Forget flash-in-the-pan dessert trends—these heritage gems dish up sweets beloved for centuries
Basque cheesecake and cronuts have had their moment, but time-tested classics are iconic for a reason. From ang ku kuehs by the Tohs of Ji Xiang to sago gula melaka from Nonya Bong’s Jeffrey Chia, the towkays of these beloved names sell local speciality desserts that are a veritable labour of love.
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1. Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert
An established name in ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, this storied stall of Ultimate Hawker Fest fame is run by half-Indonesian ex-DJ Ewan Tang and former insurance agent Calvin Ho. Foiled in their attempts to secure a good spot for a beer garden, the enterprising pair settled on selling desserts, despite neither boasting the required expertise. A round-Asia research tour and two decades later, Jin Jin is a mecca for favourites like Penang ice kacang, tau suan (split mung bean soup) and the wittily named Gangster Ice—shaved ice, cubed mango and durian ice cream, with the name a play on the Chinese pronunciation of both fruits.
But die-hard fans are really here for the Power Chendol, an Indonesian treat of shaved ice slathered generously with condensed milk and house-made gula melaka syrup, boiled using premium raw palm sugar from the archipelago. It’s accompanied by the usual accoutrements: red beans, noodle-like pandan jelly, sweet attap seeds. There’s a second branch at Tekka Centre.
Jin Jin Hot/Cold Dessert | 6 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-21, S(150006) | 90932018 | jinjindessertclub@yahoo.com.sg