Guang Liang Cooked Food – Comforting Kway Chap at Bedok Reservoir is a Must-Try

If there’s one hawker store that will always make me feel at home, it’ll probably be Guang Liang Cooked Food.

Situated at the heart of Bedok Reservoir Road, they have garnered a loyal following with their humble but filling bowl of kway chap with their comforting aroma of slow-braised pig parts and kway that makes you want to come back for more.

Brief history

I’ve been a regular customer of Guang Liang as long as I can remember. Roughly around 25 years, I’d say? Regardless of Guang Liang’s longevity, one thing’s for certain; Guang Liang has been a considerable part of people’s lives in Bedok Reservoir Road.

The experience

I joined the line at around 6.15pm on a Wednesday, the earliest I could on a weekday. I was dying to satiate my craving for it after weeks of attending to important matters.

Pro-tip: Arrive early in the morning at 6am onward, as the store tends to have long queues. Don’t be deceived by the short visible line even if you’re early; you may assume there’s only one or two people before you, but most probably there’s already a backlog of three or four people that the store’s keeping track for takeouts, or orders for the elderly who are unable to stand in line due to mobility issues.

Sure, kway chap may be eaten any time of day in Singapore, but it’s best eaten as breakfast or brunch with Guang Liang since they are only available in the morning and early afternoons.

Taste Test: Kway chap set for one ($5) + Extra large bowl of kway ($1)

The kway (flat, broad rice sheets) and the ingredient platter are two halves of a whole; they both play equally important roles in establishing the dish’s identity. The kway is smooth, slurp-worthy and coats itself with the broth very well. In the occasion that the kway sticks by itself, all you have to do is to flatten it before letting it absorbs the broth properly.

The broth is salty at the right intensity and just the right level, further enhanced by the fried garlic scattered and floating above the kway. It might make some of you reach out for a drink, but the saltiness is totally worth it. So pleasant that you might take the plunge and drink all the broth till its last drop. Yup, it’s that good.

At first glance, the ingredient platter seem rather typical. Tau pok (fried tofu puffs), pork belly, pig’s intestines/innards, pig skin, braised egg, fishcake, and sometimes firm braised tofu depending on the day. What made Guang Liang stand out is that the ingredients, especially the tougher parts like the pig skin and innards, were prepared long enough until it’s tender enough to chew.

Highlights include the pig’s intestines/innards where odors or residues aren’t a bother, making the eating experience more enjoyable compared to preparations in other kway chap stores. The pig skin’s tender enough without taking too much time breaking it down when eaten.

Notable observations

Despite their hectic operations, one thing that you can appreciate about Guang Liang is their acceptance in accommodating most requests of what ingredients you request in your ingredients platter. As a child, I used to request for only tau pok, pork belly slices and fishcakes. With the growing aging population in Bedok Reservoir nowadays, they also accept leaving out certain ingredients if the customer wishes so, or requests for less salt or broth in their kway and ingredient platter.

Final thoughts

Building up a community of regulars over the years have solidified Guang Liang as a staple in the Bedok Reservoir Food Centre. The place has seen plenty of changes with stalls constantly changing hands every few years, but alongside a few stores, Guang Liang remains a powerhouse in the kway chap scene in Singapore that will have people coming back for more.

It’s this consistency in quality that I can never get enough of their kway chap and will always return, no matter how many kway chap stores I’ve tried across Singapore. I can assure you that you’ll come back for seconds or thirds once you try it the first time round. Besides preparing good food, they also go over and beyond by accommodating customers of their varying needs so that each customer leaves the stall satisfied with both excellent service alongside delicious food. And that’s an area which we hope more hawkers in Singapore can take heed to.

Is the long queue worth the wait? Definitely! Just be wary of the deceptively short queues even if luck’s by your side.

On another important note, the stall only accepts cash. Make sure you bring enough (physical) money before your visit.

Address & Opening Hours

Bedok Reservoir Food Centre
Block 630 Bedok Reservoir Road, #01-35, Singapore 470630
Opening Hours:
Wed to Sun, 5.30am to 1.30pm
Closed on Mon & Tue
Stall accepts cash only