Besides xiao long bao, another must-order dish at Din Tai Fung is their pork chop fried rice. For times when you don’t wanna deal with the long queues or you’re a little tight on budget, you can check out this curated list of places to get your fill of this classic dish that will make you feel like you’re right at Din Tai Fung.
Don’t underestimate this little hawker stall at Bedok. With a former Ding Tai Fung Chef running the kitchen, Hao Lai Ke draws in a crowd. We thought heading down on a weekday was a smart move, but boy were we wrong, as we still had to wait 30 minutes in line! Looking like an exact replica of the one at Din Tai Fung, this fried rice only sets you back $6. The use of short-grain rice gives it a familiar chewy texture. Although the pork chop is on the thin side, it still packs a punch with its peppery flavour.
Check out our full review of Hao Lai Ke.
Address: 204 Bedok North Street 1, #01-393, Singapore 460204
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Tel: 9673 5517
Another joint to rival DTF is Feng Food with their rendition of Fried Rice With Specialty Marinated Pork Chop ($12.30++). Hardly different from Din Tai Fung’s presentation, the pork chop served at this cosy restaurant puts up a good fight with its texture and flavours. While their pork chop is well marinated with a balance between tender and meaty, a blind taste test reveals that the fried rice lacks wok hei.
Check out our full review of Feng Food.
Address: 930 Yishun Avenue 2, #B1-156, Northpoint City, Singapore 769098
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9:30pm
Tel: 6481 8556
Website
Hao Wei Lai at Bukit Merah provides a quick and fuss-free meal. It’s all about self-service here, so you’ll have to collect their piping hot Stir-Fried Rice With Pork Ribs ($6) from the counter. The aromatic fried rice and savoury pork chop go hand in hand to satisfy your pork chop fried rice cravings while being wallet-friendly. Do remember to withdraw money from the ATM as this eatery only accepts cash!
Check out our full review of Hao Wei Lai.
Address: 165 Bukit Merah Central, #01-3687, Bukit Merah Central, Singapore 150165
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm
Tel: 8222 6621
Website
Situated in the basement of Golden Mile Tower is King Of Fried Rice. This no-frills stall serves their Egg Fried Rice With Pork Cutlet at $6.50. Living up to the stall’s name, the wok hei in their fried rice does not disappoint. The accompanying pork slices are tender and boast a peppery kick. Don’t forget to add their house-made chilli oil, which packs a delectable mix of spicy and savoury flavours. You can also check out their other outlets listed here!
Address: 6001 Beach Road, #B1-56, Golden Mile Tower, Singapore 199589
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 3pm, 4pm to 9:30pm, Sat-Sun 11:30pm to 3pm, 4pm to 8:30pm
Tel: 8266 1638
Website
Typhoon Cafe at Plaza Singapura offers Taiwanese street food fare with popular dishes such as their Panko Canadian Pork Chop with Egg Fried Rice ($14.50++). This is the most expensive option on the list, but it’s worth noting that Typhoon Cafe uses Canadian pork, a more premium cut. By incorporating panko to the meat, the pork chop has an added crunch. Give this a try if you like your fried cutlet extra crispy.
Address: 68 Orchard Road, #04-63/67, Plaza Singapura, Singapore 238839
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Tel: 6884 5423
Website
A Japanese contender on this list is Osaka Ohsho, with their Pork Chop Fried Rice Set Menu ($15.90++). Moving away from the typical Taiwanese style, this dish is served with gyoza and miso soup. Though the pork chop is deep fried, the meat is still tender as it easily falls off the bone. Instead of the usual chewy texture that I’m used to, the fried rice is a little more on the crunchy side.
Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-44F, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 9:30pm
Tel: 6338 5584
Website
Image credit: @ah8heng
Helmed by an ex-Din Tai Fung and Shangri-La chef, Chef Wang Fried Rice offers affordable alternatives to the highly acclaimed Din Tai Fung-style fried rice. Their Pork Rib Fried Rice ($6.50) features a slab of crispy pork chop with fragrant egg fried rice, topped with a generous amount of spring onion. Otherwise, you can also consider their Abalone Fried Rice ($10) for a more premium option.
Address: 38A Beo Crescent, #01-71, Beo Crescent Market Market, Singapore 169982
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10am to 3pm, 4:30pm to 8pm
Website
Hong Style Fried Rice, located in Ang Mo Kio, offers another rendition of the popular egg fried rice. Opened by another ex-Din Tai Fung chef, the hawker stall offers egg fried rice with a slight twist. Their best-selling item on the menu is the Pork Chop Golden Egg Fried Rice ($6.50), which has deep-fried pork chop slices atop aromatic egg fried rice. Add a bit of spice with their house-made chilli paste that is made to resemble Din Tai Fung’s chilli oil.
Check out our full review of Hong Style Fried Rice.
Address: 332 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, Singapore 560332
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8pm
Website
Image credit: @auntiekongfoodie
Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre houses many eateries, and one of them is Number One Hundred. The hawker stall is most known for their Pork Chop Fried Rice ($6), a dish consisting of egg fried rice topped with a generous slab of pork chop that’s marinated with spices for extra flavour. Besides pork chop as a topping, they also have a Black Pepper Chicken ($5) option for a slight peppery kick.
Address: 335 Smith Street, Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, #02-100, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 7:30pm
Website
Image credit: Mr Egg Fried Rice
Mr Egg Fried Rice, headed by chef Eric Yam, has egg fried rice with a variety of toppings. A must-try is the Pork Chop Egg Fried Rice ($6.50), but there are other interesting options such as Tobiko Egg Fried Rice (from $5), Tom Yum Egg Fried Rice (from $5), and the XO Scallop Egg Fried Rice (from $5.50).
Read our Mr Egg Fried Rice review!
Address: 151 Bishan Street 11, #01-195, Singapore 570151
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 2:30pm, 4pm to 8:30pm
Website
Image credit: @lowdavid
A fairly new contender to the list of egg fried rice stalls in Singapore is Ding Gua Gua. Recently launched last December, their menu consists of a variety of fried rice dishes and toppings to choose from. Go for their Signature Egg Fried Rice with Pork Chop ($6.50), or change it up by opting for their Garlic Fried Rice with Taiwan Sausage ($7.50) for a mix of sweet and salty flavours.
Address: Blk 69, Bedok South Ave 3, #01-498, Singapore 460069
Opening hours: Daily 10:30am to 8:30pm
Website
With more eateries rivalling the OG pork chop fried rice at Din Tai Fung, it’s easy to find a rendition that suits both your palate and bank account. As the common saying goes “You’ll never know if you never try”. The next time you find yourself craving for some fried rice, consider checking out one of these places on our list.
If you are looking for more Taiwanese street food, check out our review of The Voice and Big Mouth Eat.
Featured image adapted from @joweecll‘s post.
This article was originally published on 4 September 2019.
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