Jian Bo Shui Kueh (楗柏水粿) is a heritage Singapore food brand famous for its “shui kueh“ (chwee kueh / 水粿) — Teochew-style steamed rice cakes topped with preserved radish and optional chilli. Started as a humble pushcart at Tiong Bahru Market in 1958, the Michelin-recommended brand has since grown into a multi-outlet business across Singapore. One of its west-side outlets is located in Mei De Coffeeshop (美德咖啡店), in Bukit Batok East Point.
Aside from their signature shui kueh, Jian Bo offers steamed yam cake and chee cheong fun too. Their classic value meals will pair each dish with two siew mai (烧卖). There are rice dumplings during Dragon Boat Festival too.
Jian Bo’s Shui Kueh (minimum 5 pcs) is served on a piece of waxed paper even when eating at the food centre, due to the oil seeping out from the preserved radish condiment mix. For taking away, a special plastic container will be used to place the chwee kueh and the oil will flow into a groove below — but, it will be better to bring your own container if intending to take-away.
The freshly-steamed rice cakes are topped with a condiment mix of diced savoury and sweet preserved radish (chye poh / 菜脯), preserved vegetable, white sesame seeds, minced dried shrimps, chilli paste (optional) and vegetable oil that the ingredients are fried with and also to keep it moist until served. The rice cakes have bouncy, tender texture, not overly soft (for my liking), and the aromatic condiment mix gives them a nice sweet-savoury, mild-spicy, umami flavour, not too salty and crunchy texture.
Traditionally, pork lard oil was used to fry the diced preserved radish (and still so in Chaozhou, China) but Jian Bo Shui Kueh had switched to using 100% vegetable oil, and adding other aromatics to “replace” the lost lard oil aroma, resulting in a unique, aromatic condiment mix for their shui kueh.
Social Media:
Facebook | Website
Address:
Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre (中峇鲁巴刹及熟食中心), #02-05
30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898
Opening Hours:
7am to 8pm | Daily
Nearby:
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