Por Kee Eating House - Legendary Champagne Pork Ribs Since 1996

Some dishes earn their reputation through exposure. Others earn it through mystique. At Por Kee Eating House in Tiong Bahru, it’s both — and the restaurant has spent nearly three decades proving that the best things at the table are the ones you simply cannot replicate anywhere else.

Por Kee occupies a low-slung shophouse on Seng Poh Lane, flanked by an open-air carpark on one side and the quiet residential hum of Tiong Bahru on the other. Inside, a handful of air-conditioned tables fill quickly; the overflow spills outdoors under a weathered tentage, where red plastic chairs and white-draped round tables create a setting that hasn’t changed much in three decades.

Spectacular flames from the kitchen are a regular sight from the street — a reliable indicator of the wok hei within. Given consistently packed crowds, reservations are strongly advised, especially for dinner.

Champagne Pork Ribs ($12+ per piece / $24 for short rib)

This is the one. The dish that regulars have been coming back for since 1996, and the one that has baffled competitor kitchens for just as long. Por Kee’s Champagne Pork Ribs are built around a proprietary technique that has never been made public — spare ribs marinated in an actual sparkling wine reduction, then lightly battered and wok-fired at fierce heat to produce a crust that is at once crispy, deeply caramelised, and ever so faintly effervescent. The result is a coating unlike anything else in the zi char canon: dark, glossy, and perfumed with a barely-there sweetness that unfurls slowly as the meat gives way beneath it. The flesh itself is tender and succulent, pulling cleanly from the bone. Regulars describe an irresistible champagne aftertaste that lingers long after the meal — a quality that no other zi char in Singapore has managed to reproduce in nearly 30 years of trying. That alone tells you everything.

Homemade Beancurd with Mushrooms & Sea Cucumber Strips ($18 / $22 / $26)

A quieter hero of the Por Kee menu, the Homemade Beancurd has its own devoted following. Silky and smooth on the inside, deep-fried to a delicate crisp on the surface, it arrives blanketed in a richly flavoured sauce loaded with mushrooms and sea cucumber strips — both of which absorb and amplify the kitchen’s signature wok hei. The contrast between the yielding interior and the bronzed shell is remarkably clean, and the sauce carries enough depth to hold the whole dish together. More than one diner has called this the best beancurd they’ve eaten, and it’s easy to understand why.

Crispy Butter Prawns ($24)

Por Kee executes this zi char staple with a confidence that comes from long repetition. Large, fresh prawns arrive in a drift of golden cereal flakes, curry leaves, and red chilli — each shell cooked to a satisfying crunch while the flesh inside stays sweet and juicy. What distinguishes Por Kee’s version is a buttery undertone that threads through the cereal coating, transforming what might elsewhere feel like a routine order into something noticeably more indulgent. A table staple that rarely survives to the end of the meal.

Beef Hor Fun with Black Bean Sauce ($10 / $15 / $18)

Frequently underrated, this is one of the most technically satisfying dishes on the menu. Flat rice noodles are stir-fried over high flame until each strand carries a faint smokiness, then coated in a deep, aromatic black bean sauce that clings without overwhelming. The beef is sliced thin and cooked just so — tender in a way that suggests careful timing rather than luck. For those who like to eat around the signature dishes, this is where the kitchen’s broader craft becomes apparent.

HK-Style Steamed Fish (market price, approx. $35+)

At a zi char, the steamed fish is always a test of freshness and restraint, and Por Kee passes both. The seabass arrives whole under a pour of clean, savoury soy-based sauce that enhances rather than masks the fish’s natural sweetness. The flesh is meaty yet flaky, pulling apart in moist ribbons — a product of sourcing as much as skill. It’s not a dish that announces itself loudly, but it’s one of the most satisfying ways to end a proper zi char spread.

Por Kee Eating House is one of those rare zi char institutions that has earned its reputation honestly — through a signature dish so singular it has resisted imitation for nearly 30 years, and a broader menu that holds its own at every table. Whether you’re coming specifically for the Champagne Pork Ribs or working your way through the rest of the extensive card, the cooking here is the product of consistency, craft, and at least one very well-kept secret.

Address: 69 Seng Poh Lane, #01-02, Singapore 160069
Tel: 6221 0582
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:30am – 2:30pm; 5:00pm – 10:45pm | Closed Monday