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I first heard about Du Du Shou Shi (嘟嘟熟食) from my cousin, who excitedly told me about their XL tutu kueh. Since then, I’d been dying to go down to Jurong West to try out the tutu she’d also described as being extremely moist and delicious.
The store was even awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention in the MICHELIN Guide Singapore. I guess all the more reason to head down!
The store has been around for over 50 years, with Uncle Tan originally selling his goods on a trishaw. Now, Uncle Tan’s family helps out with the business, too, and everything is done from scratch. They even pound the rice flour themselves using a machine made by Uncle Tan 72 years ago!
When I visited, Uncle Tan’s son was manning the store; truly a family business.
Aside from having XL tutu kueh, Du Du Shou Shi (嘟嘟熟食) also uses a pretty unique tutu kueh mould to make their regular tutu kueh. Uncle Tan made his own 3-in-one tutu kueh mould that allows 3 tutu kueh to be filled and steamed simultaneously. How efficient!
What I tried at Du Du Shou Shi (嘟嘟熟食)
Undoubtedly, I knew I just HAD to try the XL tutu kueh (or kueh tutu, whichever you call the floofy warm snack). Each Big Tutu Kueh is S$1.20 and it’s quite literally palm-sized. I got it in both the Peanut and Coconut variations, which are the only two flavours sold by Du Du Shou Shi (嘟嘟熟食), but true classics.
It seemed about the same thickness, or slightly thinner than regular tutu kueh.
The XL Peanut Tutu Kueh was stuffed to its edges with fragrant peanut filling and had a nice, thin rice flour exterior. The steamed rice flour was incredibly dense, with a satisfying chewy bite to it.
I was most intrigued by the peanut filling in the tutu kueh. It was unlike any other I’ve tried in the past. Rather than the usual ground peanut powder, this one had a moist peanut filling and there were big roasted peanut chunks aplenty.
Before you say, “Isn’t that just peanut butter, then?” no, no it was not — while it was moist, it was not “sticky” like peanut butter. It also had a good balance of salty and sweet, just to my tastes!
Of course, I had to try the regular-sized tutu kueh as well. The Small Tutu Kueh is S$3 for 5 pieces and I got 5 of each flavour.
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The Small Tutu Kueh were slightly chubbier than the Big Tutu Kueh and had the same inviting aroma of pandan leaves and steamed rice.
No words, I’m a convert. While I am usually more of a peanut stan when it comes to tutu kueh (and don’t get me wrong, the Peanut was really good), the Coconut Tutu Kueh spoiled the market.
The coconut filling had the perfect amount of gula melaka infused in it, and it wasn’t too sweet, either. The shaved coconut itself had a slightly savoury bite, which balanced the sweetness of the filling nicely, too. I was really quite sad to finish the last of it.
Both the Peanut and Coconut Tutu Kueh here were chock-full of filling, but it somehow felt like the Coconut Tutu Kueh was “fuller” and more generous with the filling-to-skin ratio. This was true for both sizes of tutu kueh.
Perhaps it’s due to the nature of the filling, but the coconut stands out as the winner in my books despite my initial delight with the Peanut Tutu Kueh.
Final Thoughts
In case the image of the giant tutu kueh wasn’t enough to illustrate its size, here’s a side-by-side comparison with its regular-sized counterpart.
Without a doubt, the XL tutu kueh is indeed worth a try just for its novelty. But personally, I’d stick with the Small Tutu Kueh when I return for more of this nostalgic treat. The XL tutu somehow lacks the same level of satisfaction when eaten, but perhaps that’s just me.
The tutu kueh at Du Du Shou Shi (嘟嘟熟食) was indeed very good, and I totally get why my cousin raved about the stall.
Tutu kueh has loads of sentimental value to me from growing up eating it every other week. But even rose-tinted glasses aside, I’ll certainly be back for more of this nostalgic snack, especially for the Coconut Tutu Kueh 10 times over.
Delightfully moist and with just the perfect ratio of coconut to rice flour, it’s worth every cent, as well as the trip down to Jurong West.
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