The newest mall to open after a spate of reopenings (like Funan and Raffles Arcade), Paya Lebar Quarter is the latest to join in the cluster of retail buildings, including Paya Lebar Square and SingPost Centre, surrounding the neighborhood’s MRT station. It’s open to the public from today onwards, but quite a few stores have yet to put on their finishing touches, so the official date is set for Oct 24.
The S$3.6 billion development by Lendlease is part office, part shopping center, both connected by a sheltered plaza area that can host events and festivals, along with outdoor kiosks, a water fountain, and a children’s play area in the outdoor section.
Just like any other mall in Singapore, the likes of international juggernauts Uniqlo, Foot Locker, Cotton On, Laneige, Innisfree, Haidilao Hot Pot, Wine Connection, Koi, Milksha, and Starbucks have descended here. You’ll also see local brands like Challenger, Popular Bookstore, TungLok Seafood, and Duckland among the shops, which add up to more than 200 units.
Also look out for Shaw Theatres at the top floor with its premium halls and IMAX cinema, a new themed food court by Kopitiam called KopiTime, and family-friendly shops such as My Art Studio and DIY craft supplier Komma.
As for the food — if you’d like to know what’s new and cool to dine on at Paya Lebar Quarter Mall, then here’s a rundown of what to expect.
Fong Sheng Hao
Originating from Taipei’s famous Shilin Market, the cafe is beloved for its charcoal-grilled thick toast sandwiches and milk tea. This new-to-Singapore 32-seater marks its first franchised dine-in outlet outside Taiwan, and it’ll serve the sarnies it’s known for in 14 variations. Sweet and savory fillings include mayo potato ($5.80), pork, egg and cheese ($6.30), pork floss, egg and cheese ($6.50), ham, cheese and egg ($5.90, a Singapore special), kaya butter ($4.20), and butter sugar ($4.20).
To go with the carbs, you can get ang ku kueh ($2), half-boiled eggs ($2), or the store’s signature milk tea ($3.90).
#B2-04. Daily 8am-9:30pm.
Hayai
A grab-and-go stall at the basement, Hayai is helmed by the same team behind the now-closed Japanese joint of the same name at Changi Village. But it’s doing something different here, dishing out onigirazu (Japanese rice sandwiches) stuffed with bulgogi beef, fish, and fried chicken.
#B2-K3. Daily 10am-10pm.
Lucky Bird
Not much else has been said about this new concept (that was initially supposed to be run by The Privé Group), but you can likely expect Southern-style fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits “Singapore chicken rice with a modern twist” to make an appearance on the menu.
#01-P4.
Mom’s Touch
People in Singapore are obsessed with fried chicken, this much we know, since the South Korean brand’s opening day queues were insane, leaving the kitchen to struggle helplessly with the high number of orders from increasingly agitated diners. The wait has been said to go up to two hours (to be honest, we abandoned ship after more than an hour of gazing longingly at everyone else’s meals), so don’t come too hangry, or you’ll mar your experience here. Or better yet, give it a couple months for the lines to die down.
The popular eatery, making its debut in Singapore thanks to seafood chain No Signboard, doles out spicy and non-spicy fried chicken (from $3.60), fried chicken burgers stuffed with varying ingredients like fried egg, bacon, and ham (from $5.70), and bulgalbi chicken burger ($5.70). Sides include cajun and cheese fries, sweet potato bites, and corn in a cup, while drinks range from lattes and Earl Grey teas to sodas and sparkling beverages in flavors like elderflower apple and peach pear. You can also get sundaes ($3.80) topped with black sesame or green tea powder.
#01-37. Daily 10am-10pm.
Morphine Coffee
A tiny kiosk outside the mall, this micro roastery brews coffees and teas for your daily caffeine kick. The menu is simple, offering coffee o ($1.80), coffee c ($2), coffee with fresh milk ($3), and cold brew coffees (from $2.10), alongside tea o ($1.60), tea c ($1.80), and cold brew teas (from $1.90). If you’d like to try something different, the coffee cocoa, hojicha latte, and matcha latte (from $2.80) come in hot and iced versions.
Alternatively, you can get the in-house brewed cinnamon-spiced iced ginger ale ($5) to go with your kaya butter, ham and cheese, or spiced egg mayo toasts (from $2.50).
#01-K5. Sun-Thurs 7:30am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 7:30am-11pm.
Wursthans Switzerland
Another yet-to-be-opened eatery, Wursthans Switzerland will offer “authentic” Swiss sausages in its casual space by the mall’s entrance.
#01-13A
[Editor’s note: We have updated the article to reflect the change in concept for Lucky Bird.]
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