Lunch time at the central business district (CBD) can be quite a rat race.

If you're in the area and still scrambling your brain on where to eat, you may want to try going to Central Food Court, a new food court nestled in the basement level of Cross Street Exchange.

Started by cloud kitchen company Smart City Kitchens, this food court is home to a growing number of eateries including Popeyes, Poke Theory, Huevos, Jjak & Co and more.

Measuring close to 2000 sqft, the food court also boasts a total of 120 seats.

Off-peak hours, Central Food Court also makes a good location for anyone to study or work at, with multiple charging outlets.

Contactless system

The tech-enabled food court is entirely contactless, from ordering the food to the collection process.

Here's how it works:

Diners can either order their meals via the self-service counters.

Or through a unique QR code that is available at all tables in the food court.

Diners can choose from a variety of food options including local, Thai, Mediterranean, desserts and even bubble tea.

Diners can collect their food from the collection point once they see their order number on the screens located at various locations within the food court.

Here's what the contactless collection point looks like:

As Central Food Court also accepts food delivery options across various delivery platforms, there is also a dedicated area for food delivery riders who are waiting for their orders.

Here's a look at what they have to offer:

Cantolicious

Cantolicious offers authentic Cantonese cuisine at pocket-friendly prices.

Here, you can get Salted Egg Chicken Rice with Sunny Side Up (S$7.30) and Mapo Tofu (S$6.30).

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Dickey’s is an authentic Texas barbecue chain from the U.S. serving clean smoke protein daily.

This will be their first location in Asia.

Here, you can get their famous Brisket Burnt Ends Plate ($21.50), which makes for a great sharing platter.

Huevos

Started by a group of friends in their 20s, Huevos aims to serve authentic and affordable Mexican cuisine in Singapore.

Here, you can get a set of three Fish Tacos (S$12.90).

They also have Churros (S$6) which comes either with dulce de leche (caramel) or Valrhona chocolate ganache dip.

The chef also recommends trying the Mushroom Quesadilla (S$12.80).

From 11:30am to 1:30pm, Huevos also has a couple of brunch deals:

• Bowl brunch deal: S$6
• Burrito brunch deal: S$5

Pimp my Salad

Pimp my Salad has a variety of nutritious options that can cater to all diets including keto, vegan and even the carnivore diet.

Here, you can get salads like Oppa's Favourite and Hold Your Tempeh.

Mothership readers can also enjoy 20 per cent off all menu items from Pimp My Salad with the promo code: PimpMOTHERSHIP20 (valid till Mar. 31, 2021).

Jjak & Co

If you fancy yourself some Japanese food, Jjak & Co serves a variety of donburi, including this Chirashi (S$16.90), the Truffle Beef Yakiniku with Foie Gras (S$22.90) and Pork Belly Yakiniku (S$12.90).

Mezzees

Mezzees is a Muslim-owned Mediterranean eatery that is known for their fusion of local and Mediterranean flavours.

Here, one can find themselves indulging in Mezzees' Lamb Shank Rice Set for 2 (S$21.50).

*Prices in the menu are after their soft-launch discount of 15 per cent.

Pastaria Abate

Pastaria Abate is one of the newer brands that has joined Central.

Serving Italian food, one can expect fresh handmade pastas, fresh ingredients and classic homestyle flavours at affordable prices.

As part of its opening special, try the Bolognese Spaghetti at $10.90 (U.P. $12.80).

Poke Theory

For a healthier meal, Poke Theory offers a variety of poke bowls from S$9.90.

And to sweeten the deal, they also have acai bowls from S$5.90.

Popeyes

Popeyes is a fast food chain that is known for their cajun fried chicken.

The fried chicken chain is offering 50 per cent off its Exclusive Bundle (S$12.90, U.P. S$25.80), which includes:

• Two pieces of fried chicken
• Four tenders
• Two regular mashed potatoes
• Two soft drinks

Customers can also have the S$4.80 Weekday Deals.

Joining these eateries in March are:

• Bober Tea: A local artisan tea brand focused on providing affordable, high quality and tasty blends of tea with a gist of local flavours.
• Crofflers: Crofflers serves a variety of submarines, croissant sandwiches and croffles, a mix of croissant and waffles, which are made from scratch every day.
• Donuteria: Donuteria serves a large selection of sweet and savoury donuts, as well as premium sliced cakes, puff, pies and more.
• Tai Feng Wei: An eatery that serves flavourful fusions of Taiwanese cuisines.
• Wafuken: Great for diners seeking healthy options. At Wafuken, one can find perfectly done and delectable sous-vide proteins.
• Wholesome Farm’s: A rotisserie dedicated to serve nutritious and tasty chicken through responsible and ethical farming.

S$3 discount for first 300 customers

To celebrate the festive season, Central is offering S$3 off its menu with a minimum spend of S$15 with the promo code CNYCentral.

This promo code will only be available for the first 300 customers.

Details

18 Cross Street, Cross Street Exchange, #B1-110 Singapore 048423

Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily

This sponsored post by Smart City Kitchens has made the writer crave Cantonese, Hawaiian and Italian food at the same time.