Best Of Singapore Hawkers & Casual Dining: Popiah

Read (
Words) Edit

Best Of Singapore Hawkers & Casual Dining: Popiah

Popiah
Popiah



Nothing was sponsored, we visited as regular paying customers. Photos in this post were taken between 2000 and 2026 (across 26 years!), as such, the quality of photos varies drastically due to advances in camera technology. Mobile smartphones were in their infancy and had yet to become widespread.


Also Known As:
Popiah, Bao Bing, Lumpia, Loemia, Spring Rolls


Average Price Per Serving:
SGD $1 - $7








.....


Description:
The Popiah is a Singaporean Chinese Hokkien dish that consists of a wheat flour crepe filled with up to 20 different ingredients, rolled, then either served sliced into smaller rolls, or eaten whole similar to a burrito wrap. Also known as Bao Bing, Lumpia, Loemia, or Spring Rolls, the Popiah dish is usually priced around SGD $1 to $7 per serving. It's eaten throughout the day as a snack, side dish, or standalone light meal.

The foundation of Popiah begins with the soft thin chewy crepe with grainy sweet flavour. This wrapper is made from wheat flour, water, salt, and vegetable oil, and the resulting crepe must be paper-thin yet sufficiently resilient to hold sauces without breaking easily. The key ingredient filling for Popiah is stewed jicama, also called stewed turnip, made from julienne jicama / turnip slices, salt, garlic, fermented soy bean paste, dried shrimp, stock (pork bone stock or prawn head stock), shallots, and water, braised for up to 1.5 hours. The stewed jicama should be tender soft in texture, with vegetal earthy savoury shrimpy sweet salty flavour.

The remaining ingredients for Popiah are assembled only upon order. The most common ingredients include shredded carrots, lettuce, a sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce, garlic, red chili paste, roasted ground peanuts, deep-fried all-purpose flour batter bits, diced hard boiled chicken egg or egg omelette strips, bean sprouts, shredded cucumber, deshelled prawns / shrimp, coriander, fried shallots, and lup cheong / dried cured Chinese pork sausage. Other less common ingredients may include tofu bean curd, dried tofu puffs, diced string beans, white sugar, braised bamboo shoots, pork lard, and deshelled crab meat.

Served tightly rolled, the Popiah will have chewy tender juicy crisp soft crumbly textures, with pleasant grainy sweet vegetal earthy savoury shrimpy eggy meaty salty herbal spice flavour. While most stalls sell this ready-to-eat, some restaurants offer a premium do-it-yourself experience where diners assemble and roll their own versions. Variations include deep-fried renditions, or dessert renditions where the fillings are substituted for various ice cream flavours. The Popiah is hawker street food, party food, and family-reunion food all at once.


.....


1. ABC Popiah
@ Toa Payoh Palm Spring Market, 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-34
Opening Hours: Tue - Sun 8am – 7pm, Closed Mon

Taken in 2012


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Popiah (SGD $2) @ ABC Popiah.

Established sometime before or around 1973 by now-veteran hawker Tay Chen Boon, this stall is known for an old-school Chinese Teochew rendition that uses several unconventional ingredients for the filling.

The additional ingredients include fried fish bits and chopped crabstick surimi, lending a unique crunchy soft texture for contrast and addictive layered savoury salty sweet flavour. Generous in portion with a thick and chunky look, their rendition has chewy tender juicy crunchy soft textures, with pleasant grainy sweet vegetal earthy savoury eggy salty spice flavour.





.....


2. Ann Chin Popiah
@ 443 Clementi Avenue 3 #01-55
Opening Hours: Daily 10am – 8pm

Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Popiah (SGD $2.40) @ Ann Chin Popiah.

Established in 1958 by Lim Kam Chwee, this heritage family business has since been passed to 3rd generation owner Pamela Lim. Their signature skin wrapper is fragrant and paper-thin, made to consistent standards.

Their rendition has chewy soft tender juicy crisp textures, with enticing grainy sweet earthy vegetal savoury shrimpy eggy salty spice flavour. Besides the usual jicama / turnip filling and deshelled prawn / shrimp filling, they offer a modern curry potato filling, and vegetarian-friendly alternatives.





.....


3. Fortune Popiah
@ Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur Street #01-101
Opening Hours: Daily 8:30am – 7:30pm

Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Popiah (SGD $2.50) @ Fortune Popiah.

Established in 2000 and later incorporated in November 2004 by the parents of Hong Wei Ting and Hong Wei Ling, this fastidious brand still insists on making their signature skin wrapper the slow way, hand rubbed fresh daily, each piece thinner than 0.5 millimetres.

Their halal-certified rendition is tightly rolled and neat, with the main filling being stewed jicama / turnip. Has chewy tender juicy crisp soft textures, with mild grainy sweet vegetal earthy savoury eggy salty herbal spice flavour. Their red chili paste, in particular, has a sharp sour sweet spice fiery kick of flavour.





.....


4. Jia Dong Shu Shi
@ Dunman Food Centre, 271 Onan Road #02-17
Opening Hours: Daily 12pm – 4pm

Taken in 2010


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Popiah (SGD $2) @ Jia Dong Shu Shi.

Established in the early 1970s and now operated by 2nd-generation owner Kway Kim Seng, this humble long-serving stall sells just a single item, a testament to mastery of the dish.

Assembled quickly yet with great care upon order, each roll has additional ingredients of pork lard, egg omelette, deshelled prawns / shrimp, and lup cheong / dried cured Chinese pork sausage. They use more fermented soy bean paste for their stewed jicama / turnip than elsewhere, lending deep flavour and a darker colour.

The result is a rendition with juicy chewy tender crisp soft textures, and bold grainy sweet vegetal earthy savoury eggy meaty salty herbal shrimpy flavour.





.....


5. Ping Kee Popiah
@ Sembawang Hills Food Centre, 590 Upper Thomson Road #01-32
Opening Hours: Tue - Sun 10am – 5pm, Closed Mon

Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Popiah (SGD $2) @ Ping Kee Popiah.

Established in 1979 by Chua How Yong and still operated by him and his wife, this humble stall is known for their old-school version served in generous portions.

Their rendition has an excellent contrast of textures, being chewy tender juicy crisp crumbly in mouthfeel. Has straightforward grainy sweet vegetal earthy savoury eggy salty herbal spice flavour.





.....


6. Qi Ji
@ Eastpoint Mall, 3 Simei Street 6 #01-28
Opening Hours: Daily 8:30am – 9:30pm

Taken in 2010


Taken in 2010


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Popiah (SGD $4.90) @ Qi Ji.

Established in December 1999 by Leith Neo and Alan Lau, this halal-certified 'Miracle Cafe' is among the more accessible for home style dishes. The recipes are derived from the traditional Peranakan recipes of the Lim Family behind the famed Hock Heng Food Stall.

Their rendition is balanced, with generous portions and consistency in taste. Has satisfying chewy tender juicy soft crumbly textures, with lovely grainy sweet vegetal savoury shrimpy eggy salty herbal spice flavour. Refreshing with mild heat.





.....


7. Tina Popiah
@ 401 Hougang Avenue 10 #01-1158
Opening Hours: Daily 10am – 9pm

Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Taken in 2026


Popiah (SGD $2.50) @ Tina Popiah.

Established some time before October 2023, this tiny stall has been quietly serving local snacks that attract many customers, especially during peak meal periods.

Their rendition is made to order, generously filled and tightly rolled. Has chewy tender juicy crisp soft crumbly textures, with grainy sweet vegetal earthy savoury eggy salty herbal spice flavour, yum.





.....


- Glory Catering – Permanently Closed
@ 139 East Coast Road

Taken in 2012






.....


- Hong Kee Villa – Permanently Closed
@ Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre, 448 Clementi Avenue 3 #01-33

Taken in 2009






.....


- Old Long House Popiah – Permanently Closed
@ Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre, 22 Toa Payoh Lorong 7 #01-03

Taken in 2011






.....


- Queenstown Popiah – Permanently Closed
@ 40A Commonwealth Avenue #01-484

Taken in 2010






.....








.....


CONVERSATION