Young bakers are giving the humble kueh a makeover with contemporary versions of these old- school Chinese, Malay and Peranakan cakes.

Over the past year, at least four kueh shops have sprung up. They include the four-month-old Kueh Garden in Jurong East Avenue 1, which offers 11 kinds of ang ku kueh in flavours such as durian and green tea. Then there is Peranakan Khek in Cavan Road, which opened in June last year, selling confections such as kueh salat (glutinous rice topped with pandan custard) and kueh bingka (baked tapioca cake).

Restaurants are also getting involved in the kueh revolution.

Nasi lemak restaurant The Coconut Club in Ann Siang Hill debuted coconut-themed kueh three months ago and Candlenut, a one- Michelin-starred restaurant in Dempsey Road, has modernised traditional kueh by pairing them with ice cream and cookie crumbs.

Helming the new crop of kueh eateries are first-time food and beverage owners in their 20s and 30s.

Take Ms Sharon Low, 29, chef-owner of Peranakan Khek. The former pastry cook with The Prive Group of restaurants switched from baking Western pastries to making kueh in June last year. Her 400 sq ft takeaway shop sells seven types of Peranakan and local kueh, and sells about 30 to 40 pieces of each variety. Kueh must be pre-ordered.

She says: "Making kueh is more culturally meaningful as it connects me to my family's history."

Ms Carol Aliya Widjaya, 32, owner of Ratu Lemper in Baghdad Street, specialises in lemper, an Indonesian glutinous rice snack stuffed with shredded meat.

Instead of the sweetened version in her home town of Jakarta, her chicken lemper is spicy. The cooking process involves stirfrying shredded chicken with spices and coconut milk for three hours.

Ms Widjaya, who is now Singaporean, says: "It gives me national pride to let more people try this Indonesian delicacy, which is not commonly found here."

To make the snacks more convenient to eat, she makes them in rectangular blocks instead of rolling the rice in banana leaves.

For those catering for more people, she makes 1.5kg lemper cakes decorated with flowers and animal-shaped figurines.

Other business owners are drawn to the potential in the kueh market.

Mr Liu Fang Xi, 35, and his business partner, Mr Freddie Chan, 55, started Kueh Garden last December.

The former engineers learnt to make ang ku kueh early last year from one of the owners of the popular Lim Lam Hong confectionery in Jalan Bukit Merah, who is a friend of Mr Chan's.

Both shops sell the same 11 flavours including durian and coffee.

The shop sells 300 to 500 pieces of ang ku kueh daily.

Meanwhile, the year-old Pantree cafe in CT Hub 2 in Lavender Street sells ban chang kueh pancakes in contemporary flavours from Nutella to ham to cheese and egg.

Owner Victor Yong, 35, a former bank executive, learnt the pancake recipe from his father-in-law who is a street hawker in Ipoh, Malaysia.

His prices are slightly higher than those at hawker centres, but he says "preserving heritage should make business sense to remain relevant". The cafe sells at least 100 pancakes daily.

Charging a premium for kueh is something that these businesses have to grapple with as most consumers perceive kueh as a low-cost food.

Chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut admits that he serves "the most expensive kueh salat in Singapore".

The kueh, which is accompanied by coconut sorbet and kueh bangkit crumbs, costs $14.

But the 32-year-old thinks the hefty price tag is justified. He says: "Making kueh salat is as complex as making a souffle. A lot of effort went into perfecting the recipe."

The Coconut Club started selling kueh kosui (steamed gula melaka cake), kueh bingka and kueh salat in January. The restaurant makes up to 200 pieces of kueh daily.

Owner Lee Eng Su, 38, says: "People are getting nostalgic over old-school flavours."

Customers appreciate the second wind that kueh is enjoying.

Ms Angela Ang, 40, a senior adviser in a recruitment company, who has visited Peranakan Khek, says: "Such shops keep our kueh tradition alive."

Watch how a pancake is made at The Pantree: Go to str.sg/4BWx
THE PANTREE
Where: CT Hub 2, 114 Lavender Street, 01-19
Open: 8.30am to 5pm (weekdays), closed on weekends and public holidays. The shop opens every last Saturday of the month, from 9.30am to 4pm.
Info: Go to http://www.thepantreepancakes.com/

Where to buy kueh

CANDLENUT

What: Kueh is given a modern twist at this one-Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant. Its Kueh Salat ($14), for example, is paired with young coconut sorbet and sprinkled with coconut cookie crumbs. The Kueh Bingka ($12), a tapioca and coconut cake, comes with gula melaka ice cream.

Two weeks ago, the restaurant introduced durian pengat and ice cream with kueh rose or honeycomb cookies ($14). The kueh are made in-house in small batches of up to 20 pieces and are available only at dinner.

Where: Como Dempsey, Block 17A Dempsey Road

Open: Noon to 2.30pm, daily; 6 to 9.30pm (Sundays to Thursdays); 6 to 10.30pm (Fridays and Saturdays)

Info: Go to comodempsey.sg/candlenut

THE PANTREE

What: Here, ban chang kueh (peanut pancake) goes hip with more than 15 types of fillings. Those with a sweet tooth can go for pancakes slathered with Speculoos ($3 each), a cookie butter spread, and Nutella with crushed peanut ($3.20 each). Popular savoury pancake fillings include ham, cheese and egg ($3.50 each) and chicken floss ($3 each). The pancakes, with wafer-thin crispy edges, are made on order.

Where: 01-19 CT Hub 2, 114 Lavender Street

Open: 8.30am to 5pm (weekdays), 9.30am to 4pm (last Saturday of every month), closed on Sundays.

Info: Call 9003-8703 or go to www.facebook.com/thepantreepancakes

KUEH GARDEN

What: This five-month-old shop in an HDB estate in Jurong East sells ang ku kueh in more than 10 flavours including coffee, green tea, yam and durian (90 cents or $1 each). Other kueh on the menu include the traditional Teochew soon kueh and png kueh, a savoury glutinous rice dumpling (both $1 each). The shop also created its own kueh, the Golden Jade Kueh ($1 each), stir-fried yam wrapped in a skin made with sweet potato. It is available only on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Where: 01-1245, Block 348 Jurong East Avenue 1

Open: 7.30am to 3pm (Mondays), 7.30am to 7pm (Tuesdays to Sundays)

Info: Call 6264-9182 or go to kuehgarden.com

RATU LEMPER

What: At this 11-month-old shop, its chicken lemper ($5 for three pieces) comes in three levels of spiciness. It also offers beef rendang lemper ($6 for three pieces) and lemper cakes (from $48 for a 1.5kg cake).

There is a modern version of pulut kuning (yellow glutinous rice). The shop makes the communal dish in bite-sized portions ($7) topped with beef rendang, available only on Wednesdays.

The shop also sells at least three types of kueh that changes daily ($3 for four pieces). They include kaswi kaya (kaya custard with gula melaka jelly) and durian salat (glutinous rice topped with durian custard).

Where: 16 Baghdad Street

Open: 10am to 7pm daily, closed on Mondays

Info: Call 6493-2549 or go to www.facebook.com/pg/ratulemper

THE COCONUT CLUB

What: The popular nasi lemak restaurant introduced kueh in January. It offers kueh kosui (80 cents each) and kueh salat ($2 each) daily. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, there is also kueh bingka ($1 each). Chef-owner Lee Eng Su makes these kueh using freshly squeezed milk from coconuts sourced from a plantation in Sabak Bernam, Malaysia. The coconuts are renowned for their creamy, aromatic milk. The milk is also used in the restaurant's popular nasi lemak and chendol dishes.

Where: 6 Ann Siang Hill

Open: 11am to 3pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays

Info: Call 6635-2999 or go to www.thecoconutclub.sg

PERANAKAN KHEK

What: This shop in Jalan Besar, which sells seven types of kueh daily, uses premium gula melaka from Malacca and freshly squeezed coconut milk. Popular items include kueh salat ($2 each), ang ku kueh ($2.20 each) and kueh putugal ($2 each), steamed tapioca fudge stuffed with bananas. Chef- owner Sharon Low has also created kueh bulan ($2.50 each), a glutinous rice kueh loaded with roasted pumpkin seed filling, candied wintermelon and toasted sesame seeds. All kueh require a pre-order of at least three days.

Where: 01-03 Cavan Suites, 11 Cavan Road

Open: 11am to 6pm (Wednesdays to Saturdays), 11am to 5pm (Sundays), closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Info: Call 6443-1213 or go to www.peranakankhek.com

CHALK FARM

What: This cake shop introduced kueh kosui ($4.50 for three pieces) to its kueh line-up in December last year, on top of its well-received kueh salat and kueh lapis cakes. Its director Bryan Koh says its version of kueh kosui is softer and has an intense gula melaka flavour. They are also served with longer strips of grated coconut with more bite.

Where: B1-K24 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road; and B1-83M Parkway Parade, 80 Marine Parade Road

Open: 10am to 9pm daily (Paragon); 11am to 9.30pm daily (Parkway Parade)

Info: Call 6235-2872 (Paragon), 6348-2032 (Parkway Parade) or go to www.thechalkfarm.com