Being the third largest town in Singapore, Tampines now has a total of three MRT Stations – Tampines, Tampines East, and Tampines West. Both the East and West sides have their own unique charms, especially when it comes to food. With the opening of these new stations, travelling to both ends of Tampines has been made much easier, especially when it comes to accessing hidden food gems in the hood. Skip the hunt for food as we have collated a list of places for you to try out the next time you’re in Tampines East!
Image credit: @toastiessg
If you’re looking for a hearty and delicious sandwich to eat, Toasties would definitely fit the bill. They have revamped their menu this year and their sandwiches are cooked-to-order to ensure freshness. Cheese Steak ($9.40) makes a great sandwich packed with cheese and sliced beef brisket that is dry rubbed in special spices and grilled to gooey perfection. Paired with their airy and toasty buns, you can never go wrong with this combination. Complete your meal with a side of Rosemary & Garlic Fries ($2.90) tossed in Italian olive oil, rosemary and garlic. Fries is life, I don’t think I could ever live without it.
Address: 201D Tampines Street 21, #01-1171, Singapore 524201
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Tel: 6386 7243
Website
Menu
Full list of outlets
Here at Saffron’s Cafeteria Indian Food, their prata is served with both curry and sambal chilli. Get a good old classic Prata Kosong ($1.20) which is great for any time of the day. With its crispy exterior and fluffy insides, it goes very well when dipped into their house-made sweet and spicy sambal. Prata Plaster ($1.90) is one of my favourite go-to comfort food. Break the plaster and you’ll be greeted with a runny golden yolk, oozing out and seeping into the prata. Their curry is legit – spicy and slightly salty – just the way I like it. It’s a coma-inducing meal indeed.
Address: 201D Tampines Street 21, #01-1163, Singapore 524201
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Tel: 6787 6010
Website
Full list of outlets
Image credit: @irene_cyl
If you were wondering about how the name of Laundry Galley came about, the owner of the cafe actually owns a laundromat nearby. After throwing all your threads into a washing machine, you can have a seat in the cafe which has a screen displaying the status of your clothes! Get your daily fix of caffeine with Double Espresso ($4.50) while waiting for your laundry – talk about killing two birds with one stone. If you’re hungry, get a Double Waffles with ice-cream ($7.50 onwards) – add a dollar or two for their premium ice-cream flavours! Pair up their Salted Caramel and Milo Dinosaur ice-cream with a Charcoal Waffle for a delicious combination of sweet and savoury flavours.
Address: 201E Tampines Street 23, #01-118, Singapore 527201
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 12pm to 9pm
Tel: 8700 7622
Website
Image credit: @mparjo
You’ll probably find me hanging out at Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant during wee hours for supper. Besides the fact that the restaurant is open 24/7, they serve a myriad of cuisine ranging from Asian to Western food. My favourite would have to be Garlic Butter Naan ($2.80) – tandoor-baked flatbread with bits of garlic served in a basket wrapped in aluminium foil. I would always order it with a bowl of Butter Chicken ($7.50). The sweet, savoury, and mildly spicy gravy is very rich and velvety, making a wonderful dip for the naan. The tender and well-marinated chicken chunks inside are equally good as well.
Address: 201D Tampines Street 21, #01-1155, Singapore 523201
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Tel: 6785 1265
Image credit: @frozilicious
Frozilicious is a Muslim-owned family business which sells frozen yogurt. Unlike regular froyo stores with standard menus, theirs are priced based on weight. The total weight of the yogurt and toppings will be charged at $2.30 per 100g. It is a DIY concept so just pick a cup of your choice and start swirling away! They have both natural and fruity-flavoured froyo such as royal grape, blue bubblegum blast, and juicy melon to choose from. Toppings include fresh fruits, cookie crumbs, sweets, and sauces.
Address: Block 201E Tampines Street 23, #01-120, Singapore 527201
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 12pm to 10pm
Tel: 9450 6750
Website
Image credit: Griddled & Pasta Facebook Page
If you’re looking for comfort food at an affordable price, Griddled & Pasta is the place to go to. Specialising in only Western food, there are plenty of dishes for everyone to have. Their Grilled Chicken Chop ($6) consists of fries, salad, and mac and cheese as sides. Creamy Chicken and Bacon ($5.90) makes a great main too. The pasta is coated in creamy and savoury carbonara sauce with bits of crispy and salty bacon. Definitely a great place with value-for-money dishes.
Address: 201C Tampines Street 21, Tampines Estate, Singapore 523201
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 10pm
Tel: 9165 7188
Website
Image credit: @missene
Bak chor mee fans can rejoice as there is Fu Yuan Teo Chew Bak Chor Mee as well! Dig into a bowl of hearty Bak Chor Mee ($3) – springy mee pok drenched in a saucy sambal which adds a sweet and fiery kick. It comes with minced pork, pig liver, meatballs, and is garnished with spring onions. If you’re planning to drop by, do note that they are closed on every alternate Wednesday.
Address: 201C Tampines Street 21, Singapore 523201
Opening hours: Daily 6am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 8pm. Closed every alternate Wednesday.
Mahabbah Corner is situated at a corner of Afghanistan Family Restaurant. Putu Piring ($2.50 for five pieces) is a traditional Malay snack made up of steamed rice cake filled with crushed bits of gula melaka in the centre, and topped with dried coconut shavings. It is served steaming hot, which enhances the aroma of the coconut shavings. It’s like a coconut aroma bomb when you open up the brown paper. The steamed rice cake is soft and fluffy while the gula melaka dissolves upon chewing. They also have Kacang Phool ($3.50) – spiced fava beans with minced beef gravy, sliced onions, green chillies, and eaten with French loaf. Tear a small piece of the bread and dip it into the savoury and spicy gravy.
Address: 201E Tampines Street 23, #01-56, Afghanistan Family Restaurant, Singapore 527201
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Tel: 66582 0137
Two stalls away from Mahabbah Corner, we have Afghan Chicken Rice. Try their best-selling Chicken Rice ($3.50) which offers bang for your buck. Despite its affordable price, they are very generous with its portion – rice, greens, roasted chicken, chilli and a bowl of soup! Dig into the lean and juicy roasted chicken meat, which is dressed in a sweet watery sambal. Dip the chicken into the chicken rice chilli for an added spicy and vinegary kick. The soup is clear and salty which I really liked. Before I knew it, I had wolfed down the entire plate of chicken rice by myself. So much for being on diet. I can see why this dish is ordered at every table.
Address: 201E Tampines Street 23, #01-56, Afghanistan Family Restaurant, Singapore 527201
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours
Tel: 6582 0137
Located at 21 Street Eating House coffee shop is Ang Mo Kio Soon Li Rojak. You can spot the stall from afar by its glass counter decorated with animated LED lights. If you’re a you tiao lover just like me, get You Tiao Rojak ($4/$5) – generous portions of dough fritters drenched in sweet, tangy, and spicy sauce topped with ground peanuts. The ground peanuts adds a crunchy texture and nutty flavour to the dish. They also have Traditional Rojak ($3/$4/$5) if you prefer having mixed fruits and taupok.
Address: 201 Tampines Street 21, 21 Street Eating House, Singapore 524201
Opening hours: Daily 6am to 11:30pm
When it comes to food, people are willing to travel and go the distance to satisfy their cravings. With the newly opened Downline Line, travelling has been made much easier. All in all, Tampines has quite a number of hidden gems for you to try out and check out food places at Tampines West if you haven’t! These Tampines cafes and Tampines hawker gems are worth trying as well.
Featured image taken from Instagram user @mparjo‘s post.