Sin Heng Kee Porridge at Blk 685 Hougang St 61 super crowded due to renewed interest by S'pore foodies

It has been there for a long time but there has been renewed interest online.

Belmont Lay | October 13, 2022, 11:33 AM

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Sin Heng Kee Porridge at Block 685 Hougang Street 61 has seen business boom the past few months owing to fresh interest by foodies in Singapore.

Shin Min Daily News reported that a 10m queue forms on weekends as droves of people head to that part of Hougang specially to eat the porridge at affordable prices, despite the outlet having existed for years now.

Known for its thick congee and flavourful protein ingredients, the Chinese press attributed the surge in renewed interest in Sin Heng Kee Porridge to foodies sharing about the congee on Facebook.

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Those who do not live in the vicinity and have not tried it before have their curiosity piqued after hearing about it for the first time.

Crowds get in the way sometimes

However, a 72-year-old Hougang resident, who is a retiree, told Shin Min that the crowds have inconvenienced her as getting to the shop next to Sin Heng Kee Porridge has been a hassle.

She said: "I'm of average stature, and I don't even have room to squeeze through. The elderly in wheelchairs, they won't be able to pass through."

As a result, she has to walk around the crowds and that involves having to approach the shop beside Sin Heng Kee Porridge via the road, which she feels is dangerous for someone her age.

She added that she hopes the congee business owner can do something about crowd control.

When a Shin Min reporter popped by on Sunday to check out the scene, it was observed that diners were conscious of their presence and will make way for others who were passing by along the shop's corridor.

Crowd control management in place

The 57-year-old owner of the porridge shop apologised for the inconvenience caused to residents, explaining that it takes time to cook porridge.

Moreover, the 10 or so employees at the shop are generally getting on with age and are not as nimble and cannot move as fast as young and spritely workers, she said.

These factors contribute to the longer wait for the food.

However, she added that she has staff dedicated to getting crowds in line and off the road, when the situation calls for it.

She added: "We've been hiring people to work, but young people cannot get used to it as it can be tiring and won't work too long, so we are generally short-handed."

The owner said the better business in recent months has been due to social media postings that have drummed up even more interest.

Sin Heng Kee Porridge has another outlet at Block 101 Yishun Avenue 5.

Top photos via CT Ang & Shin Min Daily News