Bishan Fried Buns: “Best sheng jian bao in Bishan” from $4.50
A while back, I covered a place called Bishan Fried Buns, which is an offshoot of Shi Xiang Ge. Both are located in the same eating place right above Bishan Bus Interchange. While Shi Xiang Ge specialises in la mian and shaved noodles, Bishan Fried Buns has sheng jian bao (the titular fried buns) and xiao long bao, along with a smaller selection of noodles and dumplings.
Bishan Fried Buns is located at the end of the same row as Shi Xiang Ge, and when I arrived at 10am, the stall seemed very quiet. I headed to the kiosk at the front of the counter, and noticed that the sheng jian bao was marked as “sold out”. Upon speaking to the staff at the counter, he said they would only be ready at 11.30am.
Well, there wasn’t much to do except wait, I suppose.
Once the time came, I returned to the stall, and after a couple of hiccups with the kiosk not being updated, I was finally able to get my prize.
What I tried at Bishan Fried Buns
I ordered a serving of Pan-Fried Meat Buns (S$4.50 for 3), and to go with it, the Beef Vermicelli (S$6.50). The Pan-Fried Meat Buns came with a 10-minute wait time, since they’re cooked in batches. You get a buzzer so you know when your order’s ready.
Behold, the star of the show, the reason why I waited an hour and a half. The buns are a fairly decent size, not the largest I’ve seen.
Picking up a bun, I noticed that the bottoms were extremely crispy and a nice deep brown, while the tops were more delicate. While thin, they didn’t break easily. Despite being fried in a lot of oil, they weren’t greasy either.
I carefully bit into the sheng jian bao – having been scalded a few times by xiao long bao, I figured being cautious would save me a burned mouth. Inside was a glorious meat and broth-filled interior. The bun itself was delicious, like crispy fried bread, and the pork filling was juicy and savoury. I loaded the bun up with ginger and vinegar, and the combination took the bun to the next level. Yum.
The Beef Vermicelli was a fairly large sized bowl full of ingredients. I saw beef slices, black fungus, and lettuce.
The soup was quite clean and light tasting, in contrast to the signboard’s depiction of it which showcased a thicker, yellow-coloured broth.
There was a generous amount of beef slices in this bowl, and they too had a similar light taste. The seasoning was perfectly balanced, enhancing the meat’s natural flavors without overwhelming them. The beef was mostly tender, except for a few slices that were a little chewy and tough.
The vermicelli reminded me of mung bean noodles, with thicker strands and a chewy texture. They were very slurpable, and there was quite a lot of it.
Ultimately, compared to the Pan-Fried Meat Buns, I found the Beef Vermicelli less of a standout. Objectively, it’s not a bad bowl of noodles, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the buns.
Final thoughts
After trying Bishan Fried Buns, I can fully understand why all their reviews are so positive. The buns are perfectly fried and delicious. While I wasn’t impressed with the Beef Vermicelli, the wanton soup and xiao long bao are rated highly, and I think I’ll be back at some point to try those… and get even more fried buns.
Expected damage: S$4.50 – S$7 per pax
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