There’s monsoon season in Singapore, and then there’s pasar malam season. Yes, you read that right— tis the season of pasar malams popping up islandwide. Naturally, I had to check out the one in my fellow east side— the Tampines Food Bazaar located right beside Tampines MRT station!
Running until 15 Sep 2024, this massive food bazaar features a mix of trendy and classic street food stalls. From Ramly burgers and XXL fried chicken to Instagram-famous mini pancakes and Thai fried bananas, they’ve got it all.
Beyond food, there’s a mini carnival with rides and games for the little ones. Want to enjoy your grub on the spot? There are tables around the area for dining, including an air-conditioned section with live band performances for an extra shiok experience!
As usual, I gravitated towards the less traditional items that caught my eye.
Starting with the savouries, I opted for the Rosti with Chicken Sausage (S$10). While it aimed to deliver on the traditional rosti experience, it didn’t quite hit the mark. The sausage, though flavourful, was a bit too mushy for my liking— I was expecting a nice snap and bite. The rosti was also a letdown; it was too thick, making it greasy and soggy rather than crispy.
I had hoped the sour cream would redeem the dish, but it had an oddly sweet taste, almost like cream cheese. Overall, it was not the best dish of the night.
On a brighter note, my absolute favourite was the Egg Roll (S$6). If you’re thinking of the traditional fried egg rolls from childhood, think again. This version is packed with layers of hotdog, cheese, and Korean Samyang Fire Noodles, all wrapped in an egg before being rolled up.
This is street food at its finest. If you’re worried about handling the spice (can’t relate, sorry), don’t fret— the cheese balances out the usual heat from the fire noodles, giving a milder yet still satisfying kick. If I didn’t have more dishes to try, I’d have gone back for seconds.
Moving to the sweets, I went for the Instagram-famous Biscoff Mini Pancakes (S$12). Ever since this pasar malam started, this stall has been all over my Instagram and TikTok feed. Naturally, I had to try it to avoid any FOMO.
The pancakes were nicely chewy, but despite the generous layer of Biscoff sauce, the flavour didn’t come through except in the bites with crushed Biscoff cookies on top. It was overwhelmingly sweet— great if you have a serious sweet tooth, but a bit of a letdown for me.
To wrap up the sweets, I couldn’t resist another crowd favourite: Thai-fried bananas (S$5 for 8 pieces) and Sweet Potato Balls (S$5 for 10 pieces). These were just standard deep-fried perfection.
There’s really nothing to dislike here. The food comes out piping hot, making the first bite nice and crisp. My only minor gripe was the banana-to-batter ratio being slightly off. However, it wasn’t a dealbreaker— it was still delicious.
Of course, I couldn’t leave without an ice-cold drink to wash it all down. I chose the Green Goblin (S$5), a 1-litre fizzy lemonade with its namesake green colour from blue ocean dye.
The drink looked gorgeous and tasted like a typical lemonade, though it was a bit too sweet for my liking. Still, for the price, it’s worth it as a refreshing thirst-quencher.
The east side truly is the best side— so be sure to head down and enjoy this bustling food fair before it’s gone!
Street eats and neon lights: Sembawang pasar malam returns!
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