14 best places to eat at NEX mall from ramen to hotpot (2024)

NEX is the largest mall in Singapore’s North-East as well as one of the largest in the country. ‘NEX’ is the acronym for North-East Exchange as it is the nex-us (haha) between Serangoon Bus Interchange and the Serangoon MRT Station, which links the North-East Line to the Circle Line.

Over its 7 floors, there are 2 food courts and no less than 69 restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets. Coincidentally, the end of that sentence marked the first 69 words of this article. Viola! Word magic completed, let’s get into the food magic at NEX.

Here’s my list of the top 14 food spots to explore when you’re at NEX.

1. The Hainan Story Coffee House (#02-17)

The Hainan Story Coffee House in NEX is the brand’s first ever coffee house concept, offering nostalgic and authentic Hainanese dishes to savour. Here, you can indulge in their signatures like Hainanese Ah Mai‘s Chee Cheong Fun (S$7.80), Hainanese Pig’s Trotter Assam Curry Noodle (S$9.80) and Baked Hainanese Rice Cake Lasagna (S$8.80).

They also have Western mains such as Old English Oxtail Stew (S$25.80), which was very popular during the colonial era, and Neapolitan Spaghetti with Soft Boiled Egg (from S$8.90). The fragrant Pandan Waffles are not to be missed either— enjoy the savoury Waffle Dream Boat with Pork Sausage (S$14.80) as a main dish, or have your waffles in a more traditional form, filled with Rojak Jam (S$5.10), Honey Butter (S$5.70) and more.

+65 6509 1025
Daily: 8am – 10pm
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2. Gokoku Japanese Bakery (#B1-K1)

Gokoku Japanese Bakery is one of Singapore’s most popular Japanese bakeries. Their NEX outlet offers shoppers with a wide variety of delicious bakes, ranging from buns to scones to cream horns.

The Kokutou x Kokutou Pan (S$2.30) is a crowd favourite, while the Komeko Pan (S$2.40) is a super hearty and fragrant bun to munch on if you’re health conscious.

If you have a sweet tooth, go for buns like Apple Earl Grey (S$3), the Kouign-Amann (S$2.60) or the Crispy Choco Pafu (S$2.60). My personal favourite is the Koucha Scone (S$2.40), a super fragrant scone made with earl grey tea.

Of course, don’t miss out on the delicious salt buns— grab a regular Shio Butter Pan (S$2) to curb your buttery cravings, or opt for the An Shio Butter Pan (S$2.40) or Rennyu Shio Butter Pan (S$2.30) for a little something extra.

+65 6634 0049
Daily: 10am – 10pm
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3. Tim Hortons (#01-10)

The Canadian brand, Tim Hortons, made waves when it opened its first outlet in Singapore within Vivo City back in late 2023. Today, you can find this coffee shop within NEX, sans the crowd, allowing you to enjoy its drinks and bakes without crazy waiting times.

Grab a Signature Latte to go, with options such as Maple Cinnamon (from S$7) and White Chocolate Mocha (from S$6.50). Alternatively, indulge in non-coffee classics like the Belgian Chocolate Cookies ‘n’ Cream (from S$7.90).

Why not spoil yourself with a sweet treat? At Tim Hortons, you’ll get to try various donut flavours like Maple Salted Caramel (S$3.50), Caramel Biscoff (S$3.50) and Yuzu Lemon Cream (S$4.50). Perhaps donuts aren’t your thing— not to worry, for you can easily find other desserts such as Crème Brulee Cheese Cake (S$7.50) and Mango Pasionfruit Tart (S$6).

Daily: 10am – 10pm
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4. Monster Curry (#B1-08)

Monster Curry is an iconic brand that has been operating for over 10 years. Their delicious Japanese demi-glace curry is made from no less than 14 different vegetables and spices and prepared over 2 days. The result is a delectably fragrant curry, rich in taste and bursting with flavour. They earn their ‘monster’ name by presenting meals in 2 huge plate sizes: 35cm and 41cm.

If you are in a group of up to 3, it’s hard to pass on the Monster Combo Curry (S$31.90), which comes with pork cutlet, fried fish, sliced pork belly, fried battered shrimp and flame-torched cheese. Prefer seafood? The Sea Monster Curry (S$31.90) with fried fish, fried oyster, fried battered shrimp and fried breaded shrimp will definitely be up your alley.

Dishes are available in 5 different levels of spiciness. Only go for the ‘Monster Spicy’ one if you have a fire extinguisher handy.

+65 6634 2168
Daily: 11am – 10pm
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5. Penang Culture (#B1-76/77)

Penang is known for its vibrant and eclectic street food scene and Penang Culture brings that unique taste to NEX. While there is no shortage of the quintessential traditional favourites, they also feature a range of creative new dishes that keep customers coming back for more.

The menu is divided into 5 categories: Penang Wok Fried, Penang Noodle, Penang Specialty Rice, Penang Western and ‘Other Penang Hawker Delights‘.

Their signature dish is the Penang Assam Laksa (S$10.90). Created with noodles specially imported from Penang and cooked in traditional assam gravy, this dish also contains sardine, ginger flower, laksa leaves, assam (tamarind), shrimp paste and a host of herbs and spices. Let’s just say that this is their signature dish for a host of good reasons!

One of my favourites on the menu is Kuih Pie Tee (S$9.90 for 6 pcs). These Peranakan may be bite-sized but they pack a truckload of flavour. Pull them apart and you will find stir-fried turnips, shredded omelette, garlic and carrot with a dressing of black sweet sauce and chilli.

+65 6634 0667
Daily: 10.30am – 10pm
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6. Idaten Udon (#B1-02)

Idaten Udon bills itself as the udon specialty concept restaurant where diners become the head chef. It’s an allusion to their approach of letting you choose each element of your dish as you create your meal at the self-serve stations.

They have a selection of udon noodles, with flavours that include tomato, pumpkin, matcha and yuzu, as well as interesting sides, tempura and soups. Another reason for their popularity is that the mains change regularly. You will probably be met with quite a different menu every time you visit, and I love that sort of culinary experimentation and creativity.

Idaten Udon is a good option for both affordable meals, with options like the Pork Kimchi Udon (S$12.50) and Niku Udon (S$10.20) being hot favourites. They also have rice bowls, such as the Beef Sukiyaki Don (S$10.90) and Mentai Chicken Katsu Don (S$10.90).

+65 6509 0881
Daily: 11am – 10pm
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7. Jinjja Chicken (#B2-60/61)

Jinjja Chicken is one of the most successful Korean chain restaurants that have flourished in Singapore over the past few years. Part of the reason is that inexplicable (to me) wave of loving everything Korean but I have to admit, the Korean fried chicken and Jiajang Myeon(S$9.90) here is pretty good.

For the uninitiated, Korean fried chicken is different from other versions for its lighter and almost paper-thin crispy skin. It’s probably just an excuse for me to eat more but this chicken goes down easy!

Try the 6 Pcs Jinjja Wings (S$8.90) if you’re a noob, or indulge in a larger portion with 18 Pcs at S$21.90. I personally love the Jinjja Drumsticks (S$9.90 for 3 pieces) because of how large and meaty they are in comparison to the usual tiny winglets.

Sun to Thu: 11am – 8.30pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 9pm
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8. Ramen Kiou (#B1-80B)

Coming straight to you from Osaka in Japan where it operates more than 20 stores, Ramen Kiou brings with it the authentic taste of Japanese traditional cuisine. The chain of restaurants was established in 1995 and uses original recipes based on the ‘Taste of Kiou’, a concept that focuses on the harmony of the 3 essential elements: Noodles, Chashu and Broth.

Some of the dishes that you should try are the Torotama Kiou Ramen (S$15.50), Chashu Ramen(S$19.50), Aburi Nankotsu Ramen (S$16.50) and Deluxe Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen (S$15.50).

Their chilled ramen is light and springy and comes with you choice of dipping sauce. I haven’t tried it myself but you can apparently get a top-up of your rice with garlic or cheese. Besides noodle dishes, Ramen Kiou also has donburi bowls.

+65 6634 0051
Daily: 11am – 9.50pm
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9. Shabu-GO (#B1-80A)

Right next door to Ramen Kiou is Shabu-GO, which distinguishes itself with a menu replete with Japanese-style hotpot set meals. The name is a take on shabu-shabu, which refers to hotpot dishes of vegetables and thinly-sliced meat. These ingredients are boiled in water and the name ‘shabu’ itself is a reference to the sound the ingredients make when they are moved through the hot water.

Shabu-Go focuses on the solo diner as well as couples rather than the communal shared meal typically seen in this setting. If you are dining on your own, the affordable Power Lunch Set is a safe option for a full tummy, and starts at only S$11.90. It comes with meat, a veggie platter and Japanese vermicelli.

For something more special, try the Signature Pork & Beef Set (S$23.90), that is served with pork collar, beef short plate, mini GO-Special cuttlefish paste with corn, a veggie platter and Japanese vermicelli.

Both sets also come with your choice of soup base that includes options such as Healthy Clear Dashi, Chicken Chintan and the ever-popular Sukiyaki. Add another S$2-S$4for premium soup bases, including Refreshing Yuzu Dashi, collagen-rich Paitan and Ginseng Tonkotsu.

+65 6634 0029
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Website

10. Beauty In the Pot (#02-01)

Beauty in the Pot is one of my standard choices whenever I am having a hard time deciding where to eat. That’s definitely not a criticism— that statement makes me realise that this restaurant has been consistently good for all the 11 years it has been operating in Singapore.

I love my tomato soup base at any hotpot restaurant and here, the Vitamin C Tomato Sweet Corn Broth (S$22.80 for a single pot) is my favourite. Number 2 is the Spicy Nourishing Broth (S$28.80 for a single pot). It is a pork bone broth of Chinese herbs noted for both their flavour and their nutritional value, such as red dates, wolfberries, ginseng, dang gui, dang shen and more.

If you want to splurge, the Assorted Pork & Beef Platter (S$62.80) is the way to go. It has US Wagyu Beef, US Kurobuta Pork, Nagano Pork Belly, Sliced Spanish Pork Collar and US Marbled Beef Cube.

+65 6805 8172
Daily: 11.30am – 3am
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11. Graffiti Café (#B2-62)

Graffiti Cafe at NEX surprised me but not in a bad way. From the name, I assumed it would probably be a western-style hipster cafe with burgers and fries on the menu. It was quite a nice surprise to turn up and see a buzzing cafe serving traditional Chinese fare instead. The place does live up to its name, though.

Apparently, their Wanton Noodles (S$6.90) are their best-selling dish. Served with crispy wantons, they also contain a decent amount of egg noodles, delicious slices of pork and a side of crunchy greens. I personally prefer the dry version.

There is also a range of side dishes, including Fish Cake (S$2.80), Chicken Cutlet (S$3.20) and Carrot Cake (S$2). Why not enjoy a nice dessert to finish, with options like Green Bean Soup (S$2.20) and Almond Jelly w Longan Soup (S$3.40)?

+65 6634 5909
Daily: 9am – 10pm

12. Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice (#B1-05/06)

With over 60 years of history, Go-Ang Pratunam has come a long way from a small stall specialising in Hainanese Chicken Rice in Bangkok’s Pratunam district. Its Bangkok restaurant has won the Michelin Bib Gourmand award every year from 2018. In that same year, it brought that tradition of culinary excellence to Singapore.

Choose between the Single Portion Chicken Rice (S$5.50) and the Single Portion Chicken Thigh Rice (S$6.50) if you’d like to enjoy a delicious yet classic plate of their Thai Hainanese chicken rice. Both feature chicken meat that is supremely tender and delicious but it’s the alluring fragrance that always gets me.

They also have other dishes like Steamed Sea Bass with Chilli, Lime & Garlic (S$29.90), Thai-style Steamed Sea Bass (S$29.90) and Seafood Tom Yum Soup (S$8.90).

+65 6509 9980
Daily: 11am – 10pm
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13. Sushi Tei (#03-15/16)

Sushi Tei is a popular spot in NEX to visit for Japanese dishes. Regardless of whether you’re craving sashimi, sushi, donburi or steak, this popular restaurant has got you covered.

Enjoy 5 kinds of sashimi with the Rishiri (S$58.80) set, including salmon, salmon roe, sea urchin, surf clam and swordfish. How about some Scallop & Salmon Wafu Carpaccio (S$15.80) if you’re a fan of raw scallop and salmon?

Sushi Tei has some pretty exciting sushi options too. Go all out with Kirishima (S$32.80), a set containing 18 pieces of sushi topped with ingredients like tuna, salmon, eel, lobster salad and more. I personally love the Sushi Tei Special Rolls, which are creative and colourful— for instance, the beautiful Rainbow Roll (S$15.80), made with eel, avocado, cucumber and topped with various kinds of raw fish, is a gorgeous creation.

+65 6634 7717
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
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14. MuYoo (#03-01)

MuYoo has long been one of my favourite bakeries in the country. This Taiwanese inspired bakery is not afraid to experiment with unique flavours and is also known for its famous mochi breads.

The buns in the QQ series are all filled with sweet and stretchy mochi— admittedly, the quality and size of these buns has gone down over the years, but they are still satisfying when it comes to satisfying mochi bread cravings. Flavours of these QQ breads include Lotus Biscoff (S$2.80), Purple Potato (S$2.80) and even Glutinous Rice (S$2.80).

Perhaps mochi bread isn’t your thing— not to worry, for MuYoo has other offerings. The Chocolate Pistachio Croissant (S$3.40) is a nutty, sweet and buttery delight, while Otah Cheese (S$2.50) is a more savoury and familiar bun to have for a quick snack.

More health conscious individuals can opt for the Longan Walnut (S$2.50), made using yudane dough combined with red wine-infused logan, butterfly pea, walnut and rose petals.

Fri to Wed: 8am – 9.30pm
Thu: 9am – 9.30pm
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