I needed to collect a cake from Awfully Chocolate at Tampines, and that gave me the perfect excuse to finally check out Abundance Taiwanese Restaurant & Craft Beer Bar at Century Square. I hadnāt been since it opened in September 2024, so I made a lunch reservation. What followed were two visits in just three days ā which says pretty much everything you need to know. š
Let me give you some background first. Abundance started as a humble restaurant bar at ground level of an HDB block in Lengkok Bahru at Redhill. They specialise in modern Taiwanese cuisine alongside craft beers and handcrafted cocktails. Their bestsellers include gua bao, red hot chilli dumplings, peanut ice cream roll, and many more comforting Taiwanese dishes that will basically transport you to Taiwan.
Three Locations Across Singapore
Abundance now operates from three spots:
- 63A Lengkok BahruĀ – The original outlet
- 399 Jalan BesarĀ – Their second location
- #01-35 Century SquareĀ – The newest addition
Menu
* Prices below are subject to 10% service charge and 9% GST
Drinks That Impressed Before the Food Arrived
Taiwanese Soft Drinks You’ve Probably Never Tried
TheĀ Hey Song Sarsaparilla ($3.90)Ā is basically Taiwan’s version of sarsi, but with a slightly different flavour profile. It’s not as sweet as other brands, which I appreciated. TheĀ Apple Sidra ($3.90) reminds me of those China Apple sodas you can get here, but again, not as sweet.
Here’s the thing – we must be drinking so much bubble tea whilst in Taiwan that we failed to pay attention to these local soft drink brands, haha. It’s really great that we can try something different here at Abundance. Interestingly, I actually find them not as saccharine sweet and pretty enjoyable and refreshing, though normally I don’t really go for regular versions of soft drinks.
Artisanal Tea Creations
The presentation of both theĀ Fizzy Lychee Oolong Tea ($5.90)Ā andĀ Fizzy Osmanthus Tie Guan Yin Tea ($5.90)Ā is stunning. They look just like mocktails, so pretty.
The Lychee Oolong isn’t too sweet and very refreshing. You can actually taste the lychee flavour and aromatic oolong tea fragrance too. That garnish on top? It’s actually a freeze-dried strawberry – lovely touch.
The Osmanthus Tie Guan Yin is nicely concocted. You can taste the osmanthus flavour clearly. Same as the Lychee Oolong Tea, this Tie Guan Yin is fragrant and robust. Because the tea flavour is stronger in this one, overall it tastes a bit bitter-sweet, but I like it this way as I do enjoyĀ Chinese teaĀ a lot.
My goodness, we haven’t even started on the meal yet and we were already impressed with the beverages!
Appetisers That Actually Appetise
TheĀ Xiao Cai ($5.50)Ā comes with seaweed, tofu, bean sprouts, and vermicelli, lightly tossed in sesame oil and vinegar dressing. Very appetising, really whets the appetite. Got crunch too, which I always appreciate in a starter.
Now, theĀ Red Hot Chilli Dumplings ($9.90)Ā – this is the thing to order when at Din Tai Fung, so how could we not order Abundance’s version? Every dumpling is so plump and meaty, and the dumpling skin isn’t super thick.
Hands down, these are the BEST chilli dumplings my husband and I have ever had! The freshness of the prawn, that crunch, really shines through. It’s really ēęå®ę (genuine ingredients). The sauce is spicy, vinegary, tangy – so super refreshing with a kick that just makes you want to eat more and more of it.
Buns That Could Be Meals Themselves
The Playfully Named C.C.B.
TheĀ C.C.B. Crispy Chicken Bun ($10.90)Ā – OK, I love the name! Every time I hear someone spewing CCB, I will definitely think of this bun instead, haha!
The bun is so soft and pillowy. The chicken thigh is big and thick, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. But the star of this has got to be the mango slaw. It adds this refreshing crunch that cuts into the richness of the fried chicken. The peanut butter sauce itself, can’t really taste it because the mango slaw is the dominating flavour. The chicken itself is well-marinated and very flavoursome too.
Classic Gua Bao
TheĀ Gua Bao ($7.90)Ā is the most classic version you can find at anyĀ Taiwan night market. The pork belly is very tender. Pickled veggies are very nice too – gives refreshing crunch. Peanut powder gives nice nutty flavour, and there’s coriander too.
I like the good mix of textures, but comparing it with the CCB, it’s a little underwhelming because it’s too standard. No oomph factor, you know?
Fusion That Actually Works
When I saw theĀ Nasi Lemak Bao ($10.90), I had to order it. I love nasi lemak and it’s my first time having it in a bun version. Interestingly, it actually works!
The sambal chilli is so powerful – my goodness, it’s probably better than the sambal chilli from manyĀ nasi lemak stallsĀ out there. The cucumber gives crunch. The chicken is like those turmeric-marinated kind – very moist, juicy, thick and meaty.
The whole combination is just superb. If one day Abundance thinks of branching out to a different cuisine, they should really consider selling nasi lemak!
Real talk:Ā These buns can be a main meal on their own. The gua bao is a bit smaller, which probably can be a snack, but the others are huge because the chicken pieces used are such big pieces. One whole bun is just so substantial.
Mains That Transport You to Taiwan
Herbal Braised Pork Rice Done Right
TheĀ Herbal Braised Pork Rice ($12.90)Ā uses short-grain pearl rice, which is exactly what it should be for authentic Taiwanese cuisine. You may not think the same, but I feel in Taiwanese rice dishes, the type of rice used is really important. It just wouldn’t be the same if jasmine rice was used.
Having said that, I must admit this isn’t the best bowl of braised pork rice I’ve ever had, but the overall experience of eating this comes very close to what we would be eating in Taiwan.
The pickled cucumber is very crunchy. The meat is tender with good ratio of fats and meat. The sausage is very meaty with garlicky taste – very nice. The herbal broth isn’t very herbal at all, and the yolk of the egg is still runny, which adds a layer of creaminess and richness to the bowl.
Century Egg Noodles That Changed My Mind
ThisĀ Century Egg Noodles ($13.90)Ā may look pretty normal, but it’s what I really call éé (overwhelming with joy and satisfaction). It’s my first time eating century egg noodles and I really fell in love with this concoction. So much so that I started looking up recipes on this dish on RedNote and started making it at home!
The noodles used here are the Taiwanese guan miao mian with their wavy edges, cooked to perfection. They have this chewy, springy bite that I like. The century egg isn’t super strong in flavour, probably because it’s been dressed up with condiments, but it adds rich, creamy texture to the noodles and complements the spicy minced meat.
It’s basically like Taiwanese-style spicy meat Bolognese with century eggs. For those of you who aren’t really intoĀ century eggsĀ because of their ‘stinky’ flavour, you don’t have to worry about that in this dish because it’s perfectly balanced. It will definitely change your mind about century eggs!
Proper Wok Hei Fried Rice
TheĀ Prawn Paste Chicken Fried Rice ($12.90) is made with pearl rice and has that ideal ē²ē²åę (distinct grains) texture. Not too firm, not too soft, just right with fragrant wok hei.
The egg fried rice is good on its own, but the star is the prawn paste chicken: crispy on the outside with a bold har cheong flavour, and tender, juicy meat inside.
Dessert That Brings Back Jiufen Memories
I first tried theĀ Peanut Ice Cream Roll ($6.90)Ā at Jiufen Old Street. Though I thought it was a weird combination at first, I began to love it more with each bite.
For this version, the skin is more like crepe rather than fresh popiah skin, but it’s soft and nice. The ice cream used is regular vanilla ice cream, so there’s something lacking in the ice cream flavour – perhaps that old school flavour? I think this would be fantastic with those attap chee ice cream you can get from ice cream uncles. Nonetheless, still good.
The peanut is very roasty, fragrant, with nutty crunch. The coriander taste isn’t really that prominent – maybe not enough? But the herb still adds freshness, making this ice cream roll feel healthy, haha!
Service and Atmosphere
When we were making payment at the counter after our meal, I spotted these stickers which customers can freely take. So cute!
Since we came on weekdays, it wasn’t exactly full house, though peak lunch time does see higher numbers of people. Regardless, I’d recommend making a reservation, especially during weekends and public holidays. Otherwise, you might have to queue long long.
Service is also impeccable and attentive. Food and drinks didn’t take too long to be served up. Staff were quick to clear empty plates and were all very friendly and polite.
My Honest Take
Honestly, Abundance has got to be on my list for one of the top restaurants in Singapore for its delicious food, reasonable prices, and overall very good experiences. It’s somewhere I would keep coming back for again and again.
TheĀ Taiwanese food sceneĀ in Singapore has been growing, but Abundance stands out for its authenticity combined with creative touches. They’re not just copying what’s popular – they’re actually innovating whilst respecting traditional flavours.
What impressed me most is how they’ve managed to scale up from that original HDB block location without losing their soul. The Century Square outlet feels modern and comfortable, but the food quality remains consistent with their reputation.
The pricing is fair considering portion sizes and quality. When those buns can practically serve as full meals and the mains deliver genuine Taiwanese flavours, you’re getting proper value for money.
Abundance, can you please open an outlet in Punggol? š