Where To Get The Best, Comforting Porridge In Singapore
From watery Teochew-style porridge to luscious Cantonese congee
By guoxiongho -
Porridge and congee can have a reputation for being food you eat when you're feeling ill. But underscoring this notion is the fact that porridge is undeniably comforting, especially when you're feeling stressed or when it is cold and rainy out. Ahead, we share with you the best places to get porridge in Singapore, ranging from watery Teochew-style to luscious Cantonese congee.
Formerly at Bukit Merah, Ye Shang Hai is now located adjacent to Tampines Round Market & Food Centre and it can't be missed with its bright yellow signboard and extensive amount of dishes laid out. Dishes to accompany your porridge range from Black Sauce Pork and Nan Ru Rou to various braised dishes and fresh fish cooked upon order.
138 Tampines St. 11, #01-148, Singapore 521138
Heng Long's longstanding popularity has allowed it to expand to multiple outlets dotted across the island. Besides the quintessential Teochew braises, Heng Long also does pickled raw seafood of prawns, flower crab, cockles and lala.
Heng Long Teochew Porridge has multiple locations in Singapore
Soon Soon might be a little difficult to find as the hole-in-the-wall location is tucked in a nondescript building in Kovan. Favourites here include braised duck, minced pork, steamed fish, salted vegetable as well as basics like preserved radish omelette and sweet and sour pork
13 Simon Rd, Singapore 545897
Porridge isn't exactly the most filling of meals. So if you're a big eater, head to Gu Zao Ren as they serve free flow Taiwanese sweet potato porridge. Accompany the meal with favourites like sweet potato leaves, preserved radish omelette, salted egg ribs and pork liver.
391 Changi Rd, Singapore
The founder of White House, Peh Lee Soon, used to formerly own the aforementioned Soon Soon before he retired. Retirement, however, proved to be difficult as he craved heading back to work. There are fewer options here than Soon Soon, but each dish are executed well with standouts including the braises, fried fish with black bean sauce, preserved vegetables (mei cai) and hae bee hiam.
1096 Serangoon Rd, Singapore 328193
Yin Ji is a chain restaurant from Guangzhou with over six decades of experience. They are primarily known for two dishes - chang fen (rice rolls) and congee. For the latter, flavour options include Century Egg & Pork, Sliced Fish Congee and Sliced Tender Beef Congee.
133 Amoy St, #01-01 Far East Square, Singapore 049962
Boon Kee started out as a pushcart in the 1950s along Johore Road and is now helmed by second-generation owners. They serve up Hainanese-style porridge, which is just a thicker, grainier version of Cantonese congee. Pork, chicken, sliced fish and cuttlefish are the flavour variants found here.
638 Veerasamy Rd, Yi He Eating House, Singapore 200638
Also known as Botak Delicacy, the Cantonese porridge stall is headed by a 23-year-old Hwee Yi and her family. Located in Our Tampines Hub, their meatballs are a favourite and it is made fresh in-house daily. Porridge-wise, century egg with lean meat as well as fish porridge topped with crispy you tiao (crullers) won't steer you wrong.
The Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub, #01-65, 529684
Fancy some quality seafood with your porridge instead? Founded by Raymond Tan in 2021, the Seafood Congee here combines porridge with stir-fried seafood so the congee comes with a satisfying hit of smoky wok hei. Don't forget to try the Tea-Smoked Salmon and Prawn UFO (a.k.a. wanton).
110 Pasir Ris Central, #02-07 Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, 519641
Zhen Zhen has been serving up innumerable bowls of Cantonese congee over their three-decades-long standing in the famous Maxwell Food Centre. Here, you'll get a taste of the classic flavours, such as sliced fish, century egg and chicken porridge with options to have permutations of them together.
1 Kadayanallur St, #01-54 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184