Being a Woodlander, I’m not alone in having the opinion that Marsiling has always been seen as that place before Johor Bahru. With the demolition of the Old Woodlands Town Centre in 2017, known for its former Sheng Siong outlet as well as being a money-changing pit stop, Marsiling has fallen further into obscurity.
However, do you know that Marsiling has a surprising amount of places to eat? Neither did I before making this list, so here are 10 underrated food spots in Marsiling that’ll surprise you!
1. Citrus by the Pool
Citrus by the Pool is a Western and Asian fusion cafe located at the entrance of Woodlands Swimming Complex. It is one of the few places in Marsiling, and even the entirety of Woodlands, to resemble a standard cafe offering that we get today.
It has your mixture of fusion dishes such as the crowd favourite Tom Yum Seafood Pasta (S$12.90++), Sambal Goreng Pasta (S$14/S$15.50) and Da Burger Bomb (S$13.50++) which is a grilled chicken teriyaki burger. It also has a variety of Mighty Milkshakes that come in flavours such as Double Chocolate, Caramel Popcorn, Strawberry Gem and Classic Vanilla at S$12.50++.
As an added bonus, it’s open till 5am for you midnight owls!
3 Woodlands Street 13, Woodlands Swimming Complex, #03-3A, Singapore 738600
+65 6366 6581
Daily: 11am – 5am
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2. Waker Chicken (와커치킨)
I bet Marsiling was the last place you’d expect to find Korean fried chicken, but Waker Chicken (와커치킨) is delivering just that. Waker Chicken was brought into Singapore by two Koreans living here, as they missed the taste and experience of authentic Korean fried chicken.
Waker Chicken (와커치킨) serves four distinct flavours: Original Crispy (S$13/S$25), Sweet Spicy (S$14/S$27), Soy Sauce (S$14/S$27) and Honey Butter (S$15/S$28) which is popular amongst the Singapore crowd. There are also boneless chicken options such as Chicken Tenders and Chicken Fillets with rice. The best part is, it is officially halal-certified!
136 Marsiling Road, Singapore 730136
+65 9763 2619
Daily: 11am – 9pm
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3. Arabica Kebab
Continuing with the theme of food you’d never expect to find in Marsiling is Arabica Kebab, which is located at Marsiling Mall. This stall is almost one-year-old and serves authentic and affordable Arabic food that you might be familiar with. Word in town is that it’s considered a hidden gem in Marsiling.
It has your standard kebab offerings such as Kebab Wrap (S$5/S$6/S$7) and Kebab with Rice (S$7/S$8/S$9), but it also offers more traditional Arabian dishs such as Lamb Mandi (S$15) and Chicken Mandi (S$10). Surprisingly, it also offers a taste of Mexican cuisine in the form of the Quesadilla (S$8/S$9/S$10) and Burrito (S$6/S$7/S$8). Arabica Kebab is truly more than just kebab!
4 Woodlands Street 12, Marsiling Mall, #01-38, Singapore 738623
+65 8464 9264
Daily: 10am – 8pm
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4. Yan Ji Seafood Soup
Yan Ji Seafood Soup requires no introduction, especially when it’s from a 40-year-old family brand. This seafood soup stall sets it apart from other stalls by cooking every bowl to order. They also use a slow and meticulous cooking process to allow the ingredients to fuse together.
The Seafood Soup (S$7.50/S$9.50/S$11.50) has many add-ons such as Fish Maw (S$2), Pacific Clams (S$2) and even Crayfish (S$4). If you’re in the mood for a seafood feast, you can opt for the Premium Seafood Soup (S$31/S$41) which is a large bowl of soup containing prawns, abalone, clams, squid and crayfish, just to name a few.
4 Woodlands Street 12, Marsiling Mall, #01-26, Singapore 738623
+65 9798 5886
Tue to Sun: 11.30am – 8.30pm
Closed on Mon
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5. Hong Ji Claypot Herbal Bak Kut Teh
The first thing that will catch your eye at Hong Ji Claypot Herbal Bak Kut Teh is the number of accolades it has garnered over 26 years. It is widely touted as one of the best bak kut teh on the island. Hong Ji Claypot Herbal Bak Kut Teh follows the Hokkien way of cooking bak kut teh, which results in a darker soup that tastes of herbs.
The standard Claypot Bak Kut Teh (S$6) comes with pork ribs, pig’s stomach and pig’s liver. If you’re looking for the complete meal, you can add Rice for S$0.70. They also serve Claypot Bak Kut Teh Noodles for S$5.
19 Marsiling Lane, Teo Chap Bee Eating House, #01-329, Singapore 730019
+65 9799 2614
Daily: 7am – 9pm
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6. Hao Jia Ban Mian
For those rainy and cold days, Hao Jia Ban Mian has got you covered with its noodles that have garnered praise from plenty of online food critics, including K.F Seetoh, the founder of Makansutra.
Online reviews of its Red Wine Chicken Mee Sua (S$5) have been pretty good, with some describing it as being an umami bomb and having a generous red wine base which had an aromatic sweetness. Their other noodles option includes Traditional Dry Stir U-Mian (S$4/S$5), Mala Ban Mian (S$4.50), Dry Noodle with Fried Sauce (S$4/S$5) and Seafood Tom Yum U-Mian (S$5.50).
4 Woodlands Street 12, Marsiling Mall, #01-53, Singapore 738623
Daily: 9am – 9pm
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7. He Cheng Cheng Teng
How can I forget about desserts, especially if they’re priced this cheap! He Cheng Cheng Teng serves both hot and cold local desserts. It has all you can ever need as far as local desserts go. It is also seemingly stuck in the past with unheard-of prices these days.
Its cold dessert includes your cold Ice Kacang (S$1.50), Ice Soursoup (S$2), Ice Chendol (S$1.50), Cocktail Ice Jelly (S$1.50) and even Durian Ice Kacang (S$2)! Hot dessert options are also stellar with Red Bean Soup (S$1.50), Green Bean Soup (S$1.50) and its signature Cheng Tng (S$1.50).
4 Woodlands Street 12, Marsiling Mall, #01-55, Singapore 738620
8. Beef King by Yassin Kampung
If you prefer beef on your noodles, then Beef King by Yassin Kampung should be your go-to. It is an extension of the ever-popular Yassin Kampung franchise, which is known for its Malay and Chinese fusion dishes. This however focuses solely on noodles.
Beef King by Yassin Kampung has an extensive choice of noodles as well as beef parts. Its options include Beef & Tripe Noodle (S$8), Beef & Tendon Noodle (S$8), Mutton Ribs Soup (S$9), Ox Tail Soup (S$9) and its specialty Mala Beef Noodle (S$7.50). There’s also noodle selections such as Kway Teow, Mee Kia, Ban Mian, You Mian and Yellow Noodle.
4 Woodlands Street 12, Marsiling Mall, #01-44, Singapore 738620
+65 9691 4782
Wed to Mon: 10.30am – 2.30pm & 4.30pm – 8.30pm
Closed on Tue
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9. Fatty Bom Bom
Any neighbourhood listicle isn’t complete without the go-to western place that settles that western food craving when payday is still far ahead. Fatty Bom Bom is that place in Marsiling, serving very guilty western dishes.
As far as neighbourhood western places go, Fatty Bom Bom is a touch superior to the standard offerings, with its focus on cajun flavours. This can be seen in their menu that has Fatty Bom Cajun Chicken (S$9.90), Cajun Chicken with Pasta (S$10.40) and Fatty Bom Cajun Chicken Roll (S$9.40). Most of their dishes are covered in a thick and flavourful sauce to really make you want to jog after a meal!
Woodlands Street 11, Block 167, Singapore 730167
Fri to Wed: 11.30am – 10.45pm
Thu: 11.30am – 9.30pm
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10. Yes! Nasi Kukus
Yes! Nasi Kukus may look like an ordinary nasi padang stall but it’s far from it. The hint is in its name, kukus, which means steamed in Malay. Each portion of steamed rice is placed in an aluminium bowl before being steamed in a metal steamer, which gives it a soft and fluffy texture.
They also serve nasi dagang, which is rice steamed with coconut milk— similar to nasi lemak but without any pandan infusion. The nasi kukus come in several sets such as Signature Fried Chicken (S$5), Fried Pomfret Fish (S$6) and Curry Chicken (S$4). There are also several sets for nasi dagang that has Sambal Assam Prawn (S$5.50), Curry Mutton (S$6) and Sambal Asam Sotong (S$5.50).
Woodlands Street 11, Street 11 Coffee House, Block 167, Singapore 730167
+65 9101 5043
Daily: 10am – 9pm
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