Following a $350,000 revamp, Shifu Food Court located in Bras Basah Complex at 231 Bain Street has reopened with a bang.

The 24-hour air-conditioned food court has seen brisk business in the past week, reported Shin Min Daily News, with at least two stalls seeing many return customers.

The food court, which has been around since 2001, officially re-opened on Wednesday (Oct 9).

There are a total of 14 stalls selling a variety of food such as economic rice, porridge, noodles, as well as Japanese and Thai food.

They include Ah Gong KKM (ke kou mian), set up by 22-year-old NUS student Fang Yu, as well as Chun Feng Man Mian, famed for its truffle wonton mee that’s also available at its Amoy Street Food Centre branch.

Said Fang Yu of the inspiration behind her stall: “Growing up my parents were busy with work so my grandfather was the one who prepared my meals. Making ke kou mian is easy and the ingredients depend on what you have in the fridge. Before I opened the stall, I asked my grandpa to try my noodles and he cried.”

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Located near Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), the dining establishment is expected to appeal to a diverse range of patrons, from students to working adults, reported the Chinese evening daily.

According to other reviews online, students from SMU, Nafa and Lasalle College of the Arts can enjoy up to 20 per cent discounts on their meals there. And there’s free wifi, too.

Retrofitted with LED lights and featuring nostalgic design elements, Shifu Food Court is able to seat up to 430 patrons in both its indoor and outdoor areas.

After opening for a week during its soft launch, the owner of Yuki Congee, which has its origins at Taman Jurong Market, told Shin Min that their ting zai (boat) congee as well as batang fish congee have proven popular with customers.

“We’ve also rolled out our dough fritters here and have been able to sell over 100 pieces by lunchtime so far,” said Yuki’s owner, surnamed Lin.

Lin added that they’ve seen customers who’ve patronised the stall “four days in a row” in the past week.

Aili (transliteration), the co-owner of a Thai stall in the establishment, told Shin Min that their Hat Yai fried chicken is made using her business partner’s secret recipe from her hometown.

“70 per cent of our business is generated from return customers, and we’ve seen patrons returning to buy from us three days in a row,” said the 39-year-old.

One customer who’d purposefully made the trip down from her home in the West to try out the food at Shifu told Shin Min she was pleased with the dining experience.

“After the revamp, the food court is brighter and more comfortable,” said the 25-year-old creative, who came with a friend.

On the downside, another patron who did not wish to be named shared that stalls at the food court did not offer budget meals. They expressed that prices were steeper than usual, with only one Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded stall within the food court.

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