Your guide to NUS food options: 10 places to try around campus

1. Yong Tau Foo & Laksa — The Deck 

The Deck, 5 Arts Link
Open: Monday to Friday (8am to 3pm)

Why visit? If you’re often around the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) area, you’d know that the yong tau foo stall at its canteen The Deck perpetually draws long queues, especially during lunch time.

This NUS food stall is known for its affordable prices, which start from S$3.10 (for six ingredients and a carb), and its flavourful laksa gravy — it’s easy to see why most NUS students would make a beeline for it. 

The variety of ingredients reduces quite significantly right after peak lunch hour at 12.30pm so we’d recommend dropping by the store right before that if you want a wider selection of items and a shorter queue! 

Crowd favourites: Simple is best and at this store, the clear soup is a (pun intended) clear winner with ingredients such as beancurd skin, seaweed chicken and white cabbage being quite popular among the lunch crowd, too. 

Find the usual yong tao foo quite basic? The aromatic laksa gravy (additional S$0.50) is not only robust, but also goes great with white rice, enough to fill you up for a day of lessons ahead. 

2. Ban Mian & Noodles — The Deck

The Deck, 5 Arts Link
Open: Monday to Friday (8am to 3pm)

Why visit? Those looking for something hearty at The Deck should look no further than the ban mian and noodles store. 

Another well-loved, popular store at The Deck, this shop serves up generous portions of noodles at student-friendly prices. You can expect a variety of noodles here, with dishes such as tomato noodle (S$4), minced meat noodle (S$4), and pork ribs noodle (S$4.50).

Crowd favourites: You can’t go wrong with the quintessential ban mian (S$3.50) — the go-to dish to warm the cockles of your heart, especially on cool, rainy days. For those who prefer their noodles sauced up, the minced meat noodle (known as zhajiangmian, S$4), which features savoury dry noodles with minced pork, is a robust dish that is bound to fill you right up.

Another well-loved item on the menu is its boiled or fried dumplings (six pieces for S$3.50) which are perfect for sharing in a group to round up a satisfying meal. 

3. Japanese Food — The Deck

The Deck, 5 Arts Link
Open: Monday to Friday (8am to 3pm)

Why visit? Another well-loved NUS food stall in The Deck is the Japanese food stall, which, like the Yong Tau Foo stall, attracts long queues during lunch. But anyone who’s made it to the end of the line will tell you that its hearty and affordable Japanese fare is well worth the wait. 

Its menu has an extensive 15 dishes to choose from, and if you’re spoilt for choice, you can even opt for a half-and-half option, such as a chicken and salmon don (S$5.60).

Crowd favourites: Its good ol’ chicken katsu don (S$4.30) — which features a sizable crispy and juicy chicken cutlet, drenched in tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise — is one of the more popular dishes that sells out by early afternoon.

The chicken katsu curry don (S$4.60) is a hot contender, too. The hearty dish comes with the same fan favourite chicken katsu, and an additional dollop of thick and savoury Japanese curry, which goes so well with the rice and protein.  

4. The Spread — NUS Business School 

Mochtar Riady Building, 01-03, 15 Kent Ridge Drive
Open: Monday to Friday (8am to 7pm), Saturday (8am to 2pm)

Why visit? Most NUS Business students would be familiar with this NUS food gem at the oft-visited Mochtar Riady Building — The Spread is a stylish cafeteria serving up an assortment of small bakes, savoury dishes and drinks, all of which are easy choices to grab before or in between classes. 

Established in 2016 and refurbished in 2022, The Spread has a cosy environment that is plenty inviting — while it’s a common grab-and-go spot, you’ll also see students gathering there with their friends for a quick catch-up during off-peak hours.

While prices at The Spread are a tad steeper than some NUS food places, thankfully most of its prices still fall below S$10.

Crowd favourites: The Spread’s Italian pastas, which come perfectly al dente, are its undisputed bestsellers. There’s a choice of classics such as the spaghetti aglio olio (S$6.50) as well as heartier options such as the penne al ragu bolognese (S$8.90). 

Its convenient salad bowls are also crowd favourites. You can either opt to build-your-own salad or order pre-curated bowls such as the Superfood medley (S$10.50), which comes with seven types of vegetables and extra virgin olive oil. 

5. Hwang’s Korean Restaurant — UTown

University Town, 01-09 Create Tower, 1 Create Way
Open: Monday to Saturday (10.30am to 9pm)

Why visit? For those in NUS who love all things Korean, Hwang’s Korean Restaurant at University Town (or UTown for short) is the place to be at. Its Korean selections run the gamut from hotplate combo sets (from S$7.70), bibimbap (S$6.60), samgyetang (S$8.30), and ramyeon (from S$4.40).

The casual eatery is located just a stone’s throw away from the UTown bus stop, and its convenient location means that you’ll often find it packed, be it with students or members of the faculty.

However, don’t let its long queues deter you from having a meal there — the Hwang’s crew are highly efficient, whether it’s in taking orders or serving them up, and you’ll have your comforting Korean fare right in front of you before you know it. 

Crowd favourites: The ddukbaegi samgyeopsal set (S$8.30) is a must-have if you’re a pork belly lover. It features spicy marinated pork belly served in a hot stone bowl. While there are other Korean options around NUS, you probably won’t find ones served up in a hot stone bowl. 

If you’re looking for bites to share, Hwang’s tteokbokki (hot and spicy rice cake, S$4) and gimbap (S$3) are not only authentic and comforting, but also come at unbeatable prices.

6. Uncle Penyet — Frontier

Frontier Phase 1 Kiosk 4, 12 Science Drive 2
Open: Monday to Friday (9am to 8pm), Saturday (9am to 3pm)

Why visit? Uncle Penyet is an ayam penyet specialist chain in Singapore, and its outlet at the Faculty of Science’s canteen Frontier is its only outlet on campus.

It’s such a reliable NUS food spot for crispy, tender ayam penyet that it’s not uncommon for non-Science students to make their way across campus just for this. 

Crowd favourites: Its signature dish is clearly the ayam penyet set (S$5.50) — it features a hunk of fried crispy chicken, fried taupok, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes and lettuce. 

For those who are seeking healthier options, its steamed chicken set (S$4.80), which comes with a steamed chicken thigh in a sweet-and-savoury black sauce, is worth a try, too. 

7. Asia Wok — Frontier

Frontier Stall 9, 12 Science Drive 2
Open: Monday to Friday (7am to 7pm), Saturday (7am to 12pm)

Why visit? While you’re there, another NUS food spot to hit up at Frontier is Asia Wok, which is arguably one of the most well-known halal food stalls in NUS, well-loved for its comforting, yummy dishes, and inexpensive prices. 

True to its name, the stall specialises in Asian-inspired wok-fired dishes and its more than 30 dishes also include options such as noodles, fried rice and vegetarian dishes.

Crowd favourites: Recommended items include its savoury salted egg chicken with rice (S$4.50) and wok hei-loaded fried beef dry hor fun (S$5), both are comforting staples that come at extremely wallet-friendly prices. 

8. Mala Xiang Guo — Prince George’s Park Canteen

Prince George’s Park Aircon Canteen, 27 Prince George’s Park
Open: Monday to Sunday (7.30am to 8pm)

Why visit? If a mala craving hits while you’re in the NUS hood, ask any student and they’ll most likely direct you to the mala xiang guo shop (or MLXG) at Prince George’s Park’s canteen. 

While it’s not the only MLXG stall on campus, it’s the one that draws some of the longest queues thanks to its aromatic take on the dish, good mix of both spicy and numbing elements. Don’t be deterred by the queues, though, as the service here is surprisingly systematic and fast.

Crowd favourites: Everyone has their favourites when it comes to MLXG ingredients, but some items that fly off the shelves include its pork belly slices, cheese tofu and quail eggs. Prices here are by weight and you should expect to pay more (S$2.50 per 100g) for premium meat options such as beef and seafood. 

A typical MLXG bowl of vegetables, protein (we opted for pork belly slices, cheese tofu and quail eggs) and instant noodles will set you back by about S$20 — comparable to prices you’d find off-campus. 

9. A Hot Hideout — PGP Residences

27 Prince George’s Park, 02-01
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 9.30pm)

Why visit? If you’re bent on getting that mala fix while perusing NUS food choices, good news: Popular MLXG brand A Hot Hideout has just opened a new outlet at Prince George’s Park Residences. The brand was started in 2020 by six former Nanyang Technological University students who shared a burning passion for mala. 

It gained virality for its addictive mala collagen soup base and its unique take on frying up ingredients (such as lotus root), and serving them alongside the mala soup. 

Crowd favourites: The mala collagen soup base (S$2.50) is a must. While everyone usually has their own favourite MLXG combinations, we highly recommend its unique items (S$2.68 per 100g) such as its fried potato, scrambled eggs, and fried lotus roots, to enjoy the mala broth with. 

10. The Acai Truck — Prince George’s Park Canteen

Prince George’s Park Aircon Canteen, Level 2, 27 Prince George’s Park
Open: Monday to Friday (11.15am to 7.30pm)

Why visit? Founded by acai fanatic Mohan Vatwani in 2020, homegrown acai brand The Acai Truck had its beginnings as a mobile acai shop, serving up affordably priced acai bowls from a truck-shaped pop-up stall at campuses. 

Mohan later opened the brand’s first physical store at PGP’s Canteen in August 2024.  

On its menu, you’ll find the regular acai base, as well as other unique options such as Thai coconut sorbet, mango sorbet, and lychee sorbet. 

Crowd favourites: Its signature item is the Nutty Truck (from S$5.40 for a small bowl), which comes with an acai base, banana, pumpkin seeds, granola and your choice of sauce. 

Want something a bit more unique? Some swear by the Coco Truck (from S$5.90 for a small bowl), which comes with Thai coconut sorbet, acai, banana, blueberries and granola, all of which are especially refreshing on a hot and humid day! 

For the latest eats, read more about McDonald’s new burger and the return of McGriddles, and Guerilla Coffee’s new flagship cafe at Kallang Riverside. 

A Hot Hideout at NUS and The Acai Truck are on the GrabFood delivery service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out. 

You can also book a ride to these places to check out NUS food spots.