Hao Lai Ke — Is This Ex-Din Tai Fung Chef’s New Venture Worth The Hype?

Helmed by a former Din Tai Fung chef and his wife, Hao Lai Ke aims to serve up quality Chinese dishes that are just as good as the colossal restaurant brand. Think bowls of scratch-made la mian and the signature pork ribs fried rice that practically everyone goes mad for.

Hao Lai Ke is tucked away in a small coffee shop stall in Bedok and is identifiable by the incredibly long queue that tends to snake out of the coffee shop itself. We waited for a good 45-minutes for our order to be taken and then another 25-minutes for our food to be ready. The long wait definitely raised our expectations of the place but did it live up to expectations or was it a flop? Read on to find out!

We knew we definitely had to try their Pork Ribs Fried Rice (S$6) to see if it was really as good as the one served in Din Tai Fung itself. The fried rice was only a fraction of what Din Tai Fung usually charges which is definitely a huge plus point.

While the overall dish tasted pretty similar to the original, we felt that the dish fell short in terms of quality. The rice was slightly drier and not as fluffy and fragrant as Din Tai Fung’s and the pork rib was not as tender and sliced considerably thinner, resulting in much less bite. However, the taste was definitely spot-on!

Being the mala fanatics that we are, we also got their Mala Beef Noodle (S$5).

They were really generous with the portion of noodles. The noodles were just the right thickness and springy just the way we like it. The mala broth was not very spicy, but it had a nice tanginess to it besides being ridiculously heartwarming. The beef chunks, on the other hand, were a tad bit dry for our liking.

Hao Lai Ke
204 Bedok North Street 1, #01-393
Singapore 460204
Daily: 10.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Bedok