Tampines Round Market & Food Centre has served the Tampines neighbourhood since 1983, and remains a very homely place to have breakfast.
If you arrive on a weekend morning, you will likely spend some time navigating through the crowds of residents looking for their regular breakfast fix.
Rajarani Thosai is one of the most popular stalls there at Unit #01-33.
Rajarani Thosai recently entered the MICHELIN Guide Singapore with a Bib Gourmand.
It is interesting that since the last award ceremony, five new hawker stalls have been added to the guide (two with Bib Gourmand), and they are located here in Tampines Round Market. Hmmmmmmmm…..
It seems the inspectors have spent a lot of time in this specific area lately.
While I hope they eventually visit other parts of the island (for more geographical diversity), this recognition gives people another reason to visit the market.
It is a busy operation where you can see the hawkers swirling batter onto flat griddles with a lot of speed.
Most people are here for the thosai. A thosai is a savoury crepe made from a batter of fermented rice flour and ground lentils.
This results in a slightly sour profile and a texture that is thin and crisp at the edges, while remaining soft in the centre.
Thosai options include Plain ($2.50), Egg ($3.00), Butter ($3.00), Onion ($3.00), Egg Onion ($3.50), Butter Egg ($3.50), Double Egg ($3.50), and a Plain 2 Piece Set ($4.00).
For more filling choices, they serve Masala ($4.00), Masala Egg ($4.50), Masala Butter ($4.50), Masala Onion ($4.50), Masala Egg Onion ($5.00), Masala Butter Egg ($5.00), and Masala Double Egg ($5.00).
I ordered the Masala Egg Onion Thosai ($5), and the filling consisted of a spiced potato mash which was quite fragrant and crunchy onions.
It was served on a metal thali plate with three specific house-made sauces: a savoury lentil dhal, a white coconut chutney, and a bright orange chilli and onion chutney.
I loved them all, but my vote would go to the orange chilli and onion dip which had more of a kick.
Appam uses a similar fermented rice base but includes coconut milk and is cooked in a small, deep pan to create a bowl-like shape.
This method produces lacy, brittle edges and a thick, spongy bottom that is quite distinct from other Indian breads.
The appam selection features a Plain Set ($2.50), Egg ($2.00), Butter ($2.00), Coconut ($2.00), and Cheese ($2.50), alongside a Puttu Mayam Set ($2.50).
I also tried the Coconut Appam ($2), which was served with a generous amount of freshly grated coconut and bright orange sugar.
The combination of the warm, moist centre of the appam and the crunchy sweetness of the sugar made for a very satisfying texture.
It was easy to see why the stall maintains a consistent queue, as the batter was well fermented and the edges were nicely crisp.
Rajarani Thosai
Tampines Round Market & Food Centre #01-33, 137 Tampines Street 11, Singapore 521137
Opening Hours: 7am – 1.30pm (Mon – Tues, Thurs – Sun), Closed Wed
Read: Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore – Other DFD Reviews
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