Bismillah Sarabat Stall

When I was a young kid of about  8 or 9 or 10 years old, my Dad used to take my brother and I fishing or on picnics which involved fishing. And this meant that sometimes we'd end up going to Changi Beach.
And on the way to Changi Beach? Changi Village Food Centre.

For years upon years, Changi Village Food Centre was mostly known as "the place to makan Nasi Lemak".
And I guess that's definitely what it was famous for but by no means was Nasi Lemak the only thing that was worth making a stop for.

My Dad introduced us to Roti Cheese.
Seems like a simple concept right? Bread and cheese. How good can it be?
Damn good that's how good.

We're talking about Kraft cheese and Planta margerine in between original Bengali-baked bread.
A combination that really works I tell you.

And back then, it seemed like only one stall was left to carry on this tradition. I'm not sure about other places in Singapore but I've never come across another stall or shop in the East that sells this.
When the old Food Centre was going to close, we asked the people running the stall and they mentioned they probably would not be returning when the new place opened. My Dad and I thought this old tradition would be lost forever.

But great news - they lied! (Which is a good thing)

Roti Cheese ($1.00 each)

Well apparently the authentic 'Bengali-baked' bread make a difference. They were known for the breads and this stall claims to get their supply from an authentic Bengali bread-maker. It has this slight sourdough smell/taste which might put some people off I reckon but it's still delicious.

Just by the look you can tell that this stuff is the real thing.

Open it up and find the treasure.

Slices of cheese are slathered in a nice thick layer of Planta margerine.
And the secret to this special combo? It HAS to be Planta margerine and it HAS to be the box type of Kraft Cheese. Not the tin but the box!

Now I know the box and the tin varieties of Kraft cheese do taste very slightly different and I'm not sure how much difference it would make in Roti Cheese but this is the way these guys have been making it since before I was born so I'm not going to knock their best-selling method.

And the legend of this Roti Cheese?
As I was queuing up to buy some food, I noticed this old-timer going from one coffee stall to another asking if they "jual Roti Cheese?" (sell Roti Cheese?). Two stalls later and it looked like he had given up.

I called to him and pointed him towards Bismillah Sarabat Stall and told him to get his fix there.
He made his way there, looked at the signboard then turned to me and gave me the thumbs up while smiling.

They also have a Kaya version by the way but the Cheese is the bomb.

Adam's Verdict:
Roti Cheese 4.5/5

It used to cost $0.60 each when I was a kid and the price slowly went up with the times.
It's now $1.00 each which you might think is steep for some bread and cheese but those of you who have had it will know it's worth it.

A glass of kopi or teh plus some Roti Cheese and as my Dad would say, "Wah! Stoned, boy!"

Bismillah Sarabat Stall

Changi Village Hawker Centre
Blk 2/3 Changi Village Road
Stall #01-25

Operating Hours:
6.00am til 12.00am Daily

Changi Village Hawker Centre Reopens!

Well it's been more than a year since the old Changi Village Food Centre started their refurbishment project (but it seems like so much longer to be honest). Well, they just re-opened last week (I think) to the public so everyone could flock back there to get their fix of Nasi Lemak (among other things).

Firstly, let me say that the new layout makes the whole place seem kinda crampy.
They have replaced the big round tables with smaller rectangular shaped ones which seem to be a bit of a waste of space to be honest.

Anyways, the answer is yes.
Yes. Your favourite Nasi Lemak stalls are still definitely in business. But don't be confused.

Sri Sujana is still in roughly about the same location.
But International Nasi Lemak (the one with the long snaking queue) has moved to a new section which is facing the bus terminus (this area used to be the back of the stalls with a toilet at the end).
Mizzy Nasi Lemak has now taken over that stall space and the long snaking queue is now in front of Mizzy!

So the question now is - is it the location that is drawing the crowd?
Do people realize that the stall has changed? Well, maybe a review of the stalls (maybe a Makan vs Makan) might help to solve the mystery.

So if they made more space means there has to be more stalls for us to enjoy right?

Well if you remember correctly, the first section stretch used to be ALL Halal stalls and these stalls even stretched across at the back end and also the annex at the back (which is connected to the market).
Well there's only like 3/4 of the 1st stretch occupied by Halal stalls.

You'll still see some familiar favourites there like Ramiza Bryani, TakDeNama, Bismillah Sarabat Stall, Hjh Salbiah, Hassan Stall and few others you'll recognize. Ah Nam Seafood has moved back to the hawker centre. Sari Bestari Ayam Penyet has moved to the back annex which definitely has lesser Halal stalls than before. In fact, I'm willing to say that at least 65%-70% of the stalls between both buildings are most Chinese stalls.

Some of the stalls are still not occupied so I'm not sure what kind of stalls are going to open up.
Someone should open up a Satay stall because it's definitely missing based on my walk-around.

One good thing is that they place these posts at regular intervals which have rather effective (while they're brand new) fans to cool everyone down while they enjoy their meal.

And I'm not sure if it's just because it's still new and they are short of staff or maybe it was the weekend or something but the cleaning up situation was not very good at all. I'm talking about tables being left dirty and unattended. Some people take the easy way out and put everything on this table in the corner. I'm talking about plates and bowls and utensil piling up and causing quite a mess (and a bad smell).

I didn't even snap a picture because I don't want to ruin your appetite. Seriously.
Hopefully things will improve soon.

And some tips for you - 1) the POSB ATM is still at the same location so if you need to withdraw money it's still okay (hope the ATM is not out of order or out of money) and 2) most of the stalls close on Monday I think so best double check before you head all the way down.

I guess we might be heading to Changi Village a bit more often since this place has re-opened and there are definitely some stalls worth reviewing. Let us know if you think anything is worth checking-out!

And whatever your favourite is, I hope it's still located at the Changi Village Hawker Centre.

Changi Village Hawker Centre
Blk 2/3 Changi Village Road
www.myhawkers.sg/index.php?m=place&c=view&id=61

Operating Hours: Breakfast til Supper