13 Delicious Popiah Rolls that You Need in Your Life

Thin skin and rich ingredients make an excellent roll of popiah. The Hokkiens believe that wrapping popiah is akin to wrapping gold and silver, which is a symbol of good luck. In the past, popiah was only prepared during major festivals. However, we are now able to get our popiah fix anytime and anywhere – lucky us! Popiah was said to have started in the Ming Dynasty, when an imperial officer was too busy writing his official documents to have a proper meal. His wife chopped up some ingredients and wrapped it in a thin flour skin for her husband. And so, the humble popiah was born.

Here is a list of 13 popiah stalls where you can get your popiah fix. With more hawkerpreneurs jumping on the popiah bandwagon and bringing new and innovative fillings to the table, the popiah scene is sure to get more interesting with time.

Ann Chin Popiah @ Chinatown

With 7 outlets under their belt, Ann Chin is one of the most popular popiah places in Singapore! Their main outlet, which is the one we visited, is nestled on the second level of Chinatown Food Complex. The skin of the Popiah ($1.60 for 1, $3 for 2) is handmade in-store and is especially thin. Instead of getting soggy, the popiah remains dry, chewy, and crunchy. I loved the spicy chilli which provided a real kick and elevated the flavours of the popiah. The popiah usuals such as green shredded lettuce leaves, beansprouts (tau gay), sliced carrots, garlic, crispy bits, peanuts and eggs are included in this roll of 5, but they have lesser cooked turnip, as compared to other stalls.

If you’re looking to have a popiah party in the comfort of your own home, you can get their DIY sets (from $30).

Mr Popiah @ AMK Hub

Established in 1995, Mr Popiah boasts a wide range of innovative flavours. Think salmon popiah pizza, fish fillet popiah and fruit popiah cups. Madam Li Li Hong first started pushing out these unique popiah after she attended a food fair in Germany with her son in 2015. They realised that the versatile popiah skin can be adapted to cater to the tastebuds of youngsters in Singapore and overseas markets.

Of course, they have the classic Nyonya Popiah ($2) as well. The friendly aunty manning the store recommended the Popiah Chicken Burrito ($5) which is their bestseller. It is an interesting combination of a Mexican burrito with coleslaw and roasted chicken, and the traditional Chinese popiah with peanuts and Chinese-style vegetables. The ‘fusion’ dish worked surprisingly well! The roasted chicken came with onions and was warm and flavourful. However, the thin skin got soggy and disintegrated mid-way through our meal. So, eat quickly.

Glory Catering

If your favourite part of a popiah is the sauce, then Glory Catering’s popiah is for you. The popiah has so much sauce that it leaks out onto the plate! Mixed with a liberal amount of garlic, the popiah is simply bursting with ingredients. As Glory Catering is primarily a peranakan store, they serve the Nyonya version of popiah.

What’s so special about it? Well, unlike the usual popiah skin which is made from wheat flour mixed with water and some salt, the Nyonya version uses egg roll wrappers. This means that egg is added to their dough! As a result, it is chewier, has a richer taste and almost feels ‘elastic’. They also use freshly-ground chilli instead of the normal chilli sauce in our usual Singaporean-style popiah. The cooked prawn which is added inside is probably why it has a higher price point at $3 a roll. Instead of hard boiled egg, shredded cooked egg is added.

Although I prefer popiah with a drier skin, many peranakan families swear by Glory’s Catering’s traditional popiah, and it’s worth a try!

Old Long House Popiah

Since 1930, Old Long House has been selling Popiah with no MSG, no artificial colourings, no preservatives, no pork & no lard. Their turnip is very juicy and sweet. Eggs, bean sprouts, coriander are some other ingredients added into the thick but chewy popiah skin. They add crispy fish batter into their popiah and we love that extra crunch!

My Cosy Corner

At a corner in level 2 of Coronation Plaza stands My Cozy Corner, a homely and no-frills eatery. Mr Leong has been serving up his popular popiah at Coronation Shopping Plaza since 1988. Following a recipe from his famous aunt, the late cookbook author Leong Yee Soo, Mr Leong crafts big fat rolls of popiah. The skin is very soft and carefully kept in a special air-tight container so that it doesn’t lose its moisture. Each popiah is made to order, and served to you fresh and piping hot. What makes this particular popiah special is the incorporation of a generous amount of crispy bits that are made from parboiled rice. The Peranakan owner uses Nyonya-style fiery and aromatic chili sauce that promises to leave you craving for more!

P.S. While you’re there, try their excellent Nyonya-style laksa, mee siam, mee rebus and kueh pie tee as well.

Kway Guan Huat

Kway Guan Huat (Joo Chiat Original Popiah Skin & Kueh Pie Tee) is one place you can visit to see the workers making popiah skin on the spot. With most popiah stalls getting their skins from suppliers, it is rare to find popiah skin that is made on the spot. Kway Guan Huat started since 1938 and has been around for more than 70 years! 

We tried their Crab Popiah ($2). The skin was still warm when served, and it was thin and soft. The popiah was packed to the brim with generous fillings such as turnip, carrot, egg, lettuce and beansprouts. Although the crab fillings were not visible, the sweetness of the crab was evident. Also, Kway Guan Huat adds fried fish crips, which gives a crunchy texture.

Jit It Thai San Popiah 日益太山薄饼

Jit It Thai Sun is run by 2 elderly. The queue might look short but the wait for the coveted popiahs might go up to 25 minutes. As age has caught up with the stall owners, do be patient! The popiah here stands out for a few different reasons. Firstly, the skin of the popiah is thin and soft. The skin is wrapped rather loosely around turnip, beansprouts, hardboiled eggs and peanuts. Secondly, the popiah comes with garlic. Although it is common, the garlic here is especially strong and fragrant. The flavour of the popiah is enhanced as a result. Lastly, they have a special chilli reminiscent of sambal. The combination of chilli and garlic makes for a scrumptious and delectable roll of popiah.

By the way, the beansprouts are cooked in small batches to ensure that they stay warm. So now you know, good food is worth the wait!

Good Chance Popiah

Good Chance Popiah Eating House brings back the joy of wrapping popiah. Good Chance’s version of popiah is extremely old-school and authentic. The restaurant, which has 2 outlets, was founded by Mr. Hou Shen Hu in 1977. He was born in Long Xi, Fu Jian Province, and cultivated his culinary skills under the guidance of his parents.

Fillings include ribbons of omelette, beansprouts, lettuce, coriander, chopped peanuts, sweet soy sauce, garlic, chilli paste, prawns and crab meat. 

Ping Kee Popiah

Ping Kee is well known among residents who stay around this area. This homey-tasting popiah is moist, yet not soggy. In just a single bite, you can taste the freshness and juiciness of the ingredients and feel the crunchiness of the bean sprouts wrapped within, all at the same time. The ‘mengkuang” (Malay for shredded turnip) is perfectly marinated. Overall, the popiah has the right balance of sweetness and fragrance and leaves me feeling very satisfied. Do remember to request for additional chilli for a higher level of spiciness – just for a good kick!

Souperstar @ East Point Mall

This interesting concept was started by two sisters in their 20s, Wei Ting and Wei Ling. Having spent the bulk of their childhood helping out at their parents’ family business (Fortune Foods which specialises in popiah skins), they came up with the idea of “a living craft – popiah” to appeal to more people, especially the younger generation. Using the traditional popiah skin that they are familiar with, the sisters created jazzed up versions of the traditional popiah. For those who are watching your diet, the Sesame Chicken Popiah ($3.80) is a good option with tender slices of roast chicken, juicy cherry tomatoes, coral lettuce and creamy white sesame sauce. 

They also have The Traditional ($2.50) which has a beautiful harmony of more than 10 ingredients skillfully wrapped into a full-flavoured traditional Chinese popiah. We couldn’t resist the slow-cooked turnip with chopped peanuts, crispy bits, boiled eggs, shredded cucumbers and cilantro. Add a little sweet sauce, minced garlic and shrimp sambal and you have the perfect combination.

Lagoon Carrot Cake

Although this stall doesn’t have the word ‘popiah’ in its name, their popiah is awesome! The stall was first set up by Mr. Ang’s father at a back alley located in MacPherson. Currently, Mr. Ang, a 2nd-generation hawker, is running the stall at East Coast Lagoon Food Village. The stall was originally known for their fried carrot cake. It was only 13 years ago that Mr. Ang started selling popiah after learning the secret recipe from a friend. Mr. Ang’s popiah won the “Best of the Best” popiah in City Hawker Food Hunt last year. The popiah was generously filled and has a good combination of textures. We love the juiciness, as well as, the crunch from the beansprouts.

Qing Tian Yong Tau Foo

Although the sign states that the popiah counter is open from 11am onwards, we had to wait till 12.20pm for it to be ready. Do grab a bowl of their yong tau foo while waiting, as it seems to be rather popular and had a steady queue. Their popiah is popular as well, with most customers buying in bulk to take away. Our roll of popiah came with the usual chilli, sweet sauce, garlic, hard boiled egg, peanuts, crab meat bits, beansprouts, whole lettuce leaves and turnip. The popiah skin here is thicker and chewier compared to the rest that we have tried, but it holds the ingredients well. The well-seasoned turnip helps to balance out the strong garlicky taste. Their chilli packs a punch as well!

Fu Cheng Popiah 富城食品

I originally wanted to try Qin Carrot Cake’s Popiah (#01-156). However, they were not available on the day that I went. The aunty manning the store kindly suggested that I try Fu Cheng’s popiah instead, and I did not leave disappointed. They have a few branches around Singapore and the one at Old Airport Road serves excellent popiah! The peanuts and crispy bits were well portioned out, and the fillings were tightly wrapped in a thin skin that was slightly crispy. The turnips are well drained, but are slightly bland. Do ask for more chilli to get an extra kick and to balance out the sweetness of the nuts! By the way, they are halal-certified as well.

P.S. There are THREE popiah stalls at Old Airport Road Food Centre! Let us know which one is your favourite!

Popiah is one of those foods that make for a great snack in between meals, or even as a meal if you’re looking for something lighter. You can even order a few rolls to share. We hope that this list of popiah spots will satisfy your tummies!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!