Soon Lee Porridge Review: Famous Hainanese Porridge Under $4 At Clementi Food Centre

Though deceptively simple in appearance, the bowls of porridge at Soon Lee Porridge pack a nice punch. Soon Lee Porridge’s menu is simple, and they only sell three types of Hainanese porridge, with the option to add an egg.

The stall has been based in Clementi since 1980, and it’s at present helmed by the third-generation. A man of a few words, the current owner took over the reins from his father at the age of 20, having learnt the tricks of the trade since the tender age of nine. Hainanese porridge is traditionally thicker and grainier than other types of porridge, such as Cantonese and Teochew porridge.

At Soon Lee Porridge, each bowl of Hainanese porridge is made to order. Food at Soon Lee Porridge Many have asserted that Soon Lee’s Pork Porridge ($3 for small) is their favourite among the three types, so I had to get it.

The bowl was filled with a decent amount of porridge, and for $3, it was worth it. My usual practice of adding an egg to my bowl of porridge cost me 30 cents here, and its quotation was reasonable.

The egg yolk was rather fragile, and upon settling on my spoon, a slight lift was all it took to break it. Unlike me, my dining companion was a fish lover, and she clamoured persistently for the Fish Porridge ($3.50) .

Soon Lee porridge uses Batang fish, and the meat tasted light and slightly tangy. It was also unfortunate that I detected a fish bone in one of the chunks as the pieces of fish were supposed to be deboned.

The porridge had a nice fishy taste to it, and I was glad that it did not overpower my palate, unlike some bowls of fish porridge. A generous amount of ginger slices were present in the bowl, which gave every mouthful of porridge some welcome bursts of heat and zest. The final item that completed the trio was the Chicken Porridge ($3.50) .

Sadly, I found the chicken porridge to be the least tasty option among the three. Though the chicken slices were small, the portion of chicken given was rather generous.

Each piece of chicken was succulent and had a good amount of chewiness. Ambience at Soon Lee Porridge Soon Lee Porridge is situated in the crowded Clementi Market and Food Centre.

The verdict Soon Lee Porridge serves up tasty bowls of porridge at wallet-friendly rates, and the long queues and waiting times at any time of the day are a testament to that.