In Singapore, getting a decent plate of cheap, tasty fried rice from any neighbourhood zi char stall is easy enough. But fried rice that’ll bring devotees from across the island? Now that’s something special.
After all, fried rice is at heart a practical dish believed to have been conceived in China during the Sui Dynasty (589 to 618CE), turning leftover rice, bits of meat and diced vegetables into a flavourful and satisfying filler.
Though many regional variations have emerged in the Chinese cooking world over the centuries, two categories of fried rice can now be commonly found in Singapore’s Chinese restaurants of today.
There’s the nostalgic sort served at most zi char joints, which uses a base of fragrant jasmine rice grains with ingredients like salted fish, diced chicken, or in the case of Yangzhou fried rice, some combination of egg, char siew, spring onions, shrimp, diced carrots and more.
Some joints still offer them for takeaway the old-school way, sheathed in plastic then wrapped in a printed red-and-white cardboard box to be enjoyed at home with sambal belachan or chopped chilli padi.
And then there’s the more recently popular style commonly referred to as egg fried rice, which pairs plumper, chewier short-grain rice with, well, lots of egg and spring onions. The most popular version is served with a crown of deep-fried pork chop and some spicy chilli crisp on the side.
Though both categories of fried rice are well-loved, the egg fried rice variation is especially hot thanks to Din Tai Fung and cheaper alternatives like King of Fried Rice, Wok Hey and the other brands that’ve sprouted in recent years. (If you’re wondering, the viral Uncle Roger Fried Rice that will soon be opening in Mid Valley Southkey more closely resembles the zi char version.)
Read on for a list of the best fried rice places to consider the next time you’re hankering for the local staple.
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Best fried rice in Singapore
1. Din Tai Fung
The egg fried rice at Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung is nearly as famous as its signature xiao long bao, and for good reason. Every plate at every outlet we’ve visited – there are 26 right now in Singapore – tastes almost identically excellent with well-separated, moist grains and an even distribution of eggy fragrance throughout the plate.
The prawn and pork chop version are both tasty, with the only downside being their higher-than-average price points of $15, and that’s before service and GST.
Din Tai Fung
Location: Various
Opening Hours: Various
Tel: Various
Website: https://dintaifung.com.sg/
2. King Of Fried Rice
Ex-Jumbo Seafood chef Lester Li unwittingly kicked off an egg-fried-rice craze when he opened King Of Fried Rice at the tender age of 21. He started with just one outlet in Golden Mile Tower, drawing crowds for his accessibly priced version of egg fried rice with a pork chop on top, before rapidly expanding to 32 outlets across Singapore’s coffeeshops and food courts as of writing.
Its winning formula includes a variety of fried rice styles – including tom yum, mala and ikan bilis-spiked “kampung-style” fried rice – with newfangled toppings like luncheon meat, streaky bacon, crabmeat and tobiko. The fried rice is generally pretty tasty with decent wok hei, though your mileage may vary depending on outlet. The plain version without the frills costs $4.50, so you can expect to pay about $7 and up depending on the toppings you select.
King Of Fried Rice
Location: Various
Opening Hours: Various
Tel: Various
Website: https://linktr.ee/kofr
3. Fu Lee Seafood
Okay, so Fu Lee Seafood ain’t exactly your regular neighbourhood zi char stall, seeing as how it’s a part of a bigger restaurant group with more than 10 outlets in operation across the island. Still, the chain offers great value for money, whether you’re sticking to a humbler plate of Yangzhou fried rice for about $5, or getting some dishes to share (they often have fish dishes on sale for about $10).
Fu Lee Seafood
Location: Various
Opening Hours: Various
Tel: Various
Website: https://www.fuleegroup.com.sg/
4. Guan Lee Sen Seafood
While most people come to Guan Lee Sen Seafood & Teochew Fish Head Steamboat for its, well, fish head steamboat, don’t sleep on its old-school rendition of pork chop fried rice. It offers crispy deep-fried pork on a savoury bed of rice brimming with wok hei, which feels well-priced at $8 for a large portion (or $5 for a smaller one).
Guan Lee Sen Seafood
Location: 803 King George’s Avenue, Singapore 200803
Opening Hours: Daily, 11:30am – 11pm
Tel: +65 9658 1539
Website: https://www.facebook.com/GuanLeeSenSeafood/
5. Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice
Chen Fu Ji is home to Singapore’s most infamous plate of fried rice. We’re talking, of course, about its signature $25 crab fried rice – a princely dish laden with steamed crab meat, shrimp, spring onions and a smattering of pork lard.
Don’t come expecting heady wok hei, as the fried rice is cooked at a lower heat compared to most of the roaring flames you’d find at zi char joints. Instead, get ready for some oceanic brininess – the juices that remain after the crab is steamed are added into the dish – along with a strong hit of white pepper and spring onion. As for whether that’s worth the price tag – we’ll leave that up to you.
Chen Fu Ji Fried Rice
Location: 279 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208943
Opening Hours: Wed to Mon, 11am – 9pm (open half an hour later on Fri and Sat)
Tel: +65 6908 4293
Website: https://www.facebook.com/@CFJSG/
6. Tong Siew Fried Rice
Moving from one of Singapore’s most expensive plates of fried rice to one of its cheapest, we have Tong Siew Fried Rice in Pek Kio Market & Food Centre. Its 74-year-old owner knows that cheap prices are a draw in today’s economy, which is why its asking price of just $3 for either fried rice or hor fun are plastered on its stall sign.
For that price tag, you naturally won’t be getting any shrimp or char siew, though you’ll still get some ikan bilis, fishcake and egg on a decent plate of fried rice. Top up $4 for a prawn omelette to share with your dining partners.
Tong Siew Fried Rice
Location: Pek Kio Market & Food Centre, 41A Cambridge Road, #01-23, Singapore 211041
Opening Hours: Fri to Wed, 12:30pm – 11pm
Tel: NA
Website: NA
7. Mr Egg Fried Rice
Another contender that emerged during the egg fried rice rush is the simply named Mr Egg Fried Rice.
Like King of Fried Rice, its head honcho boasts professional culinary chops with stints at hotel restaurants like Golden Peony and Hua Ting Restaurant. It also offers a similar selection of fried rice flavours, though we have to say that his XO fried rice in particular stands out.
Every plate comes laden with an umami-rich hit of deep-fried dried scallop, adding an addictive layer of texture and fragrance for a reasonable, hawker-friendly price.
There are outlets in Bishan, Ghim Moh, Clementi, Yishun and Novena, with delivery options available too.
Mr Egg Fried Rice
Location: Various
Opening Hours: Various
Tel: +65 8364 9885
Website: https://www.facebook.com/MR.EGGFRIEDRICEYMS88/
