September 2026. Late-night hours in particular change, so check before a special trip.
Prata
Roti prata is a thin dough, stretched, folded and fried on a flat griddle until crisp outside and soft inside, served with fish or mutton curry. Its bigger cousin, murtabak, is stuffed with minced mutton or chicken, egg and onion. Prata shops in Singapore tend to be Indian-Muslim coffee shops, and the best known stay open all night.
Thasevi Food (Famous Jalan Kayu Prata)
Jalan Kayu has been a prata destination for decades, and Thasevi is its long-running name, officially registered in 1981 with roots going back further. It serves plain and egg prata, murtabak, roti john, biryani and mee goreng in a busy open-fronted shop. The strip also has cafés and a soya bean shop, so it suits a weekend brunch as well as late-night supper. Use a journey planner from Fernvale or Sengkang, as it is off the main LRT loops.
Al Falah Restaurant
A long-running Indian-Muslim restaurant in the busy Hougang Village area, and the town’s best-known all-night prata stop. It is known for crisp prata served with two gravies, tall cones of tissue prata, murtabak, biryani and Indian rojak. It is listed as halal-certified. See our Hougang food guide for the rest of Hougang Village.
Srisun Express
A halal-certified prata and Indian-Muslim eatery a short walk from Chomp Chomp Food Centre. Alongside plain and tissue prata it has murtabak, mee goreng, roti john and dessert pratas with kaya or sugar. It is a common next stop when Chomp Chomp winds down. See our Serangoon Gardens guide.
Nasi lemak
Nasi lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk, often with pandan, served with sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, egg and cucumber, and a main such as fried chicken or fish. In Singapore you will meet two versions: the Malay style, often with a spicier sambal and dishes such as rendang, and the Chinese style, where you pick sides like chicken wings, otah and luncheon meat from a counter.
Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre
Despite its name, this is not in Punggol. The family business dates back to 1979, and this Upper Serangoon Road shop is its long-standing home. It serves Chinese-style nasi lemak: rice with sambal, and sides such as fried chicken wings, fish, otah and eggs picked from the counter. Evening queues are part of the experience. Muslim diners should check the MUIS directory before visiting.
Aliff Nasi Lemak
A family-run Malay stall opened in 2005 and named after the owners’ son. It stands out for using fragrant basmati rice instead of the usual jasmine, with a fried egg, crispy anchovies and marinated fried chicken. It is a breakfast and early lunch stall, so arrive before noon.
For prata, order in rounds. Ask for one or two each first, eaten straight off the griddle while crisp, then order more. Prata that sits in a takeaway box for twenty minutes loses its crunch.
Punggol, Sengkang and Buangkok
The younger towns rely mostly on hawker centres and coffee shops for prata and nasi lemak. Punggol Coast Hawker Centre, opened in July 2025, has a halal-certified prata and murtabak stall and halal nasi lemak among its 40 stalls. Most coffee shops in Punggol and Sengkang have a Muslim food stall selling prata in the morning and nasi lemak or mee rebus through the day. Our Punggol food guide, Sengkang food guide and Buangkok Hawker Centre guide cover the centres.
How to order
- Prata basics: “kosong” is plain, “telur” is egg, “bawang” is onion. Many shops also do cheese, mushroom and banana prata.
- Curry: fish curry is usually the default. Ask for mutton or chicken curry, or “mix” for both.
- Tissue prata: a paper-thin cone, often dusted with sugar. Share it.
- Murtabak: choose mutton or chicken. A single order is filling, so it is good for sharing.
- Nasi lemak: at Chinese-style stalls, point at the sides you want. At Malay stalls, the set usually comes with chicken or fish and you add extras.
- Drinks: teh tarik or kopi, and a lime juice if the sambal is fiery.
Halal certification
Many prata shops and Malay stalls are halal-certified, but not all, and a Muslim-owned stall is not necessarily certified. Certification is issued per outlet and renewed regularly, so check the MUIS halal directory or the certificate displayed at the stall. Our halal food in Punggol and Sengkang guide explains how.
For more late-night ideas, see our late-night supper guide. NEA hawker centres close for cleaning a few days each quarter; check NEA’s cleaning schedule before heading to a market stall.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I eat prata late at night in Hougang?
Al Falah Restaurant at 681 Hougang Avenue 8 is listed as open 24 hours as of September 2026 and is known for crispy prata and murtabak. Check before a very late trip, as hours can change.
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 opens from late afternoon and is closed on Thursdays, according to its website.
Is Jalan Kayu prata still open?
Yes. Thasevi Food at 237 Jalan Kayu, a prata shop dating back to the early 1980s, is still operating as of September 2026 and is listed as open 24 hours.
Where can I find halal prata in Punggol and Sengkang?
Punggol Coast Hawker Centre has a halal-certified prata and murtabak stall, and many coffee shops in both towns have Muslim food stalls. Check the MUIS directory or the certificate at the stall.
Details checked September 2026 against the operators’ own websites. Opening hours and services change, so please confirm before you go. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.