Petai King – First of its Kind in Singapore!

Petai, otherwise known as stink bean or bitter bean, or in Chinese as 臭豆, is notorious for its strong, overpowering smell which some might link to methane gas, which we are all too familiar with! xD But jokes aside, if you are able to overlook their smell of these beans and try them, there are plenty of benefits! For one, it lowers the risk of high blood pressure. These beans also contain a good portion of fatty acids which promotes healthy hearts. Certainly, I can continue listing the many benefits of these green beans but let us just move on to the main point of this post! That is… the famous Stink Bean Specialised Store, Petai King from Kuala Lumpur is finally here in Singapore and has opened its first stall at a coffee shop in Tanjong Pagar!

Located at the 2nd level of Block 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, it may be a little confusing to get to for first-timers.

After you walk past NTUC and POSB, turn right and then walk up the flight of stairs to the second level.

When you see Chirashi King Kong (the black & orange signboard), continue walking straight and you will reach Petai King in no time!

The coffee shop is located opposite Star Learners Childcare Centre as well.

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I reached the coffee shop at about 1730 on a weekday evening and found the entire coffee shop to be vacant except for the folks behind the drinks stall as well as those behind Petai King. I then found out that the other shop owners open from morning to around 1400 in the afternoon.

Petai King Storefront

Menu

Sambal Petai King Rice ($5.90)

I ordered their Sambal Petai King Rice for $5.90 – a price that many people would say that is pricey for rice, some beans in sambal sauce and a few pieces of achar. However, if you consider the prices of petai that is sold in supermarkets or wet markets, they go for at least $2.50-$3 for a small pack! The sambal sauce is also homemade while the generous amount of onions certainly make it an acceptable price.

Petai with onions in sambal sauce

If you are a big fan of petai, you would know that some of these beans tend to be more pungent than the others when you bite into them and be rest assured, because the ones here at Petai King certainly fits up to the bill! Every one of these beans are so deliciously pungent and they are cooked to a good consistency, neither undercooked or overcooked. The onions also helped to provide the crunch factor which compliments the beans. A word of caution though, the sambal is really REALLY spicy and is not for the faint-hearted. This is coming from someone who is just comfortable with the spice level of a McSpicy burger. I would say that the spice level of this homemade sambal sauce is really topping the charts of sambal sauce. So… if you are not too big a fan of spice, make sure you request for less spicy (少辣)!

Achar

The last component of the dish I ordered is Achar, otherwise known as a spicy, sweet and sour Nyonya Pickled Vegetables Mix. Most of these tend to lean towards the crunchy side but these at Petai King had a softer texture. Although I would personally prefer if they were a little more crunchy, the slight acidity and sweetness of these helped to offset the spice from the sambal by a tiny bit! (I certainly wouldn’t mind if there were more of these pickled vegetables too! xD)

For those who have never tried Petai before and you’re a little curious, yet wary about the taste, you can try some of the other items on their menu such as Sambal Petai King with Roti Prata (i believe the prata will help to balance out the taste of the petai) or the Petai King Fried Rice (with other elements of a fried rice to help to balance out the taste of the petai). If you’re coming in a big group, you can order some of their other items to share as well, such as Assam Stingray ($6.50) or Curry Chicken ($5.50). The prices are really affordable for the other dishes!

 

PETAI KING

Address: Block 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #02-04/05，Singapore 082001

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar

Opening Hours: 

Monday – Saturday 0900-2000

Closed on Sundays

 

 

 

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