Tip Top Western Food Review: Cheap And Good Western Food By Third Generation Hawker

Tip Top Western Food is one example of a family business which has fortunately been preserved and passed into the hands of a young hawker. Their menu is filled with classic Western food, which is all told reporters to be recipes passed down from over four decades ago. The recently re-opened stall at Marine Parade Central Market and Food Centre is helmed by 22-year-old culinary school graduate, Darelle Tng, who operates the stall with her fiancé.

Together, the duo presented us with an earnest array of old-school Western delights that we all know and love from our childhood. Food at Tip Top Western Food First up is the classic Beef Steak ($8) coupled with their standard sides of coleslaw and fries. Upon first glance, the steak was generously sized at 200 to 220 grams—considering its $8 price tag.

One of the star players of the dish was the meat gravy, which is a handed-down family method from two generations ago. This gravy is made entirely out of vegetables, just as how it was made since the stall first opened in 1976.

With my first cut into the steak, I was surprised by how tender it was. Having had my fair share of overcooked chewy beef, I was happy that the steak was expertly cooked to medium-rare, making it soft and chewable.

The owners shared with us that the beef was sourced from grain-fed cows , which are known to produce more marbling and have a buttery taste. Next, we tried the golden-brown Fish & Chips ($6.50) that is topped with a slice of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise on the side. Topped with the tart bite of the lemon, this dish ended up being my favourite!

Moving on, the crispy, golden Chicken Cutlet ($6.50) comes with both mayonnaise and the stall’s house-made gravy on the side. The meat was not consistently thick throughout, and I suspect that the cutlet was pounded thin to make it look bigger.

Overall, this staple old-school Western dish is the epitome of ‘simple is best’. Ambience at Tip Top Western Food The newly renovated Marine Parade Food Centre is well-ventilated, spacious, and pleasantly clean.

It is even equipped with wheelchair-friendly tables and priority chairs to cater to the seniors who frequent the hawker centre. Despite these pressures, Tip Top Western Food will soon be rolling out new items as their way of improving upon the menu of the past.

If I am ever in the area, I will be sure to head back to try Tip Top’s pasta menu which features dishes such as Chicken Bolognese Spaghetti , divested at an affordable price of $5 ! Address: 84 Marine Parade Central, #01-22, Marine Parade Central Market and Food Centre, Singapore 440084 Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm Website Tip Top Western Food is not a halal-certified eatery.