KOK Sen Restaurant

Singaporean restaurant · Chinatown ·

KOK Sen Restaurant

Singaporean restaurant · Chinatown ·

Signature Big Prawn Hor Fun, traditional Cantonese zi char fare

Information

Keong Saik Rd., 4, Singapore 089110 Get directions

SGD 20–30

@michelinguide

48,380 Postcards · 8,030 Cities

"For over 50 years, Kok Sen has been feeding hungry diners with cze char classics, such as their stir-fries boasting exceptional wok hei. Look out for the colourful lightboxes with signature items like prawn paste chicken or fish cooked in various ways. Seating may be a bit cramped, but the round tables and green booth seats work well with a grey colour scheme and pale wood. Given the small number of tables, expect to queue." - Michelin Inspector

https://guide.michelin.com/en/singapore-region/singapore/restaurant/kok-sen

Kok Sen Restaurant

@michelinguide

48,380 Postcards · 8,030 Cities

Cheat Sheet: Eat Your Way Through Singapore's 24 Newly Awarded Food Establishments

"A stalwart zhi char restaurant over five decades old, now in a refreshed space on the same street since 2022 where seating can be a bit cramped but the vibe feels good; signatures displayed in colorful lightboxes—Claypot Yong Tau Foo and Bitter-gourd Black Bean Sauce with Fish Meat—are not to be missed, and some seasonal dishes may require pre-ordering." - Mikka Wee

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/dining-out/inspectors-notes-newly-awarded-michelin-star-bib-gourmand-singapore-2023

KOK Sen Restaurant

@michelinguide

48,380 Postcards · 8,030 Cities

Kitchen Language: What Is Cze Char?

"Kok Sen, opened in the 1960s, is one of the oldest surviving cze char outlets in Singapore. It managed to secure a ground-floor shophouse unit, which allowed it to create extensive and elaborate menus." - Stephanie Lim

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/dining-out/what-is-cze-char

Kok Sen Restauran || Michelin Bib Gourmand (Chinatown Area)

@cntraveler

42,481 Postcards · 5,683 Cities

28 Best Restaurants in Singapore | Condé Nast Traveler

"There's a reason why Kok Sen, perhaps more hawker stall than restaurant, never fails to make it into "best Singapore food" lists: It has a delicious menu of tze char (Chinese homecooked-style fare) dishes. Make a beeline for the signature Big Prawn Hor Fun, flat rice noodles in a gravy cooked for hours with prawn heads so it's rich and briny, then topped with prawns thicker than your thumb. On weekends, there's a special dish of chicken, deboned and stuffed with seafood, that's worth ordering ahead. It gets packed here, but you can make reservations as long as you have six or more people." - Annette Tan

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-restaurants-in-singapore

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Kok Sen Restaurant

@cntraveler

42,481 Postcards · 5,683 Cities

Kok Sen Restaurant, Singapore - Restaurant Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"A must-visit for anyone keen to take their tastebuds on a Singapore culinary adventure The vibe Festive yet homey The drinks Nothing to shout about The food One of the best places for Singapore-style tze char fare The service Surprisingly cooperative, given the crowds" - Annette Tan

https://www.cntraveler.com/restaurants/kok-sen-restaurant

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Kok Sen Restaurant

Wiz Y.

Google

We finally got to try the famous Kok Sen Restaurant, a spot that's always packed and comes with a Michelin Bib Gourmand reputation. Overall, we had a very good and satisfying meal, with every dish being well-executed. It's definitely a top-tier zi char experience, though perhaps the Michelin hype set our expectations a little too high. We ordered a wide spread, including their famous signature dishes. The Big Prawns Hor Fun was a clear standout, with a generous, silky, and flavourful egg gravy that was full of wok hei. The prawns were large and fresh. The Claypot Yong Tau Foo was also excellent; the stuffed items (eggplant, tofu, peppers) were delicious, and the rich, savoury claypot sauce was perfect over rice. The other dishes were all classic and cooked to a high standard. The Crispy Roasted Chicken had paper-thin, crispy skin, and the Stir-fried Beef Hor Fun was loaded with tender beef. We also enjoyed the Prawn Rolls (Hei Zho) and a fluffy Fu Yong Omelette. The service was exactly what you'd expect from a place that is perpetually this busy. It was highly efficient and fast-paced. While you can't really call it "friendly" in a warm or chatty sense, they were absolutely not unfriendly. They were professional, attentive enough, and got the job done. Here's why it's a 4-star and not a 5-star for us: all the food was genuinely good and definitely above average, but we just couldn't pinpoint that special "Michelin" x-factor. It's fantastic, classic Cantonese zi char, but we weren't blown away in the way the reputation might suggest. That said, it's a solid, reliable, and delicious meal that I would still recommend.

OB1

Google

Kok Sen lives up to its Michelin reputation, drawing a noticeable crowd of tourists, but the wait time was manageable—we were seated within 20-30minutes ( we arrived at 6:50pm). They offer both indoor (air-conditioned) and outdoor seating, which is a nice option. ( If you come after 8 p.m., there is most probably no more queue.). For our group, we ordered the Prawn Hor Fun (small $20), Beef Hor Fun (medium $14), Cereal Prawns, a fried vegetable dish, and Sliced Fish with Bittergourd, plus 5 barley waters, totaling around $109. The Hor Fun dishes were the definite stars—incredibly smooth and executed perfectly. The Cereal Prawns were also excellent. However, a couple of items were disappointing: The fried vegetable portion we ordered was quite small, almost comically so ("pathetic," as you said), and is definitely something we'd skip next time. The Sliced Fish with Bittergourd also didn't quite hit the mark; the flavors felt separate, as if the two main ingredients were cooked individually and tossed together, lacking that essential zichar harmony. Despite these minor misses, the overall meal was satisfying, driven by the quality of their signature noodle dishes. I would certainly return for the Hor Fun.

Sassy Q.

Google

First visit to the Michelin guide restaurant… super long queue on a Friday evening. We ordered the signature prawn hor fun, claypot YTF, sweet & sour pork, fu Yong egg, roast chicken & 三色蛋贡菜. Overall a pleasant visit and the dishes were nice though on the salty side. #foodporn #sg #dinner

Bugwagen

Google

Nice Zhi Char (stir fry)! We love the spicy big prawn hor fun. It was delicious! The other dishes we ordered was just ok. Didn’t know they have so many Michelin awards. We managed to get a table outdoor, but there was a queue and everyone in the group has to be present before they let you have a table.

Jeremiah S.

Google

Really good after the Reno. Insiders really noisy though as it’s enclosed and echoes quite a bit. Food was amazing, albeit a little salty. Would definitely return because their Hor Fun has wok hei taste, and super yummy!

Alex

Google

You might need to queue up after 7 pm even on a weekday as this restaurant is quite popular. Seems like the big prawns hor fun is a popular dish there and so we ordered it. The small portion is actually good for 2 to 4 person (if you're ordering other dishes to share) and it came with 2 big prawns cut into half. The claypot yong tau fu is also good with lots of ingredient. 9% GST and a 3% service charge will be added to your bill.

Ming Wei L.

Google

Seen them from the pre-renovation cash only days until the current setup. Food is great albeit being slightly pricey even by Singapore standards. Place is packed and one way around the queue is to make a booking in advance but do arrive on time to respect the reservation. Also they can get quite chaotic at the counter and entrance area. Not sure why they design it that way as it's a huge bottleneck.

Serene G.

Google

Being their customer for years, service drop. 5pax then expect 1 of us to sit at the stool and share the table. Their Michelin stars is just for show, especially they just to earn more $ at lunch crowd. 4 dishes took 40min to serve, one by one. Food are yummy but the service already spoil the business. Noisy at lunch hours. Another restaurant down the road is much better and even have 10% discount when spend more than $80.