Wild Olives

With rising costs these days, it is getting harder to find quality western food for under $7, even at a hawker centre setting. Most of the time when you do find one, the portions provided may be so underwhelming that you'd probably need to order something else as a filler.

But here at this stall, you'll get a main and two sides for well under ten bucks, with generous portions at that. And lest you think that it's not well-known due to its ulu location in the far east, it is not uncommon to find a snaking queue forming way before it opens for the day.

Wild Olives used to be a hidden gem located within the staff canteen at Changi Airport Terminal 2. Those in-the-know would head on down for awesome western food served by this husband-and-wife team until they had to cease operations there. They subsequently took a 2-years break before returning in 2018 at this new location here at Pasir Ris Central - not too far from where they were before. Business has been thriving at this location, and the wait for the food can go beyond an hour during peak timings.

The husband is Winson, who mans the frontage of the stall while his wife Gladys takes charge of the kitchen. In Winson's own words, while "the queue is long, sometimes the temper may be short". He may not be the friendliest around, but that's just the way he is and I've heard he has learnt to be more approachable and people-oriented these days. 

I've visited the stall thrice thus far, and each time, I've come away quite amazed by how this hawker duo can run operations so smoothly and efficiently - taking into account the meal-time crowds and the different order permutations they offer. No raised voices, no order mistakes, no disgruntled customers. Impressive!

The Food

All western food (excluding pasta dishes) come with a choice of two sides. Apart from the usual fries, mashed potatoes and coleslaw, you can also choose to have mushroom rice, mixed vegetables and herbed potatoes (which are the ones I'd recommend you here). The mushroom rice in particular has a nice aroma of shallot oil and shiitake mushrooms.

Grilled Pork Chop with Apple Cider Whole Grain Mustard Sauce ($6.60) (Recommended)

By their own admission, the Grilled Pork Chop is one of Wild Olives' best-sellers. Truth be told, I cannot recall the last time I had pork chops this tender; cutting it apart was almost effortless. But the winning touch for me was the apple cider mustard sauce - a beautiful combination of slight apple fragrance with some tanginess. The meat is perhaps a little saltier than I would have liked, but nevertheless it's one of the most tender pork chops I've ever had. 

Breaded Fried Chicken ($6.80 with 2 sides)

The first thing that struck me was how much the Breaded Fried Chicken covered my plate. The crust was perfectly golden and nicely-crumbly, enveloping a huge chicken thigh that was at least an inch thick. It's huge though, and it can get a little dreary towards the end. If you're getting this, do get the garden salad or mixed vegetables to offer a little variation. 

Grilled Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce ($6.60 with 2 sides)

The Grilled Chicken is the other pick that sells well here, and it is easy to understand why. The skin was well-seared to the point of crisp, yet the meat remained moist & juicy. The marinade of the chicken was clear to the palate, such that the teriyaki sauce - as good as it tasted - was actually unnecessary. Again, for $6.60, the portion was certainly generous.

Homemade Meatball Bolognese with Tangy Tomato Sauce (6.60) (Recommended)

Quite queerly, the Meatball Bolognese was presented in a deep-dish bowl that made the portion seem deceptively small. But that aside, the spaghetti managed to retain its bite and was well-complemented by a competent tomato sauce. The meatballs were definitely above-average and of a very decent size. $6.60 for this - how is that possible? Huge bang for your buck.

Breaded Pork Cutlet ($6.80 with 2 sides)

The Breaded Pork Cutlet appears to use the same marinade as the pork chops, so you'll get the best of both worlds in terms of texture and flavor. It reminded me of the tonkatsu you get at good Japanese eateries, tender yet crunchy.

Grilled Norwegian Salmon with Honey Mustard Cream Sauce ($11.90 with 2 sides) (Recommended)

If you're a regular shopper, you'd know that a salmon fillet of this size doesn't come cheap, so at $11.90 (with 2 sides, mind you), the Grilled Norwegian Salmon represents superb value. And it's not just that, the salmon was nicely cooked through. Skin that was pan-seared to a crisp, with a centre that was nice and moist.

Wild Olives ranks as one of the best western food in a hawker setting in my books, and I've even heard them being labelled "the pride of Pasir Ris" by some. I've to warn you about the long wait, though you can go around that by coming between 2pm to 2.30pm on weekdays, where the wait is more bearable.

You can have a closer look at the food in the following reel:

Address: Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre #02-19

Opening Hours: 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

Date of Last Visit: 2nd July 2023