Review: Hawkers’ Street in Tampines 1 brings together Singapore’s hawker legends

I’ve always had mixed feelings about Michelin-awarded hawker stalls in Singapore. On one hand, it’s a great honour for the city that the humble hawker culture has ascended to such heights that a plate of chicken rice might come with a side of a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand.

It’s good for business, but there are also a lot of questions surrounding the selection and judging process, attributed to the sheer number of hawkers (in 2023, there were approximately 13,430 licensed stalls in Singapore) out there.

The unique blend of tradition and global recognition has made the winners the stuff of legends and insanely long queues, but at the very least, we can agree that the bar for hawkers is set higher than many cities, what with our reputation as a foodie city. So it was only a matter of time before someone took all the iconic hawker stalls — those crowned by Michelin or some other award — and assembled them into a single space. 

Enter Hawkers’ Street at Tampines 1, a food court-concept where you can savour some of the city’s best street food brands, without having to pay through the nose for the privilege.

The backstory

The concept of Hawkers’ Street is not new: It first took root in Ion Orchard shopping mall and also recently expanded to Bukit Panjang Plaza and aims to give storied hawkers a home in the heartlands. It’s a clever move, offering easties the chance to enjoy household names without trekking across the island. 

Like the others, the brand-new Tampines 1 space swaps out plastic chairs and aluminium trays for a more comfortable, polished and air-conditioned experience. Here, it puts the spotlight on 12 highly reputed brands such as Tai Wah Pork Noodle, Tiong Bahru Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hill Street Hainanese Curry Rice, Koung’s Wan Tan Mee, Pang’s Hakka Yong Tau Foo, and Garden Street Kway Chap.

Our verdict

Hawkers’ Street at Tampines 1 is, at its core, a food court. No matter how appealing the stalls, it’ll never match up to a proper hawker centre in terms of representation. 

Having said that, it celebrates hawker culture in its own special way and there was a palpable vibrant buzz in the air during my visit as office workers, families and foodies queued up for a taste of Singapore’s hawker favourites.

How do they fare in a glossier setting? As a disclaimer, we chose stalls that we haven’t tried prior to this to give a fresh and unadulterated opinion of their taste and quality. 

Our stomachs could only handle five dishes, but the food mostly holds its own in terms of execution — which is much more than I can say for most food courts, where stalls tend to be a mixed bag.

This is the kind of place where you can satisfy your cravings for solid yong tau foo and satay bee hoon in one go, all while enjoying the convenience of being in a mall. If you’re ever in the area, Hawkers’ Street is a place worth visiting.

What it’s good for

Old Teochew was first opened by the 2012 Golden Age Talentime winner and his wife in 2016 at Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre, making its name for fabulous satay bee hoon (from S$6.80) and mee siam. The former is a dish that demands attention and Old Teochew’s version here certainly earns it. The vermicelli is perfectly cooked, soaking up the rich, peanut-ty satay sauce that’s both creamy and spicy. 

Each mouthful of noodle, lean pork, cockle, and kang kong is a burst of flavours — savoury, sweet, briny, and slightly smoky. 

The bigger portion sees the addition of fresh cuttlefish and prawns, which adds even more texture to the dish. I don’t eat satay bee hoon often, but when I do, this is the standard I’ll crave for.

Nikmat Nasi Lemak is founded by Gideon Tan, who has over 14 years of experience in traditional local and Balinese cooking and the brand gets it right with the sous vide beef rendang set (S$9.90). The rice, cooked in coconut milk, is fragrant and fluffy, while the beef rendang is meltingly soft and deeply infused with spices, with the rich spicy gravy seeping into the meat. 

Paired with the usual suspects — crispy ikan bilis and salted peanuts, a fried egg, and airy tempura crisps — it’s a modern take on a classic rendang and one that’s well worth trying.

I couldn’t find much information about the origins of Hill Street Hainanese Curry Rice, but as someone who thinks curry rice is the epitome of comfort food, I had to bite. The signature curry rice (S$8.80) sees gooey curry that clings lovingly to each grain of rice. The curry is on the sweeter side, but still fragrant with spices and mild enough to let the flavour of the ingredients shine through: Tender and crisp pork chops that’s full of flavour, thick chunks of pork belly (this could be fattier but it’s a personal preference), stewed cabbage, and a silky soft egg. 

There’s a nostalgic home-cooked quality to this curry rice and it doesn’t taste as oily and salty as some of the ones that I’m used to.

I’ve been a fan of chef Pang’s food for a long time, way back from his Antoinette days all the way through SuperCurry, Pang’s Hakka Noodles and now Pang’s Hakka Yong Tau Foo. 

His signature Hakka yong tau foo noodles (S$7.80) is a masterclass in balance — the noodles are springy and QQ, with just the right amount of bite, while the accompanying pieces of fishballs, fishcake, bitter gourd, and chilli are robust in flavour. 

The standout? A crispy, golden-brown stuffed tofu that falls apart in the mouth. The pork lard is a bonus.

The dry version comes with a umami-laden sauce that ties everything together beautifully, yet is not overpowering — going hand-in-hand with the bowl of lightly-seasoned soup filled with soft stewed radish. This is a dish that showcases the subtlety and depth of Hakka cuisine, but for extra flavour, there’s a lovely fermented black-bean sauce and ginger chilli that mustn’t be missed. 

Who doesn’t like mee hoon kueh, those hefty hand-torn noodles that provide such a tender yet chewy bite? Started by former MasterChef Asia finalist Aaron Wong, Jiak Song’s version (S$6.30) does not disappoint with perfect, al dente noodles, flavourful minced pork, crisp anchovies, and irregularly-shaped handmade pork and prawn paste balls that are packed with juiciness.

The noodles come with a hot cloudy bowl of egg drop soup and it’s not any old boring soup you get as an afterthought at some places. This is a rich and almost creamy soup filled with yellow and white egg ribbons, along with a luscious egg yolk swirling around inside.

What it could improve on

If there’s a glaring fault here, it’s that the food court’s design is too cramped. There’s not much space between the stalls, so during peak hours (and even close to 2pm on a weekday), the queues stretch far back and around without any guidelines, making it difficult to know which queues belong to which stalls. 

Plus, the tables are packed rather closely together, making it a tight squeeze most of the time — not ideal when carrying steaming hot soups.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? As conducive as a food court can be! 

Is a reservation necessary? No.

How to get there? Hawkers’ Street is on the top floor of Tampines 1, located next to Tampines MRT Station Exit B.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this establishment for this review.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the best restaurants to head to for Korean-cuisine lovers and the most popular brunch spots to bring your squad on weekends.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Hawkers’ Street at Tampines 1.