MARKET (Maxwell Food Centre)

Whisked matcha seems to be all the rage these days and there already has been stalls situated at hawker centres such as that of Hi Coffee situated at Hong Lim Food Centre which specialises in such offerings. There seems to be a recent addition to Maxwell Food Centre that also offers such beverages — situated in the newly-added kiosks that is located at a fairly prominent location at the main entrance of the food centre facing Maxwell MRT Station along the Thomson-East Coast Line is MARKET; these folks take over the former premises of a beverage stall that moved in for not too long a period of time. MARKET is decked a little differently from the usual hawker centre stall where their signboard comes in the form of an awning, while one can also notice a group of posters featuring their offerings plastered on the facade of the stall — quite a kiosk that bears a “loud” appearance for a stall like that. Being a kiosk that serves up grab-and-go fare, MARKET serves up a menu that comprises of Pandan waffles with various fillings as well as a number of beverage options — the beverages does seem to be more of a highlight here, with the selection being segmented into categories such as Matcha, Matcha Cloud and Coffee.

Whilst some of its menu still bear the reference of their Waffle offerings being Matcha Waffles, most of its menu boards refers to the item being just Waffles with “Matcha” being stickered over with masking tape. Patrons do get to opt between the Original Plain that comes without filling, while the various fillings that MARKET offers with their waffle offerings include Hazelnut Chocolate, Crunchy Peanut, Signature Kaya & Butter and Hazelnut Chocolate & Strawberry Jam. All waffle orders are made fresh on the spot upon order; one can also observe from our order of the Signature Kaya and Butter Waffle that the waffle served up at MARKET is pretty similar to that of the Pandan waffle that one would typically find at neighbourhood bakeries; the waffle being beautifully browned whilst still carrying a lighter, greenish hue in some areas. Sinking our teeth into the Signature Kaya and Butter Waffle, the we did notice that the waffle was pretty plush; does come with quite a bite as one chews off the waffle and also slightly crisp on the exterior — there is a light whiff of Pandan that the batter also Carrie’s as well. The waffle itself isn’t greasy; something which we found pretty delightful, though things can get messy with the Signature Kaya and Butter Waffle once the slabs of butter in between melts due to the high heat of the waffle. MARKET uses commercially-available Nonya-style Kaya for its Signature Kaya and Butter Waffle that comes with a green hue from the use of Pandan that is included in the preparation process of the Kaya; it does carry a sufficiently sweet note whilst further enhancing the flavours of the waffle itself — all that whilst the butter provides a savoury balance.

We also managed to give their Down Right Dirty a go during the same visit that we had made to MARKET for their Signature Kaya and Butter Waffle — MARKET describes the Down Right Dirty as an item that comes with elements such as Houjicha and Matcha Cloud; this is an item that is listed on the Matcha Cloud section of the menu at MARKET. Observing the process in how the Down Right Dirty is being made, a portion of milk is first poured into the plastic cup before the Houjicha gets sieved through a filter before being brewed with water — the matcha cloud is more of a macchiato-style foam that is commonly found being served at bubble tea speciality stores that tops off the drink. The Down Right Dirty would suit well for those whom have an appreciation of Japanese teas; the Matcha Cloud does provide for quite an unadulterated experience where the inherent bitter undertones of the tea shines through — quite intense given its thickened consistency while it forms a contrast with the slightly more roast-y and earthier notes of the Houjicha below. The addition of milk doesn’t really dilute the drink — instead gives it a slight hint of sweetness that gives the beverage a little more oomph without attempting to overpower the tea.

Given the hype around Matcha these days, the appearance of MARKET does seem rather fitting for Maxwell Food Centre considering its close proximity to the Central Business District being situated in town and also within a rather touristy area — its appearance definitely being quite attention-grabbing though some may also lament on the gentrification of our local hawker centre at the same time. With all that being said, MARKET isn’t quite the most affordably-priced establishment around the hawker centre and likely to no surprise given what they serve up — their waffle offerings are priced at $2.50 to $4, while their beverages are priced rather similarly to that of some cafes at $5 to $7.50; the lowest-priced being the Americano, and the highest-priced being the Matcha Latte (Ajisai). Nonetheless, MARKET does present itself as an interesting addition to the local hawker scene; a pretty fresh concept that would likely start to garner crowds for its trendy offerings as more discovers about them in time to come.