Botak Cantonese Porridge is a congee stall in Punggol and Tampines
When we reviewed Botak Cantonese Porridge five years ago, we were impressed by the “simple but excellent congee” here. Since then, the stall expanded from its Our Tampines Hub outlet to include a stall at One Punggol Hawker Centre. This new Punggol stall is now run by second-generation hawker Hwee Yi, 26, while the original Tampines outlet is managed by her nephew.
Recently, we dropped by the Punggol outlet to try and see if the porridge here still holds up five years later. Three comforting bowls of porridge later, we are glad to report that it definitely does.
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Food at Botak Cantonese Porridge
We started with the Minced Pork Century Egg Porridge ($4), which was the simplest of the three bowls of congee we tried. A pile of gruel was joined by little pieces of century egg, minced pork, fried shallots and chives. Hwee Yi was also kind enough to add a raw egg for extra creaminess—this would normally cost you an additional $0.60.
I was sold from the first bite. Unlike some stores where century egg is simply garnished atop the porridge, they mince and mix it in during the cooking process. This helps the century eggs work in tandem with the rest of the dish, in a way mitigating the often pungent odour of the preserved eggs. What we got was the rich umami flavour of these eggs combined with the meatiness of the minced pork, resulting in a delectable bowl of congee.
The silky and creamy consistency of the porridge itself is commendable too, and I particularly enjoyed contrasting that with the crispy pieces of you tiao—which, thankfully, weren’t overly oily.
We also tried the Seafood Porridge ($6.50), a rendition that replaced the century eggs and minced pork with prawns, sliced fish, and cuttlefish. I found these ingredients to be good additions to the congee, particularly the prawns, which were fresh, crunchy and sweet. The soft pieces of sliced fish were also a nice touch.
Perhaps it’s due to the lack of century egg, but the gingery flavour of the congee was significantly more prominent in this particular dish. Because of this, I would say that versions with the century egg are actually more cohesive in terms of taste.
The most packed congee you can get here is the Mixed Porridge ($4.80), which includes pork slices and liver, cuttlefish, chicken shreds, century eggs and more. Most of these ingredients work well in the porridge, with the exception of the pork liver—even as a fan of zhu gan, I found the ones in this bowl too dry and metallic-tasting.
The meatballs, however, were particularly great. Made with fresh chunks of lean meat and some fat, these tiny spheres exploded with flavours. They were so smooth yet meaty, and I found myself wishing I could top up more of these.
Ambience at Botak Cantonese Porridge
A seven-minute walk away from Punggol MRT Station, Botak Cantonese Porridge’s second outlet is housed in One Punggol Hawker Centre, which is one of the newer and better-furnished hawker centres around. The fact that it was well-ventilated and airy means that the porridge here can be easily enjoyed even if the weather outside is hotter than usual.
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The verdict
Botak Cantonese Porridge continues to serve flavourful congee that is filled with quality ingredients. If you’re at all a fan of porridge, we recommend you drop by one of their two outlets to try the fare for yourself.
If you’re more of a fan of Teochew porridge, check out our best Teochew porridge spots guide. For a story about a famous porridge stall that’s been around since World War 2, read our Choon Seng Teochew Porridge feature.
Punggol outlet
Address: 1 Punggol Drive, #02-14, One Punggol Hawker Centre, Singapore 828629
Opening hours: Daily 7am to 9pm
Tampines outlet
Address: 1 Tampines Avenue, #01-65, The Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub, Singapore 529684
Opening hours: Daily 7:30am to 9pm
Tel: 8332 4255
Website
Botak Cantonese Porridge is not a halal-certified eatery.
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Photos taken by Maisie Chong.
This was a media tasting at Botak Cantonese Porridge.
Botak Cantonese Porridge Review: Popular Congee Stall In Punggol And Tampines
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Botak Cantonese Porridge Review: Popular Congee Stall In Punggol And Tampines – 7.5/10
7.5/10
Summary
Pros
– Simple but excellent congee
– Most ingredients, including the meatballs and prawns, were quality
– Their century eggs add plenty to the congee
Cons
– Don’t expect to be wow-ed by something novel and exciting
– Without the century egg, the congee can get too gingery for some
Recommended dishes: Minced Pork Century Egg Porridge ($4), Mixed Porridge ($4.80)
Opening hours: Daily 7:30am to 9pm
Address: 1 Punggol Drive, #02-14, One Punggol Hawker Centre, Singapore 828629
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