The Venue
Stepping into Bao Er Café’s newest Fortune Centre outlet feels like witnessing the evolution of a hawker brand finding its identity. Gone are the days of their no-frills Balestier Plaza origins. This third outlet, opening December 1st at the slightly dated Fortune Centre, presents a fascinating contradiction: an old-school mall housing a thoroughly modern interpretation of classic Singaporean breakfast fare.
The space seats 40 diners in a bright, minimalist environment dominated by light wood furniture and strategic counter seating by the windows. It’s a deliberate aesthetic choice that sets Bao Er apart from the mall’s 1980s time capsule atmosphere. The $200,000 renovation investment shows in every detail, from the staff uniforms to the cohesive branding that Jeremy Tan, the 40-year-old co-founder, promises will define future expansions.
The Signature Dishes
Kaya Toast: The Foundation of Everything
The kaya toast remains Bao Er’s calling card, and for good reason. At $6 for the set, you’re getting what Jeremy and his wife Bao Er have perfected over their journey from humble beginnings: toast with an “airily light, crispy” texture that provides the perfect canvas for their house-made kaya.
The kaya itself is described as “super lemak,” that untranslatable Malay-Hokkien term that speaks to rich, creamy coconut lusciousness. This isn’t the cloyingly sweet, one-dimensional kaya you might find at chain establishments. The house-made approach allows for nuanced flavor development—the balance of pandan fragrance, coconut cream, and caramelized palm sugar that makes each bite feel both nostalgic and elevated.
The toast’s airy lightness is crucial. Too dense, and it becomes heavy with the rich kaya. Too thin or crispy, and it shatters rather than yields. Bao Er’s version achieves that delicate equilibrium where the toast provides structural integrity while allowing the kaya to be the star. It’s comfort food executed with precision.
Hokkien Mee: The Wok Hei Chronicles
Priced at $8.80, the Hokkien mee represents the more technically challenging half of Bao Er’s signature duo. This isn’t just stir-fried noodles; it’s a dish that lives or dies by “wok hei”—that elusive, slightly charred, intensely aromatic quality that only comes from proper high-heat wok cooking.
Jeremy’s acknowledgment of quality consistency issues across outlets reveals the inherent challenge with this dish. Hokkien mee demands split-second timing, proper heat control, and the kind of muscle memory that comes from years at the wok. His solution—pre-portioned seasoning packs prepared at Balestier and distributed to other outlets—is pragmatic, addressing the sauce and seasoning consistency while the wok technique remains the wild card.
The dish traditionally combines thick yellow noodles and thin rice vermicelli, stir-fried with prawns, squid, pork belly, and bean sprouts in a rich prawn stock-based sauce. The “wok hei-packed” descriptor suggests Bao Er delivers that critical smokiness, the slightly caramelized edges on the noodles, and the depth of flavor that separates memorable Hokkien mee from merely acceptable versions.
Economic Bee Hoon: The Underrated Staple
While overshadowed by its flashier siblings, the economic bee hoon represents hawker culture at its most democratic. These customizable rice vermicelli dishes with various add-ons (fish cake, luncheon meat, egg, vegetables) are the workhorses of Singaporean breakfast and lunch culture.
Bao Er’s version likely benefits from the same attention to fundamentals that elevates their other dishes. The bee hoon should be properly separated, not clumped; the seasoning balanced; the add-ons fresh and properly cooked. It’s humble food that reveals a kitchen’s competency in the details.
The New Exclusive Menu Items
Stir-Fried Beef Hor Fun
This Fortune Centre exclusive represents an ambitious expansion of Bao Er’s repertoire. Beef hor fun is notoriously difficult to execute well. The wide, flat rice noodles are delicate and prone to breaking during high-heat stir-frying. They must be properly hydrated—not too soft, not too firm—and the wok must be scorching hot to achieve proper searing without the noodles disintegrating.
The beef needs to be thinly sliced, properly marinated, and cooked just to tender. Overcooked beef becomes tough and chewy; undercooked, and you miss the caramelization that adds depth. The vegetables—typically gai lan (Chinese broccoli) or bean sprouts—must retain their crunch while being thoroughly seasoned. The gravy, often thickened with cornstarch, should coat every strand of noodle without being gluey or watery.
This dish will be the true test of whether Bao Er can successfully expand beyond their comfort zone of toast and Hokkien mee. If they can nail the wok hei and textural balance here, it signals serious kitchen chops.
Black Pepper Pasta
Here’s where things get interesting and slightly risky. Black pepper pasta isn’t traditional Singaporean hawker fare, though fusion dishes have become increasingly common. This could go several directions: a Western-style cacio e pepe interpretation, a Singaporean black pepper crab-inspired creation, or something entirely unique to Bao Er.
The success will depend entirely on execution. Is the pasta properly cooked al dente or adapted to local preferences for slightly softer textures? Is the black pepper freshly cracked, providing aromatic heat rather than just burning spice? What protein or vegetables accompany it? The pricing will also be telling—if it’s in line with their $8-10 range, it needs to deliver significant value and flavor.
This dish represents the brand’s evolution from traditional breakfast specialists to a more comprehensive all-day café, though the pricing and execution will determine if it’s a welcome innovation or a distraction from their strengths.
House-Made Peanut Butter Toast
The peanut butter toast signals Bao Er’s confidence in their toast game. After mastering kaya toast, expanding to house-made peanut butter is a logical extension that stays within their core competency.
Quality peanut butter toast hinges on several factors: the peanut butter itself should be rich, properly ground (smooth or chunky, both valid choices), and not overly sweetened. House-made versions can control salt levels, oil content, and whether to add any flavor enhancers like honey or sea salt. Paired with their proven toast technique—that airy, crispy texture—this could be a sleeper hit.
The key question: will it be served with butter like traditional kaya toast, or will they let the peanut butter stand alone? Either way, this feels like a lower-risk innovation that plays to their established strengths.
Business Strategy & Quality Concerns
Jeremy’s candor about quality consistency issues deserves recognition. Many expanding F&B brands dismiss such complaints; addressing them head-on with the pre-portioned seasoning solution shows operational maturity. However, seasoning is only part of the equation for wok-fried dishes. The human element—wok handling, heat management, timing—remains the challenge with each new outlet and each new hire.
The $200,000 investment in the Fortune Centre outlet, compared to $150,000 for Holland Village, indicates serious commitment despite the location’s lower foot traffic and dated surroundings. The focus on consistent branding, staff uniforms, and design cohesion suggests they’re thinking beyond individual outlets toward building a scalable brand.
The partnership with Alan Ang, who brings F&B experience and connections to heartland malls like Waterway Point and Northpoint City, could be transformative. These suburban mega-malls offer higher foot traffic and family demographics that align well with Bao Er’s accessible pricing and comfort food positioning.
The challenges at Treasure Toast—struggling since the hungry ghost month—reveal the difficult realities of F&B expansion. Not every concept translates, not every location works, and timing matters. Jeremy’s willingness to acknowledge that Treasure Toast “might lose a little” while maintaining optimism about the other outlets shows realistic expectations.
The Verdict (Anticipated)
Based on Bao Er Café’s track record and the details of this new outlet, here’s what diners can likely expect:
The Sure Bets: The kaya toast will deliver. It’s their signature, they’ve perfected it, and the $6 set pricing remains competitive. The Hokkien mee should be solid, though expect some variability as the kitchen team develops their rhythm with the pre-portioned seasonings and establishes their wok technique.
The Wild Cards: The beef hor fun and black pepper pasta represent significant departures. These will either showcase impressive kitchen versatility or reveal the risks of expanding too quickly beyond core competencies. Initial execution may be inconsistent as the team finds their groove.
The Atmosphere: The modern, minimalist design will attract the Instagram crowd and provide a comfortable environment that punches above Fortune Centre’s weight class. The 40-seat capacity means weekend crowds could be an issue, though the self-service model should keep things moving.
The Value Proposition: With Hokkien mee at $8.80 and kaya toast sets at $6, Bao Er maintains competitive pricing while delivering quality that exceeds typical hawker fare. If the exclusive dishes follow similar pricing logic, this could become a go-to spot for satisfying, affordable meals in an elevated setting.
The Experience: Expect reliable execution of classics, a pleasant environment that belies its dated mall surroundings, and the growing pains of a brand learning to scale while maintaining quality. The Fortune Centre outlet represents Bao Er at an inflection point—successfully navigate this expansion, and heartland malls await; stumble, and the brand risks dilution.
Final Thoughts
Bao Er Café’s Fortune Centre outlet embodies the modern Singaporean F&B success story: hawker roots, Instagram-ready evolution, and expansion ambitions tempered by operational realities. The exclusive dishes signal confidence and growth, while Jeremy’s transparency about quality challenges and business struggles demonstrates the kind of honesty that builds long-term customer trust.
Whether they can maintain the “airily light” kaya toast and “wok hei-packed” Hokkien mee that built their reputation while successfully expanding the menu and footprint remains to be seen. But if you’re looking for elevated comfort food at hawker-friendly prices in a space that doesn’t feel like a hawker center, Bao Er’s Fortune Centre outlet deserves your attention when it opens December 1st.
Just maybe avoid the peak weekend breakfast rush until they’ve worked out the kinks.
Bao Er Café Fortune Centre
#02-06 Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road, Singapore 188979
Opening December 1, 2025
Hours: 8am-9pm daily (subject to adjustment)
Self-service | ~40 seats