碗仔 Wan Zai – New, Affordable Taiwanese Stall Run By Young Hawkers in Market Street Hawker Centre

If you haven’t had the chance to check out Market Street Hawker Centre since their reopening in the CapitaSpring Building in April 2022, now is the time! The spacious, well-lit hawker centre is home to a mix of stalls that have been around since their early days in former locations, as well as new faces, such as 碗仔 Wan Zai. Focusing on Taiwanese-centric dishes, 碗仔 Wan Zai is where you can get your fill of braised pork rice and beef noodles in the CBD. 

The stall is helmed by Rayner and CK, former NS mates who decided to step out on their own with a cuisine they love. The 25 year-old chefs learnt how to cook all the dishes on their menu on their own, with one of them tapping on the skills he gained from his time working at the now-defunct Stellar in 1-Altitude. 

Most of the key components are prepared beforehand and made fresh daily, such as the braised pork which needs to be cooked for at least two hours. They shared that they prepare at least 15kg of braised pork everyday! 

Their menu is rather small but has classic Taiwanese dishes such as Braised Pork Rice ($4.50), Beef Shank Noodles ($5) and Chicken Cutlet Fried Rice ($4.50). You can also find small bites like Fried Chicken Cutlet ($4.50), Salted Crispy Chicken ($4) and Fried Mushroom ($3.50). 

I decided to opt for the Braised Pork Rice Set ($6.50), which comes with a side of their Salted Crispy Chicken. The sticky, pearly grains were topped with a generous amount of braised pork. The mound of protein had a striking contrast of firm meat and very soft (but super indulgent) fat. I would have preferred the meaty portions to be slightly more tender, but it’s still a rather decent bowl and I really enjoyed the fatty bits of the pork. 

There was also sliced pickled radish and half a braised egg that had a bit too much of a solid yolk. 

The Salted Crispy Chicken saw a sprinkling of red chilli powder and while it could stand to be crispier in texture, the seasoning of the chicken itself was on point and the ratio of batter to meat was just right. 

I also went for the Beef Shank Noodles and was presented with a large, steaming hot bowl of what looked to be la mian noodles in a fragrant broth.  It was further topped off with hefty slices of beef shank. The noodles were rather soft and the peanut-based broth was light on the palate with a sweet aftertaste. 

The slices of beef were certainly beefy in flavour, so you might have to brace yourself a little if you’re not an avid fan of beef. On the plus side, they were easy enough to chew through.

碗仔 Wan Zai is definitely a place to check out if you’re looking for affordable Taiwanese food in the CBD. Market Street Hawker Centre is also a place with many other great stalls to check out; let us know if there’s any particular one we should visit!

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

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