Best floss buns in Singapore
Today, floss buns are a familiar sight in almost every local bakery. Made with dried meat—usually chicken or pork—that’s been finely shredded and seasoned, the floss we know today hails from China, but over the years, it’s become a true Singaporean snack staple.
From neighbourhood bakeries to big-name chains, everyone seems to have their own take on this meaty, umami-loaded bun. But which one truly stands out from the crowd? To settle the debate once and for all, we went on a mission to find the best floss buns in Singapore.Â
So, without further ado, here are the 10 best floss buns in Singapore!
The criteria
In Singapore, most bakeries feature pork floss as the default option unless stated otherwise. However, not every bakery we visited offered pork floss buns, so we also included those that used chicken floss.
For a fair test, my colleague and I got the original floss bun at every bakery. For bakeries that offered a spicy variation of the original, we got them to try as well.
As with most foods, the components of a good floss bun can be subjective. Some like theirs with more cream on the top, while others prefer it minimal. Regardless, we based our rankings on three main criteria: taste, texture, and price.
For taste, a good floss bun should have a well-balanced flavour. The flavour of the floss shouldn’t be too faint, nor should it be too rich. The cream that’s spread atop the bread to hold the floss in place—usually a mix of mayonnaise and condensed milk—should enhance, not overpower, the bread. It’s a plus for us if there’s a cream filling within, instead of it just being slathered as a thin layer atop the bread.
When it comes to texture, the ideal floss bun features fluffy, slightly chewy bread. The floss should be airy and evenly distributed on the bread. It shouldn’t be too dry or clumpy.
Lastly, we considered the price of each floss bun, along with the size and portion of floss. Well-priced buns with a generous serving of floss scored higher.
FYI, each category is given a maximum of five points, for a total of 15, which is then converted into a percentage score.Â
10. Bakeinc
When I’m craving cheap bread, Bakeinc is my go-to spot, with most buns here going for under $2. A Chicken Floss Bread costs $1.70, making it one of the cheapest on this list.
That said, their floss bun didn’t quite hit the mark. First, the bun lacked the pillowy, fluffy texture that we were looking for. It was a little dry, almost similar to those packet buns you can buy from the supermarket.
The floss was sparse too, barely covering the surface area of the bun and leaving some spots with just the sugar glazing. We were hoping the cream would tie everything together, but that element was barely noticeable as well.Â
Altogether, we felt that the flavour of the floss bread was rather one-dimensional, with most of its taste coming from the plain bread.
The Spicy Chicken Floss Bread ($1.70) didn’t fare much better. It was essentially the same bun with a mild kick of spice, but the overall quality of the bread remained the same. Perhaps we caught Bakeinc on a bad day, but based on our visit, this floss bun didn’t quite meet our expectations.
Read our Bakeinc feature.
Taste: 1.5/5
Texture: 1.5/5
Price: 4.5/5
Total: 50%
Website | Full list of outlets
Bakeinc is a halal-certified eatery.
9. Four Leaves
Four Leaves is easily one of the most well-known bakeries in Singapore—second only, perhaps, to BreadTalk. Born and bred locally, the brand has a whopping 38 outlets across the island, so chances are there’s always one nearby when you’re craving a quick bread fix.
Four Leaves only has a Mini Floss Bun ($1.40), which is about half the size of an ordinary floss bun. The bun didn’t come with a layer of condensed milk-infused cream like we expected, but instead, a simple sugar glaze held the floss in place. The floss came with mini clumps, and some parts of the bread weren’t covered in it.
The bread was rather dry, lacking the airy texture we were looking for. Considering Four Leaves’ popularity, we were expecting something a little better.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 60%
Website | Full list of outlets
Four Leaves is not a halal-certified eatery.
8. Good Day Bakery
Good Day Bakery is a Taiwanese bakery selling unique buns and pastries you won’t typically find elsewhere. Besides their signature taro mochi rolls, mini croissants, and taro bread, you can get their Seaweed Chicken and Taro Paste ($2.80), a fluffy floss bread that’s loaded with creamy orh nee.
Out of all the floss buns we tried, this was the only one topped with dried seaweed bits and a light sprinkle of sesame seeds, which added a nice textural contrast to the soft bread.
As for the floss, it came in thick, slightly dry clumps and was sparsely spread over the bun, leaving parts of the surface with only the sugar glaze. The bread was fluffy, though not the softest we had.
Since Good Day Bakery’s version is filled with taro paste, it doesn’t quite fall into the same category as the other floss buns we tried, so we took that into account when judging its overall value. At $2.80, it’s on the pricier side, but if you’re a fan of orh nee, this could be worth a try.
Read our Good Day Bakery feature.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 60%
Website | Full list of outlets
Good Day Bakery is not a halal-certified eatery.
Good Day Bakery: Popular Taiwanese Bakery With Taro Floss Mochi Rolls And More In Clementi
7. Gokoku Japanese Bakery
Hailing from Japan, Gokoku Japanese Bakery boasts an impressive nine outlets in Singapore. Unlike other bakeries listed in this article, though, the pork floss bun stands out with its chewy, mochi-like bread texture.Â
Priced at $2.30, the Mochi Pork Floss was smaller than most other bakeries and came in a round shape instead of the usual oval.
We had no complaints about the floss here—it was generously spread across the bun, fully covering the top. While there were a few clumps, they weren’t hard to chew and didn’t affect the overall bite.
That said, the cream filling I was hoping for was missing here.
Read our Gokoku Japanese Bakery feature.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 4/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 67%
Website | Full list of locations
Gokoku Japanese Bakery is not a halal-certified eatery.
6. Roti
Roti is another low-key neighbourhood bakery in Clementi. At just $1.60, their Chicken Floss Floss is the most affordable on this list.
My colleague and I took a while to locate the floss bun in the display case, only to find it sitting quietly in the bottom-right corner of the large shelf. It seems the floss bun isn’t one of Roti’s signature items.
The floss looked clumped together and uneven, which added to my reservations about its taste. That said, it was a big piece of bread, making it extremely value-for-money at this price point.
While the bread wasn’t the fluffiest we had, it wasn’t dry or tough either. We did, however, wish there was more sweet cream glaze to round out the flavours.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 2.5/5
Price: 5/5
Total: 70%
Address: 442 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-91, Singapore 120442
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Roti is not a halal-certified eatery.
5. iBread
iBread is known for its wide range of breads and bakes, all at wallet-friendly prices. Do note that bread offerings vary by location, so not all outlets may carry the floss bun.
When we visited their Clementi outlet, we picked up both the Chicken Floss Bun ($1.70) and the Spicy Chicken Floss Bun ($1.70). The latter had a pale brown colour, and the floss—finely shredded and fluffy—sat directly on the bread, completely covering its sugar glaze, which in turn made the bread look a little dry overall.
The chicken floss was evenly spread but formed a rather thin layer. Flavour-wise, we thought they could’ve been more fragrant.Â
The bun came with a light dab of sweet cream underneath, though we wished there had been more of it. Overall, these buns were decent, and there wasn’t anything that stood out in particular.
The spicy variation offered a slight kick of heat, unlike the more intense version from Swee Heng. If you prefer something milder, this could be up your alley.
Read our iBread feature.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 3.5/5
Price: 4.5/5
Total: 73%
Website | Full list of outlets
iBread is not a halal-certified eatery.
Get Taro Cake Stuffed With Mochi In Tampines, Clementi And MoreÂ
4. MuYoo
MuYoo’s best known for their mochi bread, but who knew they had a floss bun game too? For $2.20, you can get their Pork Floss Bun or Spicy Pork Floss Bun, both about the same size as Swee Heng’s and BreadTalk’s versions.
We were pleasantly surprised when we tore into the bread. It was fluffy and light, and we had no complaints. Similar to Swee Heng, the condensed milk-infused cream in this bread was generous, and a tad more than what was served at BreadTalk.
The floss tasted pretty good, with a rich dried pork flavour. That said, we wished there was more floss as it came as a thin layer.
There was nothing much to shout about the Spicy Pork Floss Bun as it was nothing more than a spicy version of the latter, but with a light kick of spice.
For $2.20, we thought Muyoo’s floss buns fared pretty well.
Check out our MuYoo review.
Taste: 3.5/5
Texture: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 73%
Website | Full list of outlets
MuYoo is not a halal-certified eatery.
3. BreadTalk
When it comes to bread, BreadTalk is often the first name that comes to mind—that’s how much pride Singaporeans have in this home-grown brand. Their success reaches far beyond our shores, having won the “Brand of the Year” award in the World Branding Awards’ baking category for six consecutive years at the time of writing.
Its Pork Floss Bun goes for $2.40, making it one of the priciest in this list for a plain floss bun. Besides the OG version, the bakery also offers a spicy counterpart—the Spicy Pork Floss Bun (price TBD)—which delivers a solid kick, perfect for those who enjoy fiery flavours.
One bite of the Pork Floss Bun immediately earned our nods of approval. Unlike Four Leaves’ version, it came with a sugary glaze that held the floss together, as well as a generous serving of sweet cream inside the bread itself.
Texture-wise, the bun was light and fluffy, flattening easily with a gentle bite. The floss wasn’t too clumped either—in fact, it fell off the bread without much effort.Â
Overall, BreadTalk’s floss bun was a solid contender. It’s no surprise that floss bread is central to BreadTalk’s identity—even their mascot is modelled after their iconic floss bun.
What BreadTalk lacked in price, it made up for in taste.
Taste: 4/5
Texture: 4/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 73%
Website | Full list of outlets
BreadTalk is not a halal-certified eatery.
2. Hong Kao Liao Li
Hong Kao Liao Li is a humble neighbourhood bakery with outlets in Clementi, Hougang, Jurong West, Tampines and more. This no-frills bakery also offers a Chicken Floss Bun priced at $1.70 each.
The floss bun came in the typical oval shape. At first glance, the bread looked a little unappetising, as the floss was clumped on top, revealing patches of cream and sugar glaze underneath.
That said, it only took one bite to realise that we were too quick to judge a book by its cover: the sweet cream middle quickly oozed out, and the bread was ultra light and fluffy. Taste-wise, this bun hit all the right notes—we just hoped the floss had a fluffier texture.
For $1.70, Hong Kao Liao Li’s is the second cheapest on this list. Combined with its winning taste and texture, it earns itself top place on our list, alongside Swee Heng.
That said, Hong Kao Liao Li’s version wasn’t without its flaws—it lost a few points in the texture aspect because of its floss. It ranked the top two buns based on this list, but it wasn’t the perfect floss bun.
Taste: 4.5/5
Texture: 2.5/5
Price: 4.5/5
Total: 77%
Website
Hong Kao Liao Li is not a halal-certified eatery.
1. Swee Heng
A close competitor to mega brands BreadTalk and Four Leaves, Swee Heng is a halal-certified bakery that’s been around since 1989. We had high hopes for their floss bun since Swee Heng is a well-established name in Singapore, boasting a total of 38 outlets islandwide.
While the buns were a little over $2, they were among the largest we’ve tried. The Chicken Floss Bun ($2.20) looked a little underwhelming at first, as the floss appeared clumpy and chunky—likely a result of being compressed by its tight plastic packaging. But one bite quickly won us over: the condensed milk cream was evenly spread throughout the bread, and came in just the right amount: not too little, but not overwhelming either. The sugar glaze on top was generous too, without making the bun overly sweet.
As for its texture, the bread was fluffy and soft, quite similar to BreadTalk’s version. Taste-wise, we were pleasantly surprised by how fragrant the chicken floss was, defying the common belief that pork floss is always more umami and flavourful.
Swee Heng offers a spicy variation, the Sambal Chicken Floss Bun ($2.30). This bun stood out with a fragrant dried shrimp flavour, probably from the generous layer of sambal sauce spread over the bread instead of the usual sugar glaze. A word of caution, though: this bread packs a pretty solid kick of spice.
Overall, Swee Heng’s floss bun put up a pretty good fight, losing a few points to Hong Kao Liao Li in terms of price.
Taste: 4/5
Texture: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 77%
Website | Full list of locations
Swee Heng is a halal-certified eatery.
Where to get the best floss buns in Singapore
The next time you’re craving some good ol’ pork or chicken floss buns, you know where to go!
In related content, check out our ranking of the best shio pan in Singapore! Alternatively, read our guide to the best bakeries in Singapore, including old-school shops and artisanal pastry cafes.
11 Best Shio Pan In Singapore Ranked—Butter Town, Gokuku And More
Photos taken by Paula Formantes.
This was an independent article by Eatbooks.sg
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