Popiah

I don't know why, but I feel like out of most of the Qiji outlets I've tried, the one at Shaw Towers serves the best popiah! It's sooooo fat and full of ingredients because the serves are really generous and the skin is a lot more springy and fresh than most outlets. And they roll it really tight just the way I like it.

One of the oldest establishments in Singapore in making popiah, this place certainly did not disappoint. They usually add stuffings like crab meat (imitation kind, which I'm not a fan off so I request it not to be inside) so I guess I'm not fully able to rate this popiah. Nevertheless, the popiah is definitely one of the better ones I've had, with soft and chewy skin and perfectly fried crunchy bits in the popiah which gave it extra oomph factor. Yes I would gladly eat this again!

Cucumbers in popiah! This is the first time I've had cucumbers 🥒 which made me get taken aback when I first ate it. This is perhaps the healthiest rendition of the popiah, with the addition of both cooked and raw vegetables and a sauce that was light to the palate, without being overly sweet. The skins were better than most factory made ones, though still not as soft as I like, being slightly harder to chew than those freshly made or well-kept ones. There wasn't much crunch bits, except for peanuts, though I would have preferred if they also added fried garlic crisps to add extra crunchiness. This falls in the mid-range of popiahs in Singapore, but it's really not bad for a chain store!

I've heard many people tell me that their popiah standards have fallen over the years, while prices have increased. But this has never stopped me from calling this place 'my favourite popiah' in Singapore. The auntie rolls them very thick, just the way I like it, and very tight, such that each bite you can get every bit of ingredients stuffed in the popiah. Everything here is done right: from the soft popiah skin (that magically holds everything together without breaking or falling apart) to the flavourful turnips that remain soft enough to the bite with the adequate amount of crunch. If you're a fan of the crunchy fried bits, Cosy Corner pops their own rice which makes the crunchy part stay crunchy for quite some time (at least long enough for me to carry this popiah home) and they are generous with it too! I hear their chilli is also damn shiok - but my spice tolerance is too low, I think I'll cry if I ate it. 😂 Lots of people order their popiah so be sure to spend quite some time waiting. Some days I spend 20 minutes, while other days I get it within 5 minutes so it all depends on your luck!

This was from a store aptly called 'Rojak, Popiah and Cockles'. Being one of the awardees of the 'City Hawker Food Hunt' for the best Popiah in Singapore, I had to give a shot. Sadly, this isn't one of the best popiah I've eaten, and it probably isn't a popiah I would crave or return to either. The skin was quite tough to eat and chew, nothing like the handmade popiah skins that are delicate and soft. And the radishes were more wet than the usual popiah, leaving the popiah a lot more soggy than I'd like it to be. Nevertheless, Maxwell has other food options like Zhen Zhen Porridge and Min Jiang Kueh that I'd gladly eat any day.