After paying a visit to the animals at Singapore Zoo and other wildlife parks, you can now feed your tummies with hawker food at Food Republic Mandai, a new food court at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
The Mandai Wildlife Reserve food court has more than 20 stalls that feature hawker favourites. According to Food Republic, these have been carefully curated as part of its efforts to preserve local hawker culture.
Food Republic Mandai adds to the food and dining options available at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
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Food Republic Mandai: Food Court at Mandai Wildlife Reserve with Stalls
The collection of more than 20 stalls at the Mandai Food Court includes heritage hawker favourites, legacy recipes, and well-loved local brands that will appeal to both tourists and locals. While mostly open, there were a couple of stalls still in the midst of opening when we visited on 20 March.
Stepping inside the Food Republic Mandai food atrium, you get transported back in time to the hawker culture of yesteryear. The food court draws inspiration from 1970s Singapore street scenes and the original Mandai Kampong blueprint.
In the 16,000 sq ft, the 600-seater venue (400 indoors and 200 outdoors) food atrium, you will be immersed into a space that features life-sized facades of three-storey shophouses, complete with 1970s signage and realistic recreations that evoke the sights and atmosphere of that era.
We loved the high ceiling and decor of the food court, which invokes nostalgia. For example, it was good to see Singa the Lion helping to promote courteous manners again!
Look a bit closer, and you will also find hints of Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s iconic features, such as animals hiding around the displays.
Shophouse frontages dress up the various stalls, making it feel like you have stepped into the past.
In addition to the indoor seating area, the food court also has an outdoor deck with seating.
Within the food court, you will even find multiple photo spots that recreate the charm of Singapore’s past and old-school street hawker scenes. There are also short write-ups providing some description of the displays.
There are also little “Easter eggs” hidden around the decor – like the facade with the number 1973 – a reference to when the Singapore Zoo first opened.
It is certainly a fun way to combine food with some memories of the past under a blue sky filled with fluffy clouds.
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Food and Stalls at the Mandai Food Court
The food court at Mandai Wildlife Reserve features a mix of local classics and home-grown flavours. They all come together to celebrate and showcase Singapore’s rich and diverse culinary cultural legacy in a nostalgic, heritage-forward setting.
The Food Republic Mandai also features the first food atrium outlets of Boon Tat BBQ Seafood, Tanjong Rhu Pau, Old Amoy Chendol and Mr Coconut. Some of the stalls were still in the midst of opening when we visited on 20 March.
Here’s a look at the food stalls at Food Republic Mandai.
Boon Tat BBQ Seafood (First stall in Food Republic)
Want to enjoy chilli crab at Mandai Wildlife Reserve? Now you can with the opening of the Boon Tat BBQ Seafood. Beginning in 1985 as a hawker push cart along Boon Tat Street, it is known for its signature secret sambal sauce made of over 10 spices, including candlenut, then gently sandwiched between fragrant banana leaves and grilled over fire.
It is best known for its grilled seafood and sambal dishes, including BBQ Sambal Stingray ($17 for small, $27 for large), BBQ Sambal Sotong ($18 for small, $25 for large), Sambal Lala ($15 for small, $21 for large), Black Pepper Crab ($70 for small, $90 for large), and Sambal KangKong. Other dishes availabel here include Pineapple Boat Fried Rice ($18 for small, $24 for large), Singapore Fried Bee Hoon ($14), Salted Egg Chicken Rice Set with Egg ($14), Black Pepper Beef ($20 for small and $28 for large).
Tanjong Rhu Pau (First stall in Food Republic)
Delighting generations of Singaporeans for over 30 years with its traditional and authentically handmade pau, made from scratch daily in small batches using a signature yeast-free dough.
Signatures include Da Pau, or “big bun” and Char Siew Pau, infused with a balanced sweet–savoury secret recipe sauce, homemade char siew, and distinct smoky flavour that long-time customers immediately recognise. For a modern twist, try the sweet-and-savoury Yuan Yang Pau.
Old Amoy Chendol (First stall in Food Republic)
Starting as a street stall along Amoy Street in the 1950s, Old Amoy Chendol was Singapore’s sole chendol specialist. Order a bowl of Traditional Chendol ($4.50) to enjoy freshly cold-pressed coconut milk, charcoal-brewed coconut palm sugar syrup or gula melaka, and natural pandan chendol with zero preservatives. Other options available include the Amoy Frappe ($6.50) and MSW Durian Chendol ($9 per bowl).
Shou Yi Traditional Fried Fritters
Shou Yi sparks a wave of nostalgia with its traditional street snacks that make many in the older generation reminisce about their childhood memories. These simple yet flavourful bites are made with family recipes passed down four generations to Shou Yi’s current brand owner, Adrian Koh and use the finest flour to create the distinct crispy texture of the fritters. You can get items such as You Tiao ($2.20), Butterfly Bun ($2.20) and Fried Banana Fritters ($3) here. Wash it down with some Soya Bean Milk ($3).
Nya Nya Nonya Laksa
This brings the flavours of the old-time stall at Bukit Timah Plaza,Nonya Delicatessen, founded on recipes from the 1980s, to Mandai Wildlife Reserve. The signature dish, Nonya Laksa, is crafted the traditional way. Using a secret Peranakan rempah (spice paste) blend.
Huat Huat BBQ Chicken Wings
You can get your BBQ chicken wings along with satay and carrot cake here. The chicken wings are $2.50 per piece with a minimum of three pieces required. We had the BBQ Boneless Chicken Thigh with Rice ($9.80) from here – another way to enjoy the BBQ chicken. The stall also sells popiah ($3.50) and rojak ($7 for medium).
Chinatown Tan’s Tutu Kueh
This stall is a good spot to visit if you are craving a traditional snack. Established in 1958, Chinatown Tan’s Tutu Kueh has 70 years of legacy. And you can taste this tradition with a choice of plain, coconut and peanut tutu kuehs (one for $1.30, five for $6 and 10 for $12). In addition to tutu kueh, you can also purchase ang ku kueh (one for $4, three for $10 or four for $12) and other traditional kuehs from this stall.
Yang Sayang Chicken (Halal)
The stall makes use of a time-honoured Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe that began in the 1970s and has been passed down from one generation to the next. Here, you can samplethe traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice with plates starting from $6.80 and sets such as a Single Chicken Rice Set ($8.80) as well as a crispy, Fried Chicken Single Set ($12.50) option too.
Bagus Kitchen (Halal)
This stall offers nasi padang and will be opening on Wednesday, 25 March.
Monster Western Cuisine (Halal)
Get your western-style food, include old-school chops, here.
King Grouper Fish Soup
King Grouper Fish Soup is based on a farm-to-table-fresh premium fish concept. This means catching, weighing, and processing the fish to make sure that customers receive the freshest catch possible.
Weld Quay Chilli Ban Mee
Get a bowl of Chilli Ban Mee from this stall. A bowl of the Signature Original Dry Ban Mian costs $7.90. There are also other options such as Spicy Soup Ban Mian ($7.90) and Seaweed and Pork Slice Ban Mian ($8.90).
Uncle Lee’s Confectionery
Located in a corner of the food court, Uncle Lee’s Confectionary is helmed by Uncle Lee, who brings over 35 years of experience from his time as head baker at Hock Ann Confectionery. This stall sells cake with a variety of local flavours. Among its signatures is the Kaya Pandan Cake, featuring a soft, fluffy pandan sponge layered with rich, creamy kaya. Another to try is the Peanut Cake, which offers a contrast of textures in the form of freshly ground peanuts and a light, fluffy vanilla sponge within.
Mr. Coconut
Get a refreshing beverage at this stall of this popular brand. The Mandai food court stall is the first for the brand at a Food Republic. The best-seller is its Signature Coconut Shake, made with 100% coconut including its water and meat, blended with a scoop of coconut ice cream.
Kebabs Faktory
This stall was not yet open when we visited, but it is a reliable brand for decent kebabs. We liked how the signage was designed to blend in with the rest of the decor of the food court.
Aarthy Indian Cuisine
Aarthy Banana Leaf Indian Cuisine is a fresh concept by Jalan Kayu Prata, named after the owner’s eldest daughter, dedicated to serving authentic Indian Cuisine. Get a taste of prata and other Indian food from this stall, which also has vegetarian options.
Hainanese Beef Noodle
This stall was still closed when we visited, but beef noodles, with hearty sauce or broth, are always a welcome addition to any food court.
Guan Chee Hong Kong Roast
This stall sells roast meats with rice and noodles. The sets for a Single Meal 1 with choice of one roasted delight with rice is $6 or $6.80 with noodles. The Combo Meal 3 with choice of three roasted delights with rice is $11 or with noodles it is $11.80. The Char Siew Wanton Noodle is $6.80.
Hong Xing Fishball Noodle
This Singapore heritage brand sells handmade fishball noodles. Each fishball is 100% handcrafted, made fresh daily by hand – no machines, no additives, just 100% pure yellowtail fish with no fillers, no artificial extenders. This gives Hong Xing’s fishballs its distinctive clean taste with a light sweetness and springy QQ texture. Hong Xing is also known for its Handmade Teochew Meatball, crafted from a secret recipe featuring half dried sole fish. A bowl of noodles start from $6.80. The stall’s Signature Noodle is priced at $8.80.
Yuen Kee Dumpling
Yuen Kee Dumpling doesn’t need much of an introduction. Get your dumpling fix here.
Drinks Stall
The drinks stall, not only sells beverages like kopi and teh but also has Nanyang breakfast sets available too. A small hot kopi here costs $2.30 and a small iced kopi is $3.30. A small hot Milo costs $2.50 and a small iced Milo costs $3.50. You can also get specialty drinks like Sea Salt Kopi Gu You Peng ($4.50) from this stall. The Kaya Butter Toast Set costs $5.50.
Mandai Food Republic
With its variety of food stalls, Mandai Food Republic is a welcomed addition the other food and dining options at Mandai Wildlife EAST and Mandai Wildlife WEST. It is good to be able to have a heritage-inspired food court featuring Singapore’s most beloved hawker classics within Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
The food court currently has a one-hour free parking promotion on weekdays from 20 March to 10 April 2026 with a minimum spend. Terms and conditions apply.
Where: Mandai Wildlife EAST, 80 Mandai Lake Rd, Food Republic #01-01/02, Singapore 729826 (This is a publicly accessible area that does not require any ticket to the wildlife parks for entry)
Opening Hours: 8 am to 9 pm
If you enjoyed this story, we think that you will also enjoy reading about the children’s playground at Mandai Wildlife EAST or this food court at Hillion Mall.
