First Food Court in Singapore

In Singapore, you do not need to be afraid that you can't get food. Everywhere you go, there's bound to be either a coffeeshop, hawker centre or food court within walking distance. In fact, hawker centres can be seen in the neighbourhood of HDB, and food courts are such a common sight these days that every new shopping mall has to have one in it.

So, which was the first food court that opened in a local shopping mall???? It was the Picnic Food Court at the basement of Scotts Shopping Centre. Scotts Picnic Food Court has had been around for some 19 years, being a pioneer in establishing an upmarket, trendy, and air-conditioned food court in the Singapore marketplace. When Picnic opened for business in the 80s, it sure created a big hooha among Singaporeans who had never really experienced hawker centre-styled dining in air-conditioned comfort before. Everyone was excited with the variety of cuisine all conveniently located in one food centre and didn't mind paying a little bit more for the comfort and coolness. Today, many of the tenants at the food court may have changed but we fondly remember the ice-kachang at Picnic. For less than $2, you'll get a huge mountainful of shaved ice and generous amounts of red beans and jelly and syrup drizzled on top.

About a decade later, the food court underwent a revamp and was re-opened in 1997. One gripe, however, is the perpetual crowds at the food court. Even till today, getting a table in any popular food court requires a great deal of patience and, not to mention, agility to get to the seat before someone else does.