KOK Sen Restaurant

Singaporean restaurant · Chinatown

KOK Sen Restaurant

Singaporean restaurant · Chinatown

Keong Saik Rd., 4, Singapore 089110

Highlights

Singaporean cze char classics: Big Prawn Hor Fun, pepper crab

Keong Saik Rd., 4, Singapore 089110 Get directions

wa.me

SGD 20–30 · Menu

Reserve

@michelinguide

"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

View Postcard for Kok Sen Restaurant

@michelinguide

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

View Postcard for Kok Sen Restauran || Michelin Bib Gourmand (Chinatown Area)

@cntraveler

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

View Postcard for Kok Sen Restaurant

@cntraveler

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

View Postcard for Kok Sen Restaurant

Supakij Khomvilai

Google

Good Singaporean restaurant. Found it from review in YouTube and other recommendations somewhere. Our group of 13 people are really enjoyed our lunch there. We made a reservation through WhatsApp of the restaurant which is the easiest way to do and I recommend you to do it to secure your seating. Seating area are air conditioned. Every dish are really good, fresh ingredients and well cooked. Price are reasonable. Credit card accepted. Staffs are helpful. Enjoy!

Paul Lim

Google

I really enjoyed my first visit here, so I came back tonight to celebrate my mum’s birthday. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped. We wanted to order some of their signature dishes like yong tau fu and crispy chicken, but both were already sold out. I wonder why some signature dishes were already gone as early as 7.30pm. So we went with other items instead. The big prawn hor fun was tasty, though it lacked that wok hei fragrance. The kam heong chicken, which I’d tried before, was still just as good as I remembered. Apart from that, most of the other dishes were pretty ordinary. The vegetable dishes also lacked wok hei, the sweet and sour pork was average, and the crispy tofu tasted rather bland. The salted egg yolk prawns were over fried and turned out tough, while the curry fish head didn’t taste fresh as the meat wasn’t sweet at all. To top it off, there was an issue with the bill. My mum had told the cashier we only opened one bottle of wine, but the bill showed two. The waitress agreed to refund $10, but she should have amended the bill straightaway. After we left, we realised the 3% service charge and 9% GST were still calculated based on two bottles instead of one. Overall, it turned out to be a disappointing evening for what was meant to be a birthday celebration. A real letdown, especially when we came with high expectations.

Krysta Chan

Google

Quite good value for money. Decent food though I personally don’t feel that it’s outstanding. When we arrived, there were people queueing even before they opened. Typical SG foodies! 😂 thankfully Boss made reservations. Noise level is a bit too much for me but you get used to it after a while when focus shifts to the food 😆

Jane Le

Google

We had lunch at this restaurant last Tuesday with our colleagues. • Venue: Conveniently located in the Chinatown area, near Maxwell MRT. • Reservations: Recommended, especially during peak hours. The restaurant is medium-sized, and reservations help you avoid the long queue. Reserved guests are given priority entry. • Opening Hours: Opens at 12:00 PM. • Atmosphere: Local-style setting with air conditioning — comfortable for a casual group lunch. • Service: Quite fast and efficient. • Food: My favourite dishes were the shrimp hor fun, black hor fun, and fried egg — all very tasty and satisfying. Especially all the shrimps are fresh, not frozen shrimp. • Cost: Around $270 for 12 people, which is reasonable for the portion and quality. • Overall: A solid lunch spot with good value. Will definitely come back to try other dishes.

Youli Hong

Google

I visited for lunch on 19 April. I made a reservation via WhatsApp before visiting. They only accept reservation for groups of at least 4 pax. There was already a long queue when I arrived at 11.55 pm (restaurants open at 12 pm). I could enter with priority when the restaurant opened as I had a reservation. We ordered several dishes: big prawn hot fun, sambal kang kong, prawn paste chicken wings, yong tau fu and a deep fried frog legs with ginger (not pictured). The food was fairly good but not the best Tze char I had in sg. My favourite dish was the sambal Kang kong. Pricing: we paid around $150 (5 diners) for this meal (including 2 bottles of Tiger Beer). The price is fair considering the central location this Tze char is found. Atmosphere: the atmosphere is that of a local eatery. Not super comfortable but better than a coffee shop. There were a number of flies buzzing around. Other than that, it is a decent eastern.

Peter Chua

Google

Kok Sen Restaurant is a well-loved zi char institution in Singapore, known for its authentic Cantonese-style dishes and rich culinary tradition. The service was excellent — I brought a bottle of wine, and the staff promptly offered to chill it, with a very reasonable corkage fee. They were also attentive when it came to beer, ensuring there were enough glasses and checking if anyone needed ice. My overseas guests were genuinely impressed by both the outstanding service and the high quality of the food.

Bryan CY Chua

Google

Absolutely delicious and value for money. Portion sizes were huge and we couldn’t finish our spread. Highly recommend the orh nee which I thought was one of the best in SG! Prawns were huge and fresh. Kai lan was superb

Ella Davis

Google

A great experience! Be aware that before the meal begins, there is a high likelihood you will have to wait in line (provided you do not have a booking). However, once seated, service is no-frills, but prompt and efficient. For this place, it is definitely a big bonus if 你的中文不错, as many servers do not seem to know much English (and they shouldn’t be expected to know English either!!!). The food we got was absolutely delicious. Fresh seafood, bold flavours, generous portion sizes and fair prices. The place is absolutely bustling, with a vibrant and lively atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.