Selera Istimewa, a cherished Malay nasi padang stall, has been serving hearty meals since 1986. Founded by Norhayati Bte Osman’s mother and aunt, the stall initially sold nasi lemak at a coffeeshop in Kim Keat before expanding to nasi padang. When her mother decided to pass the baton, Norhayati, who was then a doctor’s assistant at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, took over. The stall continues to thrive at the Cheng San Market & Cooked Food Centre, which reopened in October 2024 after a massive refurbishment under the Hawker Centres Transformation Programme, providing a better environment for customers to enjoy their beloved hawker food. (To learn more about the improvements, please read P06 of Our Home October-December 2024)

Every morning, Norhayati, 51, and her mother start their day at 2.30am to prepare the array of dishes. “We offer about 30 dishes every day. We start cooking at 3am, and by 5.30am, the nasi lemak and nasi sambal goreng are ready for customers,” she said. “By 10am, all the dishes are ready.” Their commitment to freshness and quality is evident in every dish they serve.

Some of their best-selling dishes include assam fish, lemak chilli padi and fish cooked in soya sauce. “Our regular customers have been with us for years, so they are very familiar with our flavours,” she noted. “They’ll tell us if the dish is too salty. Or when we introduce a new dish, they might tell us if they don’t like it.” She takes their feedback to heart and works hard to continually refine the recipes to ensure customer satisfaction.

Staying true to her family’s traditional cooking methods, she said: “We prepare our food just like how we do it at home. All our spices and sambal are freshly ground.” By sticking to these time-honoured techniques without shortcuts, she preserves the authentic flavours and legacy of Selera Istimewa.

The stall’s loyal customers include both Chinese and Malay. "A lot of our regulars have moved out of Ang Mo Kio to places like Yishun and Toa Payoh, but they still come back to eat our nasi padang,” she said. Hearing customers say that her nasi padang is the best fills her with pride, making all the hard work worthwhile.

Rising food and business costs have posed challenges, particularly in maintaining quality while keeping prices reasonable. “For example, a tray of eggs used to cost $3.50, but now it’s around $7," she explained. “Our assam fish sells for $3.50 to $4, and we give a big portion of the fish. We also use a lot of fresh ingredients and spices.” While some customers have expressed concerns about prices, she remains committed to providing generous portions and authentic flavours.

Running a hawker stall is no easy feat, and she believes aspiring hawkers need to be mentally and physically prepared. “Ideally, they should have some experience in cooking and food preparation,” she shared. “They should also know how to prepare food in bulk and be consistent with their business operating hours.” Her advice reflects the dedication and hard work required to thrive in the hawker trade.

Selera Istimewa
Location: 527 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, #01-104
Operating hours: 5.30am-3pm (closed on Monday and Friday)

[Chinese]

Selera Istimewa创立于1986年，目前在静山巴刹与熟食中心售卖马来菜饭。尽管成本上升，摊主仍坚守传统风味与和品质，确保顾客吃得满意。

[Malay]

Selera Istimewa yang menghidangkan nasi padang yang lazat sejak 1986, terus mengekalkan komitmennya terhadap mutu, tradisi, dan kepuasan pelanggan walaupun dengan kos yang kian meningkat.

[Tamil]

“Selera Istimewa” 1986 முதல் நிறைவான “நாசி பாடாங்” உணவை வழங்கி வருகிறது. விலைவாசி அதிகரித்திருந்தாலும், தரம், பாரம்பரியம், வாடிக்கையாளர் மனநிறைவு ஆகிய அனைத்தையும் கட்டிக்காத்து வருகிறது இந்த உணவகம்.

#supportourhawkers