The craziest reinvented traditional dessert I’ve had is probably the Mr Bean cocktail from local bar Jekyll & Hyde. While I was impressed by how the cocktail made with Lao Ban beancurd, vodka, kaya, and Frangelico tasted, it’s not something I’d crave for all the time, unlike a good old bowl of red bean soup or cheng tng. For these old-school treats, here are the stalls where you can get the best traditional desserts in Singapore.
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For old-school handmade tang yuan with explosive fillings, check out 75 Ah Balling Peanut Soup at Golden Mile Food Centre. Since they started their business in 1947, they have been famous for their glutinous rice balls in Peanut Soup ($1.40). While peanut soup is their signature, other soup options include Longan Red Date ($1.40), Ginger ($1.40), and Almond Milk ($1.40).
Each bowl typically comes with four pieces of glutinous rice balls for $2. It’s priced at $2.30 for five Ah Balling and $2.60 for six Ah Balling. They’re filled with popular ingredients such as peanut, sesame, and red bean. The more adventurous folks, however, can try their yam and green tea ones!
Read our 75 Ah Balling review.
Website | Full list of outlets
75 Ah Balling is not a halal-certified eatery.
The next time you’re in Chinatown, pop your head into 115 Tang Shui’s stall and you will see a big stone grinder sitting at the side. In an effort to keep all preparation methods traditional, the stall uses this 42-year-old machine to make their desserts. Serving mainly Cantonese desserts, you can find traditional bowls such as Sesame Paste (from $1.50), Almond Paste (from $1.50), and Sweet Potato Ginger Soup ($1.30)here. One of their best-selling items, Bobo Chacha ($1.90), which is only available from Fridays to Mondays, follows a 51-year-old recipe that has been passed down in the family.
Read our 115 Tang Shui review.
Address: Blk 335 Smith Street, #02-206, Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 7:30am to 4:30pm
Tel: 9641 9140
Website
115 Tang Shui is not a halal-certified eatery.
Jin Yu Man Tang Dessert Shop allows you to have traditional Chinese desserts in a comfortable, modern setting. If you’ve missed Hong Kong’s famous milk puddings, get them here. Their Signature Ginger Milk Pudding ($4) is a silky, creamy concoction, while the Shun De Double Layered Milk Pudding ($3.80) will whisk you right back to Australia Dairy Company. You can also get peach gum desserts, Mango Pomelo Sago ($5), and savoury bites here too.
Read our Jin Yu Man Tang Dessert Shop review.
Address: 66 East Coast Road, #01-03, The Flow, Singapore 428778
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10:30pm
Tel: 6214 3380
Website
Jin Yu Man Tang is not a halal-certified eatery.
Thong Sum Hot & Cold Desserts is a stall started by a young hawkerpreneur, serving traditional Chinese desserts. He still employs traditional methods of cooking, where clay pots and charcoal stoves are used. Get your hands on their signature Red Bean Soup ($2.20), Sweet Barley & Gingko Nut Soup ($2.40), and Sweet Corn Terigu ($2.40)!
Read our Thong Sum Hot & Cold Desserts review.
Address: 505 Beach Road, #01-83, Golden Mile Food Centre, Singapore 199583
Opening hours: Daily 10:30am to 8pm
Tel: 9172 0567
Website
Thong Sum Hot & Cold Desserts is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @vanessa_kou
Pay a visit to Fortune Centre for Yat Ka Yan, where everything is said to be made in-house. Avoid peak hours here so you have a better chance of trying their famous Chendol ($3.20), which is said to rival the famous Jonker Street equivalent in Malacca. Otherwise, try the Yammy Chendol ($5.50) that marries shallot oil-laced orh nee with the icy dessert, or a Soup Set of Three ($5), that allows you to try three hot desserts in tasting-sized portions.
Read our Ya Kat Yan review.
Address: 190 Middle Road, #02-08, Fortune Centre, Singapore 188979
Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Thur 1:30pm to 10pm, Fri-Sun 1:30pm to 11pm
Tel: 9669 9129
Website
Yat Ka Yan is not a halal-certified eatery.
Located in Bugis is Chow Zan Dessert, which serves traditional and contemporary desserts. Try their unconventional White Chendol ($4.50) that sees white coconut jelly, rather than the usual green ones. For a collagen shot, add some peach gum to your day with Chow Zan’s Peach Gum White Fungus With Lotus Seed ($6).
Read our Chow Zan Dessert review!
Address: 801 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198769
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 2pm to 10pm
Tel: 9830 8677
Website
Chow Zan is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @myfoodframes
Established in 1950, Mei Heong Yuen is a household name known for their nut pastes and Steamed Egg Pudding With Ginger ($3.50). Come for the Walnut Paste, Peanut Paste, and Sesame Paste at $3.50 each, or go for something modern such as the Milk Tea Snow Ice ($5.50). This icy treat comes with two types of pearls!
Read our Mei Heong Yuen review.
Website
Full list of locations
Mei Heong Yuen is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @chianghongkeat
There are only four items on the signage at Xi Le Ting, with only two prices: $1 if you dine in, and $1.20 for takeaways. Manned by a reputedly grumpy old lady, this stall at Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre has made the same desserts, with the same recipes, for more than 50 years. Try the Green Bean Soup, cooked to a creamy pulp with coconut milk and sago, or the Cheng Tng that comes with a slice of dried persimmon.
For a lesser-known, super traditional dessert, try auntie’s Bubur Terigu. This white wheat sweet porridge is popular with her regulars and is said to be smooth, without being overly sweet.
Address: 117 Commonwealth Drive, Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre, Singapore 140117
Opening hours: Thur-Sun 12pm to 6pm
Xi Le Ting is not a halal-certified eatery.
This old-school dessert stall near Lavender has a unique Mixed Green And Red Bean Soup ($2) that mixes both of the classic sweet soups. More than 40 ingredients go into each bowl of this! The desserts at Tian Yi Desserts tend towards the thicker, Cantonese-style variety, rather than the more commonly found sort where the beans and soup are distinct. For a more colourful treat, try the Bo Bo Cha Cha ($2.20) that’s rich and coconutty.
Read our Tian Yi Desserts review!
Address: 861 North Bridge Road, #01-112, North Bridge Road Food Centre, Singapore 198783
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 9:10am to 3pm
Website
Tian Yi Desserts is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image source: @jennytanwrites
Hidden in the basement of Siglap Centre is Ren Ren Desserts, a little dessert shop run by Uncle Wilson and Auntie Elsie. They’ve been making tong shui for 20 years, having started their business in Chinatown back in 2000. They’re known for their Chendol ($2.90), which features freshly squeezed coconut milk, although the Almond Cream ($2.60) and Chilled Black Rice with Vanilla Ice Cream ($3.50) are not to be missed, too!
Address: 55 Siglap Road, #B1-13, Siglap Centre, Singapore 455871
Opening hours: Tues–Fri 12:30pm to 6:30pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am to 6:30pm
Tel: 9117 8228
Website
Ren Ren is not a halal-certified eatery.
Ye Lai Xiang has been around for almost eight decades now, selling just one dish: cheng tng. If you’re wondering how their cheng tng differs, and whether it’s worth a trip to the depths of Bedok, the TL;DR is yes. Their cheng tng recipe has been perfected over time. There’s none of that overly cloying sweetness you usually get—instead, the broth is fragrant and laced with a mellow pandan syrup. Each portion also gets you a whopping 11 ingredients, from QQ sago balls to sweet dried lychee. A bowl is priced at $3 and available hot or cold.
Read our Ye Lai Xiang review.
Address: 1 Bedok Road, Stall 31, Bedok Food Centre, Singapore 469572
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 9:30am to 7pm
Tel: 9299 5062
Website
Ye Lai Xiang Cheng Tng is not a halal-certified eatery, but does not use pork or lard.
This Tampines dessert stall has gained a ton of traction online because of its signature Watermelon Dessert ($1.50), served ice-cold with rounds of fresh watermelon balls, sweet corn, milk, and watermelon juice. If you prefer sweet treats that are more traditional, the stall also sells a nutty Black Sesame Paste ($1.50) and Red Bean Soup ($1.50).
Read our House of Dessert review.
Address: 137A Tampines Street 11, Singapore 522137
Opening hours: Tue-Wed 7am to 3pm, Fri to Sun 7am to 3pm
House Of Dessert is not a halal-certified eatery.
If you’re looking for a spot to have traditional desserts in the CBD, then swing by Darkness Desserts. The Tanjong Pagar cafe is open till 12:30am over the weekend too, making it great for a sweet supper. The Black Sesame Paste with Almond Paste ($4.50+) is a crowd-favourite, featuring an aromatic, thick goma soup laced with a dollop of almond paste. For something cold, order the towering Mango Ice ($12.80+), served with mango shaved ice, popping boba, and a variety of other toppings.
Read our Darkness Dessert review.
Address: 100 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088521
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm to 11:30pm, Fri 5pm to 12:30am, Sat 1pm to 5:30pm, 7pm to 12:30am, Sun 1pm to 5:30pm, 7pm to 11pm
Tel: 8842 1263
Website
Darkness Dessert is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: @explodingbelly
Four Seasons Cendol is best known for selling some of the best chendol in Singapore. The Toa Payoh stall serves their take on the cold, sweet treat with a generous amount of coconut milk and gula melaka, as well as toppings, ranging from pandan jelly to red beans. Recently, they’ve also launched Ice Blended Cendol ($2.60), served in a cup for easy enjoyment while on the go.
Read our Four Seasons Chendol review.
Address: 210 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh, #01-07/01-56, Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market & Hawker Centre, Singapore 310210
Tel: 8720 1124
Website
Four Seasons Cendol is not a halal-certified eatery.
Image credit: WT Wong
OG traditional dessert lovers will definitely know of Soon Heng Hot & Cold Desserts, a nostalgic hawker stall that sells a variety of old-school tong shui, including a rare Teochew Lotus Seed Dessert ($2.50). Also known as lian ji suan, this dessert has fallen out of fashion due to how difficult it is to prepare, but fans can still find this comforting gem here.
Read our Soon Heng Hot & Cold Desserts review.
Address: Blk 38A Margaret Drive, #02-24, Margaret Hawker Centre, Singapore 142038
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 6am to 4pm
Soon Heng Hot & Cold Desserts is not a halal-certified eatery.
After a savoury meal, it’s always nice to end with a sweet treat. For the days that you’re tired of ice cream and waffles, fall back on an old-school Chinese dessert that’ll hit the spot, and is nourishing too. If you’re looking for our favourites, here’s our list of best desserts in Singapore for the year 2020.
Featured image adapted from @lohnoms‘ post.
This post was originally published on 17 January 2018.