Traditionalists like theirs straight up, with maybe a you tiao to dip with—none of that newfangled chilled beancurd pudding, thanks—while millennials might enjoy their bowl of silky goodness topped with bubble tea pearls or glutinous rice balls.
It’s late night supper fare for some, but for many others, it’s the perfect way to start the day. We round up 6 well-loved Singapore tau huay establishments worth getting out of bed for.
Whampoa Soya Bean & Grass Jelly
Blk 91 Whampoa Drive, #01-52 Whampoa Market & Food Centre, Singapore 320091
Opening Hours: 6.30am-4.30pm. Closed on Mondays
This corner stall at Whampoa Market opens at the crack of dawn and serves only hot beancurd in their signature red bowls and metal spoon. Long lines are a usual sight but the wait is short and well worth it for tau huay that is still made traditionally using gypsum rather than commercial lactone. The result is silky soft beancurd that melts smoothly in your mouth.
Yong He Eating House
458 Geylang Road, Lorong 24A, Singapore 389473
Opening Hours: 24 hours
Soya beancurd and various fried fritters are a Taiwanese breakfast staple, and so for a 20-year-old establishment specializing in Taiwanese snacks, Yong He is a favourite for many an old school tau huay lover. They do both the sweet and less common savoury version of beancurd.
Tan Soon Mui Beancurd
49A Serangoon Garden Way, Serangoon Garden Market And Food Centre, Singapore 555945
Opening Hours: 8am-8pm
Founded in 1966, this particular stall is three generations old and it’s probably the only tau huay stall in Singapore with prices still in the 1960s at only 50 cents a bowl. Their other specialty is chin chow. Order a ‘Michael Jackson’ to try both, the local term for a drink of creamy soya bean milk mixed with strips of black grass jelly.
Teck Seng Soya Bean Milk
#02-69, Tiong Bahru Market, 30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898
Opening Hours: 5am-12pm
You’ll recognize it when you see it: the rainbow colored sign on stallfront and the long snaking queue. The traditional beancurd is made fresh on site and the soya milk made by hand, not machine, slow cooked to bring out all the flavour of the beans.
Rochor Beancurd House (Geylang)
745 Geylang Road Lor 39, Singapore 389653
Opening Hours: 24 hours
A tau huay list would be remiss without mentioning any of the famous Rochor beancurd places; you might know of the family saga resulting in three siblings opening their own beancurd stalls. Rochor Original Beancurd City are both as good, but Rochor Beancurd House at Geylang makes the list because it’s the only one open for breakfast. Their tau huay is served hot or cold, with toppings like pearls, red bean and glutinous rice balls. Try also the Portuguese egg tarts.
Selegie Soya Bean
Outlets islandwide. See here for full list and opening hours.
Selegie may be something of a chain now with outlets all around the island and even delivery service, but it still serves up a mean traditional beancurd with dough fritters for breakfast on the go.
