If you’re one of those morning people, you might have come across Singapore Bao that opens in the wee hours of the morning at Bendemeer Market and Food Centre. For those who’ve frequented Singapore Bao and seen that they haven’t been opened for awhile, that’s because the owner is currently taking a break till May 2023.
If you’ve never been to Singapore Bao and your friend brings it up, you’d probably think that it’s a stall that specialises in buns of all kinds. After all, it does have the word “bao” in its header. You might be surprised to find out that they specialise 2 iconic offerings only: siew mai and lo mai kai, and no traditional buns at all!
Unfortunately for me, I was never able to catch them in act. Singapore Bao only open for 3 hours in a day, and they’re so popular that they’re fully sold out by 9am.
I’ve always had the impression that Singaporeans are slightly impatient. But clearly, people will wait patiently in line for Singapore Bao. One patron even mentioned that he “stood in line for 1 hour 15 minutes just to get my hands on these lo mai kai and siew mai,“, leaving Singapore Bao with “wobbly knees.”
Notably, the stall is packed. Considering how it’s run by just one lady, Singapore Bao is literally a one (wo)man show. For her to handle the impending crowd on a daily basis, I now understand why she only opens for 3 hours. It’s insane and almost heroic!
However, recently, a Facebook post mentioned that she will be taking a break and will “likely reopen in May 2023.” This super woman “seems like she’s looking for machines to help her make food so that it’ll make it easier for her to produce more.”
She used to operate the store with her husband, but now it’s just her. Perhaps, she is leaning to machine aid just so that the service would be more systematic.
Currently, it is said that her Lo Mai Kai (S$2) is much better than others. Served with a generous portion of tender chicken, the addition of sweet oyster mushrooms provides the dish with a natural sweetener.
Whether or not the machine-made dim sum offerings would taste good after, we shall see after she reopens her stall and try it for ourselves!
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Singapore Bao
29 Bendemeer Road, Bendemeer Market and Food Centre, #01-61, Singapore 330029
Singapore Bao
29 Bendemeer Road, Bendemeer Market and Food Centre, #01-61, Singapore 330029
