Gideon 300: Freshly Baked Traditional Hainanese Buns
Butter Buns: 2 for $1
There ain't nothing better than a freshly baked bun straight out from the oven..... except maybe a Hainanese freshly baked bun straight from the oven!
The bread culture in Singapore is alive and well and many are cashing in on the market for breads. You can find freshly baked soft buns in every neighbourhood centre in Singapore, so why am I so excited about these ones?
Most of the buns found in our neighbourhood bakeries have quite a standard bread dough. I suspect there must be a standard recipe or pre-mix that are supplied to these bakeries and then it is just a matter of adding different fillings. The buns are typically, very soft and very light. Have you tried squishing one of these buns before? You can basically reduce them to one third of its original size!
The buns here are different. If you remember my blog on Chin Mee Chin, I made mention of one of our Singapore Heritage institutions which is the Hainanese Coffeeshop that makes its own confectionery. Not many are left in Singapore. That is why I am so excited to find this typical Hainanese Bakery in a modern Food Court! At least someone is bucking the trend in order to provide us with an easily accessible piece of tradition.
Sausage Rolls: 80 cents
The buns here may appear smaller but they are more substance than form. The butter buns may only fit the size o
f your palm, but when you pick one up, you realize that it is quite substantial. The aroma of the freshly baked butter bun immediately triggered black and white images of marble tabletops with cups of Kopi served in traditional ceramic cups with saucers so deep that they used to decant the whole cup of kopi into the saucer to cool it down before sipping off its rim.
But nostalgia aside, the buns are really simple and delectalicious. For me, nothing beats having a few of these buns with a cup of Kopi or Teh C. Of course, what is a Hainanese confectionery without the custard puffs? Oohh, creamy light and fluffy custard puffs and Teh C........... Only problem is that these are tiny one mouthful ones so you need more than a couple to satisfy that craving.
Now a bakery like this doesn't just spring out of nowhere. There is a legacy behind it. The patriarch of the store is none other than the famous Ah Peh who runs the Keng Wah Sung Kopitiam in Geylang Lor 41. His son, who is a certified Baker decided to make their Hainanese Bun available to a wider audience by opening a shop in the Toa Payoh heartland.
Tuna on a freshly baked roll $1
Conclusion
Like the good old Kopi C, this is a piece of Hainanese Tradition that will never go away because it is just so good. This is rustic confectionery and I really hope to see more branches springing up across the island!
Gideon 300
HDB Hub
Gourmet Paradise Food Court #B1-24
8.30am to 7.30pm
Closed on Sun and PH
91901431
20 comments:
Hi doc,
You have just made my day! As a true blue Hainanese, i always relish these sort of discoveries.
Another true blue Hainanese who couldn't wait to try when she next visits! I can just feel the pleasure of sinking myteeth onto the dough then the sausage......wah!!! Heaven!!!!!
Besides bread, their kaya is very good too..
Yes. High turnover at this store, bread freshly baked throughout the day. Should also try the tapioca kueh, 3 for a dollar, value for money & as good as those sold at the Maxwell Rd hawker centre, in my humble opinion. Hi Leslie, were you and your makan kakis at HDB Hub last week??
Yes I was. But only with my wife.
Hi leslie,
Do they sell the cream cone there?
They don't make the cream cone at East Coast anymore - so sad.
Thanks.
jl
Did not see cream cones there.
Leslie, aww...missed the chance to say hi to you and ieatMrs er..i mean Amagada.
Ah Yoke, tried their kaya today, i would still prefer Chin Mee Chin.
Mr Anonymous,they don't make cream cones. You may want to try their marble cake, moist & "buttery".
looks like the good old yummy Hainanese cream cones are gone at Chin Mee Chin.
accordingly to the aunty there, the one who bakes it, is no longer there or don't make anymore- something like that- don't quite understand her mandarin.
tried their sausage rolls and butter buns. they were, like ieat & itreat said, simple and delicious. :)
hope you can find more food outlets located at heartland..like this one ;)
This the best bakery thats bakes the nicest bread i love it their kaya were very famous and their bread will soft and moist .........delicious! heavenly f00d! =)
im their daughter actually l0l
The Best Bread i ever tried!
Yummi *munch* *munch*
Just went there last week to buy the bread, it's was soft and good, especially the fried banana bread, butter bun & curry potato bun. But do you mind updating the price? The price has increased! Thanks!
I am so glad i chance upon your website. I have been trying to find all the good old food places and now i can't wait to try almost everything you have mentioned.
Quite sad to realise that the CMC cream cones are gone. Have been keeping a lookout for it every Sunday after mass ... thought my timing was wrong and either they haven't baked it or its sold out.
Am their customer for 20years and my parents' wedding cake was baked by CMC
had the sausage roll and tapioca kueh for lunch.
sausage roll cost 90 cts. the dough was nice enough.
I prefer the tapioca kueh (3 pieces $1.10) from Maxwell FC.
recently tried their new bun flavours that include red bean and lotus. each cost $1. not very cheap for the size but reasonable price.
but the buns are really fresh from oven. they have the slightly 'burnt' marks which taste really nice.
they're also selling bigger sized breads. one of them is raisin and cheese which costs $2.50. have yet to try them.
armrd
are they just a bakery or is there sit down area for coffee and tea like CMC?
They are in a food court, so you can sit down and order your kopi
had the bread for dinner, had the chicken mushroom and sweet potato bun. think a bit on the cold side, but pretty good. the sweet potato was great if you like sweet potato like me, imagine a bread stuffed with mashed sweet potato...yum *drools*
Just passed by there yesterday after work. Standard dropped a lot from the last time I visit. Seems like the store owners change, don't see the usual uncle and aunt there anymore. Company name was also different. What a pity.
Post a Comment