SINGAPURA HERITAGE (Level 2) – Mini Food Hall Review
Heng Heng Curry Rice
Visual Presentation & Hues: The curry rice displays a vibrant golden-amber curry gravy with a luscious, milky sheen. The curry showcases rich and milky characteristics Burpple, with potato chunks scattered throughout in warm ochre tones. Deep mahogany-hued braised pork belly contrasts against snowy white rice, while golden-fried items add textural variety.
Texture & Mouthfeel: The curry delivers a rich, velvety consistency with tender chicken provided generously Burpple. The potato chunks maintain structural integrity while absorbing the spice-laden gravy. Taupok (fried bean curd puffs) demonstrate exceptional sauce absorption properties Burpple, becoming soft and flavor-saturated. However, quality control issues emerge in delivery orders—some customers report the rice arriving excessively soggy, compromising the dish’s textural balance.
Flavor Profile: The curry exhibits a coconut-milk base with aromatic spice complexity. The generous chicken portions contribute savory depth, while the gravy maintains a balance between richness and mild heat. The pork belly adds umami intensity.
Delivery Performance: Available via Foodpanda, Deliveroo, and Oddle Eats. Mixed reviews on packaging—some customers appreciate portion sizes, while others note inconsistent rice texture upon arrival and occasional missing items.
Rong’s Wantan Noodle
Visual & Textural Analysis: The noodles present as firm and springy with savoury characteristics Fat. The char siew displays a caramelized mahogany exterior with pink-tinged lean meat inside. Soup wantons feature soft, translucent skin encasing meaty filling, while fried wantons exhibit crispy golden exteriors Fat.
Mouthfeel Complexity: The tossed noodles achieve firm, springy texture with pronounced savoury notes Fat, though some find the seasoning overly aggressive. The noodles are thicker than typical Cantonese-style wanton mee, giving them substantial bite. Free-flow crispy pork lard adds crunch, though quality varies—some batches taste excessively oily rather than fragrant.
Flavor Architecture: The signature fiery chili sauce provides intense heat that divides opinions. The char siew carries lean, meaty character with mild sweetness Fat. The soup wantons deliver savory umami, while pickled green chilies contribute tangy brightness. Some diners find the overall seasoning too salty.
Delivery Considerations: Available through multiple platforms. Takeaway quality degrades significantly—noodles often arrive soggy and clumped together, losing their characteristic springiness. The thick noodle style doesn’t travel well.
MALAYSIAN CHIAK (Basement) – Malaysian Street Food Hub
Penang Char Kway Teow
Visual Composition: The flat rice noodles exhibit a glossy sheen with charred edges in deep amber and black hues. Prawns display pink-orange tones, while eggs create golden ribbons throughout. Chinese sausage adds dark red accents.
Wok Hei & Texture: The dish demonstrates quintessential smokiness from wok hei, with visible lightly charred, crisp bits on both kway teow and prawns WordPress. The Penang-style uses thinner flat rice noodles compared to local versions, creating a lighter, more delicate mouthfeel. The noodles maintain slight resistance when bitten, avoiding mushiness.
Flavor Dynamics: The standard proves passable, though taste varies depending on which cook prepares it The Ordinary Patrons. The Penang style eschews thick, sweet dark soy sauce, resulting in a more savory, less cloying flavor profile. However, some diners report stinginess with prawns—only two pieces in standard portions. The homemade chili paste adds depth and heat.
Service & Timing Issues: The SingPost branch begins washing up stalls by 8:30pm, with many items sold out after 7pm, including assam laksa, popiah, and prawn noodles Tripadvisor. This significantly limits evening dining options.
Quality Inconsistency: Reviews are polarized. Some praise the wok hei and value, while others complain about minimal protein portions and occasional preparation issues like tough pork.
Ban Mian (Hand-Made Noodles)
Noodle Characteristics: The noodles achieve super QQ chewy texture with comforting broth quality Burpple. The hand-pulled nature gives them irregular thickness and substantial bite.
Soup Base: The broth presents light seasoning with subtle ikan bilis (anchovy) hints Burpple. The mushrooms stand out as particularly fragrant and sweet, contributing umami depth.
Accompaniments: Standard toppings include one egg (often with runny yolk), spinach, minced meat ball, sliced lean meat, and notably delicious mushrooms Burpple. However, meat portions are modest, leaving some diners wanting more protein.
Dry Version Pitfall: The dry chili ban mian exhibits inconsistency, sometimes arriving excessively salty, particularly when prepared by substitute cooks during off-peak hours.
Chendol
Visual Appeal: Emerald-green pandan jelly strands swim in milky coconut milk, with dark red kidney beans and gula melaka (palm sugar) creating rich brown swirls.
Texture & Taste: At just $2, the chendol proves a must-try The Ordinary Patrons, offering excellent value. The pandan jelly maintains firm, slippery texture, while kidney beans add creamy contrast. The gula melaka provides deep, caramel-like sweetness.
DELIVERY OPTIONS ANALYSIS
Platforms Available:
- Foodpanda (most reviewed)
- Deliveroo
- Oddle Eats
- Grab (limited stalls)
Packaging Quality: Mixed performance. Some stalls separate components well (curry from rice, soup from noodles), while others fail to accommodate special requests. Noodle dishes particularly suffer in transit—springy textures become soggy, and wok hei dissipates.
Pricing: Generally affordable, ranging $5-$10 for main dishes. Delivery fees and platform markups apply.
Recommendations for Delivery: Best choices: Curry rice (travels reasonably well), ban mian soup (maintains integrity), chendol (well-packaged). Avoid: Wanton mee dry (clumps badly), char kway teow (loses wok hei), fried items (become soggy).
Overall Assessment: Both food halls deliver authentic hawker experiences at accessible price points, though quality control and consistency remain ongoing challenges, particularly for delivery orders. Dine-in experiences generally surpass takeaway/delivery due to the nature of these dishes requiring immediate consumption for optimal texture and temperature.
LEVEL 1 RESTAURANT REVIEWS – SINGPOST CENTRE
TEMPURA BAR BY ASTONS (#01-114)
Concept & Ambience: Tempura Bar exudes a classic minimalist Japanese-style ambience with wood furniture and sake bottles lining the walls, while servers dress in traditional Japanese yukata foodpanda, creating an authentic dining atmosphere that elevates the Astons group’s casual steakhouse image.
Omakase Experience ($38++ for 5 courses):
Course 1: Lobster Salad Nori Taco Four pieces of fresh lobster topped with spring onions and ikura arranged atop nori tempura crackers deliver an exciting blend—succulent lobster texture, briny pops from ikura, and savoury crispiness Burpple. The visual presentation features vibrant orange ikura against pale pink lobster on jet-black nori.
Course 2: Applewood Smoked Uni Truffle Tart Served in a box opening with white smoke plumes and fruity, smoky aroma, each box contains four servings of creamy, umami-laden uni atop crumbly tart with subtle sweetness Burpple. The truffle notes, however, remain understated rather than pronounced—an acquired taste for uni purists.
Course 3: Signature Tempura Platter The freshly fried tempura features light batter delivering airy and crisp texture without excessive grease Burpple. The tempura batter was pleasantly crispy without being overly heavy or greasy, with eel remaining moist inside with mild, slightly sweet flavor and tender, flaky texture FoodAdvisor. The ebi (prawn) achieves excellent textural contrast between succulent interior and crisp shell. However, the anago (saltwater eel) proved chewier than anticipated with mild fishy undertone Burpple.
The golden-amber batter exhibits delicate lacework patterns, while the tentsuyu dipping sauce—mixed with grated daikon—provides sweet-savory balance.
Course 4: Cold Inaniwa Udon Specially imported from Japan, Inaniwa udon is notably thinner than regular udon Burpple. The cold noodles had smooth, silky texture, pleasantly chewy and slippery, offering delicate, mild flavors when dipped in light soy-based sauce FoodAdvisor. The translucent ivory strands glisten with moisture, providing textural refreshment between heavier courses.
Course 5: Daifuku Mochi This traditional Japanese sweet featured soft, chewy outer layer with red bean paste filling offering pleasing sweet contrast to the mochi FoodAdvisor.
A La Carte Observations: The Maguro Sashimi serving was fairly generous—5 thick slices—with good presentation, though quality was average, comparable to sashimi at mid-range hotel buffets foodpanda. The Vegetable Tendon proved the better dish, with rice topped with battered deep-fried broccoli, asparagus, long beans, mushrooms and pumpkin foodpanda.
Service Quality: Attentive service crews maintain friendly demeanor even during peak periods, willingly listening to customers and providing relevant ordering advice Singpostcentre. Wait times typically range 5-10 minutes for dishes.
Delivery Concerns: Not recommended for delivery—tempura loses its signature crispness and becomes soggy in transit.
ASTON’S SPECIALITIES (#01-115)
Brand Positioning: The homegrown casual steakhouse champions value-for-money Western cuisine, with most mains starting at $9.90 and including two side dishes—a competitive proposition in the CBD fringe area.
Grillworks Chicken Analysis:
Visual Presentation: The chargrilled chicken displays distinct grill marks in dark brown against golden-amber char-blistered skin. Portion sizes prove generous.
Texture & Doneness: Astons executes their meat well—the charred and succulent chicken basted in peppery sauce proves very tasty Postcard. However, the crispy fried chicken appears over-fried but tastes really good despite visual concerns KASS. The meat retains juiciness despite aggressive browning.
Flavor Profile: The hickory BBQ and black pepper variants deliver robust seasoning. Some find the black pepper chicken’s flavor too overpowering The Ordinary Patrons, suggesting heavy-handed spice application.
Side Dish Quality Issues: This is where Astons consistently disappoints. The mashed potato proved almost tasteless, while onion rings were bog-standard frozen variety Postcard. Mac & cheese proved pretty disappointing, lacking flavor Postcard. The potato wedges and corn fare better, maintaining structural integrity and adequate seasoning.
Steak Execution: The 250g sirloin done medium retained juices at $16.90 The Ordinary Patrons, representing decent value. However, steak quality remains inconsistent across visits.
Critical Delivery Failures: Multiple customers report that plastic cutlery proves too soft to cut meat, with restaurants ignoring requests to pre-cut well-done steaks into small pieces Fat. Food often arrives cold, and fries arrive like twigs—dried and cold The Ordinary Patrons.
Pasta Missteps: Beef bolognese pasta turned out too bland and watery, inferior to even Pasta Mania standards The Ordinary Patrons.
Value Assessment: The chicken mains justify the price point, but expect to pay for reliable protein rather than well-executed sides. Dine-in strongly recommended over delivery.
GENKI SUSHI (#01-139/140)
Technology Integration: The Kousoku Express system—an efficient food delivery mechanism—captivates diners as it zips around carrying plates of sushi straight to tables SHOPSinSG. The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) ordering system streamlines the experience.
Sushi Quality & Presentation:
Dai Man Zoku Series: The Dai Man Zoku series features sushi approximately 1.5 times regular size, great for hearty appetites SHOPSinSG. The enlarged format showcases toppings more prominently—vibrant salmon pink, tuna crimson, and tamago yellow create visual appeal.
Freshness Concerns: Sashimi quality varies, with some customers finding it questionable, though seasonal specials receive praise as delicious and interesting The Ordinary Patrons. The rice temperature and texture prove inconsistent—sometimes perfectly vinegared and at ideal warmth, other times arriving at room temperature or slightly dry.
Chirashi Bowl: The chirashi bowl contains quite a lot of fish, with sushi described as fresh Singpostcentre, offering good value for the portion size.
Service Dynamics: Staff provide friendly and accommodating service The Ordinary Patrons, though speed varies with longer wait times during peak periods, and items occasionally run out of stock with no maki available The Ordinary Patrons.
Lunch Set Value: The reasonably priced lunch set proves recommended for quick sushi bites The Ordinary Patrons, though menu selection limitations persist.
Critical Delivery Failures: Delivery brings multiple disasters: warm sushi described as “garbage,” chawanmushi delivered rock hard in unprecedented texture, teriyaki chicken deep-fried and tough varying from other outlets’ methods, and temperature-sensitive sashimi packed with hot items Tripadvisor. Portions appear smaller in delivery, and presentation suffers dramatically.
Family-Friendly Appeal: Many reviews mention family visits and kid-friendly amenities Tripadvisor, with the conveyor belt system providing entertainment value.
TWYST PASTA (#01-117/118/119)
Customization Concept: Twyst revolutionizes fast-casual pasta with 210+ possible combinations across 6 signature sauces, multiple proteins, and vegetable toppings—all at nett prices starting $8.50.
Chef’s Signature Analysis:
Laksa Olio ($10.90): The dish uses classic Laksa and turns it into pasta Burpple, combining laksa spices with coconut milk. Spaghetti is tossed with prawns, cherry tomatoes, and edamame for rich and fragrant bite Is Life a Recipe. The coral-orange sauce clings to each strand, delivering Southeast Asian aromatics—lemongrass, galangal, candlenut—married to Italian al dente texture. The prawns maintain snap, while edamame adds verdant color and textural pop.
Miso Butter ($10.90): Tender chicken, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes mixed with rich, creamy blend of miso and butter offer quite a rich mix of flavors Burpple. The miso butter proves rich and notably sweet, with sweetness matching saltiness—both potent enough to flavor everything without overwhelming palate FoodAdvisor. The sauce exhibits beige-caramel hue with glossy finish coating the penne.
Gochujang ($10.90): Twyst tweaked the formula to cater to broader palate, offering a version retaining gochujang’s flavor depth without overwhelming heat Burpple. The dish balances sweet, spicy, and savoury flavors layered with mushrooms, edamame, and prawns Is Life a Recipe. The brick-red sauce delivers Korean fermented complexity with manageable spice levels.
Aglio Olio ($9.90): The most popular Chef’s Signature includes Barilla spaghetti, chicken, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes—straightforward but packed with flavor Burpple. The winning part is garlic fried until just right, mixed with olive oil and hint of chili, then tossed with pasta Burpple.
Pasta Execution: The penne was done slightly past al dente, but not egregiously so FoodAdvisor. Customization allows extra protein portions—ordering extra smoked duck for just $2.20 delivers a whole lot of juicy, savory smoked duck FoodAdvisor.
Panini Excellence: The panini receive particular praise and prove worth returning for foodpanda, featuring melted cheese and fresh ingredients in grilled, golden-striped bread.
Portion Considerations: The pasta portion is not much, but you can upsize for $1 foodpanda. Standard servings suit light lunches but may leave hearty eaters wanting more.
Critical Delivery Issues: Delivery reveals serious problems: pasta arrives undercooked, packaging proves poor causing soggy fries, aglio olio becomes very dry, and panini bread arrives not well-made, feeling like scam compared to photos foodpanda. Cheese toppings sometimes not provided despite requests, and mushroom soup arrives half-filled foodpanda.
Service Speed: Food preparation proves pretty quick foodpanda, ideal for lunch rush efficiency.
Coffee Partnership: Twyst outlets include Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee counters, offering freshly-brewed coffee to complement meals.
Environmental Concern: The use of disposal plates, cutlery and utensils proves wasteful and not environmentally friendly foodpanda.
LAU WANG CLAYPOT DELIGHTS (#01-137/138)
Heritage & Technique: Lau Wang Claypot Delights has been serving claypot dishes since 1985 The Ordinary Patrons. Each claypot dish is prepared using traditional recipe and distinctive claypot-cooking technique, guaranteeing every dish is freshly prepared and served piping hot, remaining warm throughout the meal Eatbook.sg.
Signature: Sesame Oil Chicken ($5.80 small / $7.80 large)
Visual Drama: Piping hot and sometimes still bubbling when served Quandoo, the dish arrives in matte black or terracotta claypot. The portions prove very generous—definitely more than enough for 2 pax at small size The Ordinary Patrons. Glossy mahogany-brown sauce pools around bite-sized boneless chicken chunks.
Textural Qualities: The signature sesame chicken features juicy and tender chunks in thick braised gravy which is fragrant and flavorful The Ordinary Patrons. The gravy was not too thick or salty, with hint of sesame oil, perfect for soaking rice Quandoo. The sauce maintains viscosity without becoming gloppy, coating each morsel completely.
Aromatic Profile: Using only the best “Chee Seng” sesame oil coupled with minced garlic and fragrant pre-fried oil containing mixed ingredients The Ordinary Patrons, the dish releases heady aromatics before reaching the table. Having just rice with sesame chicken sauce suffices—it’s a moreish dish worthy of return visits Quandoo.
Spicy Variant: The spicy version features the same tender chicken in flavorful sesame oil gravy, with addition of dried and fresh chilies Quandoo, adding crimson heat without masking the nutty sesame essence.
Eggplant with Minced Meat: Very generous portions feature chunks of melt-in-mouth tender eggplant and minced meat in piping hot claypot with spicy and moreish sauce packed with more flavors—a little more salty compared to sesame chicken’s lighter, sweeter profile The Ordinary Patrons. The purple-skinned eggplant collapses into silky texture, while minced pork provides savory depth.
Sambal Seafood ($10.50): Generous portions of fish slices, sotong, prawns and ladies’ fingers drenched in sauce reminiscent of gong bao and soy sauce chicken The Ordinary Patrons. However, the dish proves quite oily—don’t finish all the sauce The Ordinary Patrons. Some find it could be spicier Tripadvisor.
Herbal Soups: The Sliced Fish Herbal Soup came with many slices of fish—they’re really not stingy—felt very light and not overly intense The Ordinary Patrons, though some wish for stronger herbal taste. The Frog Leg Herbal Soup features hearty herbal broth filled with variety of Chinese herbs, with red dates and goji berries giving unmistakable sweetness Quandoo. The frog meat itself tasted like chicken without marinade but slightly chewier in texture Quandoo.
Homemade Ngoh Hiang ($6 for 2 pieces): The signature dish has become staple in every customer’s visit The Ordinary Patrons. The skin was fried crispy but soft texture inside, great side dish for claypot meals Tempurabar.
Sambal Kang Kong ($5.50): Fried with sambal chilli and garlic, the vegetable dish proves exceptionally fragrant The Ordinary Patrons. While some kang kong variations become drenched in oil, Lau Wang’s retains good pleasant crunch as opposed to being soggy Quandoo.
Service Concerns: Multiple reviews cite rude young male staff at SingPost outlet who slammed money and receipts on table when issuing change and argued with customers Shout. Service at SingPost location described as so-so, with senior cashier distracted and aloof while other staff busy with delivery orders Tripadvisor.
Waiting Times: Expect waiting times of 0.5 hours or more, and they tend to mess up ordering sequence—someone arriving much later gets food much earlier The Ordinary Patrons.
Value Proposition: Lau Wang proves super value for money—dishes affordable yet don’t compromise on taste Quandoo. Most mains cost $5.80-$10.50, making it one of the most economical sit-down options at SingPost Centre.
MR TEH TARIK EXPRESS (#B1-130/131)
Chain Background: Mr Teh Tarik Express started in 2004 as beverage kiosk in CBD, expanding to 7 brands and over 20 halal-certified outlets offering Indian & Malay dishes foodpanda.
Roti Prata Analysis:
Size & Texture: The prata came quite big and crispy, with 2pcs of this size leading to weekday-after-lunch food coma Singpostcentre. However, quality proves inconsistent—some describe the roti prata tasting like rubber Tripadvisor, while others find it acceptable. The Plain Prata and Prata Egg were fine but nothing outstanding foodpanda.
Curry Accompaniment: The curry given was fish curry rather than usual curry with potatoes foodpanda. Previously at Changi Airport Terminal 3, the Curry Chicken proved thick, savory and exudes strong spicy aroma foodpanda. However, plain prata comes in set of 2 pcs but doesn’t come with complementary curry Burpple, requiring separate purchase.
Briyani Assessment: The briyani receives praise as “nice” along with butter chicken Burpple. The fragrant basmati rice displays yellow-orange hue from turmeric and spices, with visible caramelized onions throughout. However, quality varies significantly—some outlets deliver tough mutton and poorly executed rice.
Thosai Excellence: One review describes it as “one of the best renditions of Thosai from commercialised restaurant chain” with “legit chutney that were not watered down” FoodAdvisor. The crispy, lacy-edged crêpe maintains structural integrity with proper fermented tang.
Maggi Goreng: The Chicken Maggi Goreng was good enough, though chicken is a bit salty and dry, while Maggi goreng with egg is good enough on its own Tripadvisor. The yellow noodles achieve proper wok char with springy texture.
Beverage Quality:
Teh Tarik (Signature): The Teh Tarik and Kopi Tarik is good, providing comfy place for coffee and family time Tripadvisor. However, the milo peng was waaaaay too sweet, felt like instant diabetes Singpostcentre. Even when requesting less sweet, it’s still a bit too sweet—need to remind to be very less sweet Tripadvisor.
Critical Service Issues: Communication with cashier took awhile as he was not very conversant with English, though he remained polite and eventually got order after several repetitions foodpanda. Beware, one staff doesn’t understand English and doesn’t care what you order—they’ll give chicken curry instead Tripadvisor. When ordered Teh Halia, they served Teh C instead.
Hygiene Concerns: There are flies in the restaurant, suggesting things rotten in the kitchen Tripadvisor.
Temperature Problems: It would be better if curry chicken is served warm/hot rather than lukewarm Singpostcentre.
Delivery Disasters: Gravy for thosai masala arrived cold, watery and spoiled—obvious they kept it from day before Burpple. Tea all spilled, butter chicken too oily and too sweet, mee goreng dry, hard and too sweet Burpple.
Wait Times: Expect 10+ minutes for prata orders as they’re freshly made. Queue buzzers provided during busy periods.
Value Assessment: Affordable pricing ($1.60-$9.00 range) for halal-certified Indian food in air-conditioned mall setting, though quality control and service standards require significant improvement.
DELIVERY OPTIONS COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS
Platforms Available:
- Foodpanda (most comprehensive coverage)
- Deliveroo
- Grab Food (limited selection)
Critical Delivery Performance Issues:
Temperature Control: Most restaurants fail to maintain proper food temperature—expect lukewarm or cold arrivals, particularly problematic for Aston’s steaks and Lau Wang claypot dishes that depend on piping-hot service.
Packaging Failures: Soggy textures plague fried items (Aston’s fries, Genki sushi’s tempura rolls, Twyst’s crispy elements). Sushi arrives warm. Pasta becomes dry or conversely, waterlogged.
Missing Items & Modifications Ignored: Multiple establishments ignore special requests (Aston’s cutting meat, Twyst’s extra toppings, Mr Teh Tarik’s beverage modifications).
Delivery Recommendations:
- Best Bets: Lau Wang Claypot (if you’re prepared for oily but flavorful sauced dishes), Twyst’s simpler pasta options
- Avoid: Genki Sushi (temperature-sensitive), Tempura Bar (loses crispness), Aston’s steaks (arrive cold with inadequate cutlery)
- Proceed with Caution: Mr Teh Tarik Express (hygiene and consistency concerns)
Optimal Strategy: Dine-in strongly recommended for all establishments to experience proper temperatures, textures, and immediate consumption benefits essential to these cuisines.