Champion Bolo review – Bolo bun cafe at Tanjong Pagar

Holding Champion Bolo Bun with Butter

Located along Tanjong Pagar Road, Champion Bolo is a two-storey bolo bun cafe that took Singapore’s cafe scene by storm when they opened last year.

Bolo bun, also known as pineapple bun, is a popular sweet bun that originated from Hong Kong. There are no pineapples in the recipe. Instead, it gets its name from the the cookie crust atop the bun that resembles a pineapple.

Champion Bolo states that they bake their bolo buns freshly on-site every 15 minutes. The prices start from $4.5 for their Classic.

It was light and airy, resembling a Japanese milk loaf. The cookie crust was crunchy as well.

But it’s not a bolo bun without a thick slice of butter, is it?

The Classic with Butter ($5) includes the option for an extra slice of butter for a top-up of $0.5. Unless you’re looking for a healthier option, we recommend adding that extra slice. The butter melted into the bun quickly, so there wasn’t that indulgent, sinful bite.

Champion Bolo also offers 4 Mini Classics ($4.5) for sharing.

Authentic Hong Kong bolo bun?

Champion Bolo has never marketed themselves as an authentic Hong Kong bakery. But I thought it would appropriate to compare their version with traditional ones I’ve had.

For starters, the texture of the bread is different. Traditional bolo buns have a brioche-like texture whereas Champion’s was airier. The cookie crust at champion could’ve also been airier, though I’d take an excessively-crunchy bolo bun over a soggy one any day.

The menu includes Hong Kong-style coffee and milk tea; both cost $5.5.

Champion’s Milk Tea ($5.5) was earthy and lightly sweetened. It’s pretty close to authentic Hong Kong milk teas, but the tea could’ve been slightly more intense.

Verdict

Two-storey bolo bun cafe at Tanjong Pagar with minimalistic design

Traditional? Almost there. But one thing’s for sure it’s a pretty good bun. Factoring in the ambience, it’s fair to say the $4.5 for a bolo bun, albeit more expensive than its typical market price, is reasonable. 

Location: 92 Tg Pagar Rd, Singapore 088513
Opening hours:
Monday: Closed
Tue- Sun: 11am- 7pm

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Colman Cheung

There are pros and cons when being friends with Colman. You get good food recommendations and the occasional candid shots between taking snaps of the food. But there’s also the mandatory 15-minutes waiting time and the constant whining of how your noodle pull sucks. He’s also a sucker for coffee.