Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

After waiting for almost a year (in agony), the new Arts Canteen in NUS is finally open!

I was one of the first customers today, and I’m glad that the most important thing (at least for me) about the arts canteen has been preserved. Many batches of students will remember fondly that the old canteen had 3 levels which were called heaven, earth and hell. So it’s not uncommon to hear students say to each other, “See you in hell” (although for outsiders, they might be completely baffled).

The new “heaven” is now located above the rest of the stalls, and it’s air-conditioned! Olio Dome, Lek Thai and Burger can be found there. The “earth” level has 5 stalls, including the famous laksa yong tau hu stall. I’m so going to eat that this week. I’ve been badly deprived of it. All the other stalls are located in “hell”, including the drinks and fruits stall.

The canteen looks new, clean, bright, spacious and is well ventilated but I somehow miss the old one. It was dark and cramped compared to the new one, but there’s a certain charm to it. A pity that canteen only exist in memory now.

Anyway, I apologise for the lack of pictures because my phone’s camera isn’t working. Hopefully I can get some pictures in real soon.

10 Responses to “The new Arts Canteen”

# Piperon 13 Aug 2007 at 11:49 am

Wow. The yong tau fu store is still there? I used to eat there every time I was in NUS! I guess there was something charming about the dark, grubby Arts Canteen.
# Aaron Ngon 13 Aug 2007 at 11:58 am

Of course it’s still there! You really should drop by sometime to taste it again. I think of all the stalls, only the yong tau hu and the drinks stall uncle have been around for a long time. The rest of the stalls have changed owners since the last major tender 2 years back.
# LCCon 13 Aug 2007 at 6:51 pm

Haa… Went to the new Arts canteen for lunch today. As expected, it was quite crowded (it was the first day of school plus the first day of the new canteen’s opening); even spotted a few of my friends who are in Engineering.

From what I can see, I think there is a lack of 2-seater tables. This will perhaps lead to a situation in which people, eating alone, may have to occupy a 4-seater table and thus deprive people, eating in a group of 4, of seats.

That aside, I noticed that they preserved the facade of the canteen stalls, as in the facades were still partially exposed brickwork, resembling the old canteen. Hmm… Reminds me of how they preserved the original bricks from the old National Library in both the new National Library and the buildings that occupied the old spot of the old National Library. I wonder if the brickwork facades of the canteen stalls in the new canteen are from the original arts canteen?

Anyway, the new arts canteen is much more brighter and more open, thus making it easier to spot friends and “people-watch” (the arts canteen has always been a hotspot for “people-watching”, I suppose; haa…).

Oh yeah, I think I saw you (or at least some guy resembling you) standing outside the canteen while I was leaving after my lunch.
# geradon 13 Aug 2007 at 11:08 pm

Hello,

Please *do* take pictures. Just graduated from NUS and can’t wait to see the how the new canteen looks. Most unfortunately, I’m working…

Is the auntie that sells morning breakfast ‘chao mian’ still there? the stall used to be situated beside the Olive Cove stall. You can’t miss it in the morning!! The long queues for its breakfast. =D
# Aaron Ngon 13 Aug 2007 at 11:27 pm

LCC,

Next time call me la. I bery friendly one. Treat you kopi next time, but only if I know who you are. =)

I noticed the brick walls too. I thought it was a nice attempt, although it doesn’t make much of a difference to what I thought was an extremely sterile design, at least for Earth and Hell sections.

The Heaven section is, well, heavenly.
# Aaron Ngon 13 Aug 2007 at 11:28 pm

gerad,

You’ll be glad to know it’s still there. I had my breakfast from them in the morning. Bee hoon with one egg and one piece of luncheon meat for only $1.20. I’m glad I’m staying in NUS after graduation.
# LCCon 13 Aug 2007 at 11:55 pm

I didn’t go to check out “Heaven”, only glimpsed at it from “Earth”… Next time perhaps… Haa… And I only found out there was a “Hell” when I was queuing for food.

Hmm… I wasn’t sure it was you lah… Was rushing anyway…
# SMon 14 Aug 2007 at 10:07 am

The fruit juice stall still there or not ah?
# Aaron Ngon 14 Aug 2007 at 10:30 am

Of course it’s there! The auntie is still the same one.
# yuen meion 14 Aug 2007 at 11:59 pm

hello aaron!!! how is married life treating you? yay! arts canteen open! i was there yesterday and today. OMG, did you know, i queued for an HOUR just to get my Japanese curry set? like, OMG. *faints* but i did manage to eat my yong tau foo laksa todays! i still maintain lunch in arts canteen should only be taken after 2.30p.m. (well not for everyone of course, bwahahaha).