Newton Food Centre
Encyclopedia
Newton Food Centre is a major food centre located in Newton
, Singapore
. The food centre was promoted by the Singapore Tourism Board
(STB) as a tourist attraction for sampling Singaporean cuisine
. It was first opened in 1971 and it closed down in 2005 as the government wanted to revamp the food centre. The food centre then went through a major renovation
before reopening on 1 July 2006.
. However, the stall owners suffered some losses as turnover was lower than at the original site. Also, due to lack of parking facilities, some motorists parked illegally along the side of the roads near the temporary food centre. The police
, knowing about this situation, put up barriers to prevent illegal road-side parking and encourage motorists to park at the food centre's parking lot. After the renovations, stall owners at the temporary food centre moved back to the new food centre.
even when it was raining. Blinds are also available for extra shade from the scorching sun in the afternoons. There are 83 stalls and they are arranged in a horseshoe configuration, featuring the same hawkers who cooked their own-style local favourites like fishball noodles, popiah
, satay
and fried oyster
omelette
. CCTVs have also been installed. Spaces have also been created so buskers can perform and entertain the patrons. Small flea markets can also be set up.
ing and harassment of customers by over-zealous stall owners.
Controversies will tend to happen in this place as there are too many stalls which sell the same kind of food and drinks. Some of these problems could have being avoided if proper planning of the location of the stalls and seating arrangement was conducted.
On March 14, 2009 six American tourists were charged S$491 for a meal at Tanglin's Best BBQ Seafood. In this case of flagrant overcharging, The National Environment Agency
imposed a 3-month ban on the stall and banned his assistant from working there for five years. This was the first incident of its kind at the center.
Newton, Singapore
Newton is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Region in Singapore.The Newton Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Bukit Timah Road to the north, Balmoral Road, Anderson Road, Orange Grove Road, Tanglin Road and Grange Road to the west, Claymore Road, Claymore Hill,...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The food centre was promoted by the Singapore Tourism Board
Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry.-History:...
(STB) as a tourist attraction for sampling Singaporean cuisine
Cuisine of Singapore
Singaporean cuisine is indicative of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore, as a product of centuries of cultural interaction owing to Singapore's strategic location...
. It was first opened in 1971 and it closed down in 2005 as the government wanted to revamp the food centre. The food centre then went through a major renovation
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
before reopening on 1 July 2006.
Renovation
During the renovations, Newton Food Centre was temporarily moved to an open space nearby along Bukit Timah RoadBukit Timah Road
Bukit Timah Road is a major road in Singapore extending from the city centre to Woodlands Road on the way to Johor Bahru in Malaysia. The road has a distance of 25km , which is one of the longest roads in Singapore, and the road takes its name from the hill...
. However, the stall owners suffered some losses as turnover was lower than at the original site. Also, due to lack of parking facilities, some motorists parked illegally along the side of the roads near the temporary food centre. The police
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
, knowing about this situation, put up barriers to prevent illegal road-side parking and encourage motorists to park at the food centre's parking lot. After the renovations, stall owners at the temporary food centre moved back to the new food centre.
Design
The newly-built food centre follows the design elements from the nearby old colonial houses. The colour scheme of the food centre is white, black and brown and the ceilings are seven metres high, ensuring cross-ventilation and a cooler environment. The newly-built food centre will also protect some of the patrons sitting in the open space from being wet during the rain as they are shaded by large umbrellas which does not really protect customers from the rain as the rain drips on their seat, unlike the previous food centre where patrons had more seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
even when it was raining. Blinds are also available for extra shade from the scorching sun in the afternoons. There are 83 stalls and they are arranged in a horseshoe configuration, featuring the same hawkers who cooked their own-style local favourites like fishball noodles, popiah
Popiah
Popiah is a Fujian/Chaozhou-style fresh spring roll common in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Popiah is often eaten in the Fujian province of China and its neighbouring Chaoshan on the Qingming Festival. In the Teochew dialect, popiah is pronounced as "Bo-BEE-a", which means "thin wafer"...
, satay
Satay
Satay , or sate, is a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay may consist of diced or sliced chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, other meats, or tofu; the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut palm frond, although bamboo skewers are...
and fried oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
omelette
Omelette
In cuisine, an omelette or omelet is a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan, sometimes folded around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat , or some combination of the above...
. CCTVs have also been installed. Spaces have also been created so buskers can perform and entertain the patrons. Small flea markets can also be set up.
Flora in the food centre
More than 50 species of flowers, including pink frangipani, wedelia creepers and several species of palms, have been planted around the food centre area, especially at the main entrance and around the seats in the middle section of the hawker centre. These plants had been incorporated into the landscape to re-create a plantation feel.Controversies
Despite being promoted by the STB for sampling Singaporean cuisine, the food sellers at Newton Food Centre are often criticised by locals, mainly for overpricing and mediocre food quality. The food centre is particularly infamous for incessant toutTout
In British English, a tout is any person who solicits business or employment in a persistent and annoying manner...
ing and harassment of customers by over-zealous stall owners.
Controversies will tend to happen in this place as there are too many stalls which sell the same kind of food and drinks. Some of these problems could have being avoided if proper planning of the location of the stalls and seating arrangement was conducted.
On March 14, 2009 six American tourists were charged S$491 for a meal at Tanglin's Best BBQ Seafood. In this case of flagrant overcharging, The National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency formed on 1 July 2002, is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore. As a statutory board, it gives NEA greater administrative autonomy to be more nimble in the protection of the environment...
imposed a 3-month ban on the stall and banned his assistant from working there for five years. This was the first incident of its kind at the center.