Mystery meal: Eateries jump on blind box trend to reduce waste and entice new customers

Hawker stall Taco Liberation Co and cake store The Patissier sell blind boxes with food. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SINGAPORE – Choice has never been more overrated. These days, the trendiest way to shop is by picking a box off the shelf, contents unknown, and leaving it to luck. 

Blind boxes are most commonly associated with collectibles like Labubu and Crybaby, but certainly not limited to them. Increasingly, other businesses have started vying for a piece of this lucrative pie – the global blind box economy was worth around US$13.53 billion (S$17.3 billion) in 2024 and is projected to hit US$25.14 billion by 2034, according to market intelligence firm Zion Market Research.

Little surprise, then, that 2026 has given rise to Taoist temple blind boxes and condom blind boxes. There are even blind boxes for food. 

At Taco Liberation Co, a stall in Amoy Street Food Centre that opened in December 2025, you do not get to pick the flavour of your taco. “I cook what, you eat what,” proclaims a glowing yellow sign. 

While there is no box, diners get three mystery choices: veggie tacos (from $5.90 for two), mixed tacos (from $7.90 for one meat and one veg) and meat tacos (from $8.50 for two). Fillings range from kimchi pork to chicken rice, combinations cooked up on the spur of the moment and rotated up to three times a week. 

For something fancier, take a chance on a $98 blind box from Japanese seafood purveyor Shiki Singapore, which includes 100g of sea urchin and three other ingredients.