Food Picks: Traditional handmade snacks at Kueh By Kak Wan

SINGAPORE – Opened in March 2021, Kueh By Kak Wan is a shop in Tampines which specialises in Malay handmade snacks, from kueh to epok epok. 

The moderately sweet kueh, presented in trays, is a top draw at the shop.

Pay $1.20 for a piece or buy five pieces for $5.50. 

Kole kole, easily identified by its dark chocolatey appearance, is the standout choice.

At first taste, one may mistake the slightly smoky taste for cocoa powder, but there is neither cocoa nor chocolate in the kueh. The main ingredients are green beans and gula melaka.

Raw green beans are sent to a mill for grinding into flour, which is then cooked with gula melaka. While other kueh-makers may add rice flour to their recipes, Kueh By Kak Wan’s version is unadulterated and has a rich, powdery mouthfeel from the green bean.

Each piece of kole kole has a delicate topping of tai minyak – bits of coconut, derived from slow-cooking coconut milk until it forms dried tasty and savoury flakes. 

Other crowd favourites are the putri salat – glutinous rice with a topping of kaya concocted from coconut milk, pandan and sugar – and talam durian, which has a creamy texture from the durian puree used.

The classic lapis nyonya, made from glutinous rice flour, is a tender affair of bouncy layers coloured in red, white and green.

Bingka ubi, made with cassava and coconut milk, with a slightly charred top, has a gorgeously ripe texture that is slightly gooey.

Hot snacks sell out quickly too. Get the samosa kerala ($1.50), an item launched just two weeks ago. Unlike the regular samosa, the hefty samosa kerala is a pyramid of shortcrust pastry, rounded at the seams with delightfully crusty corners. 

Rich with spices, its punchy potato filling has a fiery kick and accents of peppery mustard seeds.

For milder flavours, go for the economically priced epok epok kentang ($1 each) and epok epok sardine ($1), both featuring a light and airy pastry.

The epok epok kentang has a gently spiced filling aromatic with the use of curry leaves, while the epok epok sardine is generously filled with meaty chunks of sardine, cooked with onion and chilli.

Where: 01-78, Block 201E Tampines Street 23
MRT: Tampines East
Open: 7am to 7pm daily
Tel: 8825-0888