New hawker centres at Bukit Canberra & Senja: Look out for Michelin Guide hawkers & $3.50 meals

21/12/2022

Hungry go where?

For Sembawang and Bukit Panjang residents, each neighbourhood now has another big answer for high-quality and affordable favourites: Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre and Senja Hawker Centre respectively.

Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre

Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre opened this past Saturday (Dec 17) in Sembawang’s Bukit Canberra Integrated Hub at 21 Canberra Link (where Chong Pang Village was).

It has 800 seats, 44 stalls, and is designed with a “food in a park” concept in mind.

And, as Sembawang GRC MP Mariam Jaafar (Woodlands) demonstrated in the photo above, this hawker centre is equipped with touchscreen kiosks for your food order too.

Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre also makes sure everyone is able to afford a good meal.

“Very glad that our Sembawang residents now have a hawker center to enjoy more choices at affordable prices. Each of the 44 stalls offers budget meals below $3.50 (plus elderly and student discounts) and you can also check the calorie count for #healthierSG,” posted MP Mariam.

Thousands of people came down on opening day, including MP Mariam’s Sembawang GRC colleagues Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung (Sembawang Central) and MP Vikram Nair (Admiralty).

“My fellow MPs and I had to ‘tarik’ a hot flask of coffee to mark its opening,” posted Minister Ong, adding that the hawker centre is Sembawang’s first in almost 30 years.

“Hawker centres are an institution in Singapore. It is our heritage and also part of our future. I am really happy that Sembawang is now part of the story.”

Spot that prawn aglio olio pasta CAN Meal sign to the top left? Every stall has a meal like that.

These Canopy Nutrients Meals are healthier and nutritionally-balanced food options. They’re under 500 calories each (this particular prawn pasta has only 425 calories) and are one tastier way towards a healthier you.

Senja Hawker Centre

The hawkers at Senja Hawker Centre (2 Senja Close, where the new BTOs are), are now serving up delicious dishes for their neighbourhood as well.

“Great personal joy and satisfaction to see the beautiful Senja Hawker Centre finally opened; after years of pushing for more hawker centres and the involvement in this project,” posted MP Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) on the 28-stall, 580-seater hawker centre’s opening day (Dec 11)

Beautiful indeed. 

Senja Hawker Centre has high ceilings, a roof garden, and an open square for managing crowds. It’s excellent for weeknight family dinners, and weekend meals when friends come over.  

“We have Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to thank as he changed the policy when he was then Environment Minister and resumed building hawker centres after an almost 30 years break,” MP Liang added about the hawker centre’s opening.

Back in 2011, then-Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan announced that the PAP Government would build more than 10 new hawker centres within the decade.

Aside from providing Singaporeans with affordable food, hawkers centres are important because they provide a shared space for community interactions.

“Delighted to attend the opening of Senja Hawker Centre today with Advisers Liang Eng Hwa and Edward Chia Bing Hui 谢秉辉!,” posted Minister Balakrishan, who is also the MP for Cashew, that same day.

“We were impressed by a talented Lion Dance troupe from Bukit Panjang CC, whose members are all aged 12 and below.”

“It brings great joy and satisfaction to see Bukit Panjang town now having a second hawker centre, serving good and affordable food for our residents, ” he added.

How good? 1 in 7 stalls at Senja Hawker Centre have some form of Michelin recognition.

Shi Hui Yuan, which serves hor fun in a collagen-rich herbal sauce, was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand Award for five consecutive years.

Another three hawker stalls – Heng Gi Goose and Duck Rice, Jiao Cai Seafood, and Pin Wei Hong Kong Style Chee Cheong Fun – received recommendations in the Michelin Guide.  

Senja Hawker Centre’s built with affordability in mind, despite all that.

“Together with FairPrice Group, I am glad that we are able to present tasty options for our residents at affordable prices,” posted MP Edward Chia (Zhenghua), noting that ComCare cardholders can get nasi kuning with two sides for just $2 while the public pays $3.50.

A “Value” icon, additionally, showcases each stall’s most affordable item.

There’s more good news: Those CDC vouchers the PAP Government gave out earlier in 2022 can be used to pay for meals at the hawker centre too.

“CDC vouchers are now accepted at most stalls at Senja Hawker Centre!” posted MP Chia.

“Gentle reminder to use the CDC vouchers, expiry at the end of this month,” he added about these existing vouchers. More CDC vouchers will be given in 2023 and can be redeemed at our new Senja Hawker Centre.”

Food for the everyday

Recently, Fernvale Hawker Centre and One Punggol Hawker Centre opened in September and October respectively.

They, alongside the over 100 others that the PAP Government manages all over our island, let everyone enjoy affordable food in clean environments.

They’re a public institution that makes Singapore unique, is what we’re saying. Come down!

Top images: Edward Chia/Facebook, Mariam Jaafar/Facebook.