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Kang Ji Fried Yoghurt (康记炒酸奶) is the sort of stall you’ll overlook if you’re browsing amongst the weekend crowd. I only noticed it during my second visit to Paya Lebar Square’s new Scarlett outlet, squeezed beside their popular tanghulu stall. Curious, I took a closer look.
Trust me, this isn’t an empty stall. The freezer hides tins of colourful frozen yoghurt within. These cubes are known as 炒酸奶 (chao suan nai), or “fried” yoghurt. They aren’t actually deep-fried, of course. The name is derived from the “frying” action used to work the yoghurt as it freezes on the cold plate.
To my knowledge, this is the only Scarlett outlet with a fried yoghurt stall right now. Previous Scarlett food courts featured the usual suspects — mala, jian bing, tanghulu and more.
There are two sizes to choose from at Kang Ji Fried Yoghurt: Small (S$3.90 for 6 pcs) and Large (S$5.90 for 10pcs). The price drops from S$0.65 to S$0.59 apiece? Give me the biggest cup you can find, please!
Since there were a total of 12 flavours available, I decided to get one of each. The 2 extra pieces set me back S$1. S$0.50 each? Oh, this is too tempting.
The flavours are listed in Chinese, so let me provide a translation: Strawberry, Honeydew, Grape, Coconut, Dragon Fruit, Mango Pomelo Sago, Sea Salt, Blueberry, Chocolate, Cherry Blossom and Matcha.
These yoghurt cubes were packed generously with morsels of nuts and dried or fresh fruit. The Coconut tinted by charcoal powder had a gentle balance between the coconut milk’s creaminess and the yoghurt’s acidity. The finely chopped nuts brought a welcome change in texture.
The Cherry Blossom offered a light floral scent that made the crunch of the frozen yoghurt more refreshing. I liked how all the 12 variations weren’t too sweet, and I found myself enjoying the fruit-flavoured options most.
My only gripe was how the taste of some flavours — particularly Matcha and Sea Salt — didn’t reflect how they were advertised. There wasn’t much saltiness that brought out the sweetness of the yoghurt, and the fragrance of the tea didn’t mesh very well with the acidity.
For S$0.59 a pop, I’d visit Kang Ji Fried Yoghurt again. The convenience of the location, the taste of the yoghurt and the affordability of it all are just so enticing. So if you’re trying to beat the heat, why not stop by for a refreshing treat?
New in town: 16 flavours of min jiang kueh from $1.50 in Toa Payoh
