Lu rou fan, otherwise known as braised pork rice, is sinfully delicious. Made up of luscious chunks of pork belly, drenched in rich braised meat sauce over a bowl of piping hot fluffy rice. Nothing really shouts ‘comforting’ as much as this.
While this dish may have originated from Taiwan, it has not stopped any Singaporeans from loving it all the same, myself included. Noticing the influx of this bowl of goodness, I decided to go on a hunt for the top 11 lu rou fan dishes that’ll feed your braised pork cravings!
1. Lu Ding Ji 卤鼎记
Located at Viva Business Park, Lu Ding Ji offers a variety of Taiwanese-inspired dishes.
Known for their Braised Pork Rice Bowl (S$9.50), of course, I had to give it a go. The braised pork pieces were simmered in a house special sauce. The flavours permeated entirely, with notes of both sweet and savoury for a balanced taste.
A unique factor about Lu Ding Ji is that their bowls are customisable. You can swap out the braised pork for beef, chicken, mushroom, vegetables. They even offer premium meats like kurobuta pork or wagyu beef.
I appreciated how their half-boiled egg was well-done. It also helped to cut through the richness of the braised sauce.
Lu Ding Ji 卤鼎记: 750 Chai Chee Road, Viva Business Park #01-13, Singapore 469000 | Tel: +65 9382 5657 | Opening Hours: 11.30am – 9.30pm (Daily) | Website
2. Paradise Gastronomy 食味堂
Paradise Gastronomy caught my eye as they claimed to serve authentic Taiwanese cuisine. The owner actually has relatives in Taiwan. As she often travels there, she picked up some recipes and decided to bring them to Singapore. They are tucked away on the first floor of GV Yishun.
Their Braised Pork Rice 招牌台灣滷肉飯 (S$3.50/S$5.50/S$7.90) is served in a beautiful ceramic bowl. Although we got the smallest portion, it was filled to the brim with the glistening pork belly meat.
The pork belly was extremely tender and juicy, with a marinade that was light in flavour to prevent any jelak-ness.
It also came with a side of salted vegetables imported from Taiwan. Both sweet and salty, they helped to amplify the flavours in the bowl.
I loved that they served the bowl with a side of fried shallots that gave a nice crunch. The rice itself also had a nice bite, soaked with flavour from the braised sauce.
Paradise Gastronomy 食味堂: 51 Yishun Central 1, #01-01, Singapore 768794 | Tel: +65 6252 5122 | Opening Hours: 12pm – 9.30pm (Mon to Thurs), 12pm – 10pm (Fri to Sun) | Facebook | Instagram
3. Authentic Mun Chee Kee
While Authentic Mun Chee Kee at Jalan Besar prides themselves in serving hearty and comforting pig’s organ soup, they do serve one of my favourite braised pork rice at an extremely affordable price.
This bowl of delicious Braised Pork Rice (S$2) is packed to the brim. Not only are they huge in quantity but the quality is really good too.
The rice was soft and fluffy, with chunks of braised pork belly layered atop it. I loved the glistening layers of fat and lean meat, which gave varying textures as I went it mouthful after mouthful.
Authentic Mun Chee Kee King Of Pig’s Organ Soup: 207 Jalan Besar Road, Singapore 208893 | Tel: +65 9876 3838 | Opening Hours: 10am – 5am (Daily) | Facebook
4. 爺 YEAH Taiwanese Street Food
爺 YEAH Taiwanese Street Food is a food truck located at Timbre+. When I heard they served almost the exact same dishes at the original Shilin Night Market, I had to try it out for myself.
They do serve individual rice bowls at an affordable price such as their Signature Braised Pork Rice Bowl (S$4.50). But since I made I travelled down to the west, I decided to go all out for the No Mercy (S$10.80).
This was a gigantic four-meat rice bowl with braised pork, three cups chicken, fried pork chop and fried chicken steak. It also came with a braised egg, braised cabbage, and a mountain of rice underneath.
My favourite meat was still the braised pork. I loved how the pork was melt-in-the-mouth tender, with a soft bite from the lean meat. They were all doused generously in the sticky and sweet soy sauce, which was amazing with the rice that soaked it all up.
The addition of charred shallots and onions added a hint of smokiness to cut through the richness too.
爺 YEAH Taiwanese Street Food: 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, Timbre+, #01-04/05, Singapore 139957 | Tel: +65 9151 8804 | Opening Hours: 11am – 9.30pm (Mon to Sat), Closed on Sun | Facebook | Instagram
5. Tie Fun Wan
Helmed by experienced owner-chef Ken Chia, Tie Fun Wan serves up local comfort food. They are pretty new, located along Rangoon Road, with affordable prices between S$8 to S$14.
The tender and juicy pork morsels were absolutely delightful. Whilst they soaked up all the sweet soy sauce they were simmered in, there was a hint of pepper. This helped to cut through the intense flavour which was a nice touch.
Tie Fun Wan: 89 Rangoon Road, #01-03, Singapore 218375 | Tel: +65 9738 6648 | Opening Hours: 11am – 2pm (Lunch, Mon to Fri), 5pm – 11.30pm (Dinner, Mon to Fri), 11am – 12am (Sat & Sun) | Website | Facebook | Instagram
6. Mr Lor Bak
Hidden in a coffee shop at Ubi, Mr Lor Bak may seem average at first glance. However, they dish up delicious traditional braised pork with a twist.
This secret recipe is concocted based on the owner’s, Mr William Liou, travels. The pork is braised for over 16 hours, then left in a slow cooker to be warmed gently while it waits to be served.
This bowl of Braised Pork Rice ($3) was served with rice, a whole chunk of pork belly, an egg, and black fungus. I liked the touch of black fungus which helped to cut through the richness of the pork belly.
The pork belly itself was so tender it almost fell apart as I lifted it with my chopsticks. Indeed, it was so soft and savoury, which complemented the tinge of sweetness from the sauce. I also liked the slightly undercooked eggs which added some creaminess to the bowl as well.
Mr Lor Bak: 350 Ubi Avenue 1, Singapore 400350 | Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm (Wed to Mon), Closed on Tues | Facebook
7. Monki
Monki at Holland Drive specialises in snowflake desserts, but they do serve up pretty good savoury options too. They are pretty distinct from afar, with a bright yellow signboard and interior.
Their Braised Pork Rice (S$9) is seemingly plain, yet packed full of flavour. I liked how they mixed their rice with Taiwanese red quinoa for a healthier touch. I liked how the quinoa gave more texture to the rice.
Besides the braised pork belly itself, I was surprised that they served it with a side of ngoh hiang as well. I liked how the ngoh hiang was a sweet and crisp contrast as compared to the savoury braised pork belly.
Monki Cafe: 43 Holland Drive, #01-41, Singapore 270043 | Tel: +65 6258 8112 | Opening Hours: 10.30am – 5pm (Mon), 10.30am – 9.30pm (Tues to Sun) | Facebook
8. The Salted Plum
The Salted Plum has quite a following, so I’m sure it is of no surprise that they made it to this list. Located at Circular Road, they are pretty popular with those working around the CBD area with their S$10 lunch sets and S$5 Taiwanese tapas.
This hearty bowl of Lu Rou Fan (S$10) is bound to hit all the right spots. It is a common Taiwanese offering but they do it really well with a twist of their own.
Instead of serving it in pieces, the braised pork belly is served as a whole slab. It was so tender and soft I had to prop it up ever so gingerly. While it was fattier than lean meat, it was melt-in-the-mouth good and creamy that I could not complain. The vegetables served on the side did help to cut through the richness, which I appreciated.
The Salted Plum: 10 Circular Road, Singapore 049366 | Tel: +65 6260 0155 | Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm (Mon to Sat), Closed On Sun | Website | Facebook
9. Tasty Street
Pasir Ris Hawker Centre may not be the most convenient of places, especially if you are not an Eastie. However, Tasty Street may just be worth the travel.
Of course, we had to go with the Iberico Lor Bah Bowl (S$6.50). Each bowl is served with a bed of mixed brown and Japanese white rice. They are then topped with three different greens of the day and an onsen egg.
This Spanish Iberico pork is braised for 48 hours, and the sauce had a very nostalgic and Asian touch to it. I liked how it had a good ratio of fat to lean meat, which gave it a nice buttery texture yet still retaining a nice bite.
All the greens also complemented the bowl well as we mixed them all up. The balsamic purple cabbage, in particular, had a tanginess to it which helped to cut through the richness of the braised pork and its sauce.
Tasty Street: 110 Pasir Ris Central, Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, #02-16, Singapore 519641 | Tel: +65 9178 0234 | Opening Hours: 11am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 9pm (Thurs to Tues), Closed on Wed | Website | Facebook
10. Lunar Coffee Brewers
Lunar Coffee Brewers may be a familiar name amongst those working in the CBD area. Located at Downtown Gallery, they are always crowded, and for good reason. I personally love their amazing coffee, but they serve up delicious food too.
Their Lu Rou Belly Don (S$14.50) was pretty on point, served with pickled ginger, beetroot and Japanese sushi rice.
The pork belly itself was soft and succulent. It had a very homemade vibe to it as if my grandma made it for me. I liked how the Japanese rice soaked up the sauce really well for a flavourful bite whilst retaining its chewier texture too.
Lunar Coffee Brewers: 6A Shenton Way, Downtown Gallery, Singapore 068815 | Tel: +65 6224 4500 | Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon to Fri), 9am – 3pm (Sat), Closed on Sun | Facebook
11. Bowl Chap
Previously located at Ayer Rajah Food Centre, Bowl Chap have since moved to Galaxis. However, they still serve the same affordable and delicious fusion bowls.
Their 5 Spice Apple Braised Pork Belly (S$5.80) is their take on the usual braised pork rice. The chef, Jin Rong, braised the pork overnight with five spice powder and red apples.
This resulted in an apple-infused marinade with just the right amount of natural sweetness. The marinade was also multi-dimensional with the unique blend of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds.
The pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth tender, paired with deep-fried popiah skin for a nice added crunch.
Another rendition of braised pork rice was the Black Sweet Vinegar Pork Belly (S$5.80). This was more of an acquired taste, but I personally felt the acidic vinegar was very appetising.
Bowl Chap: 1 Fusionopolis Place, Galaxis Building, #01-25, Singapore 138522 | Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 2.30pm (Sat), Closed on Sun | Facebook | Instagram
Lu rou fan aka braised pork rice may be a Taiwanese dish, but us Singaporeans are lucky enough to have a plethora of choices here without the need to fly all the way to Taiwan just to enjoy it. Of course, this list is not exhaustive and there are so many other delicious places we have yet to feature.
Which is your go-to lu rou fan place?
