Battle of bak kwa: This Chinese New Year's prices, queues and more
PHOTO: Instagram/jocakezbake
PUBLISHED ONJanuary 16, 2023 12:45 AMByJoanne Poh
The Chinese New Year madness is upon us once again.
‘Tis the time of the year when Singaporeans — aunties and millennials alike — jostle with crowds and queue long hours for “branded” traditional bak kwa from Fragrance, Lim Chee Guan and more. Not forgetting the more peculiar varieties like pineapple bak kwa!
Unfortunately, buying bak kwa (barbecued sliced pork) might cost you a little extra this year. Due to the GST hike and rising inflation, various establishments have increased their prices — bak kwa shops included.
Want to know which bak kwa brands in Singapore are still wallet-friendly? Here are the updated bak kwa prices for CNY 2023.
Note: Although accurate at the time of writing, some bak kwa shops may raise prices nearer to CNY. We recommend you check their websites or call the numbers we’ve included below to get the latest rates.
CNY 2023 bak kwa prices at a glance
| Shop | Prices* (per kg) | How to buy | Delivery fee | Contact |
| Bee Cheng Hiang | $64 — Regular
$66 — Chilli |
Online or in-store | $12
Free with $300 min. spend |
6500 0888 |
| Fragrance | $62 (Sale: $58.90)—Regular
$64 (Sale: $57.60) —Chilli |
Online or in-store | $8
Free with $120 min. spend |
6257 8608 |
| Lim Chee Guan | $78 — Regular
$80 — Chilli |
Online or in-store | $15 for orders <15kg | 6933 7230 |
| Kim Joo Guan | $68 — Regular
$70 — Chilli |
Online or in-store
(Walk-in recommended) |
$15
Free for orders >30kg |
6225 5257/
9151 6018 |
| Kim Peng Hiang | $48 — Regular
$52 — Pineapple BBQ |
In-store, cash only | – | 6742 6853 |
| Bee Kim Heng | $64 — Regular
$68 — Chilli |
Online# or in-store | – | 8852 9921 |
| Kim Hock Guan | $65 — Regular
$70 — Chilli |
In-store | – | 9135 9952 |
* Prices are for sliced pork bak kwa.
# Bee Kim Heng’s website may be down during the CNY period.
Bee Cheng Hiang—Homegrown favourite
| Bee Cheng Hiang bak kwa | Price per kg |
| Minced Pork | $62 |
| Sliced Pork | $64 |
| Golden Coin | $64 |
| Sliced Chicken | $64 |
| Chicken Coin | $64 |
| Chilli Pork | $66 |
| Sliced Beef | $74 |
| Gourmet Fusion | $76 |
| Applewood sliced pork | $78 |
| Gourmet Bakkwa | $98 |
| Chilli Gourmet | $98 |
Bee Cheng Hiang is a household brand thanks to the many celebrity endorsements that it has secured over the years. You may remember it appearing in the 2002 film I Not Stupid, and must have seen it on various bus and TV ads featuring Christopher Lee, Fann Wong and Zoe Tay. Today, Bee Cheng Hiang is Singapore’s largest bak kwa brand with many outlets all over the island.
The most affordable bak kwa at Bee Cheng Hiang is the Minced Pork type, which goes for $62/kg. The regular pork and chicken varieties (Sliced/Coin) all go for $64/kg, while all chilli flavours will cost you extra. If you’re in the mood to splurge, Bee Chang Hiang also has an Applewood Marbled Iberico Bakkwa (600g) that retails at a whopping $328.
Bee Cheng Hiang bak kwa outlets: Visit their website to see all Bee Cheng Hiang outlets
Bee Cheng Hiang online store: Order online
Tel: 6500 0888
| Fragrance bakkwa prices | Price per kg |
| Signature sliced | $55.10 |
| Chilli bak kwa | $57.00 |
| Chicken bak kwa | $55.10 |
| Gold coin bak kwa | $55.10 |
| Mala bak kwa | $60.80 |
| Bacon bak kwa | $76.00 |
| Premium Kurobuta | $68.40 |
Fragrance — Most value for money
Fragrance bak kwa, or more affectionately known as Xiang Wei Rou Gan, is another major bak kwa seller in Singapore with more than 40 outlets islandwide. You definitely won’t have a problem finding one near your place or office.
It also seems to be one of the more affordable ones. Now that we’re two weeks away from CNY, it seems like Fragrance has already started slashing prices to clear stock.
Fragrance bak kwa outlets: Visit their website for full addresses of all Fragrance Bak Kwa outlets
Fragrance bak kwa online store: Order online
Tel: 6257 8608
Lim Chee Guan—Widest variety of meats
| Lim Chee Guan bak kwa prices | Price per kg |
| Signature Sliced Pork | $78 |
| BBQ Chilli Pork | $80 |
| BBQ Bacon | $120 |
| Gold Coin Pork | $72 |
| BBQ Chicken | $72 |
| BBQ Beef | $72 |
| BBQ Prawn | $72 |
| BBQ Fish | $72 |
Lim Chee Guan offers a wide range of products. They’ve got you covered from land to sea, with bak kwa options ranging from the regular pork to chicken, beef, prawn and fish. They have 4 outlets. 2 in Chinatown, 1 at ION Orchard and 1 at Jewel Changi Airport.
Prices have increased by about 8-12% since last CNY, but Lim Chee Guan’s bak kwa remains wildly popular. People queue hours for it, and they usually sell out by 10am. So if you want to get your hands on some, you better plan to go really early in the morning or pre-order it online.
Also, do note that there are daily limits to how much Signature Sliced Pork you can buy—other products have no caps. These limits depend on which outlet you go to.
Lim Chee Guan has an online store. However, items sell out pretty fast there too. Check their Instagram or Facebook page for stock updates, and view their FAQs for additional information specific to CNY 2023.
Lim Chee Guan bak kwa outlets: 203 New Bridge Road Singapore (059429), People’s Park Complex #01-25 Singapore (059108), ION Orchard #B4-37, Jewel Changi Airport #B2-222
Note: The People’s Park Complex outlet is closed until 23 January 2023.
Lim Chee Guan online store: Order online.
Tel: 6933 7230
Kim Joo Guan — For affordable gourmet cuts
| Kim Joo Guan bak kwa prices | Price per kg |
| Gourmet Traditional Bak Kwa | $68 |
| Premium Pork Belly Bak Kwa | $91 |
| Premium Iberico Bak Kwa | $196 |
| Gourmet Chilli Bak Kwa | $70 |
| Gold Coin Bak Kwa | $66 |
| Traditional Bak Kwa (individual slices, vacuum packed) | $78 |
| Chilli Bak Kwa (individual slices, vacuum packed) | $80 |
| Mala Bak Kwa (individual slices, vacuum packed) | $82 |
If you’re a sucker for traditional bak kwa but also love gourmet cuts, try Kim Joo Guan. Their barbecued pork slices are apparently made from a secret family recipe, passed through four generations. Over the years, they’ve also brought their traditional flavours to premium Iberico pork, which is made fresh and sent out right after cooling down.
Kim Joo Guan is another bak kwa brand that has increased prices this year, but that hasn’t swayed their loyal customers. With just under two weeks to go before CNY, most of their items are already out of stock on their website, and their pre-orders are closed. Your best bet is to go down physically to snag some bak kwa.
Kim Joo Guan bak kwa outlets: 257 South Bridge Road (Flagship store); 103 Irrawaddy Road #01-25
Online store: Order online.
Tel: 6225 5257 or 9151 6018
ALSO READ: Bak kwa prices shoot up but some products already sold out weeks ahead of Chinese New Year
Kim Peng Hiang — Steadiest prices and quality
| Type of bak kwa | Price per kg |
| Sliced Royal Pork | $48 |
| Pineapple BBQ Pork | $52 |
Kim Peng Hiang is a small family-run shop with a big reputation. Known for its Pineapple BBQ Pork that combines sweet pineapple with tender pork, Kim Peng Hiang draws throngs of Singaporeans every year during the CNY period.
Another great thing about Kim Peng Hiang is that they don’t inflate their prices: whether during CNY or inflationary periods (not even during this GST hike!).
The only trouble? Kim Peng Hiang doesn’t take orders online or via the phone, so queueing is inevitable. People have queued up to eight hours for this bak kwa, and they close once the queue numbers for the day have been given out. So it’s best you go as early as possible (around 11am). Bring cash — they’re really old-school!
After you’ve placed your order (capped at three kg per person), you’ll need to return the following day between 2pm and 8pm to collect your bak kwa. Same-day collection is not an option.
Kim Peng Hiang bak kwa outlet: 465 Changi Road Singapore
Tel: 6742 6853
Bee Kim Heng — Most traditional
| Type of bak kwa | Price per kg |
| Sliced Pork | $64 |
| Chilli Sliced Pork | $68 |
Bee Kim Heng’s bak kwa is tender and smoky, thanks to the traditional method they’ve kept of barbecuing bak kwa over charcoal. The owner has been operating the little stall in People Park’s Food Centre for over 50 years and continues to personally grill the bak kwa till today. Reportedly, the taste is on the sweeter side.
They do have an online shop, but it may be down during the CNY period due to high sales volume. If it is, you can call or WhatsApp them at 8852 9921 to place your order. Pro tip: Include a +65 if you’re going to use WhatsApp!
Bee Kim Heng bak kwa outlets: 32 New Market Road, #01-1010 People’s Park Food Centre
Tel: 8852 9921
Kim Hock Guan — Most old-school (and also the oldest!)
The oldest bak kwa shop in Singapore, Kim Hock Guan has been serving up barbecued pork since 1905.
Its bestsellers are Traditional BBQ Sliced Pork and Spicy Sliced Pork. The quality of the meat is its source of pride, using only sliced lean pork hind meat, and never minced meat. Their bak kwa also doesn’t contain artificial preservatives, colouring and flavouring.
You can read more about their traditional bak kwa and brand heritage on their website, but you’ll have to head down personally to order your bak kwa.
We gave them a call to find out their CNY 2023 prices — it’s a good idea to do that especially as we get closer to CNY and prices are more likely to surge. Prices seem to have increased $5-$10 per kg since last CNY.
Kim Hock Guan bak kwa outlets: 150 South Bridge Road #01-02 Fook Hai Building, 180 Bencoolen Street #01-25 The Bencoolen
Tel: 9135 9952
ALSO READ: Air fryer bak kwa & more: 7 TikTok & YouTube recipes for homemade bak kwa
This article was first published in MoneySmart.
