Galicier Confectionery: Oh Ondeh Ondeh!

With smart, iwatch_ueat and damien


This is my first visit to this Confectionery and I felt like I was a kid again at a toy store. Almost everything here is so delectable that I felt I wanted to buy the whole shop!

First up was the Kueh Dah Dah which Damien highly recommended. The big difference here is that the coconut filling here is white in colour instead of the usual brown. Each mouthful was a burst of juicy coconutty goodness. Very different from your usual Kueh Dah Dah. 4.25/5



The sweet tapioca kueh was fantastic and probably the best I have eaten. The sugar they use somehow has an uplifting zest to it that makes it different from a lot of others. If you like tapioca kueh, this one you must try. 4.5/5


Ondeh Ondeh 60 cents each

The Ondeh Ondeh here is is also exceptionally good. The skin is made from sweet potato and is super soft and chewy. Careful when you bite into it, because the gula melaka is bound to drip down your chin! Beautiful, wonderful, gula-full. 4.5/5


Ladies Fingers $1 each

I don't think I would like to meet the lady whom they modeled this confectionery after. Judging from its size, shw would have to be a giant with hair on the chest! Calling them ladies' finger might be a misnomer, but they were excellent. Supersoft but chewy dough with a thin layer of peanut butter on the inside, they go very well with that cup of Teh Tarik! 4.25/5

Conclusion

Make sure you set aside a budget when you step into this stall because you too will be tempted to buy up the whole shop!

Galicier Confectionery
Blk 55 Tiong Bahru Road
#01-39
10am to 9pm Daily
Recommended by Damien

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Poh Cheu: Ang Gu Kueh Sio Sio

With liverpool and iwatch_ueat


Ah Mah Tng (Ah Mah Long)
Ah Mah Teh (Ah Mah Short)
Ah Mah Tau Chia Ang Gu Kueh
(Ah Mah ate Ang Gu Kueh without permission)
Ang Gu Kueh Sio Sio (Ang Gu Kueh Hot Hot)
Jia Liao Tio Beh Pio (After eating sure win the lottery)

I could never understand why people make such a big fuss about Ang Gu Kueh. Just what is so nice about this Kueh that Ah Mah needs permission to eat it? And the other thing I don't understand is, why does the rhyme say that Ang Gu Kueh must be eaten hot? I have never eaten a hot Ang Gu Kueh, have you?

And then I found out what a Sua Gu (Mountain Tortoise) I was. I only just realised that Ang Gu Kueh literally meant "Red Tortoise" Kueh. Yes, the Red Tortoise finally revealed its true meaning to this Mountain Tortoise. Indeed it does look like a tortoise shell! Why Red? Well, the Kuehs are traditionally given out during baby's first month celebrations, so Red denotes prosperity and Tortoise is a symbol of long life. Like I said, I am a big Sua Gu. Am I the only one or is this a revelation to you too?

Anyway, I am the latest Ang Gu Kueh convert after having tasted this one. OOoooh, they are really generous with the peanut filling and it was really very shiok. The skin is thin, soft and chewy and was a nice contrast to the gritty peanuts. Although the traditional Ang Gu Kueh is made from mung bean paste, I prefer the peanut version. Maybe its just because I am nuts about peanuts. 4.5/5



The Soon Kuehs here are pretty famous too. The skin is soft and slippery and the filling has enough of the Hae Bee (dried prawns) flavour. Liverpool, our chilli masochist, specially mentioned that the chilli sauce was especially hot and shiok. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Looks like I have just started my Ang Gu Kueh trail! Any particular stalls to recommend?

Poh Cheu Blk 127 #01-230
Bukit Merah Lane 1
8am to 6pm
Closed on Sun and Pub Hols
Recommended by Liverpool

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Putu Piring: The Lord of the Pirings!

Putu Piring 3 for $1

Do you remember the old Singapore Wonderland? I remember the small rollercoaster with the head of a lion in front of it. That coaster, together with Van Kleef aquarium (ie National Theatre) were iconic of Singapore in the 70's (for a 6 year old boy at least). I can still remember visiting Wonderland at night. I don't know if it is just because I was a kid, but Singapore nights seem to be cooler then. The best things to eat on a cool night were steaming hot peanuts and Kueh Tutu (Putu Piring).

The Kueh Tutu almost went out of fashion in the 80s (around then) but thankfully, like the handmade Paus, Gen Xers who grew up eating the traditional foods took it upon themselves to re-introduce the old favourites to a new generation.

Putu Piring is essentially the Malay version of Kueh Tutu. According to the friendly uncle at the stall, this dessert has its origins in India. The Malay version uses gula melaka for the filling and is served with grated coconut whiles the Chinese version ie Kueh Tutu, contains grated coconut and peanut filling and is generally smaller in size.



This uncle has been running the stall for 14 years. He used to be in the building industry and was involved in many hotels. It was during this time that he learned the art of kueh making by observing the many Hotel Chefs that he had to work with. After several attempts and experimentation, he finally arrived at the perfect recipe for his Putu Piring.

There is a perpetual queue of people outside the stall even at 3pm in the afternoon, but the hardworking staff are always cheerful and friendly. Guys should be especially careful about ordering from the amorous, circumferentially enhanced lady who is always after the handsome son of the owner and every other guy for that matter!



Now this picture really tells it all. Who can resist the finest grade Gula Melaka (from Malacca of course) oozing out of the kueh when it is piping hot? It is a wonder to behold and certainly not something you want to wait till you get home to eat. 4.75/5

Conclusion

Can a Putu Piring get much better then this?

One Piring to rule them all,
One Piring that leads them,
One Piring above them all,
With a Gula that beats them.

~The Lord of the Pirings~

Putu Piring
Banquet Food Centre
Blk 12 Haig Road
96883067
Daily 12noon to 10.30pm
closed on the 2nd Tuesday of the month

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Hiong Kee Dumplings: Hong Lim Food Centre 5 of 7

With smart, iwatch_ueat, damien and liverpool


This dumpling stall is one of the favourites of smart and they sell traditional Hokkien Style Dumplings (Changs) with salted eggs as well as Nonya Changs.

For me, any dumplings are now measured against the Gold Standard which is Hoo Kee over at Amoy Street FC, so though they are excellent dumplings, they still lack that X factor of Hoo Kee. However, unlike Hoo Kee which essentially sells one flavour of Bak Chang with optional extras, this one sells more tradtional flavours which include the Nonya variety. Someone actually did recommend the Nonya Chang, but I did not managed try it. 4/5

Conclusion

Certainly a very good traditional Hokkien style Bak Chang. I will need to return to try their Nonya Chang.

Hiong Kee Dumplings
Hong Lim Food Centre
#02-38
8.30am to 7.30pm
Closed on Sun & Public Holidays

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sgkueh: Not Oni Orr Nee and Ondeh Ondeh! Amoy Street Food Centre Part 5 of 5

With ieatMaMa & iwatch_ueat



Fancy some restaurant style desserts like Orh Nee (Yam Paste) and Water Chestnut paste but don't necessarily want to eat the rest of the 7 courses? Help is on the way! You can head down to sgkueh at Amoy Street Food Centre and satisfy for craving! And along the way you will be tempted with the multitudes of different kuehs that this tiny stall manages to dish out everyday.



The most popular kuehs are the golden Ondeh Ondeh. Yes, you are right, Ondeh Ondeh is supposed to be green in colour. But this is the type that has not metamorphosized into the Incredible Hulk yet. The reason it is golden is that sgkueh emphasizes no artificial colourings in their kuehs and the skin is made from quality Indonesian Sweet Potatoes.

When you put the whole thing in your mouth and take a bite, that satisfactory explosion of gula melaka simply coats your buccal cavity with joy. Then you will notice something quite different. The texture of the skin is very soft and not as chewy as normal Ondeh Ondeh. It doesn't have that artificial pandan flavour, but instead it has the savoury flavour of sweet potatoes. I liked it but ieatMama commented that she still liked her Ondeh Ondeh skin chewy. $0.40 ea 4/5



If you like Durian, you have to try the Durian Ondeh Ondeh. It is a marvel how they managed to put fresh durian puree inside of that soft skin! Aside from getting that really shiok durian flavour, the skin adds an extra dimension of texture to the durian experience. $0.80 ea 4.5/5 (This one is addictive for Durian lovers but those who hate Durian (poor souls) would use it as paintballs/stinkbombs to throw at mortal enemies!)



This is what the stall first built its reputation on. The Orh Nee with caramalised pumpkin and Ginko Nuts. Health watchers will be pleased to know they use Canola Oil rather than Pork Lard in the Orh Nee and that it is not overly sweet. They are also introducing Sugar Free Orh Nee on Fridays and Saturdays!



Texturewise, it is pretty thick and substantial, not like the watery versions sold at some dessert stores. This one tastes as good or even better than some that I have tasted at restaurants. The pumpkins and Ginko nuts are done very well. For $2.50, this is really good value for money Orh Nee. 4/5 (Good and healthy, but if you want to a score 4.5 on a Orh Nee, its gotta be caramalised in a wok with Pork Lard!)



Another item I thought was pretty good was the Tapioca with Gula Melaka. They use very good quality and thick gula melaka and the tapioca is very savoury and powdery. 3.75/5



The problem I have at the stall is that they have so many unique items that I really don't have the stomach to try them all. Take for instance this Tau Suan Kueh, which is mung beans set in Water Chestnut Jelly, or the Red Bean Kueh in the background. This is like mobile Tau Suan and Red Bean soup yah?



There you go, all the different colours you see here represent a different flavour. They range from tapioca to mocha coffee to pumpkin and even Japanese Sweet Potatoes. Even if you come everyday for a month to taste one kueh, you still won't be able to taste everything.

Conclusion

New age dessert store (is it a dotcom company?) that is willing to experiment and provide tasty yet healthier desserts! Really good Orh Nee and unique Ondeh Ondehs and so many other things to try that you are sure to find something you like!

www.sgkueh.com
Amoy St Food Centre #02-122
Mon-Sat 10.30am to 3pm
98338333 Michael Tan





Disclosure: We were invited to taste the kuehs at their store by Michael Tan who is an ieatishootipost reader and a forummer. I knew about their Orh Nee from the forum and would have eventually blogged their store anyway. Thanks for the invite Michael and I hope the pictures do justice to your desserts!

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Hoo Kee Rice Dumplings: Great Bak Changs! Amoy Street Food Centre 4 of 5

Don't play play, OK? (Don't take it lightly) The sign in front of this shop proclaims that you should call up to reserve your Bak Chang if you want to avoid dissappointment! Phwa, some forummers (tiantianchi) even claim that this store IS the icon for Amoy Street Food Centre! Others (superfinefeline) proclaim it their most favourite Bak Chang! I am beginning to feel that I have had a deprived childhood. How come there is such a good thing and I have not known about it?



I took heed of the warnings and had my friend buy the Bak Chang for me in the morning because I don't like to be dissappointed (Very Kiasu - afraid to lose out). But I was fortunate that on that fateful day, Uncle still had a few left to pose for this picture (Fated). Looks like any Bak Chang I had seen before. Could it really be THAT good?



Please bear with me while I rave.

After the first mouthful of the glutinous rice, I was already shaking my head and wondering what they actually put inside this that makes all your tastebuds come alive. It is seriously very very Pang (savoury). And the good thing is that they used only lean pork with no trace of pork fat at all! Unlike some Bak Changs I have tasted, where some glutinous rice portions are chewy and tasteless, in this Bak Chang, all the glutinous rice is nicely flavoured, soft and moist. You will finish the whole thing, trust me. The chestnuts are done so well that each one is soft, sweet and powdry and I mean each and every one! I am in Bak Chang Heaven!

The Bak Changs come in 3 flavours: Chestnut, Chestnut with Salted Egg, Chestnut with dried Mushrooms. If you have no cholesterol problem, you must try the salted egg version. I actually brought the Bak Changs home to eat because we were eating from quite a few stalls at the Food Centre. So I was quite full when I got home. I opened one for ieatprincess to try and ended up opening up all three and eating almost half of each! That was how good it was!

Conclusion

Best Bak Chang I have ever eaten! 4.75/5


Hoo Kee Rice Dumpling
Amoy Street Food Centre #01-18
62211155
Open 8am until sold out (usually by lunchtime)
Closed Sundays
You really need be Kiasu and call ahead to reserve to avoid dissppointment

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Jian Bo Shui Kweh: Everyone line up please! Tiong Bahru Market Part 1 of 6

This is the first of a six part series on the newly refurbished Tiong Bahru Market.

Somehow the name Tiong Bahru is synonymous with yummy hawker fare. Last time, everybody wants to tag Tiong Bahru in front of their stall name when they moved out of Tiong Bahru (eg Tiong Bahru Pao). Now everybody in this Food Centre wants to tag Tiong Bahru in front of their stall names to show people that they have moved back to the new Tiong Bahru Food Centre. (It's come full circle) The other thing you notice is that nobody bothers to tag other old food centres like "Bugis" or "Whampoa" in front of their names. It's like Bugis cannot fight with the power of Tiong Bahru. Know what I mean?

Indeed the old Tiong Bahru Market was famous for all the great eats and this Chwee Kueh was one of them.



Chwee Kueh is a very simple dish. Get some rice flour, mix with water and steam it. Then eat it with fried Chye Poh and chilli. So what's the big deal and how come this stall has been selling just Chwee Kueh and nothing else for the last 50 years?

I really like the texture of this Chwee Kueh. It is soft to the bite and you can basically eat it after you remove both upper and lower dentures. (No I don't wear dentures) The texture sets it apart from all the other Chwee Kuehs I have eaten. I found out why. They still mill their own rice to make the flour that makes the Chwee Kueh!

The second thing is that tasty fried chye poh. If you look closely, you will also notice the generous use of sesame seeds. Very pang (savoury) indeed!

Conclusion

One of the few original stalls from the old Tiong Bahru Market. If you like Chwee Kueh, you need to try this. 4/5

Jian Bo Shui Kueh
Tiong Bahru Market
#02-05
6.30am to 11pm daily
90223037

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You Char Kway The traditional way: Margaret Dr FC Supplemental

Who doesn't like the versatile You Char Kway (YCK)? You can eat it plain, dunk it in coffee, cut it up and put it in Porridge and Tau Suan, stuff it with Sotong (squid) paste and refry it, toast it and add it to rojak. Yet, YCK making is a dying art. In the past you would see someone making YCK at any market in Singapore. Now, some of our younger readers may not even know how it is made.



Thankfully, this elderly couple who have been here at Margaret Drive FC for the past 37 years are still persisting in making YCK the traditional way. I would like to dedicate this blog to them for preserving our culinary heritage.

Ever wondered what ingredients go into the YCK that gives it that classic YCK taste? I have. Uncle tells me that the basic ingredients of YCK are: Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. Eh Uncle, you not telling me something right? How come its got that YCK taste? Must be some special spice that is put in right? Nope, he insisted its just Flour, Baking Powder and Salt.....but... he admitted that he uses a very special, good quality Baking Powder... AND... the taste of the YCK can only be achieved if it is fried together with the other stuff like the Ham Chee Pang, Heh Czi etc. The sesame seeds and five spice used in the other items flavours the oil which is not decanted, but topped up everyday. Thus, you will never be able to make YCK at home.



The process of making the YCK is pretty straight forward. After the dough is cut, one piece is placed on top of another.



Then a slender aluminium rod is used to press down on the dough to make the 2 pieces stick together. (I used to see them using a wooden stick like that from a Sau Pu Li Li {Broom made from the leaves of the coconut tree})



The dough is then stretched and put into the hot oil. It's amazing that Uncle gets all the YCK the same length. If you get me to sit behind the chair and make YCK, I guarantee that the YCK will come out looking like they could be players in a Rugby Team.



Conclusion

You just cannot beat YCK made the traditional way. The YCK is crispy on the outside, chewy and savoury on the inside. It's a treat just eating it by itself. 4.5/5

Unfortunately, Margaret Drive FC will be demolished in 2010, marking 40 years of YCK making for this wonderful couple. They tell me that they have a few years in them yet and will relocate somewhere else and still be doing what they have dedicated their entire lives to perfecting.

Thanks to them, we can still keep our childhood memories alive... at least for the next few years.

Margaret Drive FC
#01-558
96806008
Tues-Sat 12pm-10pm
Sun 9am-8pm
Monday closed

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