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When Harun Min, 36, from Linxia in northwest China first vacationed to Singapore in 2024, opening a beef roti shop wasn’t part of the plan.<\/p>\n
The Chinese-Muslim<\/a> former middle school teacher launched two Ameen Roti outlets in June, a 15-seater at Haji Lane<\/a> and a takeaway stall at Century Square, serving authentic Chinese-style beef and chicken roti prepared by cooks from his hometown.<\/p>\n Popular among China’s Hui Muslim community, beef roti is a flaky pastry made with paper-thin dough that\u2019s traditionally stuffed with spiced beef filling and fried till crispy. At Ameen (“Amen” in Arabic) Roti, diners can watch the chefs fry each roti to order, using a traditional Xi’an Muslim recipe with spices imported from China and fresh beef sourced locally. While it may look a little like prata or Taiwanese<\/a> scallion pancakes, Harun says its savoury flavours are distinctly Chinese Muslim.<\/p>\n In China, the snack is known as niu rou bing<\/em> (beef pancake) or guo kui<\/em> (pot helmet flatbread due to its shape), depending on the region. In Singapore and Malaysia, it\u2019s commonly marketed as \u201cChinese beef roti\u201d.<\/p>\n Harun tells 8days.sg<\/a> that beef roti dates back to China’s Tang dynasty and was enjoyed by royalty, before eventually becoming a popular street food.<\/p>\n No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n