Food hall and foodcourt feasts: Expect new ramen, bakeries and hawker fare

SINGAPORE – It is not just supermarket bars that diners are flocking to. 

Crowds have been swarming the revamped food basements at VivoCity and Tangs at Tang Plaza, both of which have expanded their food offerings with a focus on fast-casual and grab-and-go concepts.

VivoCity’s Basement 2 – officially launched on Sept 2 – includes new ramen restaurant Kikanbo from Tokyo, home-grown Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique and a refreshed BreadTalk store concept.

On Aug 18, the basement of Tangs at Tang Plaza in Orchard Road reopened, spotlighting a slew of local brands such as Andy’s Pies by Home’s Favourite, Percolate Coffee & Goods and bakery chain Plain Vanilla. 

Both gourmet basements are also home to buzzy foodcourts – Kopitiam Food Hall at VivoCity and Hawkers’ Street at Tang Plaza. 

Meanwhile, Hawkers’ Street has also expanded to Square 2 in Novena, and will be launching at The Clementi Mall at the end of October. 

Another fancy new food hall is Feast at Weave at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) – opened on Sept 30 – which offers an array of classic street food and regional cuisine such as Thai food and Vietnamese pho and banh mi. 

These add to others that were recently refurbished.

The Food Junction at Junction 8 in Bishan relaunched on Sept 22 with a retro look and a section highlighting Japanese and Korean fare; while The Food Place by Food Republic reopened at Raffles City Shopping Centre in July, featuring notable names such as Smash by BurgerLabo, known for its smashed burgers. 

Over in Bukit Batok, West Mall’s Basement 1 reopened in June after an extensive makeover. At Level 3, a new Kopitiam foodcourt, which is under renovation, will replace the previous Koufu foodcourt.

Here is what’s worth queueing for at each new grub spot.

VivoCity Basement 2

About 14,000 sq ft of space was added to the mall’s Basement 2, carved out from an adjacent carpark. 

This enhancement is now home to 22 food and beverage brands, almost half of which are grab-and-go or fast-casual concepts, says Ms Charissa Wong, head of retail management for MPACT Property Management, which manages VivoCity.

It is directly connected to HarbourFront MRT station on the same level, and commuters who pass by favour quick bites, coffee and takeaway meals, Ms Wong adds.

New entrants include popular names such as fast-food chain A&W, Cakebar patisserie and Giraffa, known for its Japanese curry cheese bread. 

Following this revamp, there are plans to refine other parts of the mall. Work is under way to upgrade the pick-up and arrival point at Level 1 to reduce congestion. 

What to try 

Kopitiam Food Hall (B2-40)

What: Enter this vibrantly lit 616-seat foodcourt with more than 30 food stalls, 12 of which are Muslim-friendly. These include nasi padang by Hjh Maimunah Mini, Hua Zai Ampang Yong Tau Foo, Hebat Ayam Penyet and Kim Dae Bak Korean. 

Other highlights include Michelin-listed Ann Chin Popiah, modern Western fare from Flint Specialty Grill & Bar and Royal Rojak. 

One stall, HomeWok, deploys robots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to whip up Asian-inspired rice bowls. 

An interactive AI avatar called Kimberly offers food recommendations based on diner preferences and provides multi-language assistance. A separate screen shows real-time information on seat availability.

Kikanbo (B2-36)

Tokyo ramen chain Kikanbo marks its debut here, offering the bold flavours that the brand is known for. 

The menu stays true to what is served in Japan, says Mr Lee Wei Hao, 35, operations director of local F&B company First Frontier Food which brought in Kikanbo. 

The signature ramen combines a rich, umami-packed miso broth with a two-spice mix: kara-shibi – kara means chilli and shibi refers to sansho peppers. 

So, expect heat and numbing spice in the bowls of thick and chewy noodles, priced from $15.90 for the basic Karashibi Miso Ramen topped with a chunk of flame-seared braised pork belly. 

Coriander lovers can go for the Pakuchi Karashibi Miso Ramen ($17.90), covered with a blanket of coriander. 

You can choose the levels of chilli and sansho pepper – from none to “oni”, which means demon level. 

BreadTalk (B2-50)

Home-grown bakery chain BreadTalk takes things to another level at this outlet with its “borderless” concept – where customers can get a view of the bakers at work without being separated by glass windows.  

The hottest spot is the counter next to the pizza ovens which dish out Mortadella Napoli ($4.40) and Ratatouille Napoli ($5.20) layered with slow-roasted capsicum. 

These are part of the over 50 new pastry creations exclusive to this outlet, in addition to the brand’s famous Flosss buns. 

Other highlights include the Cornfession ($5.80) pastry stuffed with housemade sweet corn custard and topped with an extra layer of torched corn; and Babyface ($7.20), where jiggly Japanese-style pudding sits on a Swiss roll. To finish, the latter is drizzled with burnt caramel sauce and sea salt flakes. 

There is also a refrigerated section of box cakes, perfect for a picnic in nearby Sentosa. 

Basement at Tangs at Tang Plaza 

The recent revamp of the department store’s basement marks its first major transformation in over a decade – with the last one being in 2014. 

It now houses more than 50 brands. Eighty per cent of them are F&B concepts – more than double the previous number – and the rest are wellness brands. 

The F&B tenancy mix showcases a range of fast-casual dining, heritage hawkers and takeaway kiosks to cater to its core customers – women in their 30s to 50s, says Ms Evelyn Chua, Tangs’ group director of operations and leasing.

There are 14 food kiosks, some being the brands’ first outlets in Orchard Road. These include home-grown brands such as Percolate Coffee & Goods, gelato store Momolato, salad chain Supergreen and The Fish & Chips Shop. 

Wanting Kimchi, which started out as an online business in 2019 and has run several pop-ups, has set up its first permanent physical store here, selling its signature kimchi items and other Korean banchan. 

Other notable names include South Korean bakery Tous Les Jours, modern Asian bowl concept Khao, and Mrs Banana, which sells Thai fried banana snacks. 

What to try 

Andy’s Pie

Info:

@andyspiesg

on Instagram 

You may know local bakery Home’s Favourite for its mooncakes and cookies. Now, you can sample its pies at its new brand, Andy’s Pie. It is named after Mr Andy Eng, 55, who has more than 20 years of experience in baking pies and now helms this concept. 

The dine-in space seats about 20, and includes a retail section selling Home’s Favourite’s cookies and snacks. 

Dig into the golden buttery crusts of the chicken pie or mashed potato top of the shepherd’s pie. Both are packed with chicken chunks and vegetables and priced from $6.80 for a small pie.

For the ultimate comfort food, go for the pot pie ($9.90, dine-in only), which is filled with a creamy mix of chicken, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and edamame and covered with flaky pastry. 

New flavours are in the works, with an apple crumble for Christmas, and curry and tuna pies for future launches. 

Karekami

Info:

www.karekami.com

 

What was previously known as Kare at Fusionopolis – selling Japanese curry rice bento and skewers – has been rebranded to Karekami in this new location. 

It is run by married couple A.J. Fong, 46, and his wife Jamie Ng, 41 – who left her IT sales job to join her graphic designer-turned-F&B entrepreneur husband here. 

While the focus remains on serving Japanese curry rice (from $10.90), the menu also offers curry udon (from $12.90) and teriyaki don (from $9.90) – topped with pork tonkatsu, salmon or tsukune chicken balls, among other options. 

What sets its vegetable-based Japanese curry apart from others is the addition of local spices, for a “more home-grown taste”, says Mr Fong. The teriyaki sauce is also made from scratch. 

When he got the opportunity to open at Tang Plaza, Mr Fong decided to relocate the brand. He notes an uptick in business in town from tourists and local shoppers who have more time to linger over lunch. 

Hawkers’ Street  

Open: 8.30am to 9.30pm daily 
Info:

hawkersstreet.com.sg

 

Get your fix of hawker fare at the 264-seat Hawkers’ Street, of which five stalls hold Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. 

They are Tai Seng Fish Soup (from Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre), Tai Wah Pork Noodle (with several stalls including one at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre), halal-certified Springleaf Prata Place, as well as Fei Fei Roasted Noodle and Hup Hong Chicken Rice (both from Yuhua Village Market and Food Centre). 

Loong Kee Yong Tau Fu, on the Michelin Plate list, is from 505 Jurong West Market & Food Centre. 

Other stalls include Hill Street Hainanese Curry Rice, Old Teochew Mee Siam and Satay Bee Hoon and Hwa Heng Beef Noodle. 

Hawkers’ Street replaces the previous foodcourt at Tang Plaza’s basement, which was operated by the Fei Siong Group. 

Food Junction at Junction 8

Where: 04-01 Junction 8, 9 Bishan Place 
Info:

@foodjunctionsg

on Instagram 

Go retro chic at the revamped Food Junction foodcourt at Junction 8, which is decked out in vinyl-inspired furnishings and old-school diner-style seats. The staff complete the look wearing classic American diner-style uniforms. 

The seating capacity remains at 630 seats, with 26 stalls.

Garnering the most attention so far is the Japanese and Korean food street, home to the famed Myung Ga II Minipress, best known for its Korean fare of Mul-Naengmyeon (cold noodles, $13.90), Donkatsu (pork cutlet, $16.90) and Seafood Pancake ($16.90). 

It is the brand’s first foodcourt concept. Its main restaurant outlets are in Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah Plaza.

Other brands in this section include Double Up C for Korean Fried Chicken and Washoku Goen for Japanese curry rice and ramen. 

At the main dining area is the counter-style Shabu Bar, where you can enjoy individual hotpot without breaking the bank. Its two counters can seat a total of 24 diners. 

Prices start at $12.90 for a boneless chicken set that comes with rice and a selection of vegetables. There are four soup bases to choose from – Signature Chicken Broth, Tomato Boost, Tom Yum Reload or Mala Hype.

Other dishes to check out at the foodcourt include Lobster King’s pao fan (from $6), Cha Han’s garlic fried rice (from $6.80) and Blanco Court’s beef noodles (from $6.90). 

Feast at Weave 

Where: 02-201 to 203 and 210-212 Weave, Resorts World Sentosa, 26 Sentosa Gateway 
Info:

www.rwsentosa.com/en/shops-and-services/weave/feast-at-weave

 

Split into three zones across the second floor of Resorts World Sentosa’s lifestyle enclave Weave, Feast at Weave seats a total of 420 diners and houses 10 stalls.

Ordering is done via payment kiosks outside each zone, followed by food collection at each stall. 

The 300-seat main hall (open 11am to 8pm daily) features a regional selection. The stalls include Thai’d Up offering Tom Yum Mama Seafood Noodles ($13) and Pad Thai (from $11), and Banhpho Social Hut for Vietnamese pho (from $12) and banh mi (from $9). 

Crowd favourites from RWS’ previous Malaysian Food Street, including Penang Char Kway Teow ($10) and KL Pork Noodle Soup (from $9.50), make a return.

The grilled food stall Ember & Grill will change its offerings on a rotational basis, with a new Asian grill concept slated to be introduced every six months. It currently sells satay (from $12 for eight pieces of chicken satay) and chicken wings (from $6 for three). 

Across it is the 40-seat Kopi & Co (open 8am to 8pm daily) in the second section, serving breakfast fare of kaya butter toast ($4), mee siam ($8), mee rebus ($8) as well as drinks.

The final 80-seat section (open 11am to 8pm daily) features Muslim-friendly stalls such as Le Mak’s Chick for its signature nasi lemak (from $13), and Lontong Kita for traditional lontong (from $8) and gado gado ($8). The stalls in this area are currently pending halal certification.

This second floor of Weave is part of the area’s family-friendly dining experience, says Mr Andreas Reich, RWS’ senior vice-president of F&B general management. 

It is on the same floor as F&B concepts such as home-grown chicken rice specialist Chatterbox Cafe, Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung and ramen restaurant Mensho X.