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.
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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 3:15pm, 5:30pm 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 $28..80++ for two, or $14.40++ 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.
Address: 6 Fort Canning Road, YWCA Fort Canning, Singapore 179494
Buffet hours: Daily 11:30am to 2:30pm, 6pm to 9pm
Website
YWCA Cafe Lodge is not a halal certified eatery.
You can enjoy a Teochew porridge buffet at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Singapore Novena from just $22.80++ per person—a real steal in today’s economy. Held on weekends, the buffet includes over 20 traditional Teochew and local dishes, along with unlimited sweet potato porridge.Expect familiar favourites such as chai poh omelette, braised pork belly, steamed fish cake, and even more premium items like steamed pomfret and deep-fried 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, Lobby Level, Singapore 329926
Buffet hours: Fri 5:30pm to 9:30pm, 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 ngoh hiang, braised chicken feet, Teochew-style steamed fish cake, steamed minced pork with salted fish 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, which both of which you can customise to your liking.
Address: 1 Gopeng Street, 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 Sheraton Singapore, Four Points Eatery has the Ah Pui Teochew Porridge Buffet for you to feast on. Priced from just $21.80++ 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 otah, har kao, and all kinds of braised meats. This buffet is available for weekday dinners, with one lunch slot on Fridays, so plan your visit with that in mind.
Address: 382 Havelock Road, Robertson Quay, 169629
Buffet hours: Sat-Thurs 6pm to 9pm, Fri 12pm to 3pm, 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 in 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 Porridge Buffet (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, 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.
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 Teochew porridge specialists, read our best Teochew porridge in Singapore guide. For a story about a porridge stall that’s older than World War II, read our Choon Seng Teochew Porridge feature.
Featured image adapted from Neo Ping via Google Maps, Four Points Eatery, and @nutz_about_food.