Finding Hidden Hong Kong Cuisine in Singapore | HowToTrip

Written by: HowToTrip

Being abroad, one naturally misses home-cooked food. If you can’t fly back to Hong Kong for four hours to enjoy good food,Singapore, then you’ll have to go on a culinary hunt. Don’t be fooled bySingaporebeing small, but every district has plenty of eateries, and the high turnover rate makes it no easy feat to try all the Hong Kong-style cuisine. This time,HowToTripwill briefly introduce several good Hong Kong-style restaurants for everyone, highlight two favorites among Hongkongers inSingapore, and finally list a few places to avoid.

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Singapore, like Hong Kong, is a place where East meets West. This time, HowToTrip will briefly introduce several good Hong Kong-style restaurants

inSingapore. There are numerous mid-to-high-end restaurant groups, and the representatives of Chinese and Hong Kong-style cuisine include: Imperial Treasure, Crystal Jade, and TungLok. These three groups offer a full range of dim sum, hot pot, and stir-fried noodles and rice dishes. The ambiance and decor are, of course, top-notch, and the food is quite good—with localized options—but still quite authentic and consistently good. Other similar-tier and priced options for dim sum include Peach Garden and Royal China at Raffles.

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Chinatown isSingapore’s Chinatown district, where both hand-pushed dim sum trolleys and Dim Sum House are good dining options.

When it comes to dim sum, there are also more affordable choices: East Ocean Teochew in ION Orchard offers refined dim sum; Yum Cha in Chinatown serves dim sum from trolleys; and Mouth Restaurant in Chinatown is also good. If you’re not too concerned about the ambiance, Victors' Kitchen is also an authentic and budget-friendly option.

Having triedSingapore’s roast meats, most people know they generally fall far short of Hong Kong’s. A better, more Hong Kong-style option is House of Roasted Duck. As for Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle in Chinatown Complex, which has earned a Michelin star, due to long queues and early closing times, HowToTrip didn’t test it out (and I’m not a fan of food court stalls anyway)—friends who have tried it, please share your reviews. However, there are still good dim sum and takeaway pineapple buns in the Chinese community, with many options in Chinatown, and those in Tiong Bahru are also worth trying.

The two key recommendations are Legendary Hong Kong and Summer Pavilion.

Legendary Hong Kong, as its English name suggests, is truly legendary. Located in the “Hong Kong Street” area of Jurong Point mall, it feels like you’ve returned to Hong Kong, almost as bustling as Yau Ma Tei or Mong Kok. “Legendary Hong Kong” has four entrances, representing four themes: Jiu Ru Roast Meats, Hong Kong Congee & Noodles, Long Fung Tea House, and White House Diner. Among these, HowToTrip especially recommends: char siu (roast pork), siu baap (roast pork belly), Chun Feng De Yi (Chinese sausage skewers), and egg custard tart with salted egg yolk.SingaporeMost Hong Kong people call it “Kau Yuk.” Located in the “Hong Kong Street” at Jurong Point mall, it feels like you’ve returned to Hong Kong, as crowded as Yau Tsim Mong. The four entrances labeled “Hong Kong Drinks & Food” represent four themes: Kau Yuk Roast Meat, Hong Kong Congee & Noodles, Long Feng Tea House, and White House Diner. Among them, food critic Yumeishi especially recommends: char siu, siu baak zai, Chunfengdeyi sausage, and egg custard lava buns.

The lobster congee at Summer Pavilion features tender lobster, with the congee poured fresh at the table—rich, savory, and satisfying.

As for Summer Pavilion, a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant located in the Ritz Carlton hotel, it is naturally luxurious and grand—an ideal spot for photos with its beautiful ambiance and delicious food. The head chef is Chef Cheung, a Hongkonger with over 25 years of experience, who crafts exquisite dishes. Highlights include: organic black garlic and spring onion beef cubes—tender and flavorful beef paired with bread to cut the richness; lobster congee, with tender lobster and freshly poured savory congee broth—rich and fulfilling; starter sea urchin that’s sweet and fresh, and dessert pineapple bun that’s fragrant without being greasy. The portions are delicate, the ambiance elegant, and there are several themed VIP rooms adorned with paintings on the walls.

There are highlights, and naturally, there are letdowns. So,Singapore— what restaurants should you "watch out for" or avoid?By YouMeishi (Food Critic) I mean well and won’t mention full names, but based on personal experience, in the past, the ones that have been “letdowns” are chain-operated groups. For example, Tai X, famous for egg tarts from Hong Kong — their egg tarts and milk tea tasted off when they expanded here; also, Cha X, a cha chaan teng known for pineapple buns from Hong Kong — the buns weren’t crispy enough, and you had to queue up for ages; plus, X Wang and X Huan Hong Kong-style cafés, which market themselves with Hong Kong names, but serve poor-quality food — best to avoid those. As for dim sum, there’s Hong X (also a Hong Kong group) in the HDB flats at Chinatown Complex — it has a traditional setting, but it’s quite shabby and a bit dirty, with average food quality overall — not recommended. As forSingapore— is there any place serving Hongkongers’ beloved “Lazy Pork Inkstone Mountain Mild Chili Rice Vermicelli” (which I personally think is terrible)? Sorry, there isn’t one for now. Go for local laksa and Mee Sua (vermicelli) instead.

The article reflects the author’s personal views and does not represent the stance of this website.