Beloved Heritage Hokkien Restaurant Beng Hiang Has Reopened In An Unlikely Venue
The 48-year-old eatery closed its no-frills Jurong flagship last year. Its new digs are at Shangri-La S’pore. Why the huge upgrade?
One of Singapore's oldest Hokkien restaurants has been resurrected. And in the most unexpected of venues.
Beng Hiang, the 48-year-old heritage restaurant known for old-school favourites like Hokkien mee, kong bak bao and fish maw soup, has reopened at Shangri-La Singapore as part of a new culinary residency.
The residency, which is not intended to be permanent, has transformed the Garden Terrace — an indoor-outdoor event space at Shangri-La Singapore — into the restaurant's new home, with seating for about 80 guests.
Founded in 1978, the Hokkien restaurant first opened on Murray Street before relocating to Amoy Street in the 1980s, where it spent the bulk of its history and became a popular gathering spot for family meals and celebrations. It later moved to a humbler heartland locale in Jurong East in 2015, where it continued serving generations of diners before closing late last year.
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A new chapter led by familiar faces
While Beng Hiang's founding family is no longer involved in the current restaurant's daily operations, they remain connected to the brand and continue to offer advice when needed, a Shangri-la spokesperson tells 8days.sg.
Instead, the restaurant's latest chapter is being led by longtime members of the Beng Hiang team.
Among them are Food & Beverage Manager Tony Leong and sous chef Tan Peng Chiew, both of whom worked at the restaurant previously. Shangri-La Singapore says more than 10 staff members from Beng Hiang's former Jurong East outlet have continued the journey at the new restaurant.
Chef Tan was personally mentored by the restaurant's founders and now oversees the dishes that helped build Beng Hiang's reputation over the years.
Why operate in a luxury hotel?
The reopening marks a notable shift for a restaurant long associated with hearty and traditional Hokkien cooking rather than swish hotel dining. Part of Beng Hiang’s charm at its former locales was its gaudy, old-fashioned decor with no-frills tablecloths and retro red carpeting.
Photo: Google Maps/Freddy Kua
Fancier decor
Instead of the traditional, no-frills banquet-style dining room, diners can now expect a lighter, more contemporary space featuring upholstered seating, botanical wall murals and a dedicated tea counter, though the restaurant says the flavours customers grew up with remain unchanged.
Photo: Google Maps/Gohht 13
How the residency came about
According to Shangri-La Singapore, the goal was never to reinvent Beng Hiang but to give the heritage brand a platform to reach new diners while preserving what made it popular in the first place.
"The decision to bring Beng Hiang to Shangri-La Singapore was never about changing its identity, but about preserving and celebrating its rich culinary heritage in a way that remains relevant for today's diners," the hotel tells 8days.sg.
How did this unlikely partnership even come about? Well, Beng Hiang is said to be one of Shangri-La Group founder and chairman Robert Kuok's favourite restaurants. The hospitality group acquired Beng Hiang restaurant in 2015, with this latest residency marking its newest chapter.
Photo: Instagram/benghiangrestaurant
Menu prices have also increased by about 10 to 20 per cent compared to the former Jurong East restaurant, says the Shangri-La rep.
Old faves like Hokkien mee and kong bak pau back on menu
Seven of Beng Hiang's signature dishes have been retained as part of the reopening.
Among the returning favourites is the dark, saucy Beng Hiang Seafood Hokkien Noodle ($22, feeds three), featuring fat noodles braised in a house-made pork bone and prawn broth with sticky soy sauce and finished with crispy pork lard.
Other signatures include the Superior Crab Meat and Fish Maw Broth ($20 per pax or $68 for four), Crispy Oyster Omelette ($25) served with homemade chilli sauce, Slow-Braised Pork Belly with Steamed Bun ($25 for five pcs) and Braised Duck with Sea Cucumber ($68).
The restaurant is also bringing back its Crispy Five-Spice Pork Roll and Prawn Ball ($18), better known to many diners as hae chor.
Diners looking to splurge can order Beng Hiang’s well-loved Cherry Wood Charcoal-Roasted Boneless Suckling Pig ($358), which requires two days' pre-order
New dishes to try
Alongside its classics, there is a selection of new dishes developed for its Shangri-La residency.
Highlights include the Tea-Smoked Crispy Chicken ($30), featuring crisp-skinned chicken infused with aromatic tea smoke; Fuzhou Fish Noodle with Seafood ($20), Slow-Braised Hokkien Duck with Aged Ginger ($40) and Fuzhou-style Prawns with Fermented Red Rice Wine ($78).
Another new addition is the Fujian-style Steamed Mud Crab with Glutinous Rice ($138, feeds six to eight). The dish must be pre-ordered at least one day in advance.
Diners can also expect lighter dishes such as Crystal Jellyfish with Yongchun Aged Vinegar ($15) and a DIY Seafood Popiah Set ($58, feeds five pax).
A tea programme inspired by Fujian province
A new Fujian heritage tea programme has also been introduced as part of the refreshed dining experience.
The selection includes Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao, Anxi Tieguanyin and Fuzhou Jasmine Dragon Pearl teas, available as both traditional hot brews ($12 per person) and cold brews ($8 per person).
According to the restaurant, the programme draws inspiration from Fujian, the birthplace of Hokkien culture, and is designed to complement communal dining and conversation around the table.
Guests dining at Beng Hiang from June 26 to July 10 will receive a welcome gift and a sure-win giveaway.
Shangri-La Circle members will also earn double dining points until July 31.
Beng Hiang is located at Shangri-La Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Rd, S258350. Open Tue-Sun, 11.30am-2.30pm & 6pm-9.30pm. Reservations: 6221 6695 / 6221 6684. More info via website and Instagram.
Photos: Beng Hiang
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