Places with the Best Liu Sha Pau/ Custard Bun In Singapore
When it comes to salted egg yolk custard buns, what separates the mediocre from the heavenly is the rich filling snug inside the centre of pillowy buns. Here’s a list of restaurants in Singapore that serves really good, mouth-watering liu sha pau that would make one yearn for more!
ARTEASTIQ TEA BONE CHINA & GALLERY 798
#02-19/20 Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard
Tel: 6333 5116
What’s unique about Arteastiq’s custard buns is its ash-grey skin from flecks of charcoal powder in the dough. The salted egg yolks and creamy custard forms a thick, sweet and eggy centre. Although the centre does not flow out like most buns, the delicious combination of a freshly steamed bao and the grainy, orange-hued core makes up for it.
Bosses Restaurant (Hei She Hui)
#02-156 / 157, Vivocity, 1 HarbourFront Walk
Tel: 63769740
Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 21:30
Sat, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 21:30
The liu sha pau here is one of the highly demanded items on the menu. Although prices may be a little pricier, the serving sizes make up for the price as the portions are really generous.
CANTON-I
#03-14 ION Orchard
Tel: 6509 8368
Every liu sha bao generally looks the same, but the steamed custard buns here stand out as they are purplish in colour. The bun has a generous amount of the warm, luscious salted egg yolk custard and the bun’s fragrant aroma combines very well with the rich filling.
CANTON PARADISE
#02-09 JCube, 2 Jurong East Central 1
Tel: 6684 5080
The salted duck egg yolks, butter and sugar come together in a bun that unleashes the molten centre with the tiniest bite. What is good about the bun is the evenness of the filling, which didn’t split into separate layers of oil and custard. This is the result of less oil used and a gentle five-minute steaming process.
CRYSTAL JADE KITCHEN
2 Lorong Mambong
Tel: 64690300.
Crystal Jade Kitchen uses carrot juice in their bun to achieve the vibrant colour of the custard bun. While the salted-egg filling is the main attraction here, the salty taste does not overwhelm the palate.
EAST OCEAN TEOCHEW RESTAURANT
391 Orchard Road #05-08/09 Ngee Ann City
Tel: 6235 9088
The thick, slightly grainy filing that oozed out when you bite into the bun is simply perfect.
HAI TIEN LO
Level 3 Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard
Tel: 6826 8338
Hai Tien Lo’s custard buns are bite-sized. Breaking open the soft custard buns reveal a runny custard filling that is suitably salty, not too oily and sufficiently creamy. Be prepared to get a second helping!
Imperial Treasure
#L2-04, Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue
Tel: +65 6688 7788
Daily: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Whenever you dine there, it is a must for to order their Custard Bun. The flowy custard and the soft bun goes well together.
Jiang-Nan Chun
190 Orchard Boulevard, Four Seasons Hotel
Tel: +65 6831 7220
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun (Dim Sum Brunch): 11am – 1pm, 1.30pm – 3pm
Jiang-Nan Chun at Four Seasons Singapore is known for serving classic Cantonese cuisine in a luxurious setting. Everything on the menu is prepared with perfection but the Custard Buns with salted egg yolk is one of the best.
MAN FU YUAN
80 Middle Road
2F Intercontinental Hotel
Tel: +65 6825 1062
Man Fu Yuan’s custard bun is a little different from the others as it is served deep fried. Nonetheless, it is oh so good! The hot oil gives the bun a nice golden brown outer layer, which cracks open to a rich molten liquid gold that has a good balance of sweet and salty. The steamed version is equally tasty with a soft and fluffy bun.
MOUTH RESTAURANT
#01-61 China Square Central – South Bridge Court, 22 Cross Street
Tel: 6438 5798
The custard buns at Mouth Restaurant stand out as the custard buns here have a baked crust, providing a refreshing textural juxtaposition when bitten into. Inside, the filling is also not as smoothly creamy as most but even though you can discern grainy bits of the salted egg, the flavours of the eggs, the richness of the butter and the creaminess of the custard comes together very well.
Paradise Pavilion
8A Marina Boulevard
#02-01 Marina Bay Link Mall
Tel: +65 6509 9308
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 4pm, 6pm – 11pm
Paradise Pavilion’s custard bun is consistently good and satisfying. This is one of the best, if not, the best custard bun in Singapore. Besides the usual custard bun, they also have a Crispy Custard Lava Man Tou ($8.80) served with vanilla ice cream which is heavenly!
Peach Garden
65 Chulia Street
#33-01 OCBC Centre
Tel: +65 6535 7833
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Sun & PH: 10.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Peach Garden’s custard buns ($4.20) are no doubt one of the best in Singapore. Besides their signature Wasabi Prawn and X.O. Carrot Cake, the custard bun is the must-order dish when you are at Peach Garden.
Royal China Restaurant
1 Beach Road
#03-09 Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6338 3363
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Sun & PH: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
The rendition of liu sha pau at Royal China is packed with a generous filling of the molten salted egg yolk custard that certainly had a “wow” factor.
Swee Choon
185/187/189/191 Jalan Besar, Little India
Singapore 208882
Tel: 62257788
Wed – Mon: 18:00 – 06:00
Closed on Tuesdays
The Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun ($3.60) here is the highlight of Swee Choon. You MUST try it! The sweet and salted egg yolk filling flowing with the soft pau exterior is truly a delight and one of the best salted egg yolk custard bun I’ve had in Singapore. None of that raw eggy taste and the custard is very well made.
YÚ CUISINE
B1-08. The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
Tel: 6688 7318
The custard buns are perfectly steamed with just the right thickness and texture. The smooth consistency of the sweet custard was a delight, and the vibrant colours make this liu sha bao even more appetising.
VICTOR’S KITCHEN
#01-21 Sunshine Plaza, 91 Bencoolen Street
Tel: 9838 2851
Their custard bun is one of the best in Singapore as everything- the bun and the custard- combined beautifully, resulting in a burst of buttery fragrance and flavour.
Even though you may have eaten many liu sha paus, a good liu sha pau will not make you feel sick. If you want to try what a good liu sha pau is, why not check out these places 🙂
Look out for our Liu Sha Cupcakes which would be launching soon 😉