13 Amazing Things Everyone Must Eat In Timbre+

We have always loved the creative brains behind Timbre Group who offers us cool chill-out places, complete with delicious food and great live music. Their latest hipster joint, Timbre+ (Timber Plus), newly opened on 1 April 2016, has transformed the old Ayer Rajah hawker centre into a traditional-meets-modern gastropark.

An array of graffiti and spray paint art are splashed all over shipping containers and vintage Airstream travel trailers transformed into food trucks. Timbre+ is home to 35 dining options, featuring 21 hawker stalls and 14 restaurant brands. An impressive list of culinary names makes up this gastropark so here are 13 noteworthy ones!

Wong Kee Wanton Noodles

This popular wanton noodle from Maxwell Food Centre is not your typical wanton noodle. These mee pok are specially created and imported from a factory in JB, infused with special homemade spinach and tomato flavours. We tried their Char Siew Dumpling Tomato Noodles ($4.50) and Beef Brisket Spinach Noodles ($5.50). The former has a refreshingly sweet aftertaste but we preferred the latter, as it was more savoury and the tender beef brisket complemented the spinach noodles so well. However, the highlight of Wong Kee is actually their wantons, made with tomato and spinach puree. These plump wantons contain generous fillings of turnip, black fungus, crunchy chestnut bits, mushrooms and minced meat. Do note that these special wantons are only available during Chinese New Year and promotional period so you have about another week’s time to rush down to savour it before it’s “gone”.

Teppei Daidokoro

The latest Japanese yakitori concept of Chef Teppei Yamashita, Teppei Daidokoro (‘Daidokoro” means “kitchen” in Japanese) offers yakitori skewers with charcoal-infused yakitori sauce, with a selection of chicken meatball, chicken thigh, pork belly, pork sausages, salmon belly, quail eggs and many more. Chef Teppei spent many months formulating and perfecting his own special charcoal-infused yakitori sauce set to give an intensely charcoal-flavour for yakitori lovers out there. In addition, Teppei fans can also enjoy the signature Kaisen Don ($16, sashimi rice bowl), grilled/deep-fried breaded bentos/dons and Hokkaido croquettes.

D’s Joint

Chef Damian D’Silva of Immigrants Gastrobar and South East Sliders introduces his latest outlet, serving up new surprises. His interest in the kitchen began since young, as he observed his grandparents prepare family meals. He learnt the importance of putting love and effort into his cooking and makes it a point to retain the essence and flavours he experienced as a child. From the time he was a young boy patiently grinding rempah and stirring hot, bubbling kueh dodol liquid over a copper pot, to the time he spent in Europe acquiring new culinary skills, this was a philosophy he stayed true to. At Timbre+, our tastebuds were treated to a delightful experience with Chef Damian’s Limpeh (father) Slider. The powerpack beef rendang filling totally nailed it! This is a definite must-try for anyone who visits Timbre+.

Iskina Cebu

Previously located at Geylang East, friends from the Philippines can get a taste of home from Iskina Cebu, while soaking in the vibrant and chillax atmosphere at Timbre+. Look forward to being treated to Bisdak favourites such as Lechon (suckling/roasted pig) Cebu, Spicy Belly Chon, Liempo Ala Balamban (roast pork belly) and Inasal Nga Manok (grilled chicken). In the past, the suckling pig was imported from Holland but now, you’ll get a taste of Spanish suckling pig, with generous stuffing of lemongrass, spring onion and other secret Cebu ingredients. Chef owner, Chris, is very particular with MSG and insists on not using it so customers get to fully experience the depth of each part of the meat. For Cebu cooking, it’s all about salt so Chris wants to remain congruent yet he lowered down the usage to suit localized tastebuds. The crackling skin and soft juicy fats goes perfectly with fragrant rice. One portion of Spanish suckling pig costs $12.

Two Wings

Having ended operations at its original coffeeshop at Alexandra, Two Wings has found a new home at Timbre+. Owner Jeremy learnt to fry chicken wings from his granduncle and fine-tuned it further to cater to the current tastebuds. Using fatter wings from Brazil, the wings are marinated in a secret formula overnight. You can smell the distinct aroma of sesame oil for the original-flavoured wings. Every morning, Jeremy will meticulously massage the wings to drain off the excess marinade before deep-frying them to a golden hue and presenting them on instagrammable wooden boards. These wings are only freshly fried upon order. Moving together with the current trend, Jeremy has introduced Salted Egg Chicken Wings. This is how salted egg chicken wings should be done, simply perfect! You can look forward to another two flavours that Jeremy will be introducing soon!

Food Anatomy

With the concept of “design meets culinary”, the Food Anatomy people who were from Deli and Daint at Maxwell Food Centre sells layered food in blocks. They believe that dishes should not only be tasty but aesthetically pleasing as well. Every meal is $16 and consists of a choice of 3 dishes where customers are free to mix and match any of the main dishes, desserts or salads. We tried Cold Soba, Organic Lasagna and Pork Cheek with Fragrant Rice. We find the soba jelly very unique but the rest were quite average.

Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh

Behind this bowl of Bak Kut Teh is the inspiring story of Jabez Tan, who once spent 12 years in jail. Being a social enterprise, 80% of workers employed here are ex-offenders and the homeless, as Jabez wants to help them reintegrate back into the community. What makes this Bak Kut Teh special is that it comes with pig innards and the broth is full bodied with a slight sweetness. Argentinean pork is used and you get to taste its natural sweetness and juices. On the other hand, the gooey thick gravy in Dried Bak Kut Teh is cooked by reducing the soup, dark soya sauce and enhanced with dried chilli, dried cuttlefish and lady finger. This is a good complement, especially when paired with a piping bowl of aromatic rice.

Wang Jiao Ban Mian

Ban Mian might not have originated from Singapore but you can get it at most hawker centers nowadays. When it comes to Ban Mian, what makes a stall stands out relates to the perfect egg yolk, the chewiness of the noodles and the level of fieriness in the chilli. Of course, you have to consider its overall taste too. We were ecstatic to chance upon the dry version of Ban Mian ($3.30) here, where the usual hearty broth is replaced with a combination of sauces and chilli. You can expect a plate of handmade noodles heavier in flavour, with an added kick to its taste!

Fishball Story

Douglas Ng, one of the most well-known local hawker-entrepreneur, rose to fame because of his bouncy handmade fishballs recipe passed down from his grandmother. He diligently makes his fishballs at 4am in the mornings, using purely yellow tail fish meat with no flour. He blends fish paste, hand press the fishballs and fishcakes, makes the sambal and lard… so much hard work, isn’t it? At $6 for a bowl of premium handmade fishball noodle, you get handmade fishballs, fishcakes, fried fish skin, mee pok tossed with sambal chilli and lard etc. The fishballs are firm and the mee pok is al dente, with a QQ texture while the fishcakes are soft yet roughly textured and speckled with chilli and scallions. So yummy!

Nam Heng Chicken Rice

This chicken rice stall has been withstanding the test of time, having been a tenant at the old Ayer Rajah hawker centre and subsequently, shifting to the temporary tent when the hawker centre was under renovation and now, moving back into a hawker stall in Timbre+. Although we didn’t find the chicken rice ($3) impressive and there isn’t much to shoutout about this plate of popular local fare, this stall attracts old, loyal customers who have been patronizing them since they started business. There are also a Nasi Padang stall and teh tarik stall that were tenants at the old Ayer Rajah hawker centre.

Dancing Crab Shack

Dancing Crab Shack’s lobster rolls need no introduction. Located near the stage, their first fast-casual concept serves lobster roll, chicken & waffles and all your favourite combo bags. Paired with Cajun fries, the bread was toasted to a great crispiness with generous chunks of lobster meat that’s creamy and tasty.

The World Is Flat by Tanuki Raw

The World Is Flat by the same team behind Tanuki Raw, Standing Sushi Bar and Shinkasen has gone into a “revamped” pizza concept, inspired by Californian deep-dish pizzas, fusioned with Japanese tastes. We had a humongous slice of Fat Samurai ($9/slice, $49 whole pizza), which consisted of duck confit, bacon, prawn, burnt onions, smashed US beef, roasted cabbage, Konbu mayo, balsamic Okonomiyaki sauce, crispy bonito flakes, mozzarella and brie, atop an Umami charcoal crust. Honestly, one slice can be shared among 2-3 people as the toppings are abundant. Furthermore, with such a deep crust, it can be too heavy if you savour it alone.

Bottle Shop

What’s great food without great beer? At Bottle Shop, you won’t find the usual run-of-the-mill beers. Pick up a bucket at the start of the row of chillers and immerse yourself in the world of boutique, seasonal and limited edition beers at Bottle Shop. This is a rotating menu of beers, cheers!

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Besides the good eats mentioned above, you can also expect Kush (modern Singaporean skewers and rice bowls), Portico Platos (Spanish Tapas), Big Bern’s American Grill, Garcons (modern French food) and many other food truck concept stalls at Timbre+. This hawker centre is promoting a good “return-your-own-trays” initiative – the $1 tray return system! All the trays are microchipped here. When you order food and require a tray, you have to pay a dollar extra, which you can get back when you return the tray at the centralized collection unit. There are live music performances from Wednesday to Saturday nights, so grab your friends and family for a “party” at this hipster hawker centre!

Learn more “9 Best Hawker Centres in Singapore“.

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