10 Stalls to Check Out at The New Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre!

Pasir Ris Hawker Centre finally opened on 25 January 2018. It features a “dual dining concept”, where both traditional hawker food and “hipster” dining options are available.

On the first floor, you’d get your fix of hawker favourites, such as bak chor mee, ayam penyet and fish soup, but if you prefer a more eclectic variety of food choices, the second floor is where you should head.

Named Fareground, the second floor of Pasir Ris Hawker Centre features uncommon stalls that don’t sell your usual hawker fare. Diners can look forward to dishes such as beef bourguignon, kebab and even ice cream with waffles!

Whether you’re a student on a budget, or someone who just came back from abroad and craves our world-renowned hawker delights, you’ll definitely find something that tickles your fancy at Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre.

Ayam Penyet

Nothing is better than indulging in freshly fried crispy chicken leg. Dubbed Ayam Penyet in Javanese, this smashed fried chicken is crispy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside. It’s served with a piece of deep fried beancurd

The smashed chicken comes with a plate of rice, generously drizzled with a fragrant and spicy curry sauce. We added two other chilli sauces which tasted great with the chicken. 

Jun Yuan House of Fish

Apart from the usual sliced and fried fish soup, Jun Yuan House of Fish also sells a variety of seafood soup such as the Herbal Seafood Soup ($5, $6, $7) as well as the Chinese Spinach Seafood Soup w/Wolfberries ($5.50).

Although the herbal seafood soup may not look appetizing, the broth is actually very flavourful — it has a sweetness derived from prawns, and a light herbal aroma. The prawns were fresh, which explain the natural sweetness that they added to the broth. 

I preferred the Chinese spinach seafood soup. It reminded me very much of home-cooked ‘kau kee chye tng”, or wolfberry leaves soup. The bitterness of Chinese spinach was complemented by the sweetness of wolfberries and prawns. 

Feng Feng Boneless Chicken Rice

Chicken rice is a common dish at every hawker centre. Feng Feng Boneless Chicken Rice serves up an affordable plate of our favourite hawker delight. For $2.50 or $3, diners get a plate of fragrant rice, and a plate of steamed or roasted chicken meat drenched in a savoury soy sauce – sesame oil combo.

Although the meat could have been more tender, the rice was fluffy and fragrant with lingering notes of chicken stock, garlic and ginger. Don’t forget to add the chicken rice chilli, which gives a garlicky, spicy kick.

EPIKebabs

Fans of kebabs stall EPIKebabs in Wilkie Edge will be thrilled to know that they have opened another outlet in Fareground. Diners can expect their favourite grilled meats, in the form of a roll ($6), sandwich ($6), with rice ($6.50) or even as an inclusion in a salad ($6). Choose from 6 different vegetables and 8 sauces, before adding extra toppings such as fries ($3), chips ($2) or even eggs ($1.50) to complete your meal.

We tried the Kebabs N’ Chips ($6.50), which comes with shredded chicken, or beef, or both meats, with a side of chilli-flavoured potato chips. The meats were smoky and flavourful, but we were a tad disappointed with the small portion. The Kebab N’ Chips would definitely be more of an appetiser than a meal.

Fins & Feathers

If you’re looking for grilled chicken or good ol’ fish and chips, Fins & Feathers has got you covered. The stall specialises in chicken and fish.

We tried their Tempura Fish w/Chips ($8.50). Although it’s the most expensive item on the menu, each serving comes with two pieces of battered dory fish. We were a bit disappointed with the plating of the dish, but all was redeemed after a bite into the deep fried golden fillets. The exterior wasn’t so much of the tempura batter you get from a Japanese restaurant, but it is light and airy. 

Other offerings include Chicken Chop w/Chips (Budget) ($2.80), which is great for the young ones.

The Stew House

The Stew House sells a range of stews. Since all the stews are already cooked and stored in large pots, diners do not need to wait long for their stews. So, those who are in a rush can easily grab a bowl of hearty stew for a quick lunch.

I think it’s uncommon to see Western stews, such as Chicken and Mushroom Veloute ($6/$7) or Beef Bourguignon ($6/$8) being sold at a hawker centre. The beef bourguignon was actually pretty decent. The stew had the usual western mirepoix, and a few cubes of meat.

Each serving of stew comes with a choice of rice or bun. I prefer the rice — solely for the reason of drizzling the savoury ‘zhap’ all over it. If you’re craving something more local, opt for the Nonya Curry Chicken ($5) or the Chicken Tiki Masala ($?).

The Humble Burger

Besides the usual Beef Burger ($5), Fish Burger ($4), or Portobello Burger ($4), diners can look forward to enjoying some mod-sin fusion burgers here at The Humble Burger. Think Chicken Rice Burger ($5.50) which comes with a chicken rice bun (not your usual fluffy hamburger buns), soy sauce chicken, ginger and chili sauce.

Another great option will be the Sio Bak Burger ($5.50), which has a big piece of sio bak sandwiched between two toasted patties.

The burgers don’t come with a side of fries, but you can get some Twister Fries ($1.50/$3), Homemade Slaw ($1.50) or even Caramelised Onions ($0.50) to go along with them. 

Wild Olives

Wild Olives has an extensive menu that is split into three categories — Western Food, Pastas and Side Orders. Every meal from the “Western Food” selection comes with a choice of two sides. Sides include the Wild Olives’ Signature Mushroom Rice, Grilled Herb Potatoes, and Homemade Coleslaw.

We tried the Grilled Chicken ($5.90), which is served with either teriyaki sauce or mushroom sauce, signature mushroom rice and grilled herb potatoes.

I loved the flavours of the mushroom rice. Other than having slices of mushrooms embedded within, the rice has a sweetness that came from the addition of fried onions. The grilled herb potatoes are also pretty good — they were neither mushy, nor hard, and were flavoured pretty well. 

Ice Creamery

Have you ever seen ice cream and waffles being served in a hawker centre? I sure have not. Ice Creamery does just that! Diners can choose to have their ice cream served the traditional way, in a cup or waffle cone ($0.50), or have it wrapped in popiah skin ($1.50)!

We had the Breakfast Berry Waffles ($4.50) with a scoop of Cookie Monster, and a scoop of Sea Salt Caramel ice cream ($3.80 each). The waffles were delightfully fluffy within and crisp outside, but we were a tad disappointed with the small scoop of ice cream.

Prawnaholic

This stall puts a twist on the classic hei mee. The Special Prawn Noodle ($6.50), which is available in both dry and soup versions, comes with a tiger prawn, kurobuta pork belly and homemade prawn balls.

The dry noodles are coated in a combination of sauces and spices that made the noodles really tasty. I also enjoyed the pieces of pork lard sprinkled all around. 

I could taste the sweetness and umami from the prawn broth, and it wasn’t too peppery — just the way I like it.

Other than the Special Prawn Noodle, the stall also has King Prawn Noodle ($8.50), and appetisers such as the Signature Prawnball W Salted Egg Mayo ($6.50) and Crispy Salmon Skin W Salted Egg Mayo ($6.50).

Apart from the food offerings, the décor of the second floor is a stark contrast to that of the first floor as well. There are also tables of different shapes and sizes which cater to groups of all sizes.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.