Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre

 Singapore - My food adventures around Singapore’s hawker centres continue!

Today, I decided to visit Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre, taking the Circle Line MRT to Caldecott MRT Station. From the station, it was about a 10-minute walk to the food centre.

I arrived around 11am, and the heat was already scorching!  Thankfully, most of the walk was sheltered, so I didn’t have to battle the full force of the Singapore sun. By the time I reached the food centre, I was definitely ready for something to eat.

Interestingly, this was my second day exploring hawker food in the area. Yesterday, I had tried the Bak Chor Mee at MacPherson Teochew Minced Meat Noodles, and that bowl left quite an impression on me.

I really appreciated the traditional Teochew-style bak chor mee. The noodles were cooked beautifully and tossed in a savoury mixture of chilli and vinegar, giving every bite that wonderful combination of tangy, slightly spicy and savoury flavours. The crispy wanton was another highlight, adding a lovely crunch to the noodles.

Today, however, I was at Toa Payoh West Market & Food Centre again and fortunately, many of the stalls were opened. 

My first meal was pork ball and century egg porridge with youtiao from Congee88 (#02-29).

At $6.50, I found the porridge rather expensive for what I received. Perhaps I was expecting something more memorable, but honestly, nothing really stood out about this bowl of porridge. 

The pork balls and century egg were alright, and the youtiao added the familiar crispy texture, but overall, it was just an ordinary bowl of porridge — especially considering the price.

But thankfully, the day got much better when I discovered Uggli Muffins (#02-34).

This is an award-winning muffin stall, and the owner was having a promotion — 10 + 2 free for $16. I wasn't looking to buy 12 muffins, though. I simply wanted to try a couple.

I ordered two muffins for $3.20, but the friendly owner gave me three! What a pleasant surprise. I tried three flavours: hazelnut, chocolate and cranberry.  And I have to say — they were really delicious! 

The muffins were moist, flavourful and satisfying. Sometimes, the best discoveries on a food trip are the unexpected ones, and Uggli Muffins certainly turned out to be one of mine.

To finish off my food adventure, I had a hot soya bean drink from Pure Soya Bean (#02-28) for $1.90.

I have to admit, $1.90 for a small bowl of hot soya bean felt like one of the more expensive soya bean drinks I've had at a hawker centre. It was pleasant enough, but at that price and portion, I wasn't particularly impressed.

Another hawker centre explored, another few dishes tasted, and another Singapore food adventure added to the memories.