Thanks for the memories: Bukit Timah Food Centre to be demolished in 2024, here's what I'll miss

As a child, one of my fondest memories growing up is the family dinner gathering at our nearest hawker spot Bukit Timah Food Centre. 

My father always made sure to order my favourite dishes — ngoh hiang from Zhong Zhong Fine Spice, Hokkien mee from Xie Kee Hokkien Mee and satay from Yong Seng Satay. 

It was also where I took my first ever sip of sugarcane drink, and one of the first few places I ate at with my husband when we were dating. 

The Bukit Timah Food Centre has seen me through thick and thin and now, it'll all be gone.

Yes, come the second half of 2024, the decades-old hawker centre will be demolished, reported Lianhe Zaobao. 

This is to make way for an integrated development project which is slated to be completed in the second half of 2029. 

On Oct 23, the People's Association (PA) called a tender for a "geotechnical" consultant for the upcoming development. This is to provide an independent structural safety inspection of the proposed development plans.

Based on online documents, Lianhe Zaobao stated that the new facility will be a five-storey building measuring about 29,000 square metres.

It will house a market, food centre and have two floors of underground parking. 

According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), other amenities include an indoor sports hall, senior and children care facilities, children's education centres and a community library. 

Bukit Timah Community Club, which is currently at 20 Toh Yi Road, will also be relocated to the new integrated development. 

And the whole building will be connected to Beauty World MRT station and the nearby Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School for extra convenience. 

The project has already been delayed

The hawkers were originally supposed to move over to a temporary facility earlier in June but the entire project was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, reported the Chinese daily. 

So now, the existing market and food centre will continue to operate until the second half of next year before the vendors will relocate to a temporary market and food centre across the road. 

This temporary facility cost around $5 million and at the time of writing, it is reported that there will be about 80 stalls housed there. 

The two-storey Bukit Timah Hawker Centre was first built in 1975 and though small, it is home to several famous hawker stalls like He Zhong Carrot Cake, Sin Chew Satay Bee Hoon and Leng Kee. 

Remembering Bukit Timah Food Centre 

While I can still patronise the same stalls after they move over to the temporary food centre, it won't feel the same. 

I've lived near Bukit Timah Food Centre for over 20 years and while it would sound biased of me to say it's one of the better hawker centres in Singapore, it truly is.

I remember how my family would always have an early dinner at the hawker centre around 5pm, just when the stalls start to open and right before the dinner crowd. 

We would always choose a table toward the back of the hawker centre, facing the trees, because it was quieter.

I first discovered my love for Hokkien mee here because of Xie Kee Hokkien Mee. Though the queues are always long, my father would patiently brave them just to get me my favourite plate of noodles. 

As a child, I first got into ngoh hiang from Zhong Zhong Fine Spice because of the pink sauce that they provide on the side (I was in my Barbie era). 

We didn't always get to eat from that stall because fried food is bad for our health, so every time we did it was a real treat. 

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Like everyone else, we loved the carrot cake from He Zhong Carrot Cake. The wait time can be long but it was worth it. I don't usually gravitate towards white carrot cake, which is the only type they sell, but they do theirs differently (and better) than most other carrot cake spots. 

As a communal dish, we would also always order a plate of satay from Yong Seng Satay, and chicken wings from Leng Kee BBQ. These were only available during dinner. 

When I got older and started dating, I would often share a plate of clam bee hoon from He Le Seafood White Bee Hoon with my boyfriends. Once, I was in a baller mood and ordered the $20 version of Lala Crayfish White Bee Hoon. Steep but worth every cent if you ask me. 

And whenever I was sick, my mother would get me a piping hot bowl of fish or mixed pork porridge from Zhou Pin. This would always come paired with a stick of youtiao, which I always slowly savoured. 

While I'm sad that a place that holds so many memories for me will be gone, I am excited for the new and improved building. Like the saying goes: Out with the old, in with the new.

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melissateo@asiaone.com 

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