Having eaten at several popular Hokkien restaurants in Singapore over the years, somehow, Beng Thin Hoon Kee remains my top favourite.
Its long history dates back many years to the last century. It was founded by Mr Lim Yew Hoon, a migrant worker from China, way back in 1949. The restaurant originally operated out of a shop house on Hokkien Street. It relocated to their present premises in OCBC Centre in 1979.
A meal at Beng Thin must most certainly begin with a serving of their signature Cold Duck Salad, which consists of thinly shredded duck with jellyfish placed atop a neat display of honey dew, cucumber, cantaloupe and mango strips. The waitress will toss the salad at the table after drizzling the mixture with a tangy honey plum sauce dressing. It is a very refreshing appetizer.
Beng Thin's crispy roast chicken served with prawn crackers and cinnamon salt, is another favourite of mine. The skin is crispy while the meat inside, remains tender and moist. Those in my age group, will remember this dish as a 'must have' for wedding banquets in the 60s and 70s.
Their sharks fins soup is also very popular with repeat customers, especially those who have been patronising the restaurant since its early days. For the younger generation who support the 'stop killing sharks' movement, an alternative choice would be the fish maw with crabmeat soup. Served in small individual porcelain bowls, you will be surprised at the amount of goodies that is packed in there.
Then there is the obligatory Hokkien dishes which would include the ever popular ngoh hiang hae chor (meat rolls with prawn balls), oyster omelette and kong bak pau, all of which are very good. In fact, most food bloggers give their oyster omelette very high ratings.
For vegetables, my choice is always the mustard green in crabmeat sauce. The fresh leaves of the mustard green are cooked to just the right texture, making sure it is not too hard and crisp. The best part about the sauce is that it has a generous amount of freshly picked crab meat (not the frozen stuff) in it.
On one of our visits there, the chef included in the set menu a novel dish - cod slices in a batter of salted egg yolk. Thankfully, the salted egg batter didn't leave too heavy an after-taste.
Another one of the restaurant's signature dishes is its Hokkien Noodle in dark sauce. The chef uses a home-made stock made from prawn and lard. No wonder the noodle has a very smooth texture that leaves you wanting more. Many of their clients have vouched this to be the best Hokkien Noodle in any Singapore restaurant.
One can't possibly go wrong with a restaurant like Beng Thin Hoon Kee that has been patronised by families that span over more than two generations, in most cases. For many Hokkien families, Beng Thin is a household name.
Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant
65 Chulia Street, #05-02 OCBC Centre
Singapore 049513
Ambiance: 6/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Pricing: $$
Recommendation: Cold Duck Salad, Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup, Mustard Green in Crabmeat Sauce, Crispy Roast Chicken, Fried Hokkien Noodle
Its long history dates back many years to the last century. It was founded by Mr Lim Yew Hoon, a migrant worker from China, way back in 1949. The restaurant originally operated out of a shop house on Hokkien Street. It relocated to their present premises in OCBC Centre in 1979.
A meal at Beng Thin must most certainly begin with a serving of their signature Cold Duck Salad, which consists of thinly shredded duck with jellyfish placed atop a neat display of honey dew, cucumber, cantaloupe and mango strips. The waitress will toss the salad at the table after drizzling the mixture with a tangy honey plum sauce dressing. It is a very refreshing appetizer.
 |
| Cold Duck Salad |
Beng Thin's crispy roast chicken served with prawn crackers and cinnamon salt, is another favourite of mine. The skin is crispy while the meat inside, remains tender and moist. Those in my age group, will remember this dish as a 'must have' for wedding banquets in the 60s and 70s.
 |
| Crispy Roast Chicken |
Their sharks fins soup is also very popular with repeat customers, especially those who have been patronising the restaurant since its early days. For the younger generation who support the 'stop killing sharks' movement, an alternative choice would be the fish maw with crabmeat soup. Served in small individual porcelain bowls, you will be surprised at the amount of goodies that is packed in there.
 |
| Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup |
Then there is the obligatory Hokkien dishes which would include the ever popular ngoh hiang hae chor (meat rolls with prawn balls), oyster omelette and kong bak pau, all of which are very good. In fact, most food bloggers give their oyster omelette very high ratings.
 |
| Prawn Balls with Meat Rolls |
For vegetables, my choice is always the mustard green in crabmeat sauce. The fresh leaves of the mustard green are cooked to just the right texture, making sure it is not too hard and crisp. The best part about the sauce is that it has a generous amount of freshly picked crab meat (not the frozen stuff) in it.
 |
| Mustard Green in Crabmeat Sauce |
On one of our visits there, the chef included in the set menu a novel dish - cod slices in a batter of salted egg yolk. Thankfully, the salted egg batter didn't leave too heavy an after-taste.
 |
| Codfish Slices in Salted Egg Batter |
Another one of the restaurant's signature dishes is its Hokkien Noodle in dark sauce. The chef uses a home-made stock made from prawn and lard. No wonder the noodle has a very smooth texture that leaves you wanting more. Many of their clients have vouched this to be the best Hokkien Noodle in any Singapore restaurant.
 |
| Fried Hokkien Mee |
One can't possibly go wrong with a restaurant like Beng Thin Hoon Kee that has been patronised by families that span over more than two generations, in most cases. For many Hokkien families, Beng Thin is a household name.
Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant
65 Chulia Street, #05-02 OCBC Centre
Singapore 049513
Ambiance: 6/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Pricing: $$
Recommendation: Cold Duck Salad, Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup, Mustard Green in Crabmeat Sauce, Crispy Roast Chicken, Fried Hokkien Noodle
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