Tried the Michelin recommended Jian Bo Shui Kueh stall at Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre.
Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh has nearly thirty outlets throughout Singapore. Shui kueh or chwee kueh (steamed mini rice cakes) is one of those hawker dishes that can be produced in a central kitchen (factory) and then served at multiple stalls without much difference in quality from stalls that make the dish traditionally on site. (Hence, there are very few independent chwee kueh stalls left in Singapore.)
Chwee kueh is a very humble dish. Just tiny steamed rice cakes paired with preserved turnip (with sesame seeds) and sambal (hae bee hiam).
At Jian Bo Shui Kueh, the minimum order was five pieces for SGD$4.
Jian Bo's chwee kueh is not the watery jiggly kind. It is soft dense, almost tender firm to the bite. The rice cake turns creamy smooth in the mouth. Very slight sweet flavour from rice.
It's the perfect white, mild tasting canvas for the chye poh (preserved radish) and sambal.
The chye poh kept warm and simmering in vegetable oil was soft crunchy and savoury tangy. It's a poor man's source of umami and we love it.
In the old days, the chye poh was traditionally stewed in pork lard over a slow burning charcoal stove but very few, if any still do that in Singapore now.
Jian Bo's sambal was spicy hot, umami savoury from dried shrimp. Nice hot sting and balance of heat with umami flavours. In Teochew Chinese, it is known as hae bee hiam 虾米辣 or spicy dried shrimp as it is made mainly with dried shrimp and chili pepper (with other spices).
Jian Bo sells both their hae bee hiam and chye poh in bottles.
At first, I was wondering how was I going to finish five pieces of chwee kueh by myself 🫢 It's easy when it is delicious 😬
Stall name: Jian Bo Shui Kueh 楗柏水粿
Address: Blk 505 Jurong West Street 52, #01-27 505 Market & Food Centre, Singapore 640505
Nearest MRT: 15 minute walk from Lakeside station
Hours: 5:30am - 9pm
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A competitor with the same business model Bedok Chwee Kueh 勿洛水粿. They offer the more watery jiggly type of rice cake.
The chwee kueh stall in Ghim Moh food centre is probably the last stall in Singapore that make their water cakes on site and still use lard.
The Eunos chwee kueh stall that make the rice cakes on site has closed
Another artisanal chwee kueh stall that has closed, this is Chye Kee at Circuit Road
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Written by Tony Boey on 3 Sep 2026
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