Amidst the noise and buzz from the dragon dancers, our attention were drawn towards the new opening of Lai Kee Bau when we were over at Toa Payoh Hub in search of a new place to eat. It was located right opposited the famous Tiong Bahru Bakery shop.

Dinning Hallway

The place was furnished beautifully which I can tell that they probably spent quite a lot of money on the interior design. The service staff was so busy with the surrounding that my friend and I invited ourselves to the restaurant. There's outdoor and indoor sitting but we choose the latter simply because it was hot outside.

View from my table. Chef working hard in a one man kitchen. Look at that steamer basket, so cute!

Self ordering menu

With a myriad variety of dim sum and steamed buns selection, we took a while to decide and write our orders on the order chit. The menu with the pictures does not have the code which means you have to refer to the yellow worded menu to write the code for the order chit. A slightly confusing affair for ordering but we managed. At this particular restaurant, you are required to pay before you eat. Also, do note that they accept only cash. We waited roughly 15 minutes before the first item arrived at our table.

Beancurd Prawn 【腐皮虾】 (SGD 3.80)

The beancurd prawn came and I helped myself with some mayonnaise. Like many other dim sum places, the taste was pretty similar. The filling was wrapped in beancurd skin and deep fried. It's crispy and flavorful. I do find that the meat filling was a little too rough and dry.

Prawn Chee Cheong Fun 【虾肠粉】(SGD 2.80)

Lai Kee Homemade Sambal Sauce

The cheong fun sheet has a elastic and chewy texture, almost like mochi. The sweet soy sauce complements well with the cheong fun. Also, I found that pairing with their sambal sauce takes the dish to a whole new level. The spiciness from the sambal offset the sweetness of the sauce and the complex flavor helps to add color to the dish. It was so delicious that I accompany it with all of the dim sum pieces.

Ji Guo Pau 【招牌鸡锅包】(SGD 4.80)

It was essentially steamed glutinous rice with chicken enclosed in a white bun. To my disappointment, the white bun was dense and dry. I was expecting it to be fluffy and light. As for the filling, it was decent. The glutinous rice falls apart easily and the chicken was flavorful and tender. On the good note, it was very filling.

Char Siew Pau 【叉烧包 】 （SGD 1)

Again, the white bun fell below my expectation. The filling was interesting to me as they incorporate an ingredient that I wouldn't have thought to be in char siew pau. Maybe I'm wrong, but I tasted yellow soy bean in it. It highlighted the sweetness of the pork filling and adds a creamy texture to it. It was a refreshing idea and I like it. However, my companion did not appreciate the taste of it. Each to his own.

Siew Mai 【烧卖】 (SGD 2.80)

The taste of the siew mai was mediocre or even subpar to describe honestly. Not a huge fan of the yellow wanton skin which was dry and tough to chew. I can tell that it was season heavily with sesame oil. For a dim sum place, siew mai usually will not go wrong however, this was rather bad I would not recommend to order this.

Emerald Prawn 【翡翠虾】 (SGD 2.80)

If I had knew the siew mai was bad, I would have replace it with this. Emerald prawn taste the same as siew mai just that the texture of the green wanton skin was way better. It was obvious that they use food colouring as the skin is in a bright vibrant green colour. Although in a healthier sense, I would prefer they had used juices from fresh greens vegetables instead, similar to some of the noodle shops that sells spinach noodles do.

Har Kaw 【虾铰】(SGD 2.80)

Size of the Har Kaw to my thumb. If I bring my thumb forward a little, it would be the same size

Forget the taste. I was gagged when I saw how small the har kaw was. It was way overprice in my opinion. Nonetheless, I must give credit where credit is due. The ripple pattern was beautifully crafted and the chef must be skillful enough to make that.



They must be quite confident to set up a store right across the famous Tiong Bahru Bakery Shop. I applause them for their bravery but however in my opinion, I feel that sooner or later, the restaurant will be overshadow by Tiong Bahru Bakery Shop. Better bring your A game Lai Kee Dim Sum !

Expected Damage Per Person: SGD 3 - 12

Operating Hours:

Monday to Sunday: 7.30am - 10pm

190 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, Toa Payoh Central
#01- 528
Singapore 310190

Contact Num: 8128 9970

Sadly, there is no offical website

Here is where Lai Kee Dim Sum can be found: