A MasterChef Finalist Just Brought Serious Ayam Berempah To Beauty World

If you've ever wished competition-grade cooking would leave the TV screen and land on a hawker plate, your moment has arrived. Berempah Bros, a brand-new stall tucked inside Beauty World Food Centre, is the passion project of a former MasterChef Singapore finalist who decided that heritage Malay spice cookery deserved a proper comeback. The stall opened quietly in late March 2026, but word has already spread fast — expect a queue during peak lunch hours, especially on weekends.

The man behind the counter is no stranger to pressure. After making it to the final rounds of MasterChef Singapore, he spent months refining his grandmother's ayam berempah recipe, tweaking the rempah blend until it hit that elusive balance of lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and candlenut. Rather than chase a restaurant concept, he chose the hawker format deliberately — he wanted the dish accessible to everyone, not just fine-dining crowds. That philosophy shows up in the pricing: nothing on the menu crosses the $8 mark.

What We Ordered And What We Thought

We tried the Ayam Berempah Set ($6.50), which comes with a generous quarter chicken, coconut rice, achar, and a fiery sambal that could wake the dead. The chicken itself is the star — marinated overnight, then slow-grilled over charcoal so the skin turns deeply caramelised while the meat stays juicy underneath. The rempah paste clings to every crevice, delivering waves of warm spice without overwhelming heat. It is, frankly, one of the best renditions of ayam berempah we have eaten in a hawker setting this year.

We also sampled the Nasi Lemak Berempah ($7.50), which swaps the standard fried chicken wing for the signature berempah thigh. The coconut rice was fragrant and properly pandan-scented, the ikan bilis crisp, and the egg perfectly jammy. If we had to nitpick, the sambal could use a touch more sweetness to balance its raw chilli punch, but that is a minor quibble in an otherwise outstanding plate. For dessert, the stall offers a simple but effective kuih selection at $1.50 a piece — the onde-onde was fresh and burst with liquid gula melaka on first bite.

  • Signature dish: Ayam Berempah Set with coconut rice ($6.50)
  • Must-try upgrade: Nasi Lemak Berempah ($7.50)
  • Sweet finish: Onde-onde ($1.50)
  • Price range: $5–$8 per person

Berempah Bros

📍 Beauty World Food Centre, 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588177

⏰ Tue–Sun 11am–3pm, 5pm–8:30pm (Closed Mondays)

🗺 View on Google Maps

How It Compares

Beauty World Food Centre is already home to strong Malay food options, so opening here was a bold move. Compared to more established ayam berempah stalls around Geylang Serai and Adam Road, Berempah Bros holds its own on flavour depth and arguably surpasses most on presentation. The charcoal grill adds a smoky dimension that pan-fried or deep-fried versions simply cannot replicate. At $6.50 for a set meal with rice and sides, the value proposition is hard to beat anywhere on the island, let alone in the Bukit Timah corridor.

The Verdict

Berempah Bros is the real deal — thoughtful cooking rooted in tradition but sharpened by competition experience. The flavours are bold, the portions are generous, and the prices remain firmly in hawker territory. Get there early because portions are limited and the stall closes once they sell out. If you are anywhere near Beauty World on a weekend, this should be your lunch plan. We are already plotting our return visit.