We Singaporeans love our hawker food. What we don’t like as much – the sweltering, ever-present heat and balminess that comes with living in a tropical place like Singapore.
Food courts, on the other hand, marry both affordable food and air-conditioning, making them the perfect place to go when you’re peckish but don’t want to work up a sweat. Read on for three exciting new food court launches across the island.
Bras Basah Complex: Beloved food court reopens as 24-hour joint
Fresh out of a $350,000 revamp is the newly opened Shifu Food Court at Bras Basah Complex – a vibrant 498-square-metre space that sits up to 430 diners at a go.
Both air-conditioned indoor seats and alfresco outdoor areas are available with 14 stalls to go around. The kicker? Shifu Food Court will remain open 24/7, meaning it’ll always be around if you get the munchies after exploring Singapore’s vibrant nightlife.
Highlights among the food court’s repertoire of stalls include Penang Island, a stall focusing on authentic Penangite staples like char kway teow and Assam laksa; Chun Noodle Bar, a specialist in fancy wonton noodles kissed with a housemade truffle pate sauce; and new kid on the block Ah Gong KKM, which pairs fusion flavours and a variety of ingredients from meatballs to seafood with comforting instant noodles.
Shifu Food Court is at 231 Bain St, #01-79, Bras Basah Complex, Singapore 180231.
Compass One: Kopitiam food court has Michelin-recognised stalls
The Kopitiam food court atop Compass One mall in Sengkang is now open after two months of renovation. Its refreshed slate of 24 food stalls now includes the likes of Michelin Bib Gourmand awardees Shi Hui Yuan, best known for its slippery herbal hor fun, and nasi padang veteran HJH Maimunah.
That’s not all for the food court, which now bears a sea-and-sand theme inspired by Sengkang’s heritage as a fishing village. New joiner Egg Talk will also be bringing scrambled egg rice bowls topped with spicy pork, har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken) and cubed luncheon meat, while What The Fish caters to seafood lovers with Chongqing grilled fish done up in a variety of configurations and sauces.
Kopitiam is at Compass One, #04-11, 1 Sengkang Square, Singapore 545078.
Bukit Panjang Plaza: Second Hawkers’ Street unveiled with 11 stalls
Following the opening of Hawkers’ Street in Tampines 1, Select Group has now unveiled its next heartland food court located on the third floor of Bukit Panjang Plaza. The sprawling 501-square-metre outlet comes with 11 stalls – four of which are Muslim-friendly and are in the midst of applying for their halal certifications – and room for 230 diners.
Stalls include Pondok Indah Indonesian Nasi Padang, a family-run nasi padang chain with an extensive menu of over 30 items including staples like beef rendang, asam pedas fish and lontong; Waker Chicken, a Korean fried chicken joint now offering a range of exclusive pasta dishes at its first food court outlet, and an outlet of Roast Paradise, a hawker chain known for their delicious smoke-kissed char siew and crispy roasted pork.
Hawkers’ Street is at Bukit Panjang Plaza, 1 Jelebu Rd, #03-08/09, Singapore 677743.
