Fatt Soon Kueh: S$1 Teochew Kueh At People’s Park Food Centre

As a Teochew, my affinity with Teochew kueh naturally developed since I was a kid. Not only are they regular breakfast and lunch box items, but they are also an important element in the fond memories which I created with my grandmother (yes, my matriarch grandma would “force” us to wrap soon kueh‘s with her during special occasions, which, looking back, serves as a fond memory of her). Thus, when I came across Fatt Soon Kueh, the Teochew girl in me reacted gleefully and I knew I had to give it a try.

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Established in 1999, co-founder, Madam Lim, has had 30 years of experience in home-made kueh business before she started Fatt Soon Kueh. Since then, the brand grew over time and today has three branches around Singapore with only three items on their menu: Soon Kueh, Peng Kueh and Ku Chye Kueh.

I headed to the branch which was nestled comfortably at level one of People’s Park Food Centre around noon time. Even before reaching the stall, there was a queue of people in line waiting to get their plate of an afternoon snack. For a kueh shop, I was amazed by its sheer size as it took up two stall spaces. It looked a little bare-boned, but I figured that the space was necessary since the kueh are made in-house daily, in batches, to ensure its freshness. 

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After placing my order, I walked further into the stall and witnessed the magic of kueh-making take place. By the glass-panelled counter, were stands of soon kueh lined neatly in circular steel trays waiting to be steamed. Right behind, was an aunty, working her hands skilfully as she rolled out the soon kueh dough into a plastic mould before filling it and folding the mould into half. A second or two later, ta-dah, one soon kueh down; fast and furious, in the speed of lightning.

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To start things off at Fatt Soon Kueh, I had their signature item—Soon Kueh (S$1)—a decently sized Teochew dumpling filled with jicama, carrots, black fungus and dried shrimps, wrapped in translucent rice and tapioca flour-based dough skin. 

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A bite in and I could tell that the filling was cooked over a period of time as the jicama soaked up and retained the flavours of its seasoning. The vegetables were juicy and soft, yet slightly crunchy at the same time. One special flavour that stood out prominently was that of the fried shallots which I thought sent a nice scent of fragrance lingering throughout my mouth as I chewed on the soon kueh.

The skin was on the chewier side, and although the skin-to-filling ratio was a tad off-balance, I wasn’t particularly bothered as the skin’s texture was smooth and paired well with the overall savouriness of dish.

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Not a fan of ku chye (Chinese chives) due to its pungent and strong garlicky flavour, I was sceptical trying the Ku Chye Kueh (S$1). Wrapped in the same bouncy soon kueh skin, a slight acrid scent of the chives wafted up to my nose the moment I cut into the kueh. To my surprise, the ku chye kueh tasted way better than its smell. 

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Possibly made more acceptable due to the addition of sweet dark sauce and mildly acidic chilli, which helped in reducing the sharpness and pungency of the chives, the ku chye kueh was in fact quite aromatic and had an earthy aftertaste. The smell and taste of this kueh might be off-putting to some, but I do agree that it has its unique charm that will get others hooked on. 

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Lastly, I ended my kueh journey with Peng Kueh(S$1)—a carb-loaded glutinous rice kueh that comes in pink and white skin (unfortunately, the stall was sold out of pink-skin peng kueh so, I settled for the white ones). 

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Shiny from being steamed, the ingredients peeked through under its slight opaque skin. Judging by its looks, the peng kueh seemed the most promising and delicious out of the three options. However, it tasted otherwise.

The kueh was mediocre as the flavours were rather bland and not as savoury as I thought it would be. The braised peanuts, however, helped a little in adding a bit of nuttiness, but beyond that, the rice was dry and a little undercooked. 


As much as I enjoyed my time at Fatt Soon Kueh, chatting with the uncles and aunties who were also enjoying their afternoon snack over a cup of coffee, I must admit that the kueh did not impress me as much as I’d expected.

I appreciate their efforts in changing things up by making their kueh skins thicker and chewier. But other than that, the fillings are pretty much similar to those you can get from any Teochew kueh stalls. 

If you are looking for other kueh options, why not take a pick from our list of 10 best Teochew kueh stalls in Singapore!

Expected Damage: S$1 onwards

Price: $

Our Rating: 3 / 5

Fatt Soon Kueh

32 New Market Road, People's Park Food Centre, #01-1012, Singapore 560032

Price
Our Rating 3/5

Fatt Soon Kueh

32 New Market Road, People's Park Food Centre, #01-1012, Singapore 560032

Operating Hours: 9am - 6.30pm (Tues to Sun), Closed on Mon

Operating Hours: 9am - 6.30pm (Tues to Sun), Closed on Mon
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