Zhen Zie Desserts: This is the good stuff! Amoy Street Supplemental
With ieatJr, iwatch_ueat and introducting our newest Makanbrother, Mien!
After I published my series of stalls from the Amoy Street Food Centre, some of the forummers wrote in to say that it was not right that I should have missed this particular dessert store.
And they were right! This is one stall that you should not miss! The Bean Curd Barley with Gingko Nuts is a must try. I never thought I liked this particular dessert until now. The Gingko Nuts were fantastic. Each was was bruised every so slightly and the bitter shoot removed and caramelised until they were really sweet and chewy. 4.5/5
There was some discussion as to whether Zhen Jie actually makes her own Ah Balling. All I can say is that the day I was there, she had the raw materials and were able to demonstrate her Ah Balling making skills. She shared with us that most of her stuff are all handmade at home and she has several helpers doing the laborious work like preparing the Gingko nuts.
I have been searching for that perfect bowl of peanut and sesame paste for awhile now. This one is the closest I got so far. She orders her peanuts freshly ground from the factory and makes the paste herself.
"Power" was the most frequently used word among the few of us who were eating the desserts that day. Evey one of her desserts were "Power"! The peanuts paste had grainy bits in it and the texture was really thick and gooey and brimming with peanutty goodness. Almost there but it just missed the perfect score by just that little bit. 4.25/5. I don't know, maybe what I am after is hot peanut butter?
The cheng tng was also "Power". Full of ingredients and with a soup that is cloudy rather than clear, you can taste that this is a cheng tng that means business. 4/5
Conclusion
Very impressive little stall that has lots of really good homemade desserts. Too bad we could only eat so much! The Gingko Nut is really really good here!
Zhen Zie Dessert Ah Balling
Amoy Street Food Centre
#02-113
10am to 3pm
Closed on Sunday
Notes: Extra ingredients had to be added to the Bean Curd Barley and Gingko and the Cheng Tng in order to show you the ingredients. Or else the pictures would have shown a boring looking soup. However, when you take the Cheng Tng, you will still be very happy with the generous serving of ingredients in each bowl.
12 comments:
Urghh! why close so early? I'll never be able to make it there! Sulk!
This post made me realise how much time, labour and care goes into each and every bowl of (non-factory made) peanut/sesame/almond paste, gingko barley, ar-bo-ling...must give our fullest support to these custodians of our culinary heritage..
Tried this 2 weeks ago when I went over to have the lor mee with my wife. The Ah Balling coffee filling was interesting.
Will go back back to try the rest of the desserts..
I understand that only the plain ah balling is handmade. the others are frozen ready made stuff.
Funny, just because u make a few ahbaliing balls there, u can declare yr stuff handmade. This only shows that the balls are roll and cooked by her and whether the dough concocted and kneaded by her is another question. I can just employ an auntie to make such balls using my own special recipe and by the way who should get the accolade if my stuff sells well? my recipe or the auntie's rolling skills?
Btw, Mr Ieat, do u declare the stuff is really handmade just by seeing her made these plain ahballing?
I understand that u are just reporting what u see but what u see might not be the right pic but you are helping to carry a false impression to our innocent consumer who are readers of yr site.
The trick of plying up extra ingredients for photoshot creates a real false impression and even tho there is a disclaimer, the first impression is already created.
Probably she makes the Ah Balling before hand and freeze them.
I've yet to come across a stall which makes Ah Balling only when you order them.
Do let me know if you have come across one. TIA!
Check out my Hai Sing AhBalling blog. He certainly makes them on the spot. But I have not been there during peak periods
Zhenjie desserts are real value for money.
A large bowl of black sesame and walnut paste cost only $1.50 and could be shared among two small eaters :)
Would definitely return for their ginko nut barley and orh nee.
maybe if mr anonymous is so interested he can do a research if the Ah baling is handmade or not and post it here? thanks in advance...
anyway the haising shop also not made to order wad... i can also say he buy then leave it there... >_< not trying to be disrespectful to a legend though.. i believe he make his stuff
It's true that Zhen Zie dessert stall is good but once the Sunday Times reported of her stall, she increase the price a whopping 0.50 cents each bowl which is ridiculous. She shouldn't make use if this chance to do that.
had orh nee for dessert after my beef noodles. it's very thick & shiok! (& filling too!) =)
will try her other desserts when i go there again!
have some sympathy for the hawker la. they charge you so little for the desserts already then dont need to complain bout 50 cents la. haha. especially when mass-produced burgers are approaching four bucks.
went there last friday with my sister. we ordered the peanut and sesame paste and or nee. we were both very disappointed. maybe our expectations were too high. first of all, the peanut paste tastes all gooey. it tasted like some instant powder mix with alot more goo in it. the sesame paste was alright but also not to our expectations. overall we both feel that going down to specially try this desserts are not worth it.
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