Hao Lai Wu 好来屋 is a Singapore Cantonese restaurant helmed by Ex-Chef from a 5-star hotel in Hong Kong. They specialize in Cantonese food also known as Guangdong cuisine or Yue cai cuisine. Besides Cantonese food, you can also find local favorite like Singapore Chilli Crab and an assortment of Chinese food from various provinces of China.
Hao Lai Wu is popular for their live seafood restaurant. You can get live seafood such as soon hock fish aka marbled goby, abalone, Boston Lobster, spiny lobster, mud crabs, seabass, tiger grouper and more.
Quote Singaporebeauty to get Steamed Soon Hock with scallions and fresh peppercorns (香葱鲜花椒蒸顺壳鱼) for $28.80++ (U.P. 58.80), Hao Lai Wu promotion price till end of May 2025. We were told that only live fishes are used in their restaurant as they are a live seafood restaurant. The soon hock fish or marbled goby is super tender and delicate. Fish connoisseur will love this fish with its gelatinous head and tender fish cheek.
The fish meat are thick sliced and lightly poached to retain its delicate silky texture with its natural seafood sweetness. The fish meat is dressed with a slightly smoky rich soy sauce that enhances the freshness of the fish, topped with refreshing aroma of scallions and clusters of fresh peppercorn. This is one of the must try signature dish in Hao Lai Wu for their Cantonese cuisine menu.
Flaming Chicken 火焰舞鸡($58) is a must try showstopper. This specialty dish is one of the signature dish curated by Chef Mok and team. A whole chicken is served tableside on a stand whereby the chicken is flambéed by coating the chicken with a rose infused wine and setting it alit. Enjoy a feast for both the eyes and the taste palate, it taste as good as it looks. The air is infused with a floral and fruity aroma in the process and skin of the chicken becomes extra crisp and light.
After the tableside show, you can either opt for the chicken to be chopped to bite size or enjoy it like the Flintstones. The chicken is served with an old school five spice salt (淮盐) and unique candied chilli dip.
Preparation for this flaming Chicken is laborious and delicate. You need to pre-prepare by drying the chicken before drenching it in hot flaming oil to achieve that savoury crispy skin and retaining the juicy meat. This is definitely one of the dishes to try when you are there.
Here’s Hao Lai Wu Burlington Square review after trying their chef recommendations. For seafood lovers, you can find live seafood cooked in a variety of ways and an assortment of old school style of Cantonese food with on point seasoning helmed by Chef Mok. The beautiful platting and vibrant dishes will also wow your guest in addition to the classy interiors.
Singapore Chilli Crab 新加坡辣椒螃蟹 ($48++) is a relatively medium size crab that is between 600-700 grams that is good for sharing among 2 pax.
They only use live mud crab from their live seafood tank for this dish. If you are craving for an authentic Singapore Chilli Crab dish, you can give this a try.
Check out the grains on the claws of this mud crab. The distinct visible marbling and the moist chunky meat are tell-tale signs of a tasty sweet crab.
The sauce is also on point with a subtle heat and a tangy tomato like base sauce laced with silky ribbons of egg. Get a plate of golden mantou that is crisp on the outside and soft inside to soak the goodness.
As with all Cantonese feast, you need to start the feast with a Leng Pan 冷盘. This is their Abalone and sashimi Leng Pan 冰镇鲍鱼拼三文鱼 ($68). It consist of sake steamed abalone with Japanese soy sauce and mirin, thick cut salmon sashimi and sake toro aka salmon belly. The sake toro is more buttery and fatty compared to the salmon sashimi. Heighten the umaminess of these with a splash of fresh lemon and lime for their citrusy kick. You can also enjoy the sashimi the good old way with soy sauce and a nibble of wasabi.
This sake steamed South African Abalone (南非鲍鱼) with soy sauce and mirin are of a premium quality, not the $1 frozen abalone you can get from local supermarket. This sake steamed abalone is tender and very delicate, you can cut them like butter with a fork and knife.
Sea Cucumber with Pumpkin Millet 小米辽参 (seasonal price) is a tender sea cucumber with a gelatinous texture and rich in collagen. This dish is single serving meant to be enjoyed with a fork and knife.
This Japanese Kanto sea cucumber (日本关东刺参) cuts like butter and is best enjoyed with the smooth sweet pumpkin millet bisque.
You can also try their Butter Cheese Baked Lobster with Yee noodle 牛油芝士焗澳龙伊面 (seasonal price). The lobster is meaty with a springy texture. You can enjoy the yi mien aka Cantonese egg noodle coated with a rich buttery sauce while soaking up the oceanic flavours of the lobster meat.
They also have a variety of dishes such as Salt-baked chicken 盐焗鸡. Hao Lai Wu is having a promotion for this chicken, quote Singaporebeauty to get a whole Salt-Baked chicken 盐焗鸡 promotion price of $23.80 ++ (U.P. 44) till end of May 2025.
They also have other dishes such as Red stewed duck tongue (油卤鸭利) $12.80, Ginseng and black chicken soup (花旗参乌鸡汤) $8, Golden Phoenix Tail shrimp (金丝凤尾虾) $28.80, Steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli (蒜蓉粉丝开边蒸老虎虾) $28.80, Kai lan with ginger sauce 姜汁芥兰 $14.80, Mango sago (杨枝甘露) $3 and more.
Kitchen is helmed by seasoned Chef Mok with more than 30 years experience. We were told he is the ex-chef of a 5 star hotel in Hong Kong, a Private Prestige Country Club with 700 kitchen staff and also a popular chef with Hong Kong celebrities. He is now in Singapore to serve up a feast of authentic Cantonese cuisine for all to enjoy.
If you are looking for a place for corporate events, team gathering, celebration near town around Bugis, you can give them a call for reservations. They have many private rooms that can open up to transform into one large dining hall that can host up to 120 people at one time. You can also use host cozy family gathering up to 9 people within the private rooms with Karaoke.
Head over to Hao Lai Wu 好来屋 near Bugis today (3mins walk from Rocher MRT, 8mins walk from Bugis MRT). Come and check out their newly renovated banquet dining with new Cantonese menu.
HAO LAI WU address:
175 Bencoolen St, #01-57
Burlington Square, S189649
For Enquires or reservations, please call: 6732 0816
Opening Hours:
11am to 11pm Daily
Post brought to you by Hao Lai Wu 好来屋