20 Best Prawn Paste Chicken in Singapore You Have to Try
One of the most popular tze char dishes in Singapore, har cheong gai or prawn paste chicken is a finger-lickin’ delight that’s battered and marinated with fermented prawn paste and other ingredients like Chinese rice wine and sesame oil, then deep-fried to a crispy perfection. They are fragrant, crispy, juicy, and savoury – the perfect accompaniment to dinner and even drinks. There are many spots in Singapore that serve the dish, but here are 20 that are undeniably great and will keep you coming back for more.
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21 Seafood
The har cheong gai at 21 Seafood is succulent and fried to crispy perfection. It is aromatic and well-marinated, and the audible crunch is simply ASMR-worthy. Packed with prawn paste notes, the chicken is not too oily! Address: 212 Hougang St 21, Singapore 530212 Opening Hours: 12 PM–1 AM daily
Ah Tan Wings
Ah Tan Wings is started by a young hawker who surprisingly has no prior experience and is driven purely by his love for fried chicken. He and his brother spent over a year trying over 800 variations before nailing the recipe! The chicken wings are marinated for two days, then double-fried with two different batters to achieve that ultra-crisp crust. You can get the wings itself, or make it a set m...
Ban Leong Wah Hoe
A popular tze char spot with its roots as a cai png stall, its har cheong gai is known to be some of the best in Singapore. It is a flavour bomb perfectly fried to a golden crisp and boasts a satisfying, shatteringly crisp exterior. The secret apparently lies in a prawn paste made with 85% pure shrimp extract that covers every inch of the chicken! Address: 122 Casuarina Rd, Singapore 579510 O...
Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant
At Bee Kia you’ll smell the savoury aroma of the har cheong gai before you see it. They are known for its generously battered, sinfully crispy textured har cheong gai, which comes with a tasty golden-brown exterior covering the flavourful and tender chicken. What’s also different about them is that unlike the usual wings you’ll get at most spots, Bee Kia makes use of different parts of the chicken...
Chef Kang’s
One-Michelin star chef Chef Kang’s Prawn Paste Chicken might be on the pricy side, but it is said to be one of the best in Singapore. Chef Kang explained that instead of simply coating the wings with flour, he used a more tedious process of ‘slapping’ the flour mixture onto the chicken. This is so that there would be no thick layer of batter around the chicken, and the outer layer would be both cr...
Fuman Seafood Zi Char
This tze char chain is well-loved for a number of dishes, including a solid Prawn Paste Chicken. Each wing is large and meaty with a satisfying crunch – though it seems to be a little more greasy than the other contenders on this list. Still, it makes for an incredibly moreish side dish to pair with some fried rice, noodles, and claypot dishes! Address: Multiple Outlets
Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon
Now well settled into its new location at Dover, Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hoon continues to deliver the yummy fish soup that it gained popularity for while at Holland Drive. If you ask us, their har cheong gai with delicately crispy skin, fragrant prawn paste notes and a juicy interior is also worthy of a visit! Address: 19A Dover Cres, Singapore 131019 Opening Hours: 11:30 AM–2 PM, 5–...
Hong Kong Street Chun Kee
You’ll find several Hong Kong Street Chun Kee around in Singapore, as the late Mr Loh Mun Hon had passed down his recipes and skills to his disciples, who started their own “Hong Kong Street” chains with his blessings. The har cheong gai here are marinated a day before with their secret recipe of fermented prawn paste and a mixture of spices to create flavourful, juicy and crispy chicken. However,...
Hong Sheng Restaurant
Make it a point to order some of their Prawn Paste Chicken at Hong Sheng Restaurant. Brimming with a subtle umami prawn aroma, this chicken dish is both crispy and succulent. It also isn’t too heavily coated in batter, so it’s all too easy to wolf down a few of these at one go! Address: 203 Toa Payoh N, Singapore 310203 Opening Hours: 4:30–10 PM Tues to Sun. Closed on Mon
Ka-Soh Restaurant
Ka-Soh is a family-owned restaurant with a rich history dating back to the 1930s. One of the pioneers in the local tze char business, part of their heritage includes being a roadside hawker stall in the 1950s along Chin Chew Street. It counts its Ka-Soh Prawn Paste Chicken as one of its highlight dishes, which is deep-fried to a golden brown with an obvious prawn-paste flavour and aroma. Addres...