$0.70 muffins & extra at 70 year-old conventional bakery

There are two issues which have grown up carefully with me. Quantity #1, my brother. Quantity #2, these muffins.

In case you are residing within the Magnificence World space, the fabled Ng Kim Lee Confectionery at Chun Tin Street shouldn’t be unfamiliar to you. Based in 1954, the shop has been a pioneer in confectioneries and extra for a whopping 70 years. The spectacular factor is, it hasn’t relocated in any respect.

Famend for his or her crazily reasonably priced Muffins that are all priced at S$0.70, the family-run confectionery additionally sells conventional Teochew and Peranakan pastries, and extra at wallet-friendly costs.

Having lived in Bukit Timah for almost all of my lifetime, I wanted no second affirmation of the place the archaic retailer was.

Firmly rooted on patterned tile flooring, the shop proudly sports activities a 金子招牌 (golden signage) coupled with two gold lions and a set of blue Bostwick gates with intricate detailing. For these with a weak point for all issues candy and salty, time to satisfy your largest enemy.

Its brightly-lit inside has cabinets upon cabinets of old-school bakes, snacks and pastries — assume Kuih Piring (S$2), Honey Kueh Bahulu (S$3.50), White Sesame Sweet (S$5) and Solar Cake (太阳饼)(S$6). And naturally, a vibrant array of their signature bite-sized Muffins (S$0.70) in 12 flavours. I’d spend hours on this retailer if I may…

What I attempted at Ng Kim Lee Confectionery

After minutes of self-debating on what I ought to add to my already overflowing tray of muffins, I settled on a Black Forest Mousse Cake (S$3), a Yam Mousse Cake (S$3), Conventional Salty Bean Pastry (豆沙饼) (S$1.60), Honey Rooster Siew Bao (S$1.60), Rooster Pie (S$2) and muffins within the following flavours: Blueberry, Cheese, Chocolate, Lemon, Oreo, Pandan, Strawberry. Good issues should share with the fam! Heh.

Nervous that my hefty haul had misplaced its authentic high quality, I dug in instantly as soon as I obtained house.

Okok, let’s begin off with the Mousse Muffins. These are the softest truffles I’ve ever come throughout. With out a lot strain, my fork went by means of the spongy texture in a single swift reduce. And as silly as this sounds — it didn’t simply really feel like a sponge but additionally tasted like one.

Sandwiched between layers of pure fluffiness, the chocolate cream was wealthy in flavour, however not as overpowering as I had anticipated. You recognize the dense chocolate-y style while you eat a bar of chocolate? The Black Forest Mousse Cake was the exact opposite, in a great way. Though the cake additionally featured shaved chocolate atop mild whipped cream, it wasn’t jelat in any respect.

My spotlight of this cake is actually the cherry on prime. Making a harmonious mixture as soon as bitten, the juicy fruit was bursting with nectar that was fantastically infused with fragrant cocoa.

Sharing traits just like the Black Forest Mousse Cake, the Yam Mousse Cake is an ethereal buttercream cake adorned with delicate lilac mousse. I really thought there was zero depth to it however after a number of tastings, there was a refined sweetness that shone by means of the no-frills sponge cake. Confession: That is sadly my first time making an attempt yam, and it positively received’t be my final.

Shifting on to the baked items, there’s no level leaving an old-school bakery with out Tau Sar Piah. Fashionable across the Nineteen Seventies to Nineties, the buttery golden-brown pastry has a shiny glaze with the phrase “减“ and skinny crumbly layers that conceal the nutty mung bean paste inside. I wouldn’t say that the paste had the smoothest consistency, however the Tau Sar Piah‘s shell was the one which tied every little thing collectively.

In the meantime, Ng Kim Lee Confectionery has their Honey Rooster Siew Bao all the way down to a tee. Sprinkled with sesame seeds, the pastry had a number of enveloping swirls that converged in direction of the centre and was crammed with savoury BBQ pork that amazingly stored its moisture. I simply wished that I had eaten it whereas it was sizzling!

How do you identify an excellent pastry? It’s the filling for me. For S$2, the Rooster Pie went past expectations. Choke-full of chunky potatoes and carrots, tender hen and peas, this pie was generously packed into a large flaky crust. I really like how the numerous textures of those substances reduce by means of the viscosity of the pastry’s luscious cream. In keeping with my father: “That is worth for cash.”

Holding the perfect for the final, I received’t dwell a lot on each Muffin flavour that I’ve tried. However what I would like to stress is that these muffins are freshly made! I legit noticed the confectionery’s cheerful aunty replenishing a tray of Cheese Muffins at 7pm.

It was additionally pure for me to get them after Aunty advised us that it was one of many common flavours. The muffins tasted exactly the identical as I remembered. Comforting however extraordinarily addictive.

Exploding with cheesiness, the Cheese Muffin was a bit too decadent for me however I completed it anyway. As for the Lemon, Strawberry and Blueberry, it fortunately wasn’t as treacly as I assumed. Narrowing all the way down to Chocolate, Oreo and Pandan, whereas the Oreo had bits of chocolate that additional accentuated the trace of vanilla, the Chocolate was velvety with notes just like its cake counterpart.

This leaves Pandan, which is available in an iconic shade of inexperienced and has an underlying floral scent that factors to its distinct aroma. Candy and easy. From one candy tooth to a different, I believe you already know which one’s my favorite.

Enjoyable reality. In contrast to the traditional paper cups that simply keep on with muffins and cupcakes, these muffins’ jagged aluminium foil cups are folded in a method that makes them simpler to tug aside. Progressive anot? 

Last Ideas

I remorse not swinging by extra usually.

Think about having fun with a cup of kopi along with a aspect of flaky Tau Sar Piah or buttery Muffins! Breakfast shall be one thing I’d sit up for each morning.

Behind the façade of conventional institutions, I ponder if there’s a relentless have to be fashionable and relatable to the youthful generations in an effort to survive.

With Ng Kim Lee Confectionery not shifting an inch for practically a century, it’s protected to say that they’ve garnered a pool of loyal clients who will proceed to go to their quaint confectionery, even for some time. It’s true.

Throughout my visits to the shop, it was frequent to see individuals of all ages roaming across the aisles and gazing upon their cabinets of old-school bakes, snacks, pastries and recollections.

On this fashionable period, can we ever select to decelerate?

Anticipated injury: S$0.70 to S$3 per pax

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