Hiap Huat Cakeshop: Unique vegetable kueh, old-school snacks & mixed reactions
The best kueh? Not fresh? Rude staff??? I was immediately intrigued by the online reviews for Hiap Huat Cakeshop, an old-fashioned, hole-in-the-wall shop in Yuhua Village selling traditional kueh. Comments varied from compliments to complaints regarding freshness and the attitude of the staff.
I also approached my relatives who live in the area regarding their thoughts on this curious shop. One called the service “lousy,” while another said they used to make mooncakes but don’t any more.
The main factor that prompted my visit was the strange kueh flavours that they offered occasionally – cauliflower, lady’s fingers, brinjal. I wasn’t sure about the availability, but decided to try my luck anyway.
Hiap Huat Cakeshop seemed a relatively popular choice for the locals, as there was a line when my colleague Ming Hui and I arrived. It looked very old and I confirmed after some web surfing that it’d been established in the ’70s.
We crept to the back and snuck some shots of the snacks.
An interesting variety greeted us. There were pickles, rice cakes, iced gems, peanut candy, preserved fruits, and more we couldn’t name (young people’s problems?).
Making our way to the front, we recognised childhood treats such as Yan Yan, rainbow gummies and haw flakes.
Cooked goods were displayed either on the clear main counter or on the cart placed by the right. Plenty were offered—Ang Ku Kueh, Lor Mai Kai, Zongzi, and various fritters. They also provided meat like Pork Trotters and Chicken Wings, as well as Steamed Corn, Sweet Potatoes, and cooked cassava.
Most flavours weren’t too special that day; the usual suspects like gui cai and yam kueh were available. However, we did catch sight of kueh with cabbage and pumpkin shrimp fillings, which while not super crazy are relatively uncommon from my experience.
While not outright rude, the staff auntie was impatient, especially since she couldn’t catch our orders. That’s probably on me – I didn’t speak loud enough and had to repeat several times. I would have made a wider selection if not for the overwhelming pressure to get the purchase over and done with!
What I tried at Hiap Huat Cakeshop
I regretted not being more creative with my choices that day, given that the reason for our visit was the unique vegetable kueh. The one we did get our hands on was the Guang Mang Gui (S$1.20). Basically soon kueh stuffed with shredded turnips, carrots, wood ear mushrooms and glass noodles.
The first thing I noticed was that the skin was translucent and very jiggly. Going in for a bite, the texture was Q and had a satisfying stretch.
Filling-wise, the ingredients were fresh. I was familiar with the concept of turnip tasting a little earthy at times, but this did not. The kueh was umami, and my tastebuds picked up dried shrimp in the mixture. It didn’t seem overcooked either, as the vegetables had retained a nice crunch.
“The glass noodles are similar to Korean japchae,” Ming Hui observed.
Next up was the steamed Kueh Ubi (S$0.60 per pc), which we got 2 flavours of – Pandan and Pumpkin. I love tapioca kueh, so this was a must-try.
The former possessed the hue characteristic of pandan, but the flavour wasn’t very prominent. It was just an original tapioca cake, except in green.
There was a good chew to the kueh and it wasn’t too sugary. I loved that the desiccated coconut not only provided an interesting texture but also complemented the tapioca in terms of nutty flavour.
Pumpkin was my favourite. Tearing the pillowy treat apart, I noticed some golden-orange pumpkin shreds woven into the tapioca batter. From the mouthfeel, I could tell that they had used sago; some tiny pearls had survived the mixing.
It had a slight fruity freshness and tasted more fragrant than the Pandan. I instantly regretted not buying the Pumpkin Shrimp Gui (S$1.20), given how delicious this one turned out to be.
Comparing the two, I observed that the Kueh Pumpkin Ubi was more firm than Pandan, and did not come apart as easily.
My experience with the Onde Onde (S$0.60 per pc) was a bit of a roller coaster.
Naturally, upon noticing that Hiap Huat Cakeshop’s onde onde was orange instead of the usual green, I was intrigued. Coated in desiccated coconut, they were larger than most I’ve seen and looked soft, sweet and inviting.
The molten gula melaka filling wasn’t too bad – it’s hard to go wrong with that. However, given that the ratio of dough to filling was very off (with way more dough than palm sugar), it wasn’t as enjoyable as we expected.
The quality was not consistent with all the pieces, either. Imagine my disappointment when I bit into another ball, and found it…empty. (I’m mentioning this to my colleagues as I write and they are flabbergasted, to say the least.)
On the bright side, this gave me the opportunity to access the dough alone. It was basically a lump of unsweetened, squishy sweet potato flour covered with coconut, which tasted and felt uncooked.
If I’m being honest, the filling and coconut did little to hide the dough’s quality.
Final Thoughts
Mixed reviews were what I found online, and mixed reviews were what I left with.
The kuehs were tasty, and I can see why it’s popular with so many neighbourhood uncles and aunties. Perhaps I’m biased as a vegetable lover but even so, I can tell that the quality of the cooking wasn’t too bad.
Given the Google Reviews, I came dreading the possibility of being screamed at by the auntie but thankfully didn’t face that fate. Besides, the staff had a lot on their hands given the lunch rush.
The fare wasn’t of the highest standard, but I found it sufficient for a lunchtime snack. Furthermore, it was very affordable – Ming Hui even said it was the lowest amount she had spent during a shoot!
Overall, not that bad an experience but not spectacular either. Drop by to try the unique vegetable kuehs, but maybe skip the Onde Onde.
Expected damage: S$0.60 – S$1.20 per pax
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