Por Kee Eating House 1996: Old-School Zi Char Restaurant In Tiong Bahru

Por Kee Eating House 1996 is a popular zi char eatery in Tiong Bahru

Image credit: S L

As a district that houses one of Singapore’s first few housing estates, there’s an abundance of restaurants in Tiong Bahru that have been around for some time now. These include Por Kee Eating House 1996 at Seng Poh Lane. Visitors love this restaurant for consistently serving hearty Cantonese zi char for close to 30 years. 

Image credit: Carrin Tan

The seafood selection in this restaurant is wider than most as there are more than 40 options to choose from. You can also enjoy premium dishes such as the Garlic Bamboo Clams ($12+), which are not found in most zi char places. 

Image credit: Noel Yeo

There’s also the famous Cereal Prawns (from $24+), a must-have in every zi char restaurant. This classic is served with huge, fresh prawns, and the cereal is also said to be super crispy, adding a nice textural contrast to the meaty seafood. 

Image credit: Wii L

If seafood is not your thing, you’ll be glad to know they have delicious meat dishes too! These Champagne Long Ribs ($11+ per piece) are the restaurant’s specialty. Customers love its glossiness—each fried pork rib is glazed in a house-made champagne sauce which is said to have a subtle alcoholic taste. If you’re visiting in a group, we recommend getting the Champagne Short Ribs ($24+) so you can share the dish.

Image credit: Fairy

The restaurant is next to an unassuming car park. But don’t let its location fool you—this place gets very busy on weekend evenings! We encourage you to make reservations in advance to avoid disappointment.

For more old-school restaurants, check out Jin Wee Restaurant in East Coast which has been around since 1963. Or if you’re in the area, read about Ting Heng Seafood Restaurant that has fish head steamboat and opens till 2am daily. 

Address: 69 Seng Poh Lane, #01-02, Singapore 160069
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 10:45pm
Tel: 6221 0582
Website
Por Kee Eating House is not a halal-certified eatery.

Feature image adapted from @mun_chong and @theclouds.diary