14 Eateries That’ll Have You Eating Like a Basic Tampines Heartlander

Tampines is known for its plethora of food choices, but it is still a world of its own for Singaporeans who are foreign to the East side. Having been in this side of Singapore for both work and leisure, it can sometimes be vexing for the unfamiliar to navigate around Tampines especially if you are looking for a fuss free lunch, dinner or even a quick bite. My knowledge of eateries around Tampines are at best humble, so do bear with me as I go through a list of eateries located near Tampines MRT that are unique to the heartlanders of Tampines.

April’s Bakery Singapore

The opening of April’s Bakery might be kept hushed, but words of its tasty soft pies from Thailand spread like wildfire. The pies are made in their central kitchen back in Thailand before being shipped over to Singapore and reheated for our pleasure.

Each pie features an amazingly buttery crust that melts in your mouth. I would recommend the Thai Milk Tea Pie ($2.00), which delivers a filling that has a smooth custard-like texture. The flavour and the sweetness of the milk tea essence is also nicely captured. On the other hand, the filling of the Custard Pie ($2.00) has a more milky and eggy taste that is just right. It sounds as though the pies would be awfully sweet, but you would be surprise how most of the pies aren’t that sweet.

Ban Mian @ Kapitans by Kopitiam

With its humble beginnings at Geylang selling Ban Mian as the famous L32 Handmade Noodles, the store has since opened a second outlet in Tampines One that greatly appeals to many East-siders. This stall embraces an open kitchen concept, so you can watch how the Chinese chef gingerly pulls each portion of noodles by hand. You’ll get a choice to choose from a variety of homemade noodle type, such as U-Mian, Mee Hoon Kway or Mee Sua.

I got the Sliced Fish Noodle Soup ($6.50), which consists of U-Mian steeped in a broth that is topped with pieces of sliced fish, minced meat, anchovies, a soft boiled egg as well as some leafy greens. While the taste of the broth didn’t impress, I really enjoyed the texture of the noodles, which is super springy with a delightful, toothsome bite to it.

Fu Yuan Teochew Bak Chor Mee

Did you know that the owner of this unassuming establishment was formerly working as an assistant with Hill Street Tai Hwa’s Bak Chor Mee? I’m glad he did. With more than 30 years of experience, the owner of Fu Yuan has finally created his own take on the traditional Bak Chor Mee that East-siders can call their own.

For a very affordable price, you can enjoy a satisfying bowl of Bak Chor Mee ($3.00) that will make that imminent food coma worth it. You might first noticed that the portion of Bak Chor Mee here is bigger, which makes it really value for money. Go on and slurp on that springy noodles that is topped with an array of classic bak chor mee ingredients, such as minced pork, liver, pork balls and fried sole fish. Finally, take pleasure in mixing the noodles in their vinegar-based sauce, which is a seriously addictive mix of sweet and tangy flavours. Their dumpling soup ($4.00) is worth a try too!

Saffron’s Cafeteria

Spicy food lovers will rejoice at this 24 hours Halal eatery, which whips up one mean, spicy plate of Mee Goreng ($4.50). The stir-fried noodles had a good spicy kick to it, but I was not fond of the mushy texture of the noodles, which was slightly overcooked. Fortunately, little bits of eggs, tomato and potato were added to the noodles to enhance its palatability.

Diners should order a portion of their famed briyani served on a huge banana leaf. Do take note that their briyani is only available after 11am, which explains why I was not able to get it as I arrived too early. If you’re lucky (or if you do commit to memory), you could try to order the Bee Hoon Briyani which is specially available on Fridays after 2pm. Saffron’s Cafeteria has another outlet near the Siglap area too.

Tampines 802 Carrot Cake

Hidden in an unassuming coffee shop is the Tampines 802 Carrot Cake shop, which has been operating for over 20 years. Stories about their divine carrot cake and hokkien mee have travelled far and wide, but I couldn’t prove it until recently. Yes, this shop does one of the best white carrot cake in my opinion.

The carrot cake is served with bite sized portions of radish cake that is nicely moist. It embodies a certain natural sweetness, which is enhanced by the small bits of carrots added to the radish cake. The fire on the stir fry is also well controlled, which really sears in that wok hei charred taste into the Chai Tao Kway. The chilli was alright, but it did its part to enhance the wok hei of the carrot cake. Remember to order a plate of their Hokkien Mee which is also well received by diners!

Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant (Tampines)

Having visited both Al-Azhar restaurants at Cheong Chin Nam road and Tampines, I would have to say Al-Azhar Tampines serves up one of the best tasting naans in Singapore. Made exclusively in-house, their rendition of the South Asian flatbread has a texture that is soft and moist. The garlic Naan ($2.80) had a subtle garlic aftertaste which was just right.

Behind every successful naan is a delicious bowl of curry gravy. Al-Azhar’s murgh makhani, or commonly known as butter chicken curry ($7.50) had me drooling with their rich concoction of yoghurt, cream and spices. Swimming in the smooth curry were huge chunks of chicken, which were well marinated with their in-house spices to deliver a slight spicy kick. Perhaps, it could have been nicer if the texture of the chicken is more consistent.

Al Mahboob Rojak Restaurant Pte Ltd

If you are a fan of Indian Rojak, get ready to be blown away by one of the best Indian Rojaks in Singapore! Al Mahboob delivers a concoction of irresistable peanut sauce that is to die for. Made from over 10 ingredients and spices such as root vegetables, the peanut sauce had a smooth texture that erupted into a tangy-savoury mix of flavours. What’s more, the peanut sauce is refillable.

Pick from an assortment of ingredients to add to your Indian rojak, especially the Big Prawns ($2.10/pc) and Flour with Potato ($1.10/pc) which the chefs will fry to a golden crisp. Indulge in classic ingredients such as the hotdog ($0.90/pc) and the fish fillet ($1.60/pc) for a good time! You should order a plate of Mee Goreng ($5.00) to start, as the wait for Indian Rojak can be quite long. This stir-fried noodles might be mediocre, but the spicy seasoning on it left me feeling shiok!

Alt Yard

Who doesn’t enjoy a good bowl of churros from time to time? Sweet tooths like me might rush to queue for these fried dough pastries at crowded pasar malams or night markets, but queue no more! Alt-Yard is a desserts and specialty coffee bar co-founded by the people behind Penny University and Fluff Bakery. Made only upon order, Alt-Yard creates medium sized churros sticks ($3.80) that are coated lightly in fragrant cinnamon sugar. It is crunchy on the outside, and moist and airy on the inside. Choose from a selection of three house-made dips (addition $1 – $1.50), including chocolate ganache, liquid cheesecake or salted caramel.

Alt-Yard also puts a spin on traditional flavours with their ondeh ondeh flavoured churros ($3.80 for 7pc) covered in shredded coconut, which also comes with a gula melaka dip. Caffeine lovers can grab a cup of Joe to go along with these toothsome pastries.

Amelia’s

Health advocate Amelia’s is a small pastry shop offering diabetic friendly pastries that are personally designed by Amelia herself, whose father’s diabetic condition inspired her muse. As a budding patissier, Amelia was galvanised into baking healthier pastry treats using key ingredients that are low in glycemic index, such as wholemeal flour, coconut sugar and Gala Apples which helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

Do look out for their signature Apple custard pie ($2.80) and Nacho Cheese Pie ($3.80), which promise a guilt free treat for diabetics and everyone alike. Amelia’s also offers non-diabetic products, including their adorable cat donuts ($3.80) which are popular amongst kids and cat lovers.

In lieu of the month of Ramadan, Amelia’s is also offering Hari Raya goodies that are low in GI as well. Yes, Amelia’s is currently awaiting their Halal certification which will be administered end May or early June. If you’re a student or a pioneer, enjoy 10% off your total bill. For a limited period only, Amelia’s is offering a deal of $10 with any 4 selected pastry pies.

Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut

Opened since October 2016, the second outlet of the Halal-certified Bebek Goreng Pak Ndut has waddled its way into Tampines after the rising success of their main branch in Lucky Plaza. The signature Original Crispy Fried Duck & Rice ($9.90) is a plate of traditionally deep fried crispy duck marinated in a blend of spices, served along with tofu, tempeh, Kang kong side salad and chilli padi. However, the meat on the fried duck was slightly tough, and the skin was not nearly as crispy as I thought it would be.

Meet & Melt

Tucked away in a small corner is Meet & Melt, a dessert cafe offering their famous Lava Toast that comes in a myriad of flavours. The cafe only offers outdoor sitting but the shop owners were really considerate in having fans placed near our tables to cool us off.

We had to get the classic Lava Original Toast ($14.90), which is a sweet toasted bread encasing a flavoured lava flow of your choice, such as Thai Milk Tea or Green Milk Tea. The taste of the lava flow was actually not as sweet as I expected it to be. The Lava Original Toast also comes with a scoop of ice cream, so we had the Valrhona Dark Chocolate that has a strong cocoa taste. It is comforting to learn how their products are all actually homemade with less cream and sugar, which makes it a healthier alternative.

Out of the Cake Box Tampines

Out of the Cake Box offers a specially curated cake selection that is really, well, out of the box. Inspired heavily by their childhood sweets, kueh and desserts, the owners-cum-good friends duo Dana and Yu Zhong puts a new spin on delectable cakes that personifies traditional Singaporean desserts such as Chendol or Burbur Cha Cha.

Residents and visitors of the east side can now enjoy these delightful treats at Tampines Hub. The Burbur Cha Cha ($5.50) is made up of purple sweet potato mousse deliciously smacked between two crunch ice cream wafers. Layered within the mousse is a chewy tapioca jelly that complements the smooth, light mousse really well. Diners can also enjoy the classic Chendol Fudge ($5.50), which is a gula melaka sponge cake layered alternately with coconut-gula melaka fudge topped with chendol fillings such as red bean and green rice flour jelly strips. We were amazed by the creamy and fluffy texture of Chendol Fudge cake that has a natural sweetness to it.

Saap Saap Thai

It is tempting to book a plane ticket to the land of smiles for some good Thai food, seeing we are so near Changi Airport. Why not settle for a quasi-Thai experience at Saap Saap Thai, a halal-certified Thai eatery serving affordable Halal Thai food.

Start off with a cup of their Original Thai Iced Tea ($3.00), which is thick and rich without being overwhelmingly sweet. I do recommend their signature Australian Beef Boat Noodles ($7.90), which has Thai glass noodles in a sweet beef broth topped with tender beef slices that is slurp-worthy. In a group of 3 or more? Get their Succulent Wings and Drumettes ($6.90) that is coated with their tangy-savoury saap saap sauce. Finish off with a plate of signature Mango Tango ($5.50), which serves half a slice of mango together with sweet sticky rice and coconut milk. Add a splash of coconut milk to the sticky rice and mango slice for that Aroy mak mak goodness!

Tampines is known to be a paradise for foodies, and we’re pretty sure there are many other delicious eats around the area. However, for your convenience, we have sourced out the ones that are near the MRT station. Hope you’ll enjoy as much as we did.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the cafes/stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!