I’ve been to Old Airport Road Food Centre more times than I can count, usually for plates of my favourite chee cheong fun at Freshly Made Chee Cheong Fun or rojak at Toa Payoh Rojak. But on a recent visit, I wandered to a quieter corner of the hawker centre and discovered Bakes N Bites, an under-the-radar stall run by an elderly couple Uncle Christopher, 72, and Auntie Christina, 69. For the past 16 years, the couple has perfected their recipe for their signature chilled muffins, which are essentially refrigerated muffins best eaten cold, among other sweet and savoury goodies.
The idea of chilled muffins might sound off-putting, as you probably imagine a stale and rock-hard bake. This is exactly what I pictured at first, but I was pleasantly surprised after having a bite of their muffins.
Each muffin was moist and fluffy. Taste-wise, the chilled muffins didn’t differ much from a regular one, but each bite gave a pleasant cool mouthfeel.
A must-try at Bakes N Bites is the bestselling Triple Chocolate Muffin ($3.20). With each bite, you can expect a rich, bittersweet cocoa flavour paired with a velvety mouthfeel from its dark chocolate chips that melt as you eat them. The best part is that it wasn’t cloyingly sweet to the point you crave a litre of water.
For a slightly healthier alternative, you can opt for their Fresh Orange Muffin ($3). Made with fresh oranges, the refreshing tang helped to mellow down the sweetness. The orange zest within the crumb also added an interesting bite.
There’s also the Walnut Banana Muffin ($3), made using fresh bananas and roasted walnut bits for that addictive crunch.
Muffins aside, try their Chewy Brownie ($4.80). As their regular brownie wasn’t ready, I tried the diabetic-friendly version, priced at $5.80, instead. FYI, this option is available for all their products. It may not be as chewy or fudgy as other brownies, but the chocolatey insides offered a deep, malty-cocoa flavour nonetheless. Its crispy top also deserves a special mention!
There are savoury pastries here too, and we tried the Chicken Rendang Pie ($3) of the lot. The buttery, flaky crust paired well with the mildly peppery and fragrant rendang filling featuring tender chicken chunks.
Old Airport Road Food Centre is a quick five-minute walk from Dakota MRT Station. Do note to visit earlier if you want to try some of their best sellers, as they can run out pretty quickly.
If you’re in the vicinity, check out Kopitiam Corner, a coffesshop in Dakota. Otherwise, read our Jia Mei Bakery review that’s also at Old Airport Road Food Centre.
Address: 51 Old Airport Road, #01-164/165, Old Airport Road Food Centre, Singapore 390051
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8pm
Website
Bakes N Bites is a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Nabila Malek.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.