If your idea of a hawker centre is rows of stainless-steel stalls selling only chicken rice and fishball noodles, The Bedok Market Place might surprise you.
Sitting on Level 2 of 348 Bedok Road in Simpang Bedok, this privately run food hall has had quite a colourful history.
Before today’s Marketplace appeared, the site housed Kampung @ Simpang Bedok, an early social-enterprise hawker experiment managed by Best of Asia. It opened in 2012 but closed in 2013 after about a year. At the time, the Bedok Market Place property was reported to be owned by Far East Organization.
The story took another turn in late 2014 when a new team, including Sean Goh, revived the upstairs food centre and relaunched it as The Bedok Market Place. Instead of creating another conventional hawker centre, they gave the place a quirky street-market feel, with individual stall fronts, shophouse-inspired décor and a mixture of traditional and modern food.
Today, the team behind The Bedok Marketplace operates as BMP Food Concept, which has since expanded into other F&B concepts.
Official opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 7am–11pm, with Monday closed, although individual stalls have their own operating hours.
During my visit, the Marketplace felt rather relaxed, with only some stalls operating at the time. Among those I spotted were Bedok Market Place Mee Pok/Kway Teow Mee, Ritch’s Lechon, The Burning Oak, Fatty Patty Burger & Grill, Khao Thai Food, Chocolate Origin, 吃面面, Monzen@Gardens, Founder Bak Kut Teh 发起人肉骨茶, The Bedok Market Place 长乐茶室, Mr. Kneady’s and Ha Anh’s Vietnamese Cuisine.
My first stop was Monzen@Gardens for its Tonkotsu Ramen ($12.80). The friendly owner appeared to be handling almost everything himself, so expect a little waiting time when orders pile up.
Thankfully, the bowl was worth waiting for.
The broth was rich and flavourful, while the noodles had a satisfying chew and just enough doughiness. I also liked the generous pieces of chashu — noticeably larger than what some restaurants serve.
Next came the Cajun Mayo Chicken Burger ($11.90) from Fatty Patty.
The fries were freshly made and salted on the spot, while the burger had a good combination of chicken, tangy lettuce and tomato, plus a buttered bun. I would have loved the underside toasted slightly longer for that extra crispy bite.
One warning: this burger falls apart pretty easily.
Forget eating elegantly — grab it with both hands and enjoy the mess!
That, perhaps, sums up The Bedok Marketplace quite nicely: a little unconventional, a little nostalgic, and full of interesting food discoveries.
Nearest MRT: Tanah Merah MRT (EW4) — about 10–15 minutes’ walk
📍 Address: 348 Bedok Road, Level 2, Singapore 469560
