Cover Image: Advocator SY/Unsplash
Image: Advocator SY/Unsplash
1 / 1
Old favourites return at this recently reopened hawker centre
After closing for a three-month repair and redecoration project back in November 2022, Newton Food Centre is finally ready to receive customers once again. This has long been a favourite location for street food—among locals, tourists, and even renowned chefs. It is well-loved for its impressive roster of stalls, including some listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand, while others might recognise the location in the 2018 movie Crazy Rich Asians. And now, the renovated facility boasts fresh features of waterproof blinds and giant fans—alongside some 82 stalls serving up your favourite hawker fare. Hungry? Here are five of our favourite eats you definitely can’t go wrong with.
Don't miss: Chatterbox is back: What we think of its SG$25 chicken rice
1. Alliance Seafood
Barbecued seafood is a must-have when visiting Newton Food Centre. And this Bib Gourmand-listed eatery does it with skill and finesse. Its rendition of our iconic chilli crab and black pepper crab are popular choices, best enjoyed with deep-fried golden buns to mop up all the luscious sauce. But you can also get other fresh catch cooked in a variety of ways—from fried rings of calamari to butter prawns and steamed fish. Stingray with sambal chilli is also a perpetual crowd-pleaser.
Alliance Seafood, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North, 01-27, Newton Food Centre, S(229495), 9771 9209
Read more: The most popular seafood restaurants to visit in Johor Bahru
2. Heng 興
Located just a few paces away is yet another value-for-dollar treat; Heng is a Michelin Bib Gourmand-listed stall that specialises in traditional carrot cake. The owners pride themselves in using a homemade base—softer in texture with bits of radish peeking through in every bite. Heaps of preserved radish then get tossed into the frying pan, alongside an egg mixture to yield a fragrant dish. Depending on which camp you are in, both the white (plain) and black (drizzled with sweet black sauce) rendition has their fans. And since you are already in the queue, be sure to order some of that crispy, starchy oyster omelette as well.
Heng Carrot Cake, 500 Clemenceau Avenue, 01-28, Newton Food Centre, S(229495)
3. Soon Wah Fishball Kway Teow Mee
This humble stall has been making its signature fishballs and fish dumplings since 1966. Each ball is impressive in size, and scores high in both taste and texture. Equally impressive is the fish dumpling, an increasingly rare find at noodle stalls now—making them is a painstakingly tedious process, and one that the stall owners still willingly undertake. Do note that Soon Wah only opens during the evening, so it is best to swing by when the sun sets.
Soon Wah Fishball Kway Teow Mee, 500 Clemenceau Avenue, Stall 69, Newton Food Centre, S(229492)
In case you missed it: This foodtech company created cultured fish products
4. Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge
While most stalls at Newton Food Centre serve the dinner and supper crowd, Bib Gourmand-winner Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge is most popular among the lunch crowd (the stall closes significantly earlier compared to the others at 8pm). A clear, sweet, and clean-tasting broth, made from boiling down fish bones, is what gets people coming back for more. Add to that thick cuts of batang fish—fleshy and firm—and you have a belly-warming meal that will surely satisfy. The fish and soup in themselves make for a light meal, but you can also enjoy it with beehoon or rice porridge.
Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge, 500 Clemenceau Avenew, 01-20, Newton Food Centre, S(229495)
5. 88 San Ren Cold and Hot Dessert
The smoke and fumes from the grills can make dining at Newton Food Centre a sweaty affair. Your best bet to cool off is by getting a cold treat from this traditional dessert stall. Cheng tng is a signature—the sweet dessert soup is made using dried longans, red dates, and other nourishing ingredients that help create a ‘cooling’ effect on the body. Add to that some canned longan and lychees and the bowl becomes a refreshing antidote to the sweltering heat. Of course, other classics including shaved ice, green bean soup, and other nostalgic treats are also available.
88 San Ren Cold and Hot Dessert, 500 Clemenceau Avenue, 01-05, Newton Food Centre, S(229495)
Topics
