LONDON - Imagine everything you like in an Old Chang Kee curry puff, just about 1.5 times bigger.

I entered Old Chang Kee in London fully expecting to be disappointed in some way, perhaps by a change in the recipe, or a reduction in spice level to suit the locals.

I experienced none of those fears. Instead, I was transported straight back to my sunny island as I ate alongside the locals, savouring the familiar spices that fill the buttery, crumbly Old Chang Kee curry puff crust.

The British outpost opened in early June, and now that it has had time to settle in, ST Food popped by for a look at what the shop at Covent Garden has to offer.

Unlike the Old Chang Kee of Singapore, which offers a plethora of deep-fried snacks on a stick on top of the signature curry puff, this outlet chose to focus on their specialty.

Their offerings include: The signature chicken and potato puff with or without egg (£2.80/S$5), the curry potato puff (£2.60), creamy chicken and mushroom puff (£2.80), Singapore chilli crab puff (£3.20), and the black pepper tuna puff (£2.90).

Apart from the regular chicken and potato puff, one other puff stood out: The chilli crab.

The first bite was sweet and somewhat of a surprise, but subsequent bites revealed the light fieriness coating the chunks of crabstick filling. It maintained the unique spicy sweet flavour of Singapore chilli crab.

Also on the menu are Singaporean favourites like laksa and nasi lemak. Although I missed the zing of cockles in my laksa, the rich soup, generous prawns and juicy tau pok more than made up for it.

The nasi lemak came with a choice of chicken curry, tofu and mixed vegetable curry, dry chicken curry, or crispy battered chicken pieces. The rice was spot on, with just the right amount of coconut aroma to complement the sides.

The small space in Covent Garden can sit about 16, but most customers chose to take their food away.

By 6pm on a Saturday, Singaporeans and locals alike were seen queueing out the door.

Consultant Xun Yu Choong, 30, had heard of the chain opening in London and dropped by for a puff.

"It has more filling than the one in Singapore. The one in Singapore has more crust, and here it's a lot bigger as well so it's a bit like a pasty," said Mr Xun.

Londoners seemed to also take to Singapore's pick-me-up snack as a man sitting right next to me, who declined an interview, exclaimed in seeming delight at each mouthful of his curry puff.

Director of Old Chang Kee UK Sandra Leong, 37, says the chain will be looking to expand their menu in the next year, and possibly offer delivery options as well.