If there’s a part of Singapore that Kermit will never get out alive, that would be Geylang. Not because Miss Piggy caught him in the notorious Red Light district of Singapore, but because of the highest concentration of frog porridge eateries in Singapore.
I grew up in Geylang, and since moving up north, I miss going for this supper favourite of mine – claypot frog porridge. Eminent Frog Porridge currently occupies the kopitiam (lit. “coffee shop”, a local term for an eatery that also sells coffee and tea) that I grew up eating in. I have to say I have not been to Eminent because I have stuck to my usual one in Lorong 9.
Before Eminent, there’s Geylang Lorong 9 frog porridge, the one that started it all in 1995 – they were the first to introduce farmed raised bull frogs in a claypot combined with their secret recipe sauce. And there are at least 7 others in Geylang, but Eminent did the cuisine proud by becoming the first one to get a Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2018. And since then, they have not stopped getting celebrities, influencers and bloggers to visit them. Just in case you are still getting their address as Lorong 17, please note they are now at Lorong 19 and the store in Lorong 17 has nothing to do with them. (Perhaps another food war post like my laksa, bakchang and chilli crabs ones is about due.)
It is difficult to determine what makes Geylang frog porridge a dish as popular as Hainanese chicken rice. Perhaps it’s the supposedly aphrodisiac property associated with the amphibian. Like one Caucasian friend once said, “Everything the Chinese says is good, is good for improving your libido.” There’s a scare in China with eating bullfrogs because of parasites found in unscrupulous farmers, and antibiotics overdose in others. But the ones in Singapore used to come from our local bullfrog farm in Lim Chu Kang. But since the farm closed in 2025, I am not sure now where they come from, most likely Malaysia or Thailand I guess.
The best way to enjoy frog porridge, in my humble opinion, is to order a plain porridge and one each of the two flavours – scallions and ginger frog 姜葱田鸡 (non spicy) and kungpao frog 宫保田鸡. The porridge is gooey and thick like a Cantonese congee but flavourless. Strangely, you cannot overcook these frogs. The meat remains tender and soft despite reheating or long cooking. Eminent offers other flavours like white pepper and Hunan chopped chilli versions, as well as frog cooked in the porridge, but I am a traditionalist and stuck with the originals.
Take a bowl of porridge and pour liberally the sauce onto it, the porridge transforms into a brown bowl of ultimate deliciousness and umami. And just like the mixologist for Nasi Kandar, you adjust the amount of each flavour of the sauce to suit your tastebud and tolerance for heat.
I have to warn you that their kungpao frog 宫保田鸡 packed a lot of punch as they used chilli padi (bird’s eye chilli) in addition to dried chilli in the sauce. I found myself in pain with the heat from the kungpao frogs, which can be neutralised by the sweet and savoury scallions and ginger frog 姜葱田鸡.
I had to confess I was impressed by the size of the bullfrogs used here, which were bigger and meatier than the ones in Lor 9 the last time I ate at their AMK branch. No reservations. A favourite spot among locals for late-night supper, this place is always packed, so be prepared to wait. If not, just come right before opening hours on a weekday to skip the queue.
Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood (Lor 19) 明辉田鸡粥
At the junction of Geylang Road and Lorong 19
323 Geylang Road Singapore 389359
Visited Feb 2026
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