Lai Kee Pau & Dim Sum (来记包点点心) is a well-known name for its handmade buns and dim sums. The brand has several outlets around Singapore with two stalls in Bukit Batok — one below Block 207 in Bukit Batok East and the other below Block 373 near Bukit Gombak MRT Station — and a bigger eatery serving more than buns and dim sums in Bukit Timah, a short walk from Beauty World MRT Station.
One of Lai Kee’s signature dishes is its self-created Ji Guo Pau (鸡窝包), translated as “chicken nest bun” — a first in Singapore. There are quite a number of other steamed buns and dim sum dishes on Lai Kee’s menu to choose from. Various porridge dishes — including century egg & pork porridge — and steamed rice dishes are also on the menu. The Bukit Timah outlet serves wanton noodle and other noodle dishes too.
The big Ji Guo Pau is some-what similar to “fan choy (饭菜) in a bun” where bun dough is used to make a bowl to hold cooked ingredients like mushroom, salted egg, chicken meat, minced dried shrimps that are fried with rice and steamed. Before serving, the bun is flipped and cut opened so the steamy ingredients are on top. The bun is quite hearty with new taste and not salty nor oily and a good alternative to glutinous rice, porridge or steamed rice.
When it comes to dim sum, Braised Chicken Feet (凤爪) is a dish that I usually go for. The chicken feet are braised until the skins are ultra soft and separate from the bones easily. The dish is mild-sweet from just its red sauce.
The steamed pork ribs and plain rice, of a Pork Ribs Steamed Rice (排骨蒸饭), are steamed separately so that the rice will not soak up the soup of the pork ribs dish prematurely and make it too dry. Before eating, pour the pork ribs on the rice for it to absorb the flavours of the savoury soup. The steamed pork ribs is very tender, nice tasting and not salty. For extra flavours, add some hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp sambal chilli) to the dish. It is a light and pleasant dish.
The dishes that I have tried at Lai Kee Pau, so far, use less salt, sugar, oil and no excessive seasonings. They are definitely healthier options to go for.
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Bukit Batok East Outlet:
207 Bukit Batok Street 21, Singapore 650207
Hong Kah North Outlet:
373 Bukit Batok Street 31, Singapore 650373
Opening Hours:
6:30am to 9:30pm | Daily
Bukit Timah Outlet:
19 Toh Yi Dr, #01-127, Singapore 590019
Opening Hours:
6:30am to 9pm | Daily
Nearby:
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