New Bukit Panjang hawker centre offers affordable fare, Michelin-rated stalls

More than 4,000 people flocked to get a taste of the dishes on offer at the newly opened Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang on Sunday.

The 28 stalls in the food centre include four that have a Michelin rating – awarded to eateries recognised for serving good food.

The social enterprise hawker centre, however, requires food stalls to offer affordable food options, with at least one main dish priced between $2.80 and $3.50.

Senja Hawker Centre, which operates under the FairPrice Group, is the first to feature Warong Rice Garden, a halal concept developed under the Rice Garden Community Programme.

It offers customers the popular dish called nasi campur or “mixed rice” in Malay – priced from as little as $2.

When The Straits Times visited the hawker centre at about 3pm on Sunday, patrons were still thronging the stalls.

There were snaking queues everywhere, and customers at some of the stalls had to wait for about 30 minutes for their food.

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MPs Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also Foreign Minister, and Edward Chia visited the hawker centre on Sunday morning and chatted with patrons and hawkers. Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa was also with them.

Michelin Plate stalls at the hawker centre include Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice, which serves Teochew-style braised duck and has been around for more than 60 years.

Singaporeans can also tuck into hor fun from Michelin Bib Gourmand stall Shi Hui Yuan, which is famed for its collagen-rich gravy and nutrient-loaded herbal braising sauce.

Bib Gourmand awardees are recognised for their value-for-money offerings.

Some of the longest lines were seen at the fourth retail branch of Munchi Pancakes, which sells min jiang kueh pancakes with peanut filling as well as non-traditional flavours like Oreo cheese, matcha and Earl Grey tea.

Other stalls include Onigirazudon, which started as a home-based business selling Japanese rice wraps during the Covid-19 pandemic. The stall, which operated only online before this, offers a bigger menu that includes Japanese rice bowls besides the rice wraps.

Mrs Felicia Lim, 55, who lives within walking distance of the hawker centre, showed up for the opening with her family.

She said: “I have been waiting for this hawker centre to open for a few years. It is definitely a place I will visit during lunch or dinner, as there are many food options here and they are priced affordably and reasonably. The quality of food looks good too.”

Hawkers at Senja Hawker Centre pay a monthly rent of between $1,100 and $1,600.

Three stalls are under the Kopitiam HawkerBoss programme, and enjoy subsidies of between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of the total rental and operating costs each month.

The stalls are also eligible for manpower subsidies of up to 50 per cent of gross wages, capped at a maximum subsidy of $900, for each Singaporean or permanent resident worker, up to a maximum of three workers.

The HawkerBoss programme also gives hawkers access to marketing and branding expertise, like helping them set up social media platforms and giving them tips on how to improve visibility on Google searches.

FairPrice Group also runs campaigns that highlight the stories of the HawkerBosses and the motivations behind their businesses. 

The 12-month programme, which supports young hawkers and heritage brands, is also in place at the Fernvale Hawker Centre and Market, and Lau Pa Sat, among others.

Besides cheap and good food, residents near the Senja Hawker Centre can also look forward to more activities when a big event space and rooftop garden open in early 2023.

FairPrice Group is working with grassroots organisations to introduce activities to better engage the community.

Hawker Haven

These are some of the dishes on offer at the new Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang.

Michelin Bib Gourmand stall Shi Hui Yuan

• Braised Chicken Drumstick Hor Fun: $4.80
• Shi Hui Yuan special (bestselling chicken and duck hor fun with a crispy shrimp wonton): $6

Jiao Cai Seafood

• Signature BBQ Seafood: $13 to $20
• Fish Head Curry: $28
• Egg Fried Rice (affordable meal option): $3

Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun

• Char Siew Chee Cheong Fun: $4
• Scallop Chee Cheong Fun: $6

Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice

• Braised Duck Pumpkin Yam Rice: $4.50
• Braised Duck Noodle: $4
• Braised Duck Porridge: $3.50