Inside Singapore’s Retro Wet Markets: A Food Lover’s Trail

Photo Credits: MiddleClass

Tan Xiang Cai Shi, opened on 8 May 2024 in Chai Chee Lane, Bedok, by local celebrity Ben Yeo, is a 350-seater retro coffeeshop styled after old kampong wet markets, with seven food stalls and a nostalgic “mama shop” corner offering free old-school snacks. Separately, Serangoon Garden Market, a genuine working hawker centre rather than a themed recreation, was voted Singaporeans’ favourite hawker centre out of 121 food centres island-wide, according to results from the Singapore Hawkers’ Seminar & Awards.

This trail covers both the themed and the genuinely old-school side of Singapore’s retro food scene.

What Makes Tan Xiang Cai Shi Different From A Normal Coffeeshop?

Tan Xiang Cai Shi is designed to emulate a wet market rather than function as one, with a small grocery store corner and a childhood snacks corner built into the space, according to coverage of the opening by Eatbook. The signature dish, Tan Xiang Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat, starts from $46 and comes with a broth built from old hen chicken, pork bone, fried fish head and dried scallops, simmered for hours.

The retro theming extends past the food itself. Guests can grab free old-school snacks such as Apollo chocolate wafers and ice pops from the mama shop booth at the back of the coffeeshop, a detail aimed squarely at diners chasing childhood nostalgia rather than just a meal.

Where Can I Find A Genuinely Old-School Hawker Experience, Not Just A Themed One?

Serangoon Garden Market offers the real version of what Tan Xiang Cai Shi recreates aesthetically. It won the top vote at the Singapore Hawkers’ Seminar & Awards with 216 votes out of 121 food centres competing, ahead of better-known names such as Maxwell and Newton.

Garden Street Kway Chap, one of the centre’s most queued-for stalls, traces its history back to the 1950s, moving through several locations including the old Blanco Court site before eventually settling at Serangoon Gardens, and is now run by the founder’s son.

Here is a quick reference for both spots on this trail.

If Serangoon Garden Market’s stalls interest you beyond just this trail, our full guide to where locals actually eat breaks down specific stalls worth queuing for. For more photos and detail on Tan Xiang Cai Shi itself, our dedicated retro wet market feature covers the full stall lineup.

Is A Themed Retro Market Worth It Over The Real Thing?

Here is the honest answer. Tan Xiang Cai Shi and Serangoon Garden Market are not really competing experiences, since they serve different purposes. One is a designed, photogenic recreation of nostalgia aimed at a specific dining-out experience. The other is a genuinely old, unglamorous hawker centre that happens to serve some of the best food on the island. Visiting one does not replace the other.

A genuine limitation worth naming. Tan Xiang Cai Shi’s steamboat pricing, starting at $46 and rising with seafood add-ons such as tiger prawns or geoduck, sits well above typical hawker pricing, so it is a themed dining night out rather than an everyday meal. Serangoon Garden Market’s food stays within normal hawker pricing throughout, generally under $12 a dish even at its most popular stalls.

For more of Singapore’s food scene beyond just the retro angle, browse our Food section for ongoing coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tan Xiang Cai Shi suitable for a large group? Yes. With 350 seats across the coffeeshop, it comfortably accommodates larger groups, though booking ahead is worth doing on weekends given its popularity since opening.

Does Serangoon Garden Market accept cashless payment? Most stalls still primarily run on cash or PayNow rather than card payments, so bringing small notes remains the more reliable option at this particular hawker centre compared with some newer, more digitally set up food centres.

Are the “mama shop” snacks at Tan Xiang Cai Shi really free? Yes, based on coverage of the coffeeshop’s offerings, complimentary old-school snacks and drinks are available from the mama shop corner, though this is separate from the paid seafood and zi char menu items at the main stalls.

Is Tan Xiang Cai Shi halal-certified? Certification details were not confirmed in available coverage of the coffeeshop, so diners with specific dietary requirements should check directly with Tan Xiang Cai Shi before visiting rather than assuming based on the menu alone.

What time is best to visit Serangoon Garden Market to avoid queues? Weekday mornings before 11am tend to be quietest, since weekends bring in both grocery shoppers at the adjoining wet market and hawker centre visitors at the same time, which stacks up queues at the most popular stalls.

Are there other retro-themed food spots in Singapore beyond Tan Xiang Cai Shi? Ben Yeo’s group has opened related concepts under similar branding, including Tan Xiang Yuan, a modern Cantonese restaurant at Jalan Besar, suggesting the retro dining theme is being built out as a wider portfolio rather than a single standalone venue.

If you know a retro-themed food spot worth adding to this trail, email us at admin@dei.com.sg.