A quick guide to pao fan (submerged rice), a Chinese soup and rice dish.
A dish that was usually reserved for high-end Teochew Chinese restaurants in the past, Pao fan (submerged rice in Mandarin), has become more accessible to the masses in recent times, with a slew of pao fan eateries opening in heartland areas such as coffee shops (or kopitiams) and even hawker stalls.
Pao fan consists of steamed rice that is soaked in a rich, piping hot broth, which can range from a luxurious lobster broth to a lighter, more affordable broth made from a mix of seafood ingredients and pork. The dish is also typically served with a spoonful of deep-fried golden brown rice grains for a crunchy texture and some pao fan eateries also add fried egg floss as a finishing touch.
Notable heartland pao fan eateries in Singapore include the King of Pao Fan, which is located in Queen Street near Bugis and run by an former Raffles Hotel chef and Famous Pao Fan, which is the brainchild of actor Chew Chor Meng and features an enticing S$16 Lobster Pao Fan as their most expensive dish.
Restaurant chain JUMBO Seafood also has their own Pao Fan offering, in the form of their Chao Ting eatery concept outlets at Far East Square and Bedok Road, with prices ranging from just under S$7 to S$11 (a bit pricier than some of the heartland offerings but still decently priced).
So whether you want to enjoy this humble dish in a heartland setting or if you are feeling more baller and ready to splurge at a high-end Chinese restaurant, the ‘pao’-ssibilites are quite endless!
