This eatery in City Hall sells banana fritters at just 50 cents, attracts long queues
“It’s very good and only 50 cents. I don’t think you can find it any cheaper, especially in the CBD area,” says a King Umar Teh Tarik Cafe regular.

King Umar Teh Tarik Cafe is a small standalone Indian Muslim eatery selling the likes of prata, mee goreng and more. (Photos: 8Days/Pyron Tan)
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Tucked away in the quiet Adelphi shopping mall at City Hall, among the many hi-fi and audio equipment stores on level 1, is the nondescript King Umar Teh Tarik Cafe.
The small standalone Indian Muslim eatery, which offers the usual suspects like roti prata, nasi biryani, and, of course, teh tarik, is relatively under the radar despite having been around for almost 10 years. It also occupies the unit next door.
The menu is pretty extensive with affordable prices. You can get a freshly fried plain prata for S$1.50 and a plate of mee goreng starts from S$5. But the star at the joint, it seems, is their goreng pisang, or banana fritter, which costs a very wallet-friendly 50 cents.
Only available around 3pm, the banana fritters are not listed on the menu, though you can spot pictures of them on the wall.

CUSTOMERS OFTEN QUEUE 30 MINS BEFORE THEY’RE READY
A regular customer told 8days.sg that usually patrons, herself included, would start waiting outside the shop from 2.30pm just so they can grab the goreng pisang fresh from the fryer.
“It’s very good and only 50 cents. I don’t think you can find it any cheaper, especially in the CBD area,” she said.
It must have been our lucky day as the shop was relatively quiet when we visited on a weekday. There were only a handful of customers coming to buy the goreng pisang as it was being cooked. We were told business is generally slower in December as office workers are on leave and travelling.
“Plus, it’s been raining nonstop since this morning,” reasoned Chennai-born Hidayatulla, 30, one of the cooks at the shop.
Well, more piping hot goreng pisang for us.
According to Hidayatulla, on a regular day, the eatery usually makes 400 to 500 goreng pisang on weekdays, which is usually sold out around 6pm. They sell around half the amount on weekends.
“We are usually very busy from 3pm to 5pm as people come to get snacks during teatime. You see that lady? She comes every day,” said Hidayatulla, pointing to a customer waiting at the counter.
Since it is so popular, why not sell them throughout the day?
“No time to make,” he laughed. He recommends coming on weekends when the place is much quieter.
SAME PRICE FOR FIVE YEARS
The friendly cook said goreng pisang was only offered at the eatery around five years ago and despite inflation, it has always been sold at 50 cents.
“Boss says it’s okay, just keep the same price.”
There are four other King Umar Prata Hut outlets in Singapore, including two in Hougang and one in Pasir Ris, and goreng pisang is also available there at the same price.

GORENG PISANG, S$0.50
The shop uses decent-sized (around 10cm) halved bananas which are lightly coated in a simple rice flour batter. This is so it cooks more thoroughly and gives it more crunch with every bite, said Hidayatulla.
While he isn’t sure what variety of bananas is used, they appear to be pisang kepok, which is flat, sharply faceted and stubby.
We’re not fans of overly thick, hard and crunchy batter, so we like that the crust here is thin, crisp, and is not too greasy.
The pale flesh is creamy and mildly sweet with a slightly tart flavour. Not as gooey and caramelised as we’d like, but at 50 cents, we’re not complaining.
We wolfed down three pieces in one sitting. Note that two pieces are equivalent to about one regular goreng pisang.

VADAI, S$1
Also popular is their plain vadai, a classic Indian fried fritter. Hidayatulla's family runs a street stall in Chennai and they are made with his family's recipe.
The plain vadai is made the traditional way with urad dal (split black lentils) flavoured with aromatics like onions, green chilli, curry leaves and ginger for at least an hour. Each doughnut-shaped fritter is crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, accented with hints of spices. Very moreish.
If you want more kick, add 20 cents for a whole fresh green chilli to eat on the side. Get them first thing in the morning, around 7.30am or just after 3pm, when they are freshly fried.

TEH TARIK, S$1,50
We like a frothy teh tarik with a robust tea flavour and the one here hits the spot. It is fragrant, full-bodied with just the right amount of sweet and milky.
King Umar Teh Tarik Cafe is at 1 Coleman Street, #01-08, The Adelphi, Singapore 179803. Open daily, 7am to 7.30pm.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
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