Jian Bo Shui Kueh - Michelin Bib Gourmand Chwee Kueh

Jian Bo Shui Kueh was awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2021 and 2022, which was not a surprise given how famous it already was. While Shui Kueh, sometimes known as Chwee Kueh, is a common breakfast dish found across Singapore’s hawker scene, I never developed a habit of eating it growing up. Jian Bo Shui Kueh has more than 10 stalls across the island, and I patronized the stall located at Jurong West 505, along with other Michelin Bib Gourmand recipients such as Soh Kee Chicken Porridge.

Jian Bo Shui Kueh goes for $3 for 5 pieces, $4.80 for 8 pieces and $6 for 10 pieces.

Their Kueh has a firm and dense texture, breaking apart gracefully when cut while still retaining its sturdiness. It was not mushy and had a bouncy bite to it.

The kueh itself is not enough to differentiate itself from the millions of competition out there. The highlight for me was the toppings on top of the Chwee Kueh, consisting of Cai Poh (preserved radish), Heh Bi (dried shrimps) and chili sauce similar to sambal. The toppings were generous, ensuring that there was enough Cai Poh for every bite of Chwee kueh.

The Cai Poh and Heh Bi were fragrant and crunchy, with a great balance of saltiness and sweetness. It was a surprise for me as most Cai Poh was laden in salt due to the nature of it being a preserved vegetable, and never sweet like this. It made the Chwee Kueh so yummy as the taste was not one-dimensional.

On top of the savory and the sweet, they also managed to nail the spicy! The chili sauce was not overpowering, making it suitable for those with a low spice tolerance. The best part of the chili was its slightly roasted wok hey taste. Although some might find the oil to be excessive, I enjoyed how the flavourful chili oil coated the otherwise plain Chwee Kueh.

Besides Jian Bo Shui Kueh, Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh and Bedok Chwee Kueh were also awarded the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand. I have yet to try the other two, but Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh was delectable and set the bar pretty high. Jian Bo Shui Kueh gave them a run for their money and I am looking forward to trying them one day.