Porridge is something I instinctively associate with family time, when my fam and I share food over laughter, banter, and the occasional chiding. It’s one of our staple weekend meals; Sundays don’t feel like Sundays without us trooping down to my ah ma’s house for a Teochew porridge lunch. Even through the years, it hasn’t gotten boring because plain porridge is the perfect canvas for an infinite combination of veggies, meats, and sauces.
If porridge makes you reminisce about the good old days, too, here are seven porridge buffets to eat your nostalgia away, one bowl of porridge at a time.
For a cheap buffet in town, check out Crystal Cafe’s Taiwan Porridge Buffet. Priced from just $22.80++ per person, you’ll get access to a wide range of homely Taiwanese dishes and, of course, unlimited gruel. The braised dishes, such as pig trotters and pork belly, are noteworthy thanks to the robust braising sauce used. You can also feast on the traditional desserts available here, including Kueh Lapis and Red Bean Soup.
Address: 131 Killiney Road, Orchard Grand Court, Singapore 239571
Buffet hours: Mon-Thurs 12pm to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 8:45pm, Fri-Sun 12pm to 1:30pm, 1:45pm to 3:15pm, 5:30pm to 7pm, 7:15pm to 8:45pm
Tel: 6830 2020
Website
Crystal Cafe is not a halal-certified eatery.
Located at YWCA Fort Canning, Cafe Lodge offers free-flow gruel at their Porridge Buffet. From just $20.80++ per person, you get a rotating lineup of over 30 mains and toppings. Their buffet spread offers a fresh range of seasonal seafood that doesn’t skimp on quality, including Lala, Prawns, Jellyfish, and Squid. There are live stations as well, serving up various hot dishes such as Braised Pork Belly, Braised Duck, Chili Oil Chicken, and Mapo Tofu.
Read our Cafe Lodge feature.
Address: 6 Fort Canning Road, YWCA Fort Canning, Singapore 179494
Buffet hours: Daily 11:30am to 2:30pm, 6pm to 9pm
Tel: 6335 8008
Website
Cafe Lodge is not a halal-certified eatery.
You can enjoy a Teochew porridge buffet at Express Cafe & Bar at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Singapore Novena by IHG from $34.80++ per person. Held on weekends, the buffet includes over 20 traditional Teochew and local dishes, along with unlimited sweet potato porridge. Expect familiar favourites such as Braised Pork Belly, Teochew Fishcake, and even more premium items, including Pan Fried Omelette with Crab Meat and Nyonya Curry Batang Fish. There’s also a DIY condiment bar stocked with toppings to zhng up your porridge just the way you like it.
Address: 201 Balestier Road, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Singapore Novena by IHG, Lobby Level, Singapore 329926
Buffet hours: Sat-Sun 12:30pm to 3:30pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 9170 0684
Website
Express Cafe & Bar is not a halal-certified eatery.
Plate Restaurant at Carlton City Hotel Singapore has a porridge feast from $48++ per person! Titled the Ah Ma Porridge Buffet, this lunch buffet offers nostalgic items such as Braised Chicken Feet, Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish, Sauteed Long Bean with Sambal Dried Shrimp and more on a free-flow basis. Porridge-wise, they’ve got both Sweet Potato Porridge and the standard plain version. Drop by the dessert bar for ice kachang or chendol, both of which you can customise to your liking.
Address: 1 Gopeng Street, Level 3, Carlton City Hotel Singapore, Singapore 078862
Buffet hours: Sun 12pm to 2:30pm
Tel: 6632 8922
Website
Plate Restaurant is not a halal-certified eatery.
Located within Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview, Four Points Eatery has the Ah Pui Teochew Porridge Buffet for you to feast on. Priced from just $23.80++ per person, diners are treated to a rotating selection of over 20 dishes, as well as all the porridge you could possibly want. Some of those dishes include Steamed Muar Otah, Deep Fried Fermented Pork Belly, Steamed Seabass Fillet Teochew Style, and all kinds of braised meats.
Address: 382 Havelock Road, Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview, Robertson Quay, 169629
Buffet hours: Mon-Thurs 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 9pm, Fri 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 7:30pm, Sat 12pm to 1:30pm, 6pm to 7:30pm, Sun 12pm to 1:30pm, 6pm to 9pm
Tel: 6349 4872
Website
Four Points Eatery is not a halal-certified eatery.
For most people, school food would not be what comes to mind for a satiating evening meal, but dining at The ART may be an exception. Located at the Assumption Pathway School, The ART is a semi-fine dining restaurant run by culinary and hospitality students of the school. On the last Friday of every month, they serve a Teochew Porridge Buffet Dinner (from $15.50 per person) with a good spread including steamed sotong, stir-fried sesame chicken, and braised duck. If you’ve got siblings who are five years old or below, bring ’em down because they’ll get to eat for free!
Follow their Facebook page for the latest updates on booking slots.
Address: 30 Cashew Road, Assumption Pathway School, Singapore 679697
Buffet hours: Fri 6pm to 9:30pm (only available on the last Friday of each month)
Tel: 6892 6187
Website
The ART is not a halal-certified eatery.
While not technically a buffet, Kuan Zhai Wan Wan Xiang deserves a special mention, as they offer free-flow porridge at just $1, along with cheap mini bowls starting at just $1.90.
The free-flow porridge here comes with tender chunks of sweet pumpkin and mustard greens. Pair this comforting treat with over 20 Sichuan and Chongqing-style dishes, including the spicy and smoky Stir-fried Green Peppers ($1.90), silky, chawanmushi-like Steamed Egg with Soy Sauce ($1.90), and crunchy Chilled Cucumber with Garlic Sauce ($1.90). They also have more premium dishes such as the Xiao Long Pao (Pork) ($3.90 for three) and Steamed Garlic Shrimp with Vermicelli ($4.90), the latter starring QQ vermicelli cooked in a garlicky and fragrant broth, topped with three plump pieces of shrimp.
Read our Kuan Zhai Wan Wan Xiang feature.
Website | Full list of outlets
Kuan Zhai Wan Wan Xiang is not a halal-certified eatery.
Porridge is the ultimate rainy day meal, and let’s be real, it’s hard to stop at just one bowl of this warm and comforting dish. And that’s what porridge buffets are for.
For more great eats, check out our guide to the best porridge stalls in Singapore, including Cantonese and Hainanese-style congee. For a story about a porridge stall that’s older than World War II, read our Choon Seng Teochew Porridge feature.
Feature image adapted from Four Points FB and Plate Restaurant.
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