With a soft, mochi-like skin wrapping a variety of sweet and savoury fillings such as turnip or bamboo shoots (soon kueh), glutinous rice (peng kueh) and chives (ku chai kueh), Teochew kueh are getting less and less common in Singapore. And it is unfortunate as the traditional snack is often what many of us grew up eating, especially if we belong to the Teochew dialect group. There are, thankfully, still a few places that are preserving this food culture and heritage. Here are 10 of them:
We’ve previously dedicated a story to the best ang ku kueh in Singapore, so we aren’t going to feature them too much here. However, we’re spotlighting AhMah’s Legacy, as it is 24-year-old founder Shiny Phua’s love letter to her late grandmother. Besides juggling a full-time job, she founded the one-person online business to remember her grandmother and uses only natural ingredients with no food colouring or artificial flavourings to make her ang ku kueh and muah chee.
Order via AhMah’s Legacy’s website here
Yoon’s Traditional Teochew Kueh doesn’t just aim to preserve food heritage but also provides employment to mature female ex-drug offenders. It is most known for peng kueh and cikak kueh (pictured), the latter of which is made with the cikak plant (also known as cudweed). Yoon’s is also a culinary school, offering workshops on making Teochew kueh.
Yoon’s Traditional Teochew Kueh is at 37 MacTaggart Road, #04-01 Lirea Industrial Building, Singapore 368083.
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Chin Siew Ying, the owner of Kuehs and Snacks, has been making traditional Teochew kueh for over 30 years and handmakes them alongside other elderly coworkers. The brand prides itself on preserving tradition and using quality ingredients to make a variety of sweet and savoury snacks including ku chai kueh, png kueh and soon kueh.
Kuehs and Snacks is at Block 125 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-164 Alexandra Village C3, Singapore 150125 and Block 7 Empress Road, #01-84 Empress Market, Singapore 260007.
Owner Goh Mok Ai has been working steadfastly for over two decades handmaking Teochew kueh for his hawker stall in Jurong East. His hard work and dedication has paid off — he’s the first Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee for Teochew kueh. Fans continue to head there for his soon kueh, ku chai kueh, chye kueh and peng kueh.
Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh is at #01-218 Yuhua Market & Hawker Centre, 347 Jurong East Ave 1, Singapore 600347.
Founded in 1998 by Desmond Koh, Yong’s Teochew Kueh now has two branches in Singapore serving up Teochew kueh that are handmade daily. Here, you’ll find an array of traditional delights from soon kueh, peng kueh, ku chai kueh and chye kueh to yam kueh, yam cake and yam paste.
Yong’s Teochew Kueh is at 1022 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534760 and 150 East Coast Road, Singapore 428837.
If you’re bored of the usual way of eating Teochew kueh, which is usually steamed, then head to Yong Xiang Carrot Cake for a unique experience. Here, the kuehs are chopped up before being fried carrot cake-style with egg, resulting in a moreish dish that’s part chewy, part crispy and all-around delicious.
29 Bendemeer Rd, #01-35 Bendemeer Market & Food Centre, Singapore 330029
Ever heard of artisanal soon kueh? That’s the pride and glory of One Kueh At A Time, now a cafe in an industrial setting that used to be a hawker stall at the Berseh Food Centre. Headed by owner Nick, soon kueh is the only Teochew kueh they make by hand or with machines. Besides traditional flavours, you can also find Haebi Hiam, Bak Kwa and Wok Smoked Chicken takes too.
One Kueh At A Time is at 230 Pandan Loop, #01-K1, Singapore 128415.
Another Bukit Merah entrant, Poh Cheu might be more known for its ang ku kueh but its soon kueh shouldn’t be overlooked too. The brand was founded by couple Neo Poh Cheu and Lim Kim Noi in 1985 and was awarded the Michelin Plate in 2019. With the soon kueh, you can choose between bamboo shoots, chives or turnip filling.
Poh Cheu Soon Kueh and Ang Ku Kueh is at 127 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-222, Singapore 150127.
Tiong Bahru Food Centre is a mecca for foodies. And among the stalls is Tiong Bahru Teochew Kueh, which has been around since 1974. Helmed by current owner Mr Law, the hawker stall has over 30 offerings but followers love the soon kueh (with either turnip or chives filling) and the black bean kueh stuffed with ingredients such as black beans and peanuts.
Tiong Bahru Teochew Kueh is at #02-02 Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre, 30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898.
Jalan Kukoh Teochew Kueh is a family-run business that first started in Johor Bahru reportedly over a hundred years ago. Now headed by third-generation owners, the Loh siblings, the hawker stall is popular among those who live nearby so much so that it can sell out quickly. So call ahead if you really want to get your hands on the plump, generously stuffed snacks.
Jalan Kukoh Teochew Kueh is at 1 Jalan Kukoh, #01-19/01-20 Jalan Kukoh Food Centre, Singapore 161001.