A very serious chef — and the cutlery incident There is also a more personal aspect to my experience here. The chef seems to be a very serious man. When my wife and I bought one portion to share, I naturally thought I could take two sets of cutlery. In Singapore hawker centres, this feels perfectly normal. We often share food with spouses, family members and friends. One person buys chicken rice, another buys oyster omelette, somebody else brings Hokkien mee, and everything ends up in the middle of the table. The spoons and forks almost become part of the communal infrastructure of the hawker centre. Not here. Apparently, if you buy one portion, you take one set of cutlery. Two people sharing one order does not automatically entitle them to two sets. The rule seemed rather strict. So in the end my wife and I decided that the simplest solution was also perhaps the most historically appropriate one: we ate it with our hands. For kebab, this is hardly a tragedy. Indeed, a wrap may actually be better eaten with the hands. Still, the episode amused me because it revealed a small cultural difference inside a common hawker environment. Singapore hawker culture is fundamentally based upon sharing. We order from different stalls and assemble our own communal meal. One table may contain food from four or five unrelated vendors. Nobody regards the table as belonging to one restaurant. The entire food centre functions as one collective dining room. UNESCO has described Singapore’s hawker centres precisely in this spirit: communal spaces in which people of different backgrounds gather and share everyday meals. Sultan Kebab’s approach to cutlery feels much closer to a standalone restaurant mentality: one order, one diner, one set of utensils. Perhaps it is simply an attempt to control costs and waste. Disposable or washable utensils are not free, and a small independent operator watches every expense carefully. Perhaps the chef has repeatedly encountered people taking excessive cutlery. Or perhaps it is simply his personal rule. Whatever the reason, I hope this spirit of non-sharing remains confined to the cutlery tray and does not influence Singapore’s wider hawker culture. Because sharing is one of the most beautiful things about eating in a food centre. A husband and wife share one kebab. Friends divide a plate of carrot cake. Someone brings chicken rice while somebody else buys drinks. Children steal pieces from their parents’ plates. The food crosses boundaries even when the stalls do not.

This kunefe is freshly prepared, cheesy, crispy and full of cheese. It's covered in a sweet cool creamy sauce that contrasts well against the texture of the kunefe. It's so much better than one of the more famous restaurants in Arab street. Will gladly recommend others to try the food here

The food looked superb, we ordered the beef borritos but it tasted & smelled like lamb. My husband likes both so he ate my half too. We saw great reviews about the beef, I was disappointed we received the wrong meat. It really did look wonderful, but I dont like lamb.

Told the boss, “I’ve tried many kebabs in Singapore and yours is the best”. His immediate reply? “I know!” This is officially my favorite kebabs in SG! 👍👍👍

Fresh ingredients, got the chicken kebab for $9 and it was a generous portion of chicken. Meat is tender and well spiced. Will be back to try more :-) They accept CDC vouchers too