Hup Ka Foon: Rare Lin Zi Gang & deconstructed Bak Zhang at your next dessert spot

Canto-style desserts? You are now speaking to a Cantonese with a massive sweet tooth. So, say no more. Here’s my pick: Hup Ka Foon in Chinatown helmed by husband-wife duo, Edwin Fong and Sharon Wong!

Hailing from a family that specialises in traditional desserts, they used to run the former Ren Ren Desserts, which was established by Edwin’s uncle (Wilson Tang) 2 decades ago. What’s more, Edwin is one of the founders of Fortune Centre’s Yat Ka Yan Dessert, a joint venture between his relatives.

Combining Sharon’s love for cooking and Edwin’s vast experience in the dessert trade, the the loving pair decided to open their very own dessert stall in 2021. Did you know? Prior to previous locations in Katong Shopping Centre and Siglap Centre, Uncle Wilson’s stall actually started on Smith Street.

Thus, Edwin and Sharon have circled back to where history started.

Reflecting a homage to their family’s roots, you can expect Uncle Wilson’s original recipes at Hup Ka Foon. Serving bowls of authentic Canto-style desserts (the essential tong sui) concocted from a blend of made-from-scratch ingredients, will this be your next dessert spot?

What I tried at Hup Ka Foon

Beautifully planted beside the lofty Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Hup Ka Foon exudes a familial warmth reminiscent of returning to your ah ma’s house. 

From the warm lighting down to their dark wooden tables, my family and I felt perfectly at home here. “Hey! I know this song,” my dad exclaimed before humming away to a Canto-Pop song that was softly playing in the background. Case in point.

Wasting no time ordering our desserts before the shop closed for the day, we settled on Cendol (S$3.50), Steamed Milk Egg White (S$4), MJ (S$5.80), Red Bean with Aged Tangerine Peel & Lotus Seed (S$3.50), Lotus Seed Soup (S$5.80), Tang Yuen (S$3) and of course, a Bowl Zhang (S$4.50). We were obviously spoiled for choice lah. 

Let’s start with the Cold Desserts. 

Generously drizzled with gula melaka, the Cendol featured a tower of fluffy shaved ice that was accompanied by handmade cendol jelly and red beans. I also noted that the golden-hued syrup had a tinge of saltiness which subtly contrasted with the chewy jelly and sweetened beans. Nice touch! Portion-wise, it was reasonable and we found ourselves endlessly troughing through the snow-like base that melted so quickly.

We regretted not getting a classic 姜汁炖蛋 (Steamed Egg with Ginger, S$3.80). Fortunately, the unassuming 双皮奶 (Steamed Milk Egg White), available in Hot or Cold, exceeded our expectations. Boasting a silky consistency yielded from beaten egg white and milk, this creamy dessert gave a close fight to the ones at a particular cha chaan teng in Hong Kong (Australia Dairy Company LOL).  

Although Hup Ka Foon offers add-on toppings like Oreo (S$0.50) and Lotus Seed (S$0.80), this can be eaten on its own. Trust.

Did you know that “MJ” was suggested by a customer? Similar to the Michael Jackson drink that we all know and love, their MJ includes black glutinous rice, homemade vanilla gelato and fairy grass jelly (仙草). You heard that right, homemade gelato. Before we get on to that, the “black and white” treat is perfect for sweet tooths. I appreciated how the velvety jelly managed to cut through the viscous rice without making it too jelat.  

Wanna know the origins of that airy gelato? After their usual ice cream brand shut during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Sharon began experimenting with a small gelato machine, and the rest is history!

Moving on to the Hot Desserts. 

The Red Bean with Aged Tangerine Peel & Lotus Seed may be an acquired taste to some. However, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Unlike their range of oat-thickened pastes inspired by Uncle Wilson’s recipes, the red beans are the thickener themselves. Coupled with zesty and nutty notes from the tangerine peel and lotus seeds respectively, we loved how the tong sui was a fine balance between watery and gluey.

Talking about Lotus Seeds, the Lotus Seed Soup was my star of the show. Otherwise known as Lin Zi Gang, this is rarely found in Singapore with Hup Ka Foon being one of the last places that sell it. According to Edwin, the comforting soup is similar to tau suan but the mung beans are substituted with lian zi. And comforting it was. Dotted with soft lotus seeds, the treacly concoction was oozing with a rich earthy-sweet profile. 

Surprisingly, my picky mum loved that too. 

At this point, we weren’t surprised that the Tang Yuen hit the mark as well. Deceivingly simple, the Mid-Autumn Festival favourite had a QQ mochi-like form that concealed the black sesame filling within! But what truly made me sit up and chug that bowl down was the tang. Unlike the traditionally spicy yet warming ginger soup that my grandma used to make, their variation wasn’t overpowering at all! It was simply an invigorating nudge to the tastebuds.

With the only other item in the category being Yam Cake (S$3.80), the dessert stall has a small yet substantial selection of dim sum. Cue to the Bowl Zhang. 

Barely wrapped in a singular bamboo leaf, the glutinous rice was darkly coloured and loaded with pork, chestnuts and mushrooms. While the sticky carb had an ideal texture, I believe that the pork could have been more tender.

There is a funny backstory to this “deconstructed bak zhang”. After a period of struggling to wrap the iconic triangular-shaped dumpling, they decided to deviate from the norm to create the Bowl Zhang instead. This increased efficiency in preparations as well!

Final Thoughts 

Make this your next dessert spot.

Tying it back to the essence of 合家歡, which loosely translates to “a joyful gathering of family“, Hup Ka Foon truly offers the best of Cantonese desserts at an affordable price. And, as evidenced by their homemade gelato and unique bak zhang, I guess that the best things can come from happy accidents. 

Among all the desserts we enjoyed, I have said it but will say it again, their Lin Zi Gang is a definite must-try! Akin to a warm embrace, that soul-soothing soup has remained etched in my mind.

Bye, I am returning for another bowl.

Expected damage: S$3 to S$5.80 per pax

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