10 Cantonese Restaurants In Singapore, From Family-run Eateries To Modern Fine Dining
If you're looking for a Cantonese restaurant to bring the folks, get these ones on your radar
By guoxiongho -
Hailing from the Guangdong province (formerly romanised as Canton) in southern China, Cantonese cuisine has grown to be one of the most beloved foods in Singapore. Dim sum, roast meats such as roast duck and char siew, and hearty soups are just the tip of this delicious iceberg. Cantonese food is loved for its mild yet hearty flavours that celebrate the intrinsic quality of the ingredients used. This is in stark contrast to Sichuan food, for example, which uses more spices, chillies, and oil. Keep scrolling as we highlight 10 Cantonese restaurants in Singapore, from family-run eateries to modern fine dining experiences, where you can enjoy the full spectrum of what Cantonese food can offer.
Red Star Restaurant needs little introduction as it remains one of the few spots left in Singapore where dim sum is sold in the traditional way on push carts. Even the decor reflects the era when the restaurant was established in 1974 by four chefs who later became known as the Four Heavenly Kings. Here, you can satisfy your cravings for dim sum classics ranging from Siew Mai and Har Gao to Char Siew Bao and Roast Meats (from $4.70 per plate). Also, if you’re coming on the weekends, arrive early to queue. Dim sum is only available for breakfast and lunch.
Red Star Restaurant is at Block 54 Chin Swee Rd, #07-23, Singapore 160054. Visit its Facebook for more information.
Eat First or Sik Wai Sin is owned by Steve Chia, while Sik Bao Sin is owned by his younger brother Desmond. Both came from the famous traditional Cantonese restaurant Sik Wai Sin, which their father Chai Kok Hoong owned before eventually passing the location to the older brother. Both restaurants are located along Geylang Road and remain known for their authentic Cantonese taste. The menus are identical, with a succinct selection that includes Sweet and Sour Pork, Steamed Fish Head, Ginger Chicken, and Black Chicken Soup.
Eat First is at 287 Geylang Rd, Singapore 389334 and Sik Bao Sin is at 592 Geylang Rd, Singapore 389531. Visit the Eat First and Sik Bao Sin’s Facebook pages for more information.
Ka-Soh began as a pushcart in 1939 and is now owned by third-generation brothers Cedric and Gareth Tang. The multiple Michelin-recommended eatery is known for its milky white Cantonese-style fish soup, made with snakehead fish and without a drop of milk, and is found in the Slice Fish Noodles Soup ( $9). Otherwise, the Prawn Paste Chicken ($16) is equally popular alongside a slew of zi char favourites.
Ka-Soh is at 22 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289218. Visit its website for more information.
Kok Sen Restaurant is located right on the fringe of Chinatown. Owned by the Wong family, it has been in the business for over half a century, dishing up old-school Cantonese tze char dishes, including its popular wok hei-infused Big Prawns Hor Fun ($26.60). Other beloved dishes that customers clamour for include the Prawn Paste Chicken (from $19), Golden Dragon Chicken ($44.20 with at least a one-day reservation), and Claypot Yong Tau Foo (from $22.70).
Kok Sen Restaurant is at 4 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089110. Visit its Facebook for more information.
Located within The NCO Club along Beach Road, Madame Fan is directed by Ipoh-born executive chef Pak Chee Yit. It aims to create modern Cantonese food. And so, you will find elevated fare such as Scallop Shumai ($18) and Sri Lankan Mud Crab Wonton ($18) on its lunch dim sum menu. It has also unveiled a refreshed a la carte menu, with nostalgic dishes given a fresh spin like Deep-Fried Queen Crab, Osmanthus Egg ($32), Assorted Seafood and Tofu Rice ($58, good for three pax), and Poached Xin Hui Tangerine Peel Yellow Croaker Fish in Salt Water ($58). Madame Fan also prides itself on its signature cocktails that incorporate Asian flavours.
Madame Fan is at 32 Beach Rd, The NCO Club, Singapore 189764. Visit its website for more information.
Like Red Star, Mouth Restaurant is another well-established name in the local dim sum scene. The brand was started in 1988 and is now located along Maxwell Road, just a short distance from either Tanjong Pagar or Maxwell MRT stations. Four dishes are especially popular here: Liu Sha Bao ($6.60), Char Siew Bao ($4.60), Peking Duck (from $29.90), and Chilli Crab ($49.80).
Mouth Restaurant is at 38 Maxwell Rd, #01-01/02 Airview Building, Singapore 069116. Visit its website for more information.
The Dim Sum Place is one of Singapore's few halal dim sum purveyors. The brand started in 2016 along North Bridge Road, serving dim sum and Cantonese food, before expanding to Changi City Point and The Centrepoint in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Star dishes range from Molten Salted Egg Custard Bun ($6.90) and Steamed Chicken Siew Mai with Shrimp ($6.90) to Claypot Beef Brisket ($16.90) and DSP Signature Fried Beehoon ($13.90).
The Dim Sum Place has multiple locations in Singapore, at #B1-30/31 Changi City Point, #B1-07 The Centrepoint, and 791 North Bridge Road. Visit its website for more information.
Executive chef Fung Chi Keung helms the kitchen at the Cantonese fine dining restaurant Kai Garden, which is the sister restaurant to Kai Duck. He previously worked as the executive chef for Paradise Group and its Taste Paradise restaurant. The usual Cantonese suspects are signatures here, ranging from Peking duck and dim sum to roast meats, stir-fried dishes, and more. Do note that dim sum is only available for lunch.
Kai Garden is at 6 Raffles Blvd, #03-128A/128B Marina Square, Singapore 039594. Visit its website for more information.
Remember the famous Four Heavenly Kings of Cantonese food as mentioned above? Well, two of them left to establish Lai Wah in 1963. And despite its nondescript location at the void deck of an HDB block in Bendemeer, Lai Wah claims to have pioneered the yearly yu sheng tradition and invented the version of chilli crabs we love today. Signatures include Yam Pot with Prawns and Cashew Nuts ($33), Golden Cage Boneless Chicken with Sotong and Prawn Paste (from $27), and Venison with Ginger and Spring Onions (from $20.30).
Lai Wah is at 44 Bendemeer Rd, #01-1436 Bendemeer Court, Singapore 330044. Visit its website for more information.
Treat yourself to an elevated Cantonese food experience at Cassia within Capella Singapore in Sentosa. Under the leadership of chef Alan Chan, expect nothing but the best of elevated classics. Char siew bao becomes the Steamed Charcoal Powder Bun with Barbecued Iberico Pork and Black Truffle ($10) and Crystal Dumplings made with Fresh Mushroom and Black Truffle ($8) on the lunchtime dim sum menu or Double-boiled Sea Treasures Soup with fish maw, dried scallop, sea cucumber, flower mushroom, and sakura chicken and Braised South African Six-head Abalone as part of Chef Chan’s Signature Set ($239 per pax).
Cassia is at 1 The Knolls, Capella Singapore, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098297. Visit its website for more information.