Legendary Hong Kong Cafe brings a taste of cha chaan teng culture

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, November 1, 2026

Legendary Hong Kong Cafe has opened a new 68-seat location at Hougang Mall, featuring a streamlined menu of about 60 dishes that highlight unique offerings like Signature Spicy Tossed Noodles with imported dace fish wontons. This outlet brings traditional cha chaan teng flavors to Singapore’s heartland with a $300,000 investment in design and a focus on high-quality, moderately priced dim sum and rice dishes.

A new outlet of Legendary Hong Kong Cafe has opened at Hougang Mall, bringing the distinctive atmosphere and flavors of a traditional cha chaan teng to Singapore’s heartland. The 68-seat establishment debuted on October 8 and represents a more compact version of its sister restaurants located at Tampines Mall and Jurong Point.

The 1,080-square-foot space reflects an investment of nearly $300,000 in interior design and fit-out. The decor features wooden booths separated by tinted glass dividers, punctuated by colorful red, green, and pink accents. A unique ceiling installation includes four inverted mahjong tables customized with Chinese characters spelling out the restaurant’s name.

Unlike the larger locations, which offer menus with around 200 items, the new cafe presents a curated selection of approximately 60 food dishes along with 20 types of desserts and beverages. The dim sum offerings are noted for their large portions, high-quality ingredients, and moderate prices.

Among the exclusive dishes featured at the Hougang outlet is the Signature Spicy Tossed Noodles, priced at $18.80++. This dish is served with a choice of three plump dace fish and shrimp wontons. The dace fish paste, not commonly found in Singapore, is imported specially from Hong Kong and combined with fresh prawn meat to create springy wontons. These sit atop thin egg noodles coated in a moderately spicy housemade chili crisp made from dried chilies, onion, and ginger. The chili crisp is also available as a condiment, allowing diners to adjust the heat level. The accompanying broth is prepared from dried flatfish and sakura shrimp, lending a pronounced seafood flavor.

Another highlight is the Spicy Fresh Prawn Paste With Minced Pork ($5.50++), featuring prawn and pork balls made daily on-site and served in a spicy fermented bean sauce. Production is limited to 50 portions per day due to preparation demands.

Additional new items include Crispy Fried Prawn Dumplings ($6.80++), a dim sum classic with golden-fried wrappers that are light and crunchy without a strong alkaline taste. The Steamed Taro Cake ($5.50++) offers a softer texture compared to the pan-fried version available at other branches, topped with a housemade soy-based sauce. For a crispy option, the Charcoal Taro Balls ($6.20++) are deep-fried yam balls colored with charcoal powder and filled with savory-sweet char siu.

To provide more substantial meals, the cafe also offers steamed rice dishes made with Chinese short-grain pearl rice. Mini Steamed Rice With Cured Chinese Sausage ($9.80++) includes both Chinese and liver sausages, while Mini Steamed Rice With Chicken Claws & Pork Ribs In Black Bean Sauce ($9.80++) combines tender braised chicken claws with supple pork ribs in black bean sauce.

Legendary Hong Kong Cafe’s Hougang outlet is located at 01-15 Hougang Mall, 90 Hougang Avenue 10, near the Hougang MRT station. Operating hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Additional information is available on the restaurant’s Instagram page, @legendaryhongkong.

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