SINGAPORE — One of Singapore’s familiar food-hall destinations is getting a major reset.
Food Opera at ION Orchard will reopen on September 28, 2026, following a three-month refurbishment that transforms the space with a 1970s-inspired Old Orchard Road theme, a new lineup of food concepts and a stronger focus on Singapore’s hawker heritage.
The revamped food hall will feature 24 stalls, including 18 new tenants, according to Food Opera. Among the newcomers are six heritage hawker brands, some with decades of history, entering a food-hall setting for the first time.
93 Years of Hawker History Comes to ION Orchard
One of the biggest draws is Ming Chung White Lor Mee, a 93-year-old heritage brand now run by its fourth generation. The stall is known for traditional Henghua-style braised noodles.
Other heritage names joining the revamped lineup include Hakka Bond Express, which has been operating for 57 years, and First Street Fried Prawn Noodles, a 38-year-old brand known for noodles served in a rich prawn broth.
Hillman Restaurant, the long-established Cantonese eatery associated with claypot dishes and paper-wrapped chicken, is also part of the new lineup.
The inclusion of these established names gives the renovated food hall a distinctly nostalgic angle: rather than simply introducing new dining concepts, Food Opera is bringing longstanding Singapore food traditions into one of Orchard Road’s major shopping destinations.
From Heritage Hawkers to Award-Winning Names
The revamped Food Opera isn’t relying solely on nostalgia.
Berempah Bros, founded by MasterChef Singapore Season 2 winner Derek Cheong, will make its food-hall debut, while Ah Er Herbal Soup and MP Thai are among the Michelin-recognised names joining the lineup. Time Out Singapore also reported that MP Thai is entering the food hall after receiving the Michelin Bib Gourmand for three consecutive years.
The result is a mix of traditional hawker brands, newer food businesses and recognised dining names under one roof.
A New Bakery Adds a Local-British Twist
Food Opera will also introduce Treasure Bakery, a new concept combining British-style pastries with local influences.
Its offerings include items such as beef shepherd’s pie and Earl Grey cranberry rolls, alongside other pastry creations that blend different culinary traditions.
Meanwhile, Toast Box is set to introduce live coffee roasting at its Food Opera outlet and offer a new Nanyang Supremo house blend, adding another experiential element to the food hall.
More Than Just a Food Court
The makeover also expands Food Opera beyond conventional food-court dining.
A new retail and lifestyle space called Orchid Gallery will feature five home-grown names, including Thye Moh Chan and IRVINS.
Diners will also be able to watch live culinary demonstrations. At Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles, for example, traditional fishballs and fish dumplings will be made throughout the day, giving visitors a closer look at how some of Singapore’s familiar foods are produced.
The Bigger Shift Behind Singapore’s Food-Hall Revival
The Food Opera relaunch comes as Singapore’s dining scene continues to balance heritage preservation with modern convenience and changing consumer habits.
The new concept effectively puts generations of food businesses alongside newer operators in a single location. For heritage brands, that provides exposure to shoppers and visitors in one of Singapore’s busiest retail districts; for diners, it creates an opportunity to sample longstanding local dishes without traveling across the island to visit individual hawker stalls.
ION Orchard itself describes Food Opera as a destination for Singapore heritage dishes and a nostalgic dining experience.
With its doors scheduled to reopen on September 28, the question now is whether this combination of old-school hawker flavours, new culinary concepts and retro Orchard Road nostalgia will turn Food Opera into one of the area’s most talked-about food destinations once again.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
