Toi – Traditional Western Fare & Interesting Sauces With a Twist In Ang Mo Kio!

Industrial estates are often treasure troves of coffee shops holding tons of hidden gems, and Woodlands is no different. Located within Eden Food Mall at 10 Marsiling Industrial Estate Road 1, Toi specialises in Western cuisine and is run by a trio of young hawkers. Don’t mistake it for a Japanese stall though, Toi is where you can find traditional Western fare but keep a lookout for their special sauces that come with exciting twists! They have since moved to Ang Mo Kio in November 2022. 

Darren Seet, one of the three who man the stall, has been in the Western food industry since he was 16. He started out as a part-timer in Grand Hyatt Singapore. He remained in the industry throughout his poly and NS days and even spent some time at a dim sum place as well as Miami Bistro. From there, he joined hands with his girlfriend Shanesca Low, and her brother Charlesce to step out and open his own hawker stall. 

Teams who divide and conquer always have their operations run smoothly and that’s how it’s like at Toi. Darren mainly takes charge of pasta and plating, while Charlesce does the deep-frying and grilling. Shanesca is in charge of taking orders and Darren has also dubbed her as the “brains behind the operation” as she keeps everything properly organised. 

According to Darren, the idea behind Toi actually drew inspiration from big names such as Collin’s, Char-Grill Bar and Astons, which have gone on to build empires from humble beginnings in coffee shops. His next step is to take Toi out to residential areas, but not so soon seeing that they’ve only been in operation for two months. 

Their mains from the grill and deep-fryer come with two sides and a sauce of your choice. Take your pick from proteins such as Grilled Chicken ($7.90), Pork Belly Cutlet ($8.90) and Beef Steak ($14.90) and pair it with sauces like Black Pepper Sauce, Apple Miso ($0.50) and Hainan Chilli Emulsion ($0.50), all made in-house. 

Sides include choices like Mashed Potato ($2.90), Butter Corn ($1.90) and Onion Rings ($2.90). They also serve pasta such as Prawn Aglio Olio ($7.90), Carbonara ($6.90) and Beef Bolognese ($7.90), as well as a la carte snacks like Popcorn Chicken ($6.90). 

I decided to go for the Chicken Cutlet ($7.90), paired with Nacho Cheese. The large chicken cutlet is finished off with a light coating of bread crumbs. I loved how crispy the batter was and while the chicken was marinated well and through, it could stand to be more tender. I’d give the Nacho Cheese a skip and opt for the more interesting sauces instead. 

For my sides, I went with mashed potato that was seasoned to perfection and slightly buttery, topped with gravy, as well as fried broccoli that captured my heart from the first bite. Delightfully crisp at the top but juicy towards the stem, it was minimally seasoned and ticked all the boxes when it comes to an addictive side dish. In fact, I would order just the fried broccoli on its own! 

I also got the Grilled Pork Belly ($8.90) with Brown Sauce. I had asked Darren out of curiosity why they served that instead of the usual pork chop and he candidly answered with a laugh, “To be honest? I just don’t like pork chop.” The hefty pork belly, with its mix of meat and fat, was definitely a much more filling option, in my opinion. There was a lot of flavour in the thick cut of meat and the miso marination sank deep, giving it a delightful oomph. You also can’t go wrong with brown sauce, but I’d definitely want to try the Apple Miso with this dish. 

The side of Roasted Pumpkin didn’t fare as well mainly due to the inconsistency in texture. Some of the larger pieces were hard and tasted raw, but there were soft pieces that allowed the sweetness of the pumpkin to shine through. 

Folks who enjoy this style of Chicken Wings ($4.90 for three pieces, $8.90 for six pieces) you see in hawker centres and coffee shops will definitely enjoy Toi’s rendition. Darren shared that not a lot of R&D went into it but rather, just “anyhow marinate” until they found the recipe that resonated with them. 

The seasoning of it was certainly on point and the juicy, indulgent skin gave way to tender meat underneath. 

Toi is undoubtedly a promising stall. And the affordability and portions will definitely make them popular! I wouldn’t mind popping by again if I’m in the neighbourhood to give the Apple Miso and Hainan Chilli Emulsion a try with their other mains.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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