Food at Tanglin Halt Food Centre
If you haven’t heard the news, both Tanglin Halt Market and Tanglin Halt Food Centre have been slated to be demolished for redevelopment purposes. Confirmed earlier this year, an exact date has not been specified, but it gives you all the more incentive to hurry down and try these hakwer stalls before they are gone.
Following our Tanglin Halt Market food guide, we have curated a list of 8 Tanglin Halt Food Centre Stalls to eat at ASAP.
1. Chef Hainanese Western Food
Image credit: @toroamtheworldeats
A long-time eatery within the food centre is Chef Hainanese Western Food, serving up old-school Hainanese Western fare. The stall has gained an ardent following over the years, as shown by its snaking queues and long wait time, even though they operate for only two hours each day.
If you’re a big eater, be sure to try one of their Chef’s Sets, priced at $10 each. Get the best of both fish and meat with their Chef Set 1. It comes with a half spring chicken, deep-fried fish, and sausage, alongside fries, baked beans, and coleslaw. Meanwhile, if you want to go all out on the meat, their Chef Set 3 makes a good option, with grilled chicken chop, pork chop, and sausage.
Unit number: #01-04
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 7pm to 9pm
Chef Hainanese Western Food is not a halal-certified eatery.
2. Queenstown Lontong
Image credit: @ivanbotakyong
Queenstown Lontong has seen three generations of ownership ever since they started out in the 1960s. Their wallet-friendly Malay food attracts snaking queues, priced at around $3 per dish, and usually selling out before 2pm.Â
This stall is known for their Mee Rebus, which boasts a rich, nutty broth that’s peppered with green chillies for an extra kick. While you’re here, their signature Lontong is another must-try, loaded with chewy rice cakes to soak up the coconutty gravy.
Unit number: #01-21
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 2pm
Tel: 9182 2189
Queenstown Lontong is not a halal-certified eatery, but is Muslim-owned.
3. Jing Shu Shi (Curry Rice)
Image credit: @spookyphoebe
While most stalls in Tanglin Halt Food Centre operate in the daytime, Jing Shu Shi Curry Rice runs from 5:30pm to 9pm, and makes for the perfect dinner stop if you’re in the area.Â
A plate of their Hainanese curry rice, with two veggies and one meat, sets you back around $5 depending on the dishes you choose, and comes slathered with spicy-sweet curry. Meat-wise, their Pork Chop is highly recommended, as it is fried to a delightful crispiness. Other alternatives include a tangy Assam Fish, and Sweet And Sour Pork.
Unit number: #01-39
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 5:30pm to 9pm
Jing Shu Shi Curry Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.
4. Alimah’s Kitchen
Image credit: @plainjane_reinvent
For more Malay food in Tanglin Halt Food Centre, check out Alimah’s Kitchen, run by a Muslim husband-wife duo. Their dishes are all inexpensively priced at around $2.50. Here, you can expect the usual suspects such as Mee Soto, Soto Ayam, and Mee Siam. If rice is your preferred carb, be sure to try their Nasi Lemak, which comes with fragrant coconut rice, crispy wings, a fried egg, ikan bilis, and sambal chilli.
Check out our guide to nasi lemak in Singapore for more!
Unit number: #01-23
Alimah’s Kitchen is not a halal-certified eatery, but is Muslim-owned.
19 Nasi Lemak In Singapore With Good Sambal, Crispy Fried Chicken And Coconutty Rice
5. No.1 Western Food
Image credit: @melmeleats
Yet another stall for old-school Western fare in Tanglin Halt Food Centre is No.1 Western Food, best known for their Chicken Cutlet ($6). This huge, crispy chicken cutlet is served alongside crinkle-cut fries, baked beans, veggies, and a house-made sauce that’s said to be on the sweeter side.
If you’re feeling like breakfast food, consider their Sausage & Egg ($3), a no-frills affair with two sausages and a sunny-side-up egg. Otherwise, if you prefer some gaminess in your meat, their Lamb Chop ($7) makes for a good alternative.
Unit number: #01-13
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 12pm to 5pm
No.1 Western Food is not a halal-certified eatery.
6. Tong Kee Chicken Rice
Image credit: @lysandra.id
Tong Kee Chicken Rice hails from the now-defunct Margaret Drive Food Centre, dishing up chicken rice and an array of Chinese roast meats. This stall is good for those who are Team Roasted Chicken, as they do not serve the typical steamed white version.
Their roasted chicken is said to be tender and juicy, while retaining a crispy skin. It’s drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil for extra aroma. You can get this dish, alongside a plate of flavoured rice, starting from $3.
Unit number: #01-25
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am to 5pm
Tong Kee Chicken Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.
7. Tian Xiang Wanton Mee
Image credit: @kosyeats
A popular stall within Tanglin Halt Food Centre is Tian Xiang Wanton Mee, owned by a young hawker. A plate of their Wanton Noodles goes for $3.50, and comes with lean char siew, deep-fried wontons, as well as boiled wontons in soup. These noodles are also tossed in a savoury soy sauce. If you prefer meatier wontons, otherwise known as sui kow, they have Dumpling Noodles ($3.50) too, available in soup or dry.
Unit number: #01-11
Opening hours: Fri-Tue 7am to 1:30pm
Tel: 8181 8786
Website
Tian Xiang Wanton Mee is not a halal-certified eatery.
8. Hakka Thunder Tea Rice
Image credit: @george.kooi
Another famous stall in Tanglin Halt Food Centre is Hakka Thunder Tea Rice, serving up thunder tea rice, homemade Hakka yong tau foo, as well as a variety of noodle dishes. For those uninitiated to thunder tea rice, aka lei cha, it’s a nutritious vegetable rice dish, served alongside a green soup that’s made with veggies and herbs.Â
The thunder tea rice at this stall goes for $3.50 with white rice, and $4 with brown rice. If you’re worried that the soup might taste too overwhelming, fret not, as they serve it separately. While you’re here, be sure to order the Homemade Hakka Yong Toufu which they sell at $0.90 per piece.
Unit number: #01-31
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am to 3pm
Tel: 8189 9676
Hakka Thunder Tea Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.
What to eat at Tanglin Halt Food Centre
While Tanglin Halt Food Centre can be rather inaccessible, requiring a long walk from Commonwealth MRT station, this hawker centre houses many stalls for delicious local food, not to be missed before they’re demolished.Â
For more hawker centre food guides, check out our Changi Village food guide for white bee hoon and ipoh hor fun, or our Golden Mile Food Centre food guide, as this hawker centre has recently reopened after renovations.
Address: 1A/2A/3A Commonwealth Drive, Tanglin Halt Food Centre, Singapore 141001
10 Changi Village Food Places For XL White Beehoon, Ipoh Hor Fun And More
Featured images adapted from @kosyeats, @melmeleats, and @dorimingo813.
Drop us your email so you won't miss the latest news.
