Bee Heng Poh Piah: What is your opinion of Newton Food Centre?
With Wahcow, Sumosumo and Cactuskit
I know that a lot of Singaporeans avoid going to Newton Food Centre as it is often seen as a tourist trap. Furthermore, many foodies also lament the fact that the food there is not outstanding and that there are nicer hawker food elsewhere at lower prices. That's is a bit of a shame because I think that this is the most well known hawker centre amongst our tourists.
I must admit that I haven't been to Newton Food Centre for at least 18 years since I left to pursue my degree in Sydney. In those days I remembered Newton as a great place to eat. I wasn't really into documenting great eats then, so I can't really tell you which stall was good. It was still a tourist trap to be sure, but at least I remember that the food was good. When I got back, it seemed that Newton had become a place that is more well known for its touts and exorbitant prices which is why I haven't even thought of going there for a meal.
Well, I think that this blog will not be complete without the mention of our most famous Hawker Centre so I decided that I need at least give it a chance. Fortunately, it turns out that one of our regular kakis (Wahcow) was quite a regular at the place and had a few things which he felt could be recommended. I am sure there are many readers out there who have their own favourites at the food centre to recommend so I am going to start with a couple of stalls and see if there are other worthy mentionables to bring us back for a repeat visit.
Let's start with Bee Heng Poh Piah because it is the one facing the car park and it claims to have been around since 1930. First thing that caught my eye was the price: $1.80 each with minimum order of 2 rolls. Hmmm.... it is beginning to look like Newton is living up to its infamy.
The Poh Piah was pretty decent though, so it wasn't a complete waste of $3.60. The filling was pretty good and the crispy bits were quite nice. But for me, I like my Poh Piahs really turgid and looking like it is going to burst at the seams like the ones at Kway Guan Huat, so it wasn't something I would go out of my way to eat. But if you are at Newton, it is quite an acceptable side dish to order along with your other dishes. 4/5
Conclusion
So what do you all think of Newton Food Centre? With so many BBQ seafood stalls around, I am sure there must be one that is good and reasonably priced that can be recommended. Or do you all think that Newton Food Centre really is just a place which is set up specifically to cater to Tourists and that locals should avoid it?
Bee Heng Newton Food Centre
Stall 12 (Facing Car Park)
12am to 12pm
Closed Thursday
25 comments:
$1.80 for a roll....I will stick to my $1.20 popiah from Ping Kee
I guess the food is a lil bit more exp but we do go there occcassional with overseas friends or even with local friends after a nite out on the town. Not a place u go specifically for dinner or really good food.
ANyway there is a seafood stall near the toilet where the lady taking the order wears a super high 70s beehive hairstyle. We normally order from that stall. Plus the Hokkien Mee and Murtabak from the roll behind the roll facing the carpark. The Bak Chor Mee facing the car park roll also not that bad...but nothing incredibly outstanding
There are a few stalls that provide the image of Newton as a tourist trap, but I do frequent some of the other stalls whenever I am near town and want to eat hawker food outdoors (don't like the new hawker centres that are all covered up). There's this Beef Noodles stall located at the part nearer the roundabout (sorry, i realise I don't remember stall numbers but just walk towards them by instinct, LOL). Very delicious light brown and almost clear gravy and very hot chilli), and a grilled chicken stall nearby. I also eat the popiah at Bee Heng Poh Piah, the fish ball noodles (stall facing the car park), the Hokkien mee stall (the row behind the fish ball noodles), the satay (Chinese stall along the corridor near the Hokkien mee stall). I'm so sorry if the locations of the stalls don't make sense...
I enjoy the beef noodles, prawn noodles @ Newton Prawn Noodles, fish slice mee suah at the corner stall facing the carpark and of course Hup Kee fried oyster omelette.
The aunty with the beehive hairstyle is an icon at Newton. Her food's so-so only but her jovial character and naughty jokes keeps the regulars coming back :)
I don't know you...but as a Singaporean I wouldn't go to Newton to eat just like I won't go to a hotel to eat Nasi Lemak.
We Singaporean who know the scene should know where to find good nasi lemak, laksa, and where can offer good value for money. Tourist bo bian ma but for Singaporean to go there i don't know why?
There are always such place in every country, where tourist will shout OOH AHH MUST GO! and yet locals would not go.
In Phuket, the Patong area is a must-go place but the locals don't ever eat there.........
So if you stayed in Singapore all your life and still find yourself heading to Newton, then you must be a real goondu.
well no, anon you are a lil harsh on the goondu comment? I think I must be one in your opinion then too haha!! Actually some of the food is quite good and other than food the environment is really nice for hawker food too. ample parking, cool open air concept makes it a nice food centre to dine at without feeling hot and sweaty~ I like the chicken rice company and the duck stall in the front row. also like the prawn noodles and fried oysters.
I like poh piah, guess i will go try this store at this weekend.
You telling me that is the only place in Singapore with open space eating? And that is the only place in Singapore tht has the nice "whatever" that you went there for?
But I can be damn sure that is the only place in Singapore or at least ONE OF THOSE place in Singapore where they tout and charge you more than market rate.
$1.80 somemore must buy 2 at one shot, rather buy 3 at $3.60 at the coffee shop opposite my home in Yishun.
In every cities, there are places meant for tourist. Fremantle in perth, camden market in london, xu cheong gai in KL and many others.
The target audience or target group is not the local. I dare even add the restaurants along boat quay lane to this list.
When you go for tours in other countries, you would be brought to their local production good's factories to buy their local production which we called in chinese as "Tu chan". These are the places that the local people are not interested because this kind of things simply doesn't interest them after living their whole life seeing those things. They are more interested to sell to you and make your money!
Newton is just one of these places. I believe why Newton is like that because it is the closest 'alfresco style' eating place to most hotels in town. So conveniently those tour makers would sent these tourist there for their local delight fix and after a period of time, that's became a tourist place.
As such, no amount of reason or logic will excuse a Singaporean for loving food at newton because everything you can eat there, you can eat anywhere else - at a cheaper price.
The 4/5 rating is really very high for this popiah.Have eaten better $1.20 popiah that this.Even they sell it for $1.20 it still not there.
I would not choose to go to Newton unless I can find a food that is like 4.5/5
It is simply one of Singapore's hawker centres that experience a negative impact due to toursim. Negative for us and tourists.
People over-commercialize the place and thus becomes a tourist attraction, leading to more tourists going there. Tourists usually have higher disposable income considering the fact they are on holiday and thus do not mind paying a little more (some do not know what the market rate is like, so they just pay) for their food. This encourages the hawkers to jack up the prices so they can earn a little more from these tourists...but then local people who go there also suffer..
Once again, it is a matter of choice...If one has a favourite stall there, I suppose it's his decision.
used to patronize e popiah stall often..but the uncle got a really bad temper.. witnessed him shouting at customers before.. =/
nv gone back since..
Same la. In hongkong they have the Tsim Tsha Tsui. In taiwan, you have the shilin market.
These are places not really the local goes....there are locals but most people would know where to get better xiang ji pai(chicken cutlet, dont read wrongly hor) in taipei or wanton mee in hongkong for better value.
Newton is just one of those places. You think tourist will know how to go old airport road for satay or go fei lao seafood for opeh hor fun meh?
Those famous places are tips and tricks which local know because they live here ma.....tourist are the goondu one with money to spend to can sharpen your knife no problem. When we go their country they sharpen their knife, when they come we sharpen ours, fair deal. But singaporean want to go under the sharpen knife in newton also no problem! welcome! HAHA
Hi?
Ok, that was a test message. Was just testing it to see how it work.
Some places are for tourist, like night safari, bird park, sentosa...i haven't even been to those places in more than 15 years....I believe singaporeans are like me....only go once or twice enough already. I don't think anyone will go to Zoo every weekend or every month right haha.
Hi, I am the Tango above.
Leslie, maybe you would like to know that your comment system, sometimes doesn't work. I need to repost my msg 3 times to let it be published. Maybe that's why you have so many anonymous instead of typing in their name.
Haha newton is indeed a tourist trap, but i still love stall 28 orh lua to pieces.
Tango, to prevent losing your text, copy it first. So if need to repost, don't have to retype.
let people decide where they want to eat and do not force your view on them.
Indeed...life is all about choices...but perhaps there IS really some good food at Newton that deserves mention?
perhaps somebody can enlighten us a little about the food there.
There are good food at newton but not great food.
There are expensive food at newton but no cheap food.
It's location and variety of choice makes it popular for foreigners. Also it has big carpark for coaches. Before the hawker at Botanical Garden closed down, it was also quite popular with tourists.
Hawker food at Newton is popular to tourist just like Nasi Lomak at Changi V is popular to residents of the east. If you ask someone who stay in Jurong to go to Changi for nasi lomak, they will call you siao. So if you are Singaporean and going to newton to eat, you must be prepared to be called siao goo. HAHAHAH
Wah you must have been one of the "goondus" ripped apart at least once before too right? Otherwise you wouldn't be so vocal about Newton.
Share your experience leh =)
i've never been to newton before but will definitely go one day for good food =]
Have you tried the Popiah at Hougang Ave 8... the hawker centre near the Mac's It's the hawker centre with the channel u reviewed 'duck rice'... i think the popiah there is simple and nice... i can eat 3 or 4 at one go (:
the economic mixed rice is not bad too imo that is
Post a Comment