Fuel before the fire: Where to grab a bite before an election rally

Straits Times

25-04-2025

Fuel before the fire: Where to grab a bite before an election rally
SINGAPORE – Fireworks, crossbows, and handcuffs are banned at election rallies, but food is still very much welcome.
So fret not about having to forgo a proper meal in order to avoid missing out on the action. Whether you are sitting down for a full dinner or grabbing a bite on the go, here are some places to fuel up in five of the hottest wards this election season.
Tampines
San.wich sells sandwiches that can be eaten on the go.
PHOTO: San.Wich
The spiciest showdown of all is set to unfold in Tampines, where four parties are vying for control over the constituency. Prime yourself with a fiery meal from The Masala Point, a stall located a stone's throw away from the open field at 33 Tampines Central where some of the ward's biggest rallies will be taking place.
It serves up homestyle Indian dishes like chicken biryani ($7.50), egg prata ($2.40), and mutton curry ($3). In search of something more snackable? Try their vegetarian or sardine curry puffs ($0.80).
For a milder option, turn instead to NetViet Vietnamese Cuisine, parked under the same roof. Crispy spring rolls go for $5 for four pieces, while banh mi is priced at $5.50 for chicken or pork.
Those walking from the MRT might find themselves spoiled for choice in one of the three malls surrounding Tampines station. Tampines 1, for example, has sandwiches from San.wich by Swee Heng. Alternatively, hop over to Tampines Mall for local delights from Lee Wee & Brothers' Foodstuff, or grab a gimbap from My Korean Mom's Kimchi in Century Square.
If you can spare the time to queue, check out Damascus Delights, a tiny Syrian restaurant nestled in Tampines central. A shawarma wrap starts at $8.50 for chicken, and can cost up to $20.50 for Arabi lamb.
If your rally takes place instead at Temasek Junior College, seek sustenance at the New Hawa Restaurant across the road. There is also a Domino's Pizza located along that stretch, as well as a Subway, and, if all else fails, a trusty 7-Eleven.
Sengkang
Thai food from Nakhon Udon Thai Kitchen.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
A PAP contingent helmed by Dr Lam Pin Min faces off against a WP team made up of incumbent MPs He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim, Louis Chua, and newcomer Abdul Muhaimin in Sengkang.
Both teams have been busy trying to win hearts on the ground, as well as online, with Dr Lam in particular taking to Facebook to connect with residents through food.
Check out his recommendations: the Taliwang chicken cutlet omelette rice from Kawan Bowl ($6.90) at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre, for one, as well as Big Fat Boy Fried Hokkien Mee at Block 338 Anchorvale Crescent.
Next to the latter, you will find also Nakhon Udon Thai Kitchen which dishes out hearty Thai classics like tom yum soup (from $8) in double quick time.
On the other side of Sengkang East Road, across the street from the field next to The Vales Condominium, which has been earmarked for rallies, is the Happy Hawkers coffee shop, selling bak chor mee, mala xiang guo (spicy stir fry hot pot), and western food.
The other rally site in the GRC, North Vista Secondary School, is a 10-minute walk from two eating houses: Sengkang 266 Coffeeshop – home to popiah, rojak, fish soup, and more – and yet another Happy Hawkers outlet at 267 Compassvale Link, this one stocked with lok lok (steamboat style skewers of meat or vegetables) and kolo mee.
Punggol
There is a King of Fried Rice stall located near the field where rallies in Punggol will be held.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
The calm waterfront haven of Punggol will be roused to battle when deputy prime minister Gan Kim Yong and company lock heads with a fresh-faced WP team led by senior counsel Harpreet Singh, who has been touted for months as one to watch.
Rallies can take place at one of two sites: at Yusof Ishak Secondary School or the field across the multi-storey carpark at Block 670 Edgefield Plains.
Fuel up before the fight at the Happy Hawkers coffee shop situated near the field, which includes stalls such as Maruhachi Donburi & Curry, King of Fried Rice, and 671 Roasted Delight.
Or cross Wave Bridge to unlock a whole host of other food options. Oasis Terraces is lined with a respectable variety of cuisines, from Crystal Jade GO's dim sum to takeaway rolls from Sushi Express. Those who get there early might also want to sit down for a leisurely dinner at Labula Mala Sichuan Restaurant or tuck into brunch classics at Anna's Cafe.
Further afield, the wonders of Waterway Point await, furnished, in the typical fashion of heartland malls, with a reliable roaster of takeaway kiosks: Crave, Pezzo, Stuff'd and Wok Hey, just to name a few.
It is a 15 minute bus journey from Edgefield Plains or a 10-minute walk from Yusof Ishak Secondary School.
Voters headed to the school will also find yong tau foo, chee chiong fun and nasi lemak at Shi Fu Eating House nearby, as well as the highly-rated Tan's Noodles in Waterway Terraces I's Foodgle Hub.
East Coast
Mukmin Restaurant is situated near Bedok Stadium.
PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN
East side, best side – the perennial war cry of flag-waving 'Easties' – has officially entered the political lexicon, with the PAP launching a website titled after the popular catchphrase.
To prove their point, east-siders typically extol the gastronomic abundance of their backyard. And indeed, those headed to rallies in Bedok Stadium will face no dearth of options.
It is surrounded by institutions like the 44-year-old Mukmin Restaurant, beloved for its traditional Malay dishes – for instance, nasi sambal goreng and nasi rawan (rice with buah keluak beef soup), each costing around $5 – and Ocean Curry Fish Head.
Across the road lies The Marketplace @ 58, packed to the rafters with hawker fare galore. Fried carrot cake, min jiang kueh, porridge, bak chor mee, vegetarian food – you name it, they have it.
Still hungry after watching the men in white take on their WP rivals, or vice versa? Head to Master Prata Express, which operates until midnight daily. Here, rally-goers can recharge with a drink – teh tarik ($1.50) perhaps, or a good ol' iced milo ($2.30) – or a two piece prata set with chicken curry ($6.50).
The smaller rally site of Victoria Junior College, on the other hand, is slightly more isolated, perched as it is on the edge of a private housing estate. Grab a bite at 50A Marine Terrace Market, a 15 minute walk away, or drop by ThaiPan Restaurant in Mandarin Gardens for some zi char.
West Coast-Jurong West
A burger from W39 Bistro & Bakery.
PHOTO: W39 BISTRO & BAKERY
On the other end of the best side debate is the west of Singapore. To locals, it is an underrated treasure trove; to east-dwellers, a far-flung wilderness not worth the journey.
But this year's hustings might just change their minds. With the stage set for an epic rematch between a PAP squad led by National Development Minister Desmond Lee and the Progress Singapore Party's A-team of Tan Cheng Bock, Leong Mun Wai, and Hazel Poa, Singaporeans from all over the country now have a compelling reason to journey west.
The gladiatorial arena of choice is Clementi Stadium. The two sides will also duel at the field next to West Coast Park, flanked solely by the trusted golden arches of McDonald's.
Clementi Stadium, on the other hand, has a few more options in its quiver. W39 Bistro & Bakery, which sells beef burgers ($26) and carbonara ($16), is located a three minute walk away, as is Zi Zai Vegetarian restaurant and its meat-free versions of local delights like mee goreng (from $6.80) and laksa ($5.80).
Then there is Haq-Insaf's Eating House, purveyor of chicken tikka masala (from $10.90), mutton rogan josh (from $14.80), and nasi goreng ayam ($7.50). It is open until 4am, so it also makes for a good post-rally meeting point, where one might end a fiery night on an even hotter high.
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