Woodleigh's new hawker centre has many stalls run by young entrepreneurs, here's what they're offering

Those lucky enough to score a Build-to-Order flat in the Woodleigh, Bidadari and Potong Pasir areas will be happy to know that there's a new and affordable meal option in your hood. 

Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre just opened on Thursday (Sept 5) and there are 39 new hawkers to patronise. 

It spans around 3,255 sqm and has more than 600 seats.  

The hawker centre is also conveniently located next to Woodleigh MRT and is connected to The Woodleigh Mall.

Additionally, in the future, there will be a bus interchange, which is part of an integrated development that includes retail, childcare, dining and community spaces. 

But the real highlight is the number of young entrepreneurs who've set up shop at the hawker centre, from a 25-year-old prawn mee specialist to a couple in their 30s selling Mexican fusion food.  

When AsiaOne visited Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre on Wednesday (Thur 4), we were surprised by the number of millennials and Gen Zs manning the stalls.

Here are some you can patronise. 

Ji Hui Lai Nasi Kerabu, #01-07 

As the name suggests, this stall sells nasi kerabu and is co-owned by Wong Yi Xiong, 34, who formerly worked in logistics in a multinational corporation. 

Yi Xiong also has experience in the food and beverage (F&B) industry in Malaysia and set up Ji Hui Lai Nasi Kerabu together with a friend. 

They've created their own Nasi Kerabu ($7.80) recipe with a twist to appeal to Singaporeans, and the dish comes with bright blue pea rice, fried chicken, various spices, a cracker and chilli. 

We really enjoyed their rendition of the dish and the chicken was extremely tender, pairing well with the accompanying spices. 

Style Palate, #01-30 

Twenty-five-year-old Shi Long is the owner of Style Palate, which specialises in restaurant-quality French cuisine. 

Shi Long started his culinary journey at the age of 16 and even did an exchange programme at a prestigious culinary institution in France. Back in Singapore, he honed his craft in several Michelin-star restaurants. 

What inspired him to start a hawker stall was an encounter with a customer who was not able to afford high-end restaurant food. 

He wanted to make quality food affordable for all, so he opened Style Palate. 

Dishes such as braised beef, sous vide pork and duck confit are uncommon finds in a hawker centre setting, but Shi Long sells just that for wallet-friendly prices. 

We tried the duck confit, which cost $12, and were pleasantly surprised by how tender the meat was. If you didn't tell us otherwise, we would have thought that the dish was from an upscale restaurant. 

Guan Kee Kway Chap, #01-19 

Esther is no stranger to Singapore's hawker scene.

For years, the 33-year-old has helped managed several large F&B companies. 

She also happens to be the daughter of the owners of the famous Guan Kee Kway Chap and has helped out at her parent's stall since she was a child. 

It has been her dream to continue their legacy, especially after seeing many popular hawker stalls close down and sell their recipes. 

And she finally has made this come true with her new stall at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. 

M+ Fried Rice, #01-11 

Another Gen Z entrepreneur to watch out for is Siti Nurnameera Abdul Samad. 

The 26-year-old runs M+ Fried Rice, which sells a halal version of Chinese-style cuisine with a fusion twist. 

Nurnameera was a former lab technician at a local polytechnic, and she felt that her calling was more with food than with science, so she made a bold career switch. 

Her goal is to attract a diverse audience and celebrate culinary diversity in Singapore's local food scene. 

What makes her fried rice even more special is the machine she uses to cook it. 

This was designed by a Hong Kong tzi char chef and it efficiently blends ingredients like eggs and rice to preserve the wok hei taste. 

We got to try her Sambal Sakura Shrimp Fried Rice ($8) first-hand, and we couldn't tell that it had been prepared with a machine — it was pretty good! 

Nan Xiang Chicken Rice, #01-28 

There's also Shaun, 26, who owns Nan Xiang Chicken Rice and is taking over the reins from his ageing mother. 

The second-generation hawker initially was pursuing a degree in marketing before deciding to make a career switch to preserve his mother's business legacy. 

After learning the ropes and adapting her chicken recipe, he took a leap of faith and opened his very first hawker stall at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre.

We tried his Steamed Chicken Rice ($4.50). It takes a lot of skill to get the texture of chicken right, but Shaun nailed it.

Liu Da Xia, #01-31 

One of the youngest hawkers at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre is 25-year-old Liew Xiao Xuan. 

As her parents are also in the F&B scene, she grew up immersed in the culinary world. 

After graduating from Institute of Technical Education (ITE) last year in 2022, she worked in F&B for a while before deciding to set up her own stall. 

While she is known for her umami-packed bowls of prawn mee, her speciality dish is white curry, something that one does not see often in Singapore.

She hopes that more Singaporeans will learn about the dish and enjoy it like she does. 

Pura Vida Cocina Mexican Fusion, #01-25 

One stall that really stood out among the rest was Pura Vida Cocina.

Specialising in Mexican fusion food, it was started by Millennial hawkers Kok Pin and Wong Min. 

The husband-and-wife duo, who are both 36 years old, noticed the growing popularity of Mexican food among the Gen X and Gen Z communities and wanted to make the cuisine more accessible and healthier to them. 

Prior to this, Kok Pin already had more than 10 years of experience in the F&B industry, so he was no stranger to the culinary world. 

Wong Min left her job at an investment company to run the business with him. 

Their colourful, extensive menu features Mexican rices, tacos, nachos and burrito bowls. 

Our favourite was the Spiced Chicken Mexican Rice ($7.50). The chicken was well marinated and extremely tender. It's a healthy, filling option for those who need more protein in their diet. 

We also love the Vegetarian Nachos ($7.50), which makes a great sharing dish. 

Origanics, #01-13

Thirty-one-year-old Darryl is changing the way people eat vegetarian and vegan food with his stall, Origanics. 

He began his culinary journey over a decade ago after he dropped out of polytechnic. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he also ran tuck shop stalls in schools. 

After being a vegetarian for a few years, he opened his first hawker stall selling plant-based dishes at Buangkok Hawker Centre. Now, he also has a branch at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. 

While his menu items like Caramelised Char Siew Don ($7.50) and Chicken Cutlet Kolo Noodle ($6.50) don't sound vegetarian, they actually are. 

We tried their Signature Caramelised Char Siew Kolo Noodle ($5.90) and were blown away by how good it was.

Upon first glance, the char siew does look like the real deal but when you bite into it, you can tell that it is plant-based. 

Kallang Wantan Mee, #01-33 

The 36-year-old owners of the stall, Sze En and Shen Ping, wanted to bring traditional Malaysian wantan mee to Singapore. 

The dark sauce dish is not as commonly found in Singapore and Sze En, who grew up in Malaysia, prefers it. 

Every element, from the wantan noodles and the spicy chilli, is made from scratch so that diners can get the authentic experience. 

If you don't feel like crossing the border to satisfy your wantan mee cravings, this is a fantastic option! 

Other hawkers to try

Apart from the hawkers we mentioned, there are a variety of other stalls to patronise too. 

For soothing bowls of porridge, there is Fat Fat Food, which specialises in authentic Cantonese porridge. 

Those hankering for food from the Land of Smiles can try No. 9 Thai Kitchen. 

There's also the famous Eng Kee Chicken Wings, which some say sell the best chicken wings in the whole of Singapore. 

Want to end your meal on a sweet note? Head over to Munchi Pancake for some of the best min jiang kueh (pancakes) in town. 

ALSO READ: Duo makes 'impulsive decision' to set up hawker stall selling 2 dishes, already drawing regular customers

melissateo@asiaone.com