Ex-HK Singer Sells Pan-Fried Pork Buns So Juicy, They Squirt Soup On Customers & Walls
If you’re a frequent traveller to Hong Kong, you may have heard of popular local sheng jian bao chain Ging Sun Ho King Of Bun 坚信号上海生煎皇. Besides its signature pan-fried pork soup bun, the casual eatery, which boasts 13 outlets across Hong Kong, also offers classic Shanghainese fare like xiao long bao and dan dan noodles.
Founded by Oscar Siu, former singer of Cantopop duo Bliss, in 2010, Ging Sun Ho will be opening its first overseas outpost at the basement of Tampines Mall later this month. It was supposed to open on September 4 but has since been delayed.
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Singapore has a special place in his heart
8days.sg met up with Oscar when he was in town for the restaurant’s pre-opening earlier this week. During our chat, the towering 43-year-old, who’s married to Hong Kong singer-actress Elanne Kong, shares that he picked Singapore for his first overseas outlet as the city holds fond memories for him. He invested around S$500K to start the eatery.
Prior to joining showbiz in 2006, Oscar was a model and would frequently come to Singapore for jobs. “I would go to Orchard Road every day and eat chicken rice at Lucky Plaza, so Singapore has always felt very familiar,” he says in a mix of Mandarin and Cantonese.
Ideally, he would like to open at least five outlets in Singapore, with one in Orchard Road as the area is nostalgic to him. As the buns are best eaten freshly cooked, he wanted his first shop to be in a residential area with high footfall, so his local friend suggested Tampines. "There are a few malls nearby and a lot of foot traffic. It is also near the MRT," says Oscar.
Why’s a Hong Konger selling Shanghainese buns?
According to Oscar, he was never really interested in cooking. After leaving his music career behind in 2007, he worked as a model in Shanghai, and that was when he developed a love affair with sheng jian bao.
“When I ate it for the first time in Shanghai, I wondered why we don’t have such soupy sheng jian bao in Hong Kong. The meat in the bun is usually dry and there’s no soup, so I wanted to bring this authentic sheng jian bao to Hong Kong,” he says.
“I ate bao every day, I think I tried all the sheng jian baos in Shanghai.”
Worked a year as bao assistant in Shanghai hospital canteen
Determined to master this culinary art, he searched online for a bao master who would teach him how to make the buns and finally landed a job working as a helper in a hospital canteen. There, Oscar and his business partner dedicated a year to learning the intricacies of traditional bun-making before opening their first outlet, a takeaway shop in Mong Kok in 2010.
“When we opened our first shop, we did everything ourselves, from making our own baos from scratch to deliveries and cleaning. We worked 16-hour days, and it was really tough,” he recalls.
They also faced criticism for their buns, which were sometimes burnt or undercooked. When we ask if it’s ironic that they call themselves ‘King of Bun’, Oscar says they are misunderstood: “Actually, we named ourselves ‘King of Bun’ as that is our goal. But a lot of people thought we [regard ourselves as the best]. They said, ‘You can’t even get the basics right and you still call yourselves the king.’”
We put Oscar’s bao-making skills to the test
Well, the brand has certainly come a long way. Today, it’s the largest and most well-known sheng jian bao chain in Hong Kong.
During our photoshoot, we ask Oscar to whip us up some sheng jian bao and he gamely agrees.
Guaranteed to burst in your mouth
Ging Sun Ho prides itself for its soupy sheng jian bao, which is crispy and golden-brown at the bottom, and bursts with soup when you bite into it, offering what they call a “mouthful of soup” experience.
“Our slogan is 一口爆湯 which means the soup explodes in your mouth. If there’s no soup in your bun, inform our staff and we’ll change a new one for you. Guaranteed,” declares Oscar.
As the buns are hand-wrapped, there could be a hole at the bottom, causing soup to leak while cooking, explains Oscar. He recommends eating buns within 10 minutes so they are juicy.
Soup stains all over the shops’ walls
Oscar tells us that soup squirting is such a common occurrence at Ging Sun Ho that some of the wooden tables in their Hong Kong outlets are permanently stained.
“The walls are stained too and are very sticky. We have to wipe them down daily with hot water,” he chuckles.
In fact, the brand has received so many complaints of customers squirting soup on fellow diners or scalding themselves that tables now have warnings and tips on how to best enjoy their soupy baos.
“There was a boy who posted a complaint on our Facebook page saying the soup dripped onto his new white sneakers and stained them. When we found out he’s a student, we offered to pay him back. We don’t do this for everyone, otherwise we will be overwhelmed with complaints,” shares Oscar.
The look
Decked out in blue and light wood tones, the 46-seater eatery boasts a similar design as the Hong Kong outlets, with booth seats and an open-concept glass kitchen where you can see the chefs in action.
The menu
Ging Sun Ho offers seven bun and dumpling dishes, including their soup-squirting sheng jian bao ($5.80 for three pcs), xiao long bao ($6 for four pcs) and pork and chive dumplings in soup ($8 for eight pcs). Meanwhile, appetisers and snacks like cumin chicken wings and hot and sour soup are priced from $4.80.
For something more filling, there are rice and noodle dishes such as dan dan noodles, scallion noodles, Sichuan boiled fish, and signature pork chop served with your choice white rice, vegetable rice or noodles in soup, from $9.50. Set meals for two are available at $49.80.
According to Oscar, prices are comparable to that of Hong Kong, and there is no service charge.
Ging Sun Ho is known for its innovative sheng jian bao flavours such as Japanese curry and kimchi, and when business stabilises, there are plans to introduce some of these exotic baos as well as Singapore-exclusive dishes.
Sheng Jian Bao, $5.80 for three pcs (8 DAYS Pick!)
Featuring a crispy base and thin, chewy top, the sheng jian bao that Oscar made is as juicy as he promised. The golf ball-sized bun, generously stuffed with savoury pork, explodes with flavour and pork broth when we bite into it. We tapowed a couple of buns home and they were still juicy when we heated them up two hours later.
Pork And Chive Wontons In Spicy Sauce, $8 for six pcs
Don’t be fooled by its name or the layer of red chilli oil, these petite boiled dumplings aren’t as spicy as they look. Thanks to the Sichuan peppercorns, the shiok sauce is more numbing than spicy and complements the savoury wontons nicely.
Signature Pork Chop With Vegetable Rice, $13
Another crowd favourite is the boneless pork chop. Seasoned in a marinade that consists of honey and gula melaka, the sweet pork chop reminds us of bak kwa. Instead of deep-frying, the meat is cooked in a combi oven so it is succulent, juicy and tender to the bite.
Our order is served with fragrant Shanghai-style vegetable rice, where xiao bai cai and lard are added to rice to infuse it with flavour. Also available with plain white rice or noodles in pork bone-based soup.
Dan Dan Noodles, $9.80 (8 DAYS Pick!)
These dan dan noodles are the perfect combination of savoury and spicy. The rich, nutty broth which boasts a generous kick of spice, is addictive, and the springy la mian-style noodles have a satisfying bite. The bowl is topped with fried minced meat and chopped peanuts for some crunch.
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