The Ultimate Pao Fan List – Never Too Late to Jump on the Pao Fan Bandwagon

Awhile ago, Pao Fan took Singapore by storm. Snaking queues were observed at various hawker centres and coffee shops, as curious Singaporeans went all around the island in search of the best pao fan. The craze might have waned, but who’s to say that it won’t pick up again? Here are some of our favourite pao fans!

66 Crab

Found right beside the crowd-drawing Hao Lai Ke at Happy Hawkers in Bedok North, 66 Crabs has a special rendition of Pao Fan — Mala Fish Head Pao Fan ($5.80)! It’s truly the first of its kind in the Pao Fan scene and I knew I had to try it.

You can choose the level of spiciness, as per your usual mala orders. While I had high hopes for this unique mix of mala soup and pao fan, it tasted much like regular mala soup, with submerged rice added.

If you prefer your usual strong seafood tasting pao fan, I’d recommend the Sliced Fish Pao Fan or Seafood Pao Fan ($5.80 each). The fish head was the only ingredient in the mala pao fan and it was deep fried before being added into the soup. It was not too tough, but the fish head was a tad bland. For just $5.80, I think that it was a pretty good deal as the fish head was huge!

Chao Ting Teochew Pao Fan 潮亭

Located in Far East Square with an open seating concept, Chao Ting Teochew Pao Fan gets a solid 10/10 for its ambience. It was as though I was in a foreign place (bye-bye travel air bubble). I got the Fried Fish Pao Fan ($9). Although it stands on the pricier side, I believe that it was worth every cent. The soup was savoury and nutritious. It was not too oily as compared to others, but the broth left a sticky feeling in my mouth. It may be due to the collagen that came from the slow boiling process of fish bones.

The Fried Fish Pao Fan features  fried fish, the usual crispy rice, and egg floss. Spring onions and red chilli are served on the side. Add them as you like.

If you will like some vegetables, you can top up $1 for either a serving of mushrooms or bitter gourd. Other items on their menu include Fresh Prawns Pao Fan ($11) and Sliced Fish Pao Fan ($9). They have drinks and other side dishes like Fried Fish Skin ($3) too.

Chef Wai’s Poached Rice

Found in the food court at Jurong East Mall (JEM), is Chef Wai’s Poached Rice. While it is a relatively new stall that only opened in March 2021, they already have customers coming back for their poached rice.
I was recommended the Wild-caught Prawn Poached Rice ($7.90). Dang, it was a solid recommendation in my opinion. Additional brownie points as the prawns came deshelled in the centre! Each prawn and clam was fresh, juicy and cooked to a good springy texture!

One of my favourite features of this pao fan is that the crispy rice and deep-fried egg floss mix come in a separate bowl, instead of being mixed in already. This was a genius move, in my opinion, as I’ve always yearned to eat the crispy rice by itself.

The soup was warm, comforting, and packed with umami. It also had a slightly thicker texture than the soup in other pao fans. It wasn’t oily too, which made it very enjoyable from start to end. Will find myself craving for this pao fan in the days to come!

Famous Pao Fan Yi Pao Er Hong 一泡而红

I came with high expectations as many of my peers recommended Famous Pao Fan. I got the Lobster Pao Fan ($16) which include half lobster, prawns and clams too. The soup broth is clear but with a sweet crustacean taste. You can order their sides to pair with their pao fan. It includes prawn roll, fried tofu and spam fries.

The broth was not as thick and rich as many of the pao fan broth out there, but it is good for those who prefer a light and refreshing soup. You can taste the freshness and sweetness of the seafood in the soup. I would recommend this if you’re looking a good seafood pao fan. Other items on the menu include Kurobuta Pork with Clams Pao Fan ($8) and Fried Grouper Pao Fan ($8), which look delicious too!

King of Pao Fan 泡饭王

King of Pao Fan almost stands on the other end of the spectrum in terms of its broth when compared to Famous Pao Fan. I felt that there was too much oil, especially with the addition of deep-fried rice and fried egg floss, in the broth which left me feeling jelak towards the end. I ordered the Duo Style Pao Fan ($7) as recommended by the staff. Then again, if you’re feeling rich and would like to treat yourself, get the Half Lobster Pao Fan ($18).

King of Pao Fan has the oiliest soup amongst all the pao fan stalls that I’ve tried. However, the incorporation of prawn oil might be the key to its rich flavours. If you have a 重口味 (prefer stronger flavours), you will enjoy the pao fan here. The soup was flavourful and carried the distinct fragrance of the crispy rice and egg floss. Be prepared for a greasy aftertaste though. The amount of grease seemed to triple in the Crispy Fried Fish Pao Fan ($5.50). It’s still worth a try, but I’d recommend the Sliced Fish Pao Fan ($7) or Lala Pao Fan ($4.50) for healthier choices.

Le Kitchen Seafood Pao Fan

About three months since the last time I ate Pao Fan for this listicle, Le Kitchen Seafood Pao Fan came onto my radar and I was summoned to go try it. Despite being a new kid on the block in the food heaven of Amoy Street Food Centre, they’re doing rather well! By the time I arrived, the Lobster Pao Fan ($18) was sold out, hence I got the Seafood Pao Fan ($8).

A strong wave of seafood flavours hit me on the very first sip, and I liked that the soup was really smooth. The soup was not oily at all, and every mouthful was packed with umami. The two partially de-shelled and deveined (yay!)large prawns, were slightly mushy, but the clams, and fish slices were pretty fresh.

Their bowl is quite deep, which gives the impression that there are just a few ingredients swimming in it. However, there are quite a lot of ingredients and it was a filling meal. The stall owners are quite friendly! I’ll drop by again if I’m in the area!

Mun’s Seafood Pao Fan

Mun’s Seafood Pao Fan is another one that I would highly recommend. This is one of the most interesting Pao Fan stalls on this list. It doesn’t only sell the popular dish with seafood and rice, but it also offers a variety of items such as Ipoh Mixed Pork Noodles ($5.80) and Mixed Pork Pao Fan ($5.50). This is great news for those of you who are allergic to seafood.

I tried the Signature Pao Fan ($7.50) and the Mixed Pork Pao Fan ($5.50). I preferred the mixed pork version over the signature version. Simply because the broth in the pork bowl was richer and tastier than the seafood one. The pork bowl consists of some well-marinated handmade minced pork balls and clean pigs intestines! I wouldn’t mind travelling to the west just to have a taste of it again!

San Pin Pao Fan 三品泡饭

At San Pin Pao Fan, you can expect a generous amount of ingredients in one bowl! I got the Crispy Fried Fish Pao Fan ($6). While it is very affordable, the broth lacked flavour, and was quite watered down. It almost felt like I was just eating a normal bowl of fried fish soup with rice. However, the great number of ingredients made it the most value-for-money option on this list. Expect bitter gourd, clams, and the usual deep-fried rice and egg floss toppings.

They have a wide variety of affordable pao fan available on their menu. For just a dollar more, you can get their signature Mixed Seafood Soup Pao Fan ($7). I honestly regretted not going for that. Guess I’ll be making another trip down to the nearest outlet. Locate the outlets near you via their Facebook page.

T.K Kitchen – Paofan Paradise 泡饭天

Located in Tong Kian Coffee Shop, T.K Kitchen looks a little dodgy from afar, but it is a regular zi char stall serving their speciality pao fan. At T.K Kitchen, pao fan is a sumptuous affair. I got the Flower Crab Pao Fan ($38) which came in a huge clay pot, and can feed 2 to 3 pax. It is almost comparable to what a restaurant would serve, but at a more pocket-friendly price.

What distinguishes the broth from others is the presence of a strong wok hei. If this is your first time tasting pao fan, they would have set the bar really high. The broth also had a sweet aftertaste from the fresh seafood ingredients, and it got more and more addictive as I went along. The seafood was very fresh, and there was a generous amount of clams, scallops and prawns in the soup.

I’d recommend that you bring a friend or two along as you would need help finishing this large pot of goodness. There are other variations of pao fan available, such as the Ginseng Chicken Pao Fan ($40) if you’re into something healthier.

Each Pao Fan is unique in its way. After having so many of them, it’s interesting to see how the different chefs interpret their understanding and the art of making pao fan. Each one’s uniqueness brings diversity to the food scene in Singapore! Let us know which is your favourite pao fan in the comments below!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!