My visit to Belinda’s Pancake had me waking up at 6.45am. I’d heard that their items sell out before noon, so I didn’t want to miss out on it. This stall is located in Teck Ghee Court Market & Food Centre which sells traditional min jiang kueh (pancakes) and cone crepes.
They even have a dish which seems to be disappearing from our local food scene: putu mayam (I can’t recall when I last had this nostalgic breakfast food).
The stall owner is Aunty Belinda, a friendly and warm soul who made us smile even though we were groggy at that hour. The batter for the pancakes and crepes are prepared fresh daily, and is derived from recipes which were passed down by Aunty Belinda’s father.
What I tried at Belinda’s Pancake
To start my morning journey, I settled for the Peanut Cone (S$1.50). We were instructed to start with this first as it loses its crispiness when it turns cold. It was a huge crepe, bigger than my palm, and its shape resembled a large version of a kachang puteh paper cone.
The paper-thin crepe was addictively crispy. On the inside, the balance of peanuts and sugar was perfectly calibrated. It hit my taste buds with waves of nutty goodness together with gentle caresses of sweetness. Wolfing this down was a messy affair, with tiny specks of peanuts and crepe crumbs landing all over our table.
We proceeded with the next item, the Puttu Mayam (S$2.20 for 2 pieces). It was a round net made up of finely-shredded rice noodles, which looked like mee sua. It came with a packet of grated coconut and orange-hued granulated sugar.
After pouring the granulated sugar on top, we sprinkled the shredded coconut, and voila— the makeover was complete.
The fine shreds of the homemade Puttu Mayam were slightly salty and moist. After pairing it with the sweet condiments, the flavours were beautifully balanced out. This whole experience transported me back in time when my late grandmother would buy these for breakfast— if only there was a time machine.
We moved on to the Red Bean Pancake (S$1.20). The red bean filling was oozing out from its sides like it needed some fresh air. The insides were generously spread with a thick layer of red bean paste, which tasted like a cross between tau sar and red bean.
It was extremely flavourful and wasn’t overly sweet— ideal for older folks too. While the filling was great, the pancake itself paled in comparison. It was slightly too dense and we would have preferred it to be fluffier.
The Coconut Pancake (S$1.20) had a brimful of orange-coloured coconut shreds stuffed from within. My dining partner had mistaken the coconut filling for cheese. She didn’t understand why it was in that colour.
I figured that orange granulated sugar was added to the fresh shreds of coconut for it to achieve this shade.
The coconut had a slight tinge of sweetness with a satisfying texture whilst you munch on it. Similar to the Red Bean Pancake, I would’ve preferred the pancake to be lighter.
Final thoughts
Belinda’s Pancake opens at 6am and usually sells out by noon. When I was there, the queue was endless, consisting of a good mixture of kids, young adults and old folks.
We depend on hawkers like Aunty Belinda to keep old traditions from dying out. And I hope they continue to serve us such goodies for a long time to come.
Make a trip down to Ang Mo Kio and get your hands on their pancakes and putu mayam.
Expected damage: S$1.20 – S$3.70 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 3.5 / 5
Belinda's Pancake
Blk 341, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, Teck Ghee Court Market, #01-27, Singapore 560341
Belinda's Pancake
Blk 341, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, Teck Ghee Court Market, #01-27, Singapore 560341
