Like clockwork, Orchard Road has burst into a melting pot of festivities as we near Christmas. One of the main highlights is The Great Christmas Village, which marks its return this year at not just Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza but also Shaw House and Plaza Singapura.
But The Great Christmas Village at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, which spans across 3,000 sqm (or bigger than two Olympic-size swimming pools combined), is the largest yet – and the only Great Christmas Village with a mini-food truck park.
Here’s what to eat from each food truck.
1. A5 Wagyu skewers from Niku Master
It’s not every day that we get to try A5 Wagyu, which is the highest rating of Wagyu beef and usually reserved for the menus of fine-dining restaurants. Thankfully, Niku Master has been making its way around Singapore to sell its signature A5 Wagyu skewers ($13 for one skewer, $25 for two).
While it’s not the cheapest food option at The Great Christmas Village, we appreciate the more accessible prices here. For comparison, just 50g of A5 Wagyu at a restaurant can easily cost over $100.
Here, four sizable A5 Wagyu cubes are seasoned and punched onto a stick before being given a quick grill. We like that each cube still shows off a blush pink centre after it’s cooked. As we bite into it, the generous marbling of each cube gives way to the juiciness and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness that A5 Wagyu is famous for.
2. Crunchy Biscoff Kakigori from Smooze
Smooze, which specialises in dairy-free and vegan-friendly desserts, already has fruit-flavoured ice bars and sorbets on store shelves. But it’s taking its concoctions up a notch at The Great Christmas Village.
Our favourite is the refreshing Crunchy Biscoff Kakigori ($8.90). Kakigori, which means shaved ice in Japanese, is of course the star of the show. But here’s the twist: Smooze has swapped out frozen water for frozen coconut water. The ice is also silkier, so it’s more akin to a Bingsu than an Ice Kachang.
Like its name suggests, the mountain of shaved ice is topped with biscoff crumbs and drizzled with caramel sauce. The former adds a much-welcomed textural contrast, while the latter really satisfies our sweet tooth!
3. ‘Burning’ ice-cream from Burnt Cones
If there’s anyone who knows how to make ice-cream ‘burn’, it’s Burnt Cones. But before we get ahead of ourselves, here are the basics: there are 12 flavours of gelato on offer, ranging from the usual suspects such as 85% Dark Chocolate, Bronte Pistachio and Stracciamenta (mint chocolate) to more unique ones such as Ube (purple yam), Wild Berry Cheesecake and Chrysanthemum Goji Berry.
One scoop costs between $5 and $7, depending on the flavour. Have it in a freshly made waffle cone for an extra $1.50. But why stop at one scoop when you can order two scoops and have your ice-cream handed to you in an Instagram- and TikTok-worthy ‘double-scoop smoking cups’? We enjoy the whimsical effect, which is achieved by hiding dry ice underneath.
Theatrics aside, we dug our spoons into the Reese’s Peanut Butter ice-cream and found the peanut butter surprisingly tame and not as sweet as its namesake might suggest. Considering that we are watching our sugar intake this Christmas season, we’d call this a win.
4. Frosty’s Dog from Pink Blossoms Brewing
While a variety of drinks, including craft brews, wines, whiskey, gin and vodka, feature heavily on the menu of Pink Blossoms Brewing, you’ll be hard-pressed to miss the huge photo of the Frosty’s Dog ($8.90, add $1 for caramelised onions) staring from the front of the food truck.
Pink Blossoms Brewing’s version of the quintessential festival bite is quite artisanal, with a smoked pork sausage from local butchery Huber’s Butchery wrapped in a brioche bun supplied by BREAD CRÉATEUR. A closer look reveals a criss-cross of fat and meat, which lends the sausage a bouncier bite.
Visit the largest Great Christmas Village 2023
The Great Christmas Village 2023 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza runs from 8 Dec 23 – 1 Jan 24. Other than a mini-food truck park, the pop-up boasts over a dozen carnival rides and games and live stage performances every Fri and Sat.
There’s fun to be had for the whole family! Experience the Christmas magic at The Great Christmas Village 2023 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza at these hours:
Mon-Fri: 1pm-10pm
Sat-Sun & Dec 18-23: 1pm-11pm
Dec 24 & 31: 1pm-12.30am
Dec 25 & Jan 1: 1pm-11pm
Live stage performances
Every Fri & Sat: 7.15pm-8pm, 8.30pm-9.15pm
See performance schedule here.
Unearthed Productions is the Official Production Partner of The Great Christmas Village 2023 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.