Jia Ji Mei Shi

The yam cake was burnt. Usually cake is steamed so don’t understand why there is a burnt taste. The chew chong fun was just average. The glutinous rice was totally tasteless. The only saving grace was the century egg porridge which was generous in the egg. A bit on the salty side

I’ve been a loyal customer of Jia Ji Mei Shi at Chinatown Hawker Centre since my childhood. This stall has been part of my fondest memories growing up – a comforting place where I used to enjoy simple, hearty meals that reminded me of home. For years, I continued to patronise them out of both nostalgia and habit, even as I noticed a gradual decline in food quality over time. However, what’s more disheartening is the recent drop in service standards. It’s understandable that with the original boss stepping back and leaving the daily operations to a mix of local and foreign workers, the level of commitment might not be the same. But customers still deserve to be treated with basic respect and courtesy. On my recent visit on 16 September, I politely informed the staff (a lady from China) twice not to include a spoon with my porridge, as I brought my own for hygiene reasons. Unfortunately, my request was ignored, and I received my porridge with the spoon already soaked inside. When I raised the issue, I was told off bluntly and told to simply remove the spoon myself. I found the response rude and dismissive – especially considering I had made a simple, reasonable request. At that moment, I could have refused the food and asked for a refund, but I chose not to escalate the situation. I’ve supported this stall for years and didn’t want to end things on a sour note. That said, I’ve decided that this will be my last visit to Jia Ji Mei Shi. It’s unfortunate to see how a once-loved hawker stall has changed. The food is no longer what it used to be, and the warmth that drew many of us in is now sorely lacking. I hope the stall owner sees this review and understands why loyal customers are gradually disappearing. The right people running the business can make all the difference – and sadly, this isn't the case anymore.

Traditional Dumplings & Old-School Hawker Food Jia Ji Mei Shi is a gem tucked inside Singapore’s Chinatown Complex Hawker Centre. Their rice dumplings, especially the Nyonya dumpling and Salted Egg Dumpling, are packed with flavour and nostalgia. They also offer other local favourites like yam cake, chee cheong fun, and peanut porridge etc.. 💡 be prepared for queues during peak hours.

Authentic local snacks at reasonable prices. But the nonya rice dumpling I ordered was not cooked thoroughly. It could be that this particular dumpling was at the top during the cooking process and didn't get to be cooked thoroughly. So there was some uncooked rice in the dumpling which was a shame.

Will recommend the Yam Cake / Chee Cheong Fun mix ($3.50) for a hearty, delicious breakfast but please skip the Pork Rice Dumpling. The rice was clumpy and tasteless while the meat reminded me of cat canned food. There’s a much better dumpling store at Hong Lim Complex so do go there if you want good dumpling. Otherwise, I think the other dishes here should be pretty good as well given the long queue.