Boh Geh Uncle Canteen: Ulu kampung kopitiam with affordable cai fan & nasi padang at Seletar since 1969

Most of us may have already forgotten about the Round-Island Route, but when Phase 1 (Eastern Half) first opened in 2022, it was the talk of the town for a hot minute. While following it through the Seletar area, we cycled past a curious sign that had us screeching to a halt.

A quick Google search on the spot revealed that it was a coffeeshop right off the road — Boh Geh Uncle Canteen — also going by ‘Canteen 398’, labelled so for its address. According to a few (online) sources of at least some repute, the place has been open since 1969 and helmed by an uncle with a few missing teeth, which explains the ‘boh geh’ in its name.

We had not expected the place to be crowded with patrons when we returned at noon on a weekday. Even more surprising was that the canteen prohibited any photo-taking. The auntie made sure that was the first thing we were aware of.

Apparently, the canteen was formerly a part of the nearby Seletar Camp and before that, served as a Corporal Mess for the British.

We eventually stepped out to the all’aperto area, where cameras are given free rein. Unfortunately, the auntie stopped me from taking a shot of the canteen even from outside.

Out of respect for the owner (and an irrational fear of the commando aunties), I’ll stick to using my photos taken legally and ethically. That said, you can still find images of the canteen’s interior from much stealthier folks on the Web.

What I tried at Boh Geh Uncle Canteen

The canteen itself is a shed of sorts, housing just 3 stalls selling cai fan, nasi padang and drinks. It fits the ‘rustic, old-school’ description to the tee with very rudimentary stall set-ups and (at least decades-old) wall fans trying their hardest to alleviate the stuffiness.

We approached the nasi padang stall first, starting with an order of rice with kang kong, a sunny-side-up and mutton that totalled $5. They also sell other dishes on specific days of the week.

The block of mutton was oddly durable against the spoon’s chipping. It turned out to be deceptively chewable once separated and lent a pleasant scent to the rendang that covered the rice. Not the most tender meat around but thoroughly enjoyable for its meaty texture.

The kang kong was cleaned well, at least enough to rid it of any grainy texture. While I’m not the most receptive to this vegetable, I could appreciate that the stems didn’t put up a fight. Thick savoury mouthfuls were spiced up with earthy hints of garlic and light pricks from the chilli padi.

Considering the food at nasi padang stalls are usually cooked in batches, it’s commendable that the yolk stayed somewhat runny. 

Since we’d arrived a little past peak lunch traffic, not many food options were left. Still, it was a remarkable coincidence that we ended up with 2 largely identical orders. Despite the same combination of 1 meat, 1 egg and 1 veggie, this plate cost $5.50.

Perhaps the curry vegetables were valued higher with the inclusion of tofu puff(s). The cabbage was juicy with a great amount of curry absorbed, which meant crunching down on them treated our senses to a rush of coconut milk fragrance and its milky notes. It was tolerably spiced so that the rice coated in it didn’t get incendiary.

Our final plate was from the cai fan stall, which had run out of rice by then. The meat of the braised pork belly was noticeably sweet despite the braising sauce leaning towards a milder profile. I welcomed the fatty bits with open arms as the previous plates had been lacking in this crucial component. Wherever braised meat can be found, you can be assured I’ll be giving it my undivided attention.

The pork curry possessed a sharper edge to its piquancy while touting a similarly mouth-watering scent of coconut milk. The soft pork slices were made all the better with a manageable spice, though at this point, the capsaicin’s effect was becoming hard to ignore.

The sambal provided is self-service and free-flow, with a subtle sourness to the upfront sweetness. It wasn’t too spicy but I had to avoid it due to tempered taste buds from the previous curry dishes.

You’ll rarely hear me speaking highly of vegetables, but cabbage has a special place in my tummy. Juicy in their own right and slicked in a thin layer of oil, they helped combat the searing heat that had built on my tongue. 

There wasn’t anything noteworthy to the fishcake, but its mild sweetness, faint umami and texture added more variety to the meal.

All these dishes from the cai fan stall — cabbage, fish cake, curry pork and braised pork belly — only amounted to $4.20.

The Braised pork bun ($1.40) had a thick layer of bao, which required extraneous chewing to reach the fillings. Ultimately, the fatty meat within wasn’t too flavourful and left a mild impression.

Final thoughts

For $1.40, the Kopi O Kosong served in a mug was really value -for -money. I was 90% sure the uncle at the drinks stall was the owner (Mr William Toh) of the canteen. He was the one who who had explained that the canteen was ‘restricted’.

It’s quite appropriate for Singapore’s last kampung kopitiam to be in some place as remote as Seletar. While inconvenient for folks in the North-East, it was clear from our visit that many benefit from this ulu coffeeshop, primarily industrial workers in the area. In terms of quality, I would put Boh Geh Uncle Canteen on the higher end of ‘cookhouse food’.

A few sources state that it was slated for closure back in 2012. I’m sure regulars are glad it hasn’t happened.

If you’re looking for a change of scenery from Singapore’s urban sprawl, Boh Geh Uncle Canteen/Canteen 398 is the perfect lunch spot. Just don’t expect outside seating to be spotless. As for me, I’ll definitely be making pit stops here on future round-island trips.

Expected damage: $4.20 – $6.70 per pax

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