Jian Bo Shui Kueh — The Legendary Tiong Bahru Chwee Kueh

Singapore’s hawker scene is no short of breakfast options to kickstart your morning; from hearty bowls of porridge to satisfying packets of nasi lemak, the choices are endless.

Out of all the variety out there, one favourite that we always find ourselves gravitating back towards is chwee kueh. The popular Teochew dish is well-loved for its firm rice cakes that are topped with sweet and savoury preserved radish. Albeit greasy, it is hard to resist a serving of this scrumptious local delight as it is just so satisfying!

Jian Bo Shui Kueh started off in 1958 as nothing but a humble pushcart that stall that was owned by Mr Wang, an elderly man who came from a Teochew province in China. Fast forward to today, Jian Bo Shui Kueh has evolved to become one of the most popular chwee kueh stalls in Singapore and they’ve grown to include 16 outlets that are scattered all across Singapore.

Despite having multiple franchises, they’ve still managed to maintain and push out quality packets of chwee kueh that taste as good as the ones that Mr Wang sold over 60 years ago. They’ve also expanded their menu to sell other delicious local treats such as nyonya dumplings, chee cheong fun and steamed yam cake.

We always get our chwee kueh fix at the original outlet at Tiong Bahru Market. A packet of 5 pieces of chwee kueh costs an affordable S$2.50 but if you’re planning to have it as a centrepiece or if you just want more for yourself, you can opt to get 8 pieces (S$4) or 10 pieces (S$5).

The rice cake component of the chwee kueh is the perfect combination of springy, firm and chewy. Every serving of rice cake comes with fragrant, preserved radish that adds a lovely contrasting crunch against the soft texture of the rice cake.

Despite being slightly greasy, the chwee kueh did not get too cloying even after we had shoved a substantial amount of it down our throats. A good reason for us to order even more!

Jian Bo Shui Kueh
168898, Seng Poh Road, 30号 #02-05,
Singapore 168898
Daily: 6.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru