Located at Rail Mall along Upper Bukit Timah Road, Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe offers up some Hong Kong food such as roast meats and dim sum.
The restaurant has a decor that is reminiscent of an old cha chaan tang in Hong Kong. However, the space is also bright and airy with plenty of natural light coming in from the floor to ceiling windows at the front of the shop.
Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe Food & Experience
We settled down and ordered using the QR code found on the order chit at the table.
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Before long, our food began to arrive.
First to arrive was the Hong Kong Style Curry Fish Balls (five pieces for $5.50). It gave off a heavenly smell and the fish balls were soft and tender. The fish balls didn’t feel overly springy and the curry sauce had a nice bite to it.
We had high hopes for the Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumpling Siew Mai ($5.80 for 3) as it was a bestseller. However, we found them to a bit too hard and they were succulent as we would have liked them to be. Nonetheless, we helped it along by dipping it into the sweet chilli sauce available at the table.
It is hard to go wrong with the simple dish of instant noodles with luncheon meat and egg in soup ($7.80), another best seller. The luncheon meat was cut nice and thick, and the yolk of the fried egg was still slightly runny.
The broth that came with the noodle was light and, thankfully, not overly salty. A few pieces of leafy vegetables added a dash of green to the dish.
Also on the menu at Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe were Shrimp Wanton Soup/Noodle ($8.80) but we didn’t order it. Perhaps next time.
To wash the meal down, we had the Hong Kong Style Milk Tea ($3.50).
We noticed that there were roasted meats hanging at the counter. Perhaps Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe is also known them for but we didn’t have the chance to try them.
Overall, the menu at Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe was more limited than what we would expect at a regular Hong Kong style cha chaan teng in Singapore. You won’t find dishes like baked rice or western style dishes here. Maybe that’s why they bill themselves as a Hong Kong cafe instead.
The focus at Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe focuses on dim sum and dishes like different combinations of noodles, congee and wanton noodles. In addition, there are roast meats and a la carte menu items like Stewed Beef Brisket and Pig’s Trotters.
Find out more about Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe, including the full menu.
Yi Qian Hong Kong Cafe
Where: The Rail Mall, 438 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678063
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday – 10 am to 11 pm;
Friday, Saturday and Eve of Public Holiday – 8 am to 2 am;
Sunday and Public Holiday – 8 am to 11 pm
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