June 08, 2017, 10:53 AM 
The World Street Food Congress 2017 took place in Manila, Philippines, where they recently announced the winners of the Top 50 World Street Food Masters title.
The judging criteria was based on the stall's mode of operations, which includes ingredient sourcing, food preparation, hygiene factors, and of course, the quality and flavour of the food.
A total of 13 of our local hawkers made it to the list — and the Michelin-starred Hill Street Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee came up number one, beating entrants from Mexico, the U.S., China, Indonesia and Malaysia:
But should we be surprised?
Here are the rest of the stalls that made it into the Top 50 — have you been to all of them?
1) Chey Sua fried carrot cake (Rank: 10)
Address: #02-30 Toa Payoh West Market and Food Court, 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310137
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 6 am to 1 pm
According to the list, they are believed to be the first to introduce the dish frittata-style (like a crustless quiche, or a really thick omelette; they're thick on flavour, too).
2) Master Tang Wanton Mee (Rank: 16)
Address: Kopitown Coffeeshop, 10E Sixth Avenue, Singapore 276474
Opening hours: Friday to Wednesday, 8 am to 4 pm closed on Thursdays
Wanton noodles prepared by a feisty 82-year-old man, who learned from the experts, and even became a chef trainer at Crystal Jade? You bet it's good.
3) An Ji Sang Mee (Rank: 24)
Address: Smith Street Chinatown, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Thursday to Tuesday, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm; 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm Closed on Wednesdays.
Contact no.: 8307 8162
Their signature is their crispy noodles, served with beef or seafood. The noodles will crackle at the sauce, and so will you - you'd probably finish this really fast.
4) Tan's Kueh Tutu (Rank: 26)
Address: Blk 22B Havelock Road #01-25, Singapore 162022
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 9 am to 3 pm
Contact no.: 9737 2469
We've featured this lovable auntie and her humble Tutu Kueh stall in a video — watch it, and you'll realise the amount of work that goes into the kueh, but that makes it all the more precious, and tasty.
5) Keng Eng Kee Seafood (Rank: 28)
Address: 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #1-136, Singapore 150124
Opening hours: Mondays to Sundays 12 pm to 2:30 pm; 5 pm to 10 pm
Contact no.: 6272 1038
Even Michelin-starred chefs have had to wait for their fair share of this restaurant's food, which includes Moonlight Kway Teow and Marmite Fried Chicken. Inventive.
6) Hoy Yong Cze Cha Seafood (Rank: 30)
Address352 Clementi Avenue 2 #01-153, Singapore 120352
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 5:30 am to 10 pm
Contact no.: 6778 2223
If there's anything that screams "tourist trap", plot twist — it's not this stall. This stall bustles with everything Singaporeans love about Tze Char (or Cze Cha, as romanised in this list). Their Stuffed Tempura Duck Roll, Golden Bean Skin Roll and Eggy Hor Fun are highly recommended.
7) Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice (Rank: 33)
Address: Blk 40 Holland Drive Singapore 270040
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 7 pm; closed on Mondays
Contact no.: 8428 7865
Chicken rice had to make it to this list. Sin Kee's rice is oily enough, and along with the juicy goodness that is their chicken, paired with their powerful chilli sauce, it's mind-blowingly good.
8) Hwa Heng Beef Noodle (Rank: 40)
Address: #01-01 Bendemeer Food Centre, 29 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 330029
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday, 10 am to 5:30 pm; Saturday to Sunday, 10 am to 2.30pm; Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Contact no.: 9368 1278
Plan your trip down early if you don't want to be disappointed; they sell out their ooey-gooey beef noodles for the day very quickly — often earlier than the closing times stated.
Thick and udon-like, the stall's predecessor was Odeon Beef Noodles, which was then well-known already for their signature stall located the now-defunct Odeon Theatre.
9) Kim's Fried Hokkien Mee (Rank: 42)
Address: 62B Jalan Eunos, Singapore 419510
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 11 am to 1 am
Contact no.: 6747 8766
Rolex uncle, with his shirt and all cooking Hokkien Mee like a towkay. 'Nuff said.
10)Soon Wah Fishball Kway Teow Mee (Rank: 44)
Address: #01-69 Newton Circus Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North, Singapore 229495
Opening hours: Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Sat 5:30 to 11:30 (closed on Wednesdays and Sundays)
11) Heng Kee Curry Chicken Noodle (Rank: 45)
Address: 531A Upper Cross Street, Hong Lim Food Centre, #01-58, Singapore 051531
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10:30-2:30 pm, closed on public holidays
It's winner winner chicken dinner with Curry and Sambal. If this isn't the best thing ever to eat especially during a rainy cold day, what is?
12) Ah Lim Oyster Omelette (Rank: 50)
Address: 166 Jalan Besar #01-32 Berseh Food Centre, Singapore 208877
Opening hours: Mondays-Sundays 5:30 pm to 12 am
Contact no.: 9386 0732
Just squeezing into the top 50 list, this orh luak is made with love by a husband and wife team. Who cares about calories when there are huge, juicy oysters in scrumptious, starchy fried egg?
Knowing us, we won't be able to stay away from these awesome places for long. But in the meantime, you can check out these other great food places that will likely have less queue now:
50¢ food fest at Chinatown in end-July 2017 selling 1980s hawker favourites
10 secretly very nice hawker foods in S’pore with unique selling points
Muslim-owned burger stall at Golden Mile Food Centre sells gourmet burgers from S$4.50
12 Toa Payoh Lor 8 hawker food stalls you must try but don’t push the elderly, please
10 food queues in S’pore that are no longer there
7 new age hawker foods around S’pore to keep the hawker flame alive
Top image via Ken Marshall's Flickr and BabaSingapura's Instagram post
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