There aren’t many things that can bring us sheer excitement in the current state of affairs, but the opening of a new gastronomic destination here in Singapore has left us with sparkles in our eyes and an expanded appetite.
Eatbox, a brand new food hall conveniently located at Tekka Place next to Rochor MRT station, has officially launched today (September 3). It boasts 18 vibrant food stalls, with more additions to arrive in the future.
It’s organized by the same team behind Artbox, Southeast Asia's first and largest pop-up creative market that originated from Thailand. With good food and good vibes, it's no wonder why Artbox was a firm favourite amongst Singaporeans when it took place on our island back in 2019.
Unlike Artbox, it’s newly-opened but equally colourful and boisterous counterpart is here to stay. The murals are done in collaboration with local artists, and the air-conditioned premises are littered with neon signs that are just begging for pictures.
Spread over a 9000-square-foot premise, this permanent food hall brings the best of Asian delights we all know and love, but with playful twists. Read on for a first look at Eatbox and our honest thoughts on some of its culinary offerings.
Our Personal Favourites:
Butcher The Burger Bar
If you’re looking for good, affordable burgers, Butcher The Burger Bar has got you covered. We tried its Truffle Shuffle ($12.80), which features a homemade signature sauce we frankly couldn’t get enough of. The burger was beautifully moist and tender, perhaps attributed to the fact that the patties are formed on the spot upon ordering.
None of that pre-made stuff here, folks.
While we weren’t a big fan of the fries, which were a tad too greasy and overfried, at this price point, we certainly aren’t complaining. Vegans and vegetarians, rejoice! Plant-based options are available here as well, so you aren’t left out of the mix. This Eatbox stall is its third location, with other outlets in Sembawang and the East Coast.
Ice On You
Now who doesn’t love an icy treat on a hot day? This dessert stall features icy desserts, but with a twist — think flavours such as cendol and Thai milk tea. We sampled the Thai Milk Tea Shaver ($5.80), a towering heap of Thai milk tea-infused ice. The stall uses the Cha Tra Mue brand, the gold standard of all Thai milk tea. Unlike certain Thai milk tea desserts, the flavours were prominent and stood on its own. It came topped with a creamy scoop of ice cream, which paired beautifully with the milky treat.
Just like ice kachang, it comes with an assortment of toppings including the usual sago, jelly cubes, and even boba balls, ensuring each bite is an exciting experience. Get this one to share, because it’s probably too big of a portion for one person.
Chikata
Mookata is undeniably a social activity. We’ve likely all had an insatiable craving for mookata, but didn’t have friends to grab it with.
Well, here at Chickata, it’s possible to enjoy this dish on your own with its signature single-serve mookata set. This muslim-owned stall focuses on the marinades and bringing out the flavour of the meats, something we appreciate given how the porky flavour (due to the lard) usually dominates the traditional mookata.
We absolutely loved the Mini Lamb set ($13.90), marinated with a special blend of black pepper that really complimented the flavour of the lamb. It added a subtle sweetness to the broth — so if you love lamb, we can’t recommend it enough. Even though we eat pork on the regular, we would readily come back here to have it again, along with beef and chicken options next time.
Plus, how cute is the mini mookata grill?
SugaRush
If you couldn’t already guess from its name, this establishment specialises in all things sugary sweet. Aside from a range of halal gelato, with flavours that rotates every two weeks , it also offers a range of baked goodies. SugaRush works with Temasek Polytechnic’s Food, Nutrition & Culinary Science students and alumni for the goods.
These are baked fresh in a central kitchen at the start of each day, so you can be sure you won’t be getting yesterday’s lifeless leftovers. The treats here are on the lighter side and not as sweet, so your palate won’t feel overwhelmed.
I’m also a big fan of its World-Class Brookies ($5.50), a huge chewy, ooey, gooey mound of goodness. Created in collaboration with 3 Boys Dough, trust me when I say it was love at first bite — these are some seriously good cookies. We also recommend getting one of its fresh fruit smoothies ($5.50–$6.50) to go along with your meal — it was absolutely refreshing and we loved the strawberry-mango and fresh mango flavors.
Some Notable Mentions:
TOMI Yakiniku
While the Premium A5 Wagyu rice bowl at TOMI Yakiniku was easy to eat and rather yummy, we found it a tad pricey at its $25.90 price point, given its small portion. However, we would readily go back for their A5 Wagyu Skewer ($5.90). The beef itself was smokey and rich, bursting with umami goodness that lent for an explosive flavour bomb.
Other tasty shareable snacks include its half-shell scallops topped with flame-torched mozzarella cheese, as well as the BBQ tiger prawns.
Thachang Shaker Bar
Props to the vendor for a creative ordering process for its noodle shaker dish: diners can customise everything from the noodles to protein, and from the sides to the sauce. While we thought the concept was cute, it’s undeniably a bit gimmicky. Mixing up the noodles was a real arm workout, and even after a good five minutes of vigorous shaking, a good portion of the sauce remained at the bottom of the cup.
However, we thought the Hat Yai Chicken Wings ($5) were delicious and fried to perfection, with a sweet sauce that had us licking our fingers clean.
B Ly’s Bahn Mi
I’ve had my fair share of disappointing banh mi in Singapore, but the Special Great Banh Mi ($6.90) from B Ly’s holds up pretty well. The bread was delightfully crisp (cue ASMR sounds), and the vegetables were fresh and provided a good crunch.
Opt for the regular white bun, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, a black charcoal bun is also available. This is definitely one of the better banh mi spots in Singapore, and if you love your Vietnamese sandwiches, you’ll be sure to enjoy the creations available here.
Okinawa Onigiri
Sandos and onigiri come together here at Okinawa Onigiri, a sure-to-be hot spot for those who love Japanese-style foods. Its menu features fried shrimp tempura, which was showcased in the Shrimp Onigiri ($5.90) we sampled. We were pleasantly surprised by how light it was, and it also included a thick slice of luncheon meat, which reminded us very much of a spam musubi (but better). If you’re a rice person (as almost all Asians are) but need something on-the-go, this is the perfect meal for you.
After spending a couple hours here at the media preview, we’ve still barely scratched the tip of the iceberg with all the delicious food and drink available at Eatbox. The best part is there are more stalls coming soon, and the food hall will feature a rotating roster of vendors to keep things fresh and exciting. With all that said and done, we can’t wait to go back — especially when Slurping Good, its instant noodle-themed experience playground opens up later this month.
Keep scrolling for some more photos of our experience at Eatbox!
