Timbre Plus, a hipster food court at Ayer Rajah Crescent, has taken the dining experience to higher level with gourmet food and live music performances.
Brought to you by Timbre Group which runs several successful live music restaurants, music academy and music festivals, they envision bringing live music performances by local talents to working population in this light industrial estate. Hence, the establishment of Timbre+ in this estate.
Delicious Sandwiches and Pizzas
Formerly used to be an old canteen with 32 food stalls, it is transformed into a sprawling 700-seat non-air-conditioned hawker centre built with shipping containers with a stage for live music performances.
Graffiti design on outside of the shipping container
The use of shipping containers, food trucks and graffiti designs that gives the artistic and industrial feel.
More graffiti designs inside
Graffiti designs are done by by Singaporean artists Antz, Dem, TraseOne and Zero from the art collective RSCLS.
Ban Mian, one of the hawker fare offerings
Timbre+ boosts a wide diversity of mouth-watering dishes from hawker fare to international cuisine served in food trucks and eateries that would satiate your taste buds. Among the hawker fares offered are Fishball Story and Wong Kee Noodles. It is not just the hawker fares but comes with stories behind it.
Fishball Story – Photo credit: Timbre+ Facebook
The Fishball Story is started by a Generation Y hawker entrepreneur, Douglas Ng who hopes to bring to his grandmother’s hand-made fishballs made with best ingredients to customers. The fishballs are made with 100% fish meat and no fillers are used. That makes the fishballs very authentic.
Wong Kee Noodles –Photo credit: Timbre+ Facebook
At Wong Kee Noodles, the cook, Kelly Wong behind it used to be a service banker for 3 years and became a hawker at age of 23. Everything from the noodles to wanton skin to the chilli is made-in house at their stall.
All natural ingredients – eggs, flour, spinach, and tomatoes. are used to make the noodles. Less alkaline water is used and no preservatives are added.
Mixture of crab, corn and spaghett from Dancing Crab Shack
The international cuisine varies from Vietnamese to Filipino to Western. Among the brands for international cuisine offered is Big Bern’s American Grill, Dancing Crab Shack, Iskina Cebu, NamNam Go!.
NamNam Go! serving Vietnamese cuisine
If their offerings couldn’t be enough, there is an ice-cream stall, Udders and beer craft shop, Bottle Shop.
Udders, a home-grown ice-cream brand
Udders is a home-grown brand that makes their own-cream the intimate way – small batch, handcrafted, fresh right here in Singapore. Besides the usual flavours such as chocolate and strawberry, Udder makes local-flavoured ice-creams such as Mao Shan Wang Durian Ice Cream and liqueur-infused ice-creams such Orange Choc Bitters, Tira-Miss-u and Rum Rum Raisin.
Bottle Shop
The Bottle Shop offers a rotating beer and cider menu of close to 200 different types of drinks from around the world.
Air streamer operating as food trucks
Many food business are operated in vintage food trucks which makes very interesting stall fronts. Apparently, Air Stream, an Amercian brand of luxury caravans, are used for their food trucks.
The Air Stream caravans can be recognised by the distinctive shape of their rounded, polished aluminum coachwork.
Lively music performances
In evenings, the atmosphere becomes very lively and vibrant with live music performances.
Location to Timbre+
One-north MRT station
Although Timbre+ might not be ideally located in central city, it is conveniently located opposite one-north MRT train station in Ayer Rajah Crescent. From Dhoby Ghaut station in central city to One-North station, the trip takes an average of 30 minutes.
Brightly yellow container
After alighting at One-North MRT train station, all you need is to cross the road and you will see a brightly yellow container with graffiti designs on it. You are on the right way to Timbre+.
As a food-lover, naturally when i entered Timbre+, I was so excited upon slighting so many food offerings. It is like food heaven for me.
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh
I settled down on chicken bak kut teh at Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh which offers the best bak kut teh in Singapore for my meal. I have long heard about the inspiring story behind this brand and have always wanted to try their bak kut teh.
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh started by Jabez Tan, former drug addict and gang leader
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh was started by Jabez Tan, former drug addict and gang leader who frittered his youth away on drugs and triad activities. He was in and out of prison three times and spent nearly 15 years behind bars for drug offences.
In prison, he picked up cooking skills in prison and his dishes became popular with inimates. He also cooked meals for death row prisoners, which was a turning point in his life. He sobered up and got serious about his life.
After he was released, he stayed at Christian halfway house so as to stay out of trouble. Years later, he set up Soon Huat Kat Kut Teh, a F & B social enterprise that hires former offenders.
He is now a successful businessman, running 5 outlets.
Bak Kut Teh, pork ribs soup simmered in herbs and spices – Photo credit: Timbre+ Facebook
This dish, bak kut teh is a pork ribs soup which actually originated from China. China’s Fujian Province is believed to be the home for this dish.
The dish entered into Singapore through the Hokkien immigrants, who made their move into the region in the 19th century. The Chinese coolies, who were working in Singapore, have this dish as the favorite breakfast before they move on to their backbreaking work arena.
It is popularly served in Singapore and Malaysia. To prepare bak kut teh, meaty pork ribs has to be simmered in broth of herbs and spices (coriander, fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and garlic). All these ingredients add the taste of herbal and spiciness and also fragrance to the pork ribs stewed in this dish.
Chicken Bak Kut Teh
Earlier on, I mentioned that I had chicken bak kut teh. It is a new and unique dish on their menu.
The broth tastes quite herbal and the chicken meat is tender. It is worth a try.
Chicken Bak Kut Teh containing only 500 calories
This chicken bak kut teh contains only 500 calories and is great for weight-conscious people. This dish is also rich in proteins.
The fitness enthusiasts can eat this as their post-workout meal. Another plus point is that those, who don’t like to eat pork dishes, can have chicken bak kut teh for alternative dish.
Do note that this chicken bak kut teh is only exclusive to Timbre+ and not available at other outlets.
The Return Tray System At Timbre+
Put the tray into the roller and $1 coin will be returned
To encourage patrons to return trays after their meals, Timbre+ introduced $1 tray return system. To opt for a tray, they pay $1 extra on top of their meals. They get an refund of the dollar when they return the tray at the centralised location through an automated coin return system.
Useful things to know:
Hawker fare stalls are only open in day. If you want to try their hawker fare, do not come in evening.
As it is not air-conditioned, do dress appropriately for the weather especially when visiting during peak hours, as it may get stuffy with lunch and dinner crowds.
Last thing, do come early to beat the crowds and to secure a table. The tables quickly get occupied by 7.30pm.
