Tiong Bahru Jian Bo vs Bedok • Which is the Better Chwee Kueh?

The chwee kueh scene in Singapore is dominated by two large chains - Tiong Bahru Jian Bo and Bedok chwee kueh. There are still a few independent chwee kueh stalls but most are in their last legs (their owners retiring soon).

Tiong Bahru Jian Bo and Bedok franchisee stalls are found in hawker centres across the island, sometimes together in head to head competition. I was at Albert Centre food centre and stumbled upon the competitors together. So, I decided to do a comparison of the two leading chwee kueh brands in Singapore. (Chwee Kueh or Teochew steamed rice cakes is a dish that can be mass produced in a central kitchen, distributed through outlets far and wide, and still taste good.)

There was a constant queue at Bedok Chwee Kueh while it was clearly quieter at Tiong Bahru Jian Bo. The people's choice was obvious - Tiong Bahru Jian Bo was the underdog. 

Minimum order at Bedok was 3 pieces for $1.50. At Tiong Bahru Jian Bo, it was 5 pieces for $2.50. I asked the Jian Bo lady if I could just have 3 pieces for $1.50. She kindly obliged without a second thought.

Bedok chwee kueh on the left

When I got the two sets of chwee kueh together, Bedok's kueh were clearly larger by at least 50%. They were also more generous with the chai poh and sambal. Bedok's plastic lined brown paper isn't ideal but it is at least better than Jian Bo's styrofoam plate. 

I thought to myself that a comparison would be pretty redundant. "Win already lor 赢了啰" - the "winner" is already self evident.

But, after tasting them both together, the outcome was less obvious.

Bedok

Tiong Bahru Jian Bo

Jian Bo's kueh was dense while Bedok's was lighter. In the mouth, Jian Bo's was tender smooth but had a bit of subtle pasty feel. Bedok's felt soft smooth and a bit "watery". There was a bit of rice taste in Jian Bo's kueh but I did not taste it in Bedok's. I prefer Jian Bo's kueh for texture and taste. 

Bedok

Tiong Bahru Jian Bo

Bedok was really generous with their chai poh (preserved Chinese radish) while Jian Bo seemed a little "stingy" (though there was enough). Bedok's chai poh was more crunchy and less moist / greasy than Jian Bo's.

But, I was wowed by the taste of Jian Bo's chai poh. It was savoury sweet with nice layers of flavours from the grease (supposed to be 100% vegetable oil). In comparison, Bedok's tasted savoury salty tangy and felt a little flat.

Bedok

Tiong Bahru Jian Bo

To me, Jian Bo won again in the sambal department. Jian Bo's sambal tasted umami savoury spicy (hae bee hiam or fermented fried shrimp was discernible, more pang, more aromatic) while Bedok's was flatter, salty spicy.

Which is your favourite chwee kueh in Singapore? Personally, I prefer Tiong Bahru Jian Bo.

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Written by Tony Boey on 18 Oct 2021

Date visited: 17 Mar 2013 | Updated 28 Oct 2021

Chwee kueh 水粿 originates from Choashan 潮汕 in Guangdong province in China.