Feeling chilly? Warm up with a hot bowl of pao fan! We share a list of our favourite stalls in Singapore.
We love pao fan in Singapore, especially on a rainy day. It’s not to be mistaken with the gloopy porridge and congee you find in most Chinese restaurants. Instead, its name translates to “poached rice”. Think fluffy grains of rice doused in a flavourful broth, and topped with seafood. There are plenty of stalls that promise you a good bowl of pao fan (some are even opened by experienced chefs). But in this list, we share the best of the best.
Best pao fan in Singapore
1. Zhup Zhup
If you’re willing to pay a pretty penny for some zhuzhed up pao fan, we’ve got the recommendation for you. Zhup Zhup is famed for its claypot prawn noodles with a broth so thick and savoury, it might just be one of the best in Singapore. It bursts with seafood flavour and is topped with peeled prawns, clams, and crispy lard. Be sure to dip the seafood in the lovingly homemade chilli which adds an extra kick.
Zhup Zhup, 458 Macpherson Road, Singapore 368176
2. Chef Meng’s Poached Rice
Don’t be put off by the lean menu because with just six variations of pao fan, Chef Meng’s Poached Rice focuses only on the good stuff. Bowls of luscious broth come with prawns, scallops, sliced fish, and even lobster. And if you get it for takeaway don’t worry about the rice getting soggy cause it’ll be packed separately so you still get the texture of crisp puffed rice.
Chef Meng’s Poached Rice, Gourmet Paradise by Koufu, Oasis Terraces, 681 Punggol Drive, Singapore 820681
3. Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan & Ramen
Opened by a zi char hawker with over 20 years of experience, the draw for his pao fan is the delectably golden colour of the broth. Boiled for over 10 hours with fish bones, you can have it with rice or switch it out for ramen instead if you’re in the mood for noodles. Prices may be a little steep here, but the ingredients used here more than make up for that. Bowls are loaded up with a ton of toppings like fish, clams, prawns, and even pork belly-wrapped enoki. Delish!
Liang Liang Golden Pao Fan & Ramen, #02-11, Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, Singapore 519641
4. Mr Rice Pao Fan
If you’re working in the CBD and need a quick lunch fix, you know Lau Pa Sat is the place to be. The variety of stalls is unmatched, and you’ll have options to satisfy everyone no matter how big the group. For us, hearty bowls of soup and rice from Mr Rice Pao Fan is the way to go. It even comes with sides like chicken cutlets and grilled pork chops.
Mr Rice Pao Fan, Stall 18, Lau Pa Sat, 19 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582
5. Shao
Nothing beats pao fan with the added crunch of crispy rice to go along with it, and Shao does it just right. And when sipped together with the rich seafood broth, you get the perfect bite. You can opt for the pao fan topped with tons of fresh seafood, or keep it simple with a straightforward red grouper poached rice. It’s so good, you’ll be back again for more in no time.
Shao, multiple locations including Frankel and Holland Village
6. Ebi Bar
Pao fan with the signature wok hei flavours of zi char food? You’ve got our interest. The broth packs an incredibly umami punch thanks to the use of prawns boiled up for more than eight hours. This casual setting is great for gatherings and catchups with friends, you’ll be raving over the signature chao da ebi pao fan as a group. Other things to try are this spot’s variation of prawn noodles, Hokkien mee, and ngoh hiang to share.
Ebi Bar, B1-21, Cuppage Plaza, 5 Koek Road, Singapore 228796
7. Le Kitchen Seafood Pao Fan
This pao fan spot is a hidden gem located at Taman Jurong food centre. Each spoonful of soup is packed with umami flavour. It’ll definitely be one of your go-to lunch spots on a chilly day. Need a recommendation? Our favourite order is the fried fish lala pao fan that comes with fresh, sweet clams.
Le Kitchen Seafood Pao Fan, #03-126, Taman Jurong Food Centre, 3 Yung Sheng Road, Singapore 618499
8. San Pin Pao Fan
At this pao fan stall in Singapore, you’ll find some pretty unique sides. Think beef fillet and Iberico pork chop, as well as indulgent fried spam sticks. If that’s not enough to entice you, its generous servings might. At only $7, the mixed seafood pao fan includes two large prawns, fried fish, sliced fish, fried egg floss, clams, and bitter gourd.
San Pin Pao Fan, #01-18, China Square Food Centre, 51 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 048441
9. Chao Ting
This is where you’ve gotta go for decadent pao fan in Singapore. Chao Ting doles out bowls of rich soup served with fresh prawns and fish. Get the Duo Fish pao fan if you’re a fan of both fried and sliced fish. You can even add on ingredients like fried egg floss, bitter gourd, and shimeji mushrooms for some extra oomph!
Chao Ting, Far East Square, 132 Amoy Street, Singapore 049961
10. T.K Kitchen – Paofan Paradise
This place doesn’t just serve seafood broth. You’ll find plenty of other options here including ginseng chicken and white pepper pork. And, instead of white rice, the restaurant uses egg fried rice for that extra wok hey flavour profile (uncle Roger would be proud). Still hungry after your meal? Order some tender red wine pork ribs to share with the fam (or have it all to yourself).
T.K Kitchen – Paofan Paradise, 37 Teban Gardens Road, Singapore 600037
11. Chef Wai’s Poached Rice
Chef Wai’s Poached Rice takes things to the next level by serving its pao fan with crispy rice! It’s topped with succulent prawn broth and delish ingredients like prawn paste balls. Go ahead and order the Superior Lobster pao fan for a boujee meal. We won’t be surprised if you keep coming back for more.
Chef Wai’s Poached Rice, Basement 2, Food Village, Takashimaya, 391A Orchard Road, Singapore 238873
Now you know where to get the best pao fan in Singapore when the skies are looking a little grey!
