Dining

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station – What’s Baseball Got to Do with Food?

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One of the more unusual places where you can dine in Singapore is the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. The many hawker stalls here cater to the travelers moving between Singapore and Malaysia. At night, residents living in the vicinity also flock here for the cheap and diverse chow.

But do you know what’s really unusual about this place? (answer’s at the end of this post. Heh.)

The station was established in the year 1932. With its dank and dreary facade, it seems like a place that time has forgotten! Nonetheless, it still houses enough food stalls to draw crowds every night. Looking at the clientele, most of the stalls do serve halal food if I’m not wrong.

Look what I’ve found at one of the stalls! Can you tell what it is?

Baseball Soto
SGD2.50

They call it the baseball soto! The “baseball” is actually a baseball-sized begedil, the Malay fried potato croquette. The base is akin to the spicy soup in mee soto. Hence, baseball soto!

The hot hot soup really makes you work up a sweat and your nose run. Not a pretty sight, guys. The auntie would even ask you if you’d like more chili. And if you do she would gladly add a dollop of thick chili paste to the baseball. Mmm… Challenging.

Begedil (potato & mutton croquette)

Tearing apart the soft baseball reveals an interior of fluffy mashed potato and tasty minced mutton. The whole ball has been dipped in beaten eggs before frying, resulting in a nice color and flavor.

Simply sedap!

Noor Muslim Food stall at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station

The dish can be bought at the colorful corner stall called noor Muslim food. The same stall also sells other fares such as laksa, mee rebus and gado gado.

Noor Muslim Food (

Halal certified)

From a neighboring stall, we get the nasi ayam sambal. This is another hot hot dish, with chicken and rice this time.

Nasi Ayam Sambal (chicken rice with sambal chili)

Nasi Ayam Sambal (chicken rice with sambal chili)
SGD4

The bird is semi-smashed, like ayam penyet, and coated in a dark sambal chili sauce. While it tastes good, the portion is rather small and pricey.

It’s a pity that the outdoor dining seems to have disappeared. previously, rows of tables and chairs were laid out on the road after dark. People could dine under the stars! The concept was exactly like Lau Pa Sat, just without the pesky touts and the smoke from the dozens of satay grills.

Outdoor dining at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Singapore

I remember back then there was only one lone seller grilling his satay in a corner. Now, the satay seller, along with the alfresco dining, are no longer around. This is what it was like before. Are they really gone?

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore

Directly adjacent to the dining area is the central waiting hall. It boasts of vast spaces and a high dome ceiling. If you stare close enough, you can see the beautiful wall panels depicting traditional Malaysian scenes such as rubber tapping and farming.

As for my earlier question: what’s really unusual about this place? Well, the railway station and the land it sits on are technically not part of Singapore. Ktm, the Malaysian railway operator, still hold the property on a 999-year lease.

So the next time you feel a need to go to Malaysia, you don’t actually have to travel far!

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station
30 Keppel Road
Singapore 089059

Bus services: 10, 30, 57, 80, 97, 100, 131, 145, 97E
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

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About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and WordPress development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

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14 responses

Leave your comment

Hadi
September 9, 2009

omg!!!

not a good idea to look at when you are fasting!!! *droolssssssss*

(and i thot, they closed down….thanks veron!) :)
Reply
- Veron
  September 9, 2009
  
  Hehe I’ll pop in a warning above my post next time :P
  
  Far from being closed down, the stalls there still see a thriving business! Check it out :) I’m sure you would find something you like.
  Reply
  - Hadi
    September 10, 2009
    
    Definitely! I’ve been there but that was like few years back. Those were the days when theres stalls at the carpark. (selling Ramly burgers etc.)
    
    hahaa…ok shall make a trip there, one of these days…. YaY!!!
    Reply
    - Veron
      September 10, 2009
      
      Oh, did you think that the place closed down because those stalls at the carpark disappeared? You just confirmed my fears then. No more outdoor dining under the stars!
      
      The good news is that there are still many many stalls indoor.
      Reply
      - Hadi
        September 10, 2009
        
        Exunckly!!!
        
        hahaha…thot that, since I saw no stalls :(
        
        by the way, both “baseball” & kentang ball are the same. they are actually a clone of the “begedils” or “bagedils” (round smashed potatoes coated with egg) they are like the mutated kind lor…coz usually tiny ones you get from normal soto stalls aren’t satisfying. ;p
        Reply
jalapeno
September 10, 2009

Looks fantastic! I had a similar looking dish at the Haig Road Food Centre where it’s called “Kentang Ball” mashed ‘tater with beef filling. Certainly clears the sinuses!
Reply
- Veron
  September 10, 2009
  
  I think your Kentang ball and my baseball here are probably the same thing. lol! Is the Kentang also coated in egg? It really tastes better than it looks. People have to try it to understand that :)
  
  And yeah, my nose was runny all over the place!
  Reply
  - jalapeno
    September 10, 2009
    
    Yes, I think it was coated in egg as well. I can definitely vouch for the taste (it’s good!) as I’ve been back twice and ordered the dish. The whole concept is new to me, what with a cricket-baseball croquet floating in a soto broth. Mine had a beef filling though. Must try the above version soon.
    Reply
    - Veron
      September 10, 2009
      
      Great! And I would try the Haig Road Kentang ball soon. I trust your taste, especially since we appear to share a liking for the same type of food. Heh :)
      Reply
      - jalapeno
        September 10, 2009
        
        Here’s to good taste and great (spicy) food! :) And while you’re there, try and check out the Mee Rebus which a friend recommends is bellisimo. It apparently has mutton pieces in the thick gravy. The stall is in the same row as the kentang ball place.
        Reply
ryeunkei
September 10, 2009

mee soto~ i shall go try it.. hehe..
Reply
winter
September 10, 2009

i love their mee soto and of cos the stall’s spicy but yummylicious chilli. even though i know it’s super spicy, it’s super shiok when u put in the soup.

thinking of it makes me want to go there soon.. heh
Reply
sheida
September 10, 2009

hey how come now got baseball ah..
but the mee soto is really to die for..and the chappati with the kheema at the entrance.
friday nites are jam packed with bikes, modified cars and good looking guys..LOL
Reply
- Veron
  September 11, 2009
  
  You sure know the place well! Speaking of cars, the parking fee is $2 per entry. There’s an elderly man collecting money from the motorists and he would issue a small slip of paper after payment. It feels really old school :)
  
  What a pity that the outdoor dining is gone :( Do you know why? Now the station seems to have lost part of its charm.
  Reply