Craving for Hong Kong café food in an authentic setting? Then you must visit Friends Kitchen Hong Kong Café located in Springside Walk, Sembawang. This classic cha chaan teng concept will instantly transport you to Hong Kong in the 70s.
At first, we were drawn to it by Google reviews on its highly raved dishes. As we stepped in, retro movie posters on the wall, hand-written signages, booth seating, formica table laminates and other vintage Hong Kong décor greeted us complete with penny tiles on the floor.
This was such a feast for the senses and a nostalgic throwback for the older generation.
The Food at Friends Kitchen Hong Kong Café, Springside Walk
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Since our quest was to try Hong Kong café dishes, we chose two mains, two sides, one appetiser and two drinks for our teatime.
Who doesn’t love a classic bolo bun ($4)? I like mine plain with a generous slab of butter and Friends Kitchen’s version definitely topped the bolo bun index for me.
It arrived warm and the slab of butter wedged in between was just how I preferred it. The crusty bits were slightly crunchy while the bun was pillowy-soft on the inside. For a fan of bolo bun, traveling all the way to Sembawang to enjoy this HK pastry was deeply satisfying.
Besides this pastry, we also couldn’t resist the Lava Salted Egg French Toast ($7). Drizzling the honey on top is a must for a blend of sweet and salty flavours. The deep fried egg in between the toasted slices meant a crispy finish to the crusty toast.
The appetiser I ordered was the curry fishballs ($4). It could sound strange and underwhelming. Since I just wanted some quick bites, I was drawn to this dish that was mentioned in several Google reviews.
At first glance, fishballs drizzled with curry sauce looked ordinary. Surprisingly, it was savoury enough to have seconds. The chewiness of the fishballs combined with the slightly spiced curry sauce definitely whets the appetite.
Delicious and Inexpensive HK Café Mains
As seasoned HK café visitors, we ordered the same staples. We love char siew and scrambled egg dishes, and decided to try the inexpensive $8 version from Friends Kitchen.
The char siew was plump and juicy while the scrambled egg was smooth, the combination of the two paired with rice was superb. Now we have another place bookmarked to indulge in the rice dish.
We also ordered Baked Pork Chop Rice ($12) for more protein. Served in a baking dish, the portion was generous and looked just the part of a baked cheesy rice dish. A huge slab of pork chop with baked cheese and tomatos, gravy and rice was a wonderfully tasty treat. We deemed it even better than the Charsiew and Scrambled Egg rice.
The pork was tender, juicy and perfect with the tomato based gravy! The portion was also good enough for those who preferred high protein dishes. It definitely won us over to want to come back for a second visit.
Drinks wise, we had a Pandan Hot Milk Tea ($3.80) and a cold Salted Lime Honey ($4.30). I could not taste any strong pandan flavours in the milk tea so this was a letdown, as it was perhaps just a tinge of pandan in the otherwise usual HK milk tea.
Satisfying HK Café Meal In a Nostalgic Setting
We were so pleased to find an authentic HK café to add to our list whenever we craved HK café dishes. Friends Kitchen definitely ranked high on our list of “cha chaan teng” spots in Singapore. With its charming interiors, sumptuous yet affordably priced dishes, we will be back soon enough, perhaps with more like-minded friends!
Where: 60 Springside Walk, 01-18, Singapore 786020
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 11.30 am to 2.30 pm, 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm, Closed on Tuesdays
Website: Friends Kitchen HK Café Facebook Page
If you love cha chaan tengs, you will appreciate reading this story about different cha chaan tengs in Singapore or you can check out some of our favourite dim sum spots in Singapore.
