Kway Chap, the 2-part Teochew dish that enraptures true gourmands of the scrumptious pig, is a combination of Kway—a soy sauce broth with thin, broad rice sheets—and a freely customizable set typically containing pig innards, pig skin, hard-boiled eggs, pork belly, tau pok, tofu, and fishcake, all of which are masterfully braised in a dark sauce.
If you’ve ever seen anyone grimace at your freshly prepared serving of Kway Chap, they’re probably thinking: Why in God’s name is this dolt eating unwanted pig parts? To be fair, that is a valid concern even for the veterans, considering the rather unrefined pig intestine they refer to is the nucleus of the pig-intensive Kway Chap.
Know, however, that the best Kway Chap stalls take it upon themselves to conduct a thorough colonoscopy after the intestines are disinfected by hand. All that remains is an indubitable charm that has Kway Chap often competing for the most wholesome Singaporean breakfast around.
As an ardent fan, I’d love to share my list of Singapore’s best Kway Chap stalls, where the gourmet innards arrest even the faintest of hearts:
1. Quan Lai Guo Zhi 泉来粿汁
Quan Lai, which most notably produces a highly viscous and spicy kway worthy of a second serving, is the perfect place for the morning-averse, and also among few stalls that continue to offer Kway Chap for supper. The more indulgent may order fried intestines instead of slow cooked for a change from the stall’s famously thick herbal sauce in which the other components are soaked.
The only thing unfortunate would perhaps be rising prices at the newspaper-acclaimed Quan Lai. Many locals also note that the kway chap here although pretty good, can be quite expensive.
Address: Sin Fong Restaurant, 560 Macpherson Road, Singapore 368233
Operating hours: 8am – 12.30am
2. Siglap Kway Chap
Presentation may not be Siglap Kway Chap’s strong suit, but its dedication to flavour in the sauce which coats the mishmash of chewy wrinkled intestines and thinly sliced braised pork have repeatedly impressed me from a young age. The kway here has no trace of the ‘doughiness’ that some might cringe at, and it is served in a piping hot bowl of fragrant dark broth.
Address: New Leaf Park Food Paradise, 727 East Coast Road, Singapore 459073
Operating hours: 8am – 2.30pm
3. Double Spring Teochew Lor Duck Kway Chap
Kway Chap at Double Spring is sold for cheap, and judging from the perpetually long queue, also serves a wicked dish. Though the kway may be a little ordinary with a blander stock, the stall skillfully prepares scrumptious braised offal and pork belly bursting with the braised herbal gravy.
Address: Pek Kio Market and Food Centre #01-48, 41A Cambridge Road, Singapore 211041
Operating hours: Closed on Mondays
4. Guan Kee Kway Chap 源记粿汁
In 2012, I was most fortunate to be present at Guan Kee’s appearance as the Kway Chap hawker mascot at Singapore Day in Brooklyn. The stall that has represented Singapore twice places an educated focus on keeping its pig entrails chewy, and appears to be catered to a later morning crowd. The pig intestines are cleaned very well and you won’t taste any of that bitter grime.
A tinge of spiciness presents itself in the soup, which boasts thicker kway rice sheets for the same chewy texture in the entrails.
Address: Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Food Centre, 210 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh #01-24, Singapore 310211
Operating hours: 11am – 8pm (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays) | 10am – 8pm (Saturdays) | 9am – 8pm (Sundays) | Closed on Thursdays
5. Guang Liang Cooked Food 光亮熟食
If Guang Liang is sold out by the time you get to the Bedok Reservoir Food Centre, rest assured that you can try something exotic from the neighbouring turtle soup stall. Otherwise, enjoy the relatively insipid kway with succulent innards and friends beautifully served in a shiny tin tray dripping with the braised sauce.
Address: Bedok Reservoir Road Market & Food Centre #01-35, 630 Bedok Reservoir Road, Singapore 470630
6. Lao San Kway Chap 老三棵汁·猪什汤
If you prefer a lighter bowl of kway, Lao San offers that, as well as rice and pig organ soup, in case circumstances change. Note that its juicy large intestines can be sold out especially early, though that is not necessarily indicative of poorer quality for the other deliciously stewed components.
Address: Kebun Baru Palm View #01-1222, 232 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, Singapore 560232
Operating hours: 6am – 3pm (Closed on Mondays)
7. Tong Lok Kway Chap 同楽粿汁
A key differentiation in Tong Lok’s one-man outfit is a certain cinnamon-esque sweetness in its kway chap broth that also seeps into the symphony of bouncy entrails and cushion-soft pork belly, winning itself a unique band of supporters that ensures an early closing.
Address: Eng Lock Koo Coffeeshop, 114 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118539
Operating hours: 7am – 3pm (Closed on Mondays, Sundays and Public Holidays)
8. Blanco Court Kway Chap
While Blanco Court Kway Chap can be found in Holland Drive and even Serangoon Gardens, many still find the original Old Airport Road stall to be the best in the family. Blanco offers an extensive spread that includes pig stomach and is a long-queuing powerhouse at this food centre.
The delicious bowl of $0.50 kway is quite the miserable portion, but feel free to order more of that to pair with the fresh innards so you avoid having to rejoin the queue.
Address: Old Airport Road Food Centre #01-35, 51 Old Airport Road, Singapore 390051
Operating hours: 1130am – 330am (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
9. Hai Fa Kway Chap 海发粿汁
Following renovations to internally connect with Bedok Point, the new Bedok Interchange was recently decried for its labyrinthine inefficiency. The revamped Bedok Food Centre, on the other hand, now looks much like a gargantuan school canteen that allows for a larger vision.
Hai Fa, the stall that takes cleaning of the unbelievably tender offal to a new level and evidently embraces a lengthy stewing process (try the egg to know for sure), remains a big player with its steady lunch queues.
Address: Bedok Interchange Food Centre #01-67, 207 New Upper Changi Road, Singapore 460207
Operating hours: 7am – 3pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
10. Quan Xiang Kway Chap 泉香粿汁
Not that I have an inexplicable fetish for queuing, but for a Kway Chap of Quan Xiang’s standard, it is almost a little unsettling to hardly see anyone hanging about the stall during lunch. Nonetheless, its thickly sliced pork belly, well-cooked springy intestines, and bouncy egg make this stall worthy of your time.
If the stock from the kway is found to be insipid, do use more of its tasty chili.
Address: Bedok South Food Centre, 58 New Upper Changi Road, Singapore 461058
Operating hours: 7am – 12.30pm
11. Garden Street Kway Chap
The unlikely turn of events behind the Garden Street Kway Chap saga—potential commercial pilot adopts hawker life—elucidates the classic case of hawker legends transcending generations. According to The Straits Times, when Jason Koh first took over the reins of his father’s prized Garden Street stall, he even had to awkwardly endure a bout of reduced confidence from the regulars.
Fortunately, the sweet taste of history still prevails at the Serangoon Garden market. Drop by for some really clean viscera and a silky smooth bowl of kway paired with a time-tested herbal stock.
Address: Serangoon Garden Market and Food Centre #01-21, 49A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 559944
Operating hours: 8am – 3pm (Closed on Mondays)
12. A1 Kway Chap
A1 Kway Chap typically sees long queues forming very early in the Kovan Hougang Food centre. Being in a hawker food centre, the price is quite reasonable with the set being only $4, with the usual mix of small pork intestines, meat, tofu and egg. The innards are cleaned well for a bouncy, unsoiled experience. Soup is simple and not too heavy while the kway is delicately thin.
Address: Kovan Hougang Market and Food Centre #01-15, 209 Hougang Street 21 #01-15, Singapore 530209
Operating hours: 8.30am – 9.30pm
13. Kway Chap 284
At first glance, one would be perplexed at this stall’s opening hours. But because it acts as an economic mixed rice outfit in the day, the operators of Kway Chap here want 284 to be regarded as a reliable supper delight. Neatly sliced large intestines and tender tofu headline the offerings of this Bishan favourite.
Address: KPT, 284 Bishan Street 22, Singapore 570284
Operating hours: 8.30pm – 4am
14. San Ba Wang Guo Zhi Shu Shi 三吧旺粿汁熟食
I wouldn’t say this is amazingly spectacular kway chup, but the pricing is very reasonable with 1 kway chup set at just $2.50. You can get a platter to share amongst friends which will also yield pretty generous portions of intestine and meat at affordable prices. Average kway chup, at below average price, that’s why this stall is featured in our list.
Address: Sembawang Hill Food Centre, 590 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574419
Operating Hours: 7am – 12pm daily
Related Guide: Best Must Try Bak Chor Mee stalls in Singapore
———————–
Editor’s end notes
There are some who postulate that slowly and most tragically, Kway Chap is seeing its last days in dynamic metropolitan Singapore. We can’t say for sure, but while we dare not preach the honour in patriotically eviscerating swines, the precocious cooks among us ought to always keep their options open.
Which other Kway Chaps around you do you enjoy? Let us know in the comments!
