Last Updated: August 21, 2026
Fortune Centre, at the intersection of Middle Road and Bencoolen Street, may look like an ordinary 1980s building, but inside lies one of Singapore's best-kept culinary secrets.
For expats seeking affordable, authentic flavors, this unassuming complex offers a rich food crawl experience featuring diverse local delights, vegetarian food, and international cuisines. For a comprehensive guide to these cheap and good eats, check out the detailed recommendations here.
The atmosphere buzzes with the sounds and aromas of wok-fried noodles, fried chicken, and simmering broths. Fortune Centre is famed for its budget-friendly meals, with many rice sets and local dishes priced under $10. Most popular dining spots are on the second and third floors, including hidden gems serving everything from authentic clam noodles to vegetarian specialties.
The Places We'll Taste Together
- Soup Curry by Ki-setsu
- Wawa Lala Bee Hoon
- New Station Rice Bar
- Eizaburo (栄三郎)
- Tracy Juice Culture
- Bao Er cafe
- Pine Tree Cafe
- Yat Ka Yan
1. Soup Curry by Ki-setsu: A Different Kind of Filling Meal
Location: Level 4, #04-13, 190 Middle Road, Fortune Centre
There is something I like about reaching the upper floors of Fortune Centre and still finding reasons to keep looking. The next one is Soup Curry by Ki-setsu, a new Japanese concept preparing to open on Level 4. This time, the discovery comes from Hokkaido and from a style of curry that may look unfamiliar even if Japanese curry is already one of your comfort foods.
What to Expect: Singapore’s Hokkaido-style soup curry experience is built around Ki-setsu’s own recipe rather than a franchise formula. Instead of the thick, slightly sweet sauce of a familiar curry rice set, the curry arrives as an aromatic, spice-led broth, with rice alongside and flash-fried fresh vegetables bringing colour and texture to the bowl. Vegetable and chicken thigh versions will be available, with different spice levels for different appetites.
What Makes It Different: Hokkaido soup curry feels closer to something you can linger over by the spoonful: warm and layered, but still distinctly curry. The broth takes more than six hours to prepare, while the vegetables are treated as part of the meal rather than something added quietly at the side.
Why It Stands Out: Among Fortune Centre’s hearty meals, vegetarian cuisine and familiar local favourites, this feels like a chance to discover another regional side of Japanese food without leaving Singapore. The restaurant officially opens on 8 October 2026, with limited preview sessions planned for September. If curiosity gets there before you do, follow the bowl as it gets closer to opening for the preview updates.
2. Wawa Lala Bee Hoon: Classic Singapore Comfort Noodles
Location: #01‑11/12, Fortune Centre, Singapore 188979
This humble stall proves that sometimes the simplest dishes, like a well-made bowl of glass noodles and bee hoon, leave the biggest impression.
Menu Highlights & Signature Dishes: Known for its comforting bee hoon (thin rice noodles) served with savory broth and simple toppings that hit exactly the kind of nostalgic spot you didn’t know was missing. Local favorites include steaming bowls of plain bee hoon, soup versions with vegetables, and light noodle dishes that pair beautifully with the building’s many other savory spots. Beyond the noodles, there are fresh cockles in Wawa’s special sauce, sambal clams, and fresh clams cooked in homemade garlic butter.
Food Quality & Flavors: Reviewers often highlight the homey, honest taste — broth that’s gentle yet flavorful, noodles with a soft, welcoming texture, and portions that are just right for a midday reset.
Dining Experience & Atmosphere: Wawa Lala offers a simple, no‑frills counter service vibe popular with regulars and visitors alike. The seating spills right into the bustle of Fortune Centre, so you’re always part of the lively lunch crowd.
Service Experience: Fast and efficient, with a straightforward ordering process, perfect for that kind of lunch where you just want to dive into a bowl before heading back out.
What Makes It Stand Out: In a building filled with vegetarian gems and fusion eateries, Wawa Lala is a trusted comfort noodle stall that’s remained popular precisely because it doesn’t overthink things, it just does the basics really well. Their prawn noodle soup and fresh cockles in homemade garlic butter sauce are local classics that seafood lovers cherish.
3. New Station Rice Bar: Affordable Rice Sets and Local Dishes
There is something comforting about a rice bowl that knows exactly what it is there to do. At New Station Rice Bar, that means generous rice, familiar zi char flavours and often a fried egg settling over everything. The Fortune Centre shop is led by Chloe Tan, daughter of the family behind New Station Snack Bar at Far East Plaza, but her menu gives those familiar flavours a character of their own.
Menu Highlights & Signature Dishes: Salted Egg Chicken Rice with Fried Egg, Chicken Cutlet Rice featuring a rich chicken katsu curry, Eggplant with Minced Meat over Rice, and the flavorful sambal petai fried rice. Their fried rice and coconut rice are perfect companions, and the fish soup rounds the meal with a soothing warmth. This spot is a favorite among those seeking a substantial meal and local comfort food at reasonable prices.
Food Quality & Flavors: Generous portions, bold local flavors, and a comforting balance of savory and umami. The salted egg sauce clings lovingly to the chicken, while the eggplant melts into the minced meat topping. The thick mushroom soup served here adds an extra layer of warmth to the meal.
Dining Experience & Atmosphere: Casual, bustling, and bright — perfect for office workers who want a hearty, no-fuss lunch.
Service Experience: Quick and efficient, letting you grab your tray and settle in without delay.
Why It Stands Out: New Station blends classic flavors with wallet-friendly pricing, making it a staple among Fortune Centre food places and a go-to for those craving traditional local classics.
4. Eizaburo (栄三郎): Japanese Izakaya Classics and Don Bowls
Location: Level 3, #03‑16, Fortune Centre, Singapore 188979
For diners craving a touch of Tokyo in Singapore, Eizaburo delivers comforting izakaya classics and Japanese dishes in a cozy setting.
Menu Highlights & Signature Dishes:
- Mega Chicken Karaage Don — A towering bowl of crispy, juicy chicken karaage sprawled over steaming rice — the kind of dish that hits you first in the nose before it even cools enough to eat.
- Mentaiyaki Salmon Don — Grilled salmon topped with creamy mentaiko sauce, perfectly balancing richness and freshness.
- Sashimi & Sushi Picks — Fresh cuts that balance the heartiness of the don bowls with cleaner, ocean‑fresh notes.
- Yakitori Skewers — Grilled dishes featuring chicken katsu and other grilled delights keep locals coming back.
Food Quality & Flavors: Expect crispy textures meeting soulful simmered sauces; chicken karaage that's crunchy on the outside yet tender inside, and don bowls rich with umami.
- Presentation leans homespun rather than pretentious, like a favourite neighbourhood izakaya where the food isn't staged, it's simply good.
Dining Experience & Atmosphere: Dimmer lighting and cozy tables set it apart from the bright hawker chaos around it, giving that mini Tokyo corner vibe amid a Bugis weekday.
Service Experience:
- Staff are attentive without being intrusive — they bring the sort of helpful warmth that makes you feel like a returning regular.
What Makes It Stand Out:
- In a building known for vegetarian heavyweights and noodle bowls, Eizaburo offers a solid gateway to Japanese izakaya classics and don bowls, giving savory, comforting fare with a slightly more distinctive dining ambiance. Craft beers and other drinks complement the experience.
5. Tracy Juice Culture: A Restorative Fortune Centre Food Stop
Location: Level 1, #01-34
The first thing I noticed at Tracy Juice Culture was the earthy smell rising from the bowls. In a building where Fortune Centre food can take you from rich local comfort food to Japanese dishes within a few floors, this little vegetarian stop feels quieter. The sort of place you find when you want lunch to leave you restored rather than sleepy.
Menu Highlights & Signature Dishes: The Mushroom Udon pairs thick udon noodles with shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and house-made soya balls in a deeply savoury thick mushroom soup. The Wild Rice Congee offers a gentler alternative, while freshly prepared fruit juices remain an important part of the stall's identity.
Food Quality & Flavors: Mushrooms give the broth its earthy depth, balanced by fresh vegetables and the softer textures of the noodles and mock meat. The use of organic ingredients and rice also suits health-conscious diners looking for vegetarian food that still feels like a filling meal.
Dining Experience & Atmosphere: Simple, calm and unfussy. It is particularly comfortable for solo diners, or anyone wanting a slower pause between exploring other Fortune Centre food places.
Service Experience: Quick and approachable, in keeping with the easygoing setting.
Why It Stands Out: Tracy Juice Culture shows that vegetarian cuisine does not have to feel austere. Its warm bowls, fresh produce and juices turn everyday vegetarian meals into something quietly comforting; wholesome food with enough substance to carry you through the rest of the afternoon.
Notable Spots Beyond the Top 5 Fortune Centre Food Places
Bao Er Cafe: Wok-Fired Fortune Centre Food and Kaya Toast
Location: Level 2, #02-06
Bao Er Cafe brings together two very familiar kinds of Singapore comfort: kaya toast in the morning and wok-fired dishes once the day gets going. Its Signature Fried Hokkien Mee, Jeremy’s Beef Hor Fun and Prawn Paste Chicken Cutlet Fried Rice make it an easy stop when you want something more substantial, while the Kaya Butter Toast Set keeps things simple. Among the many Fortune Centre food places, Bao Er Cafe feels reassuringly local — smoky noodles, crisp fried chicken and the kind of local comfort food that rarely needs much explanation.
Pine Tree Cafe: Familiar Fortune Centre Food, Made Vegetarian
Location: Level 2, #02-13/21
Pine Tree Cafe feels closely tied to the older rhythm of Fortune Centre food: simple plates, familiar flavours, and no need for ceremony. Its vegetarian versions of local dishes range from Chicken Rice and laksa to Hakka Thunder Tea Rice, while the Sambal Petai Fried Rice and Xiang Chun fried rice offer something heartier. For diners exploring Singaporean food without meat, this is one of the building’s established vegetarian restaurants, where vegetarian cuisine feels less like an alternative and more like everyday local comfort food. A satisfying, affordable filling meal when you want something familiar.
Yat Ka Yan Dessert: Traditional Desserts and Durian Chendol
Location: Level 2, #02-08
After the hearty meals elsewhere in Fortune Centre, Yat Ka Yan offers a gentler way to linger. The dessert shop specialises in traditional Chinese desserts, from silky sesame and almond pastes to yam paste, chendol and black glutinous rice with coconut milk. There is something reassuring about these familiar bowls: warm, softly sweet and made for eating slowly rather than photographing quickly. With many classics still available at affordable prices, it is an easy final stop for food lovers wanting a taste of old-school local delights before leaving the building.
New Green Pasture Cafe: Brown Rice, Fresh Greens and a Quieter Kind of Lunch
Location: Level 4, #04-22
There is a gentleness to New Green Pasture Cafe that suits the quieter upper floors of Fortune Centre. The organic vegetarian cafe leans towards fresh vegetables, natural seasonings and less processed ingredients, with choices ranging from Cold Natto Soba, Thunder Tea Rice and a Curry Rice Set to salads, herbal noodles and colourful rolls. Its Green Pasture Rice Set has also been served with brown rice, vegetables, tofu and soup, creating a varied, substantial meal without feeling overly heavy. For health-conscious diners exploring Fortune Centre food, it is the kind of vegetarian cuisine that lets crunchy greens, grains and simple flavours speak quietly for themselves.
Conclusion: Your Next Food Crawl at Fortune Centre
Fortune Centre offers affordable, authentic, and diverse food options for both expats and locals. From hearty fried rice and vibrant vegetarian dishes to fresh seafood like cockles and clam noodles, it caters to varied tastes and diets
Generous portions and traditional local favorites such as thunder tea rice and plant-based char kway teow ensure satisfying meals for food lovers.
The mix of Japanese izakayas, Korean eateries, and local stalls creates a lively, communal dining atmosphere. This unpretentious food hub is a must-visit for those seeking quality meals without breaking the bank. For more curated dining experiences for expats, discover more here.
