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There’s something about traditional flavours that never go out of style. Maybe it’s the memory of eating a tart during CNY or that special blend of flavours? Well, all I know is that Hung Huat Cakes and Pastries have been in the game since 1973, and secret recipes never lie.
This third-generation stall in Sims Vista Market and Food Centre serves up traditional goodies like assorted kueh and salted mung bean pastries. But that’s not all! They’ve incorporated a modern twist into these bakes by introducing classic Chinese flavours into trending desserts.
What I tried at Hung Huat Cakes and Pastries
I was excited to grab their mochi piah — traditionally known as a flaky pastry filled with sweet or salty paste — and the Teochew-style mooncakes. However, the mooncakes are only sold during the Mid-Autumn Festival period, so I had to make do with what they had in store.
Light dough meets creamy filling in the Orh Nee Hokkaido Milk Mochi Piah (S$7). My heart nearly stopped when I saw the “sold out” sticker plastered over both flavours of the pastries. I was there at 11am. Please bless me, orh nee and black sesame gods.
Thankfully, I was able to obtain a freshly cooked batch after a 2-hour wait. Seems long, I know, but these pastries are made from scratch in the store. When I received my order, the piah was piping hot, straight out of the oven.
This piah was both aesthetic and tantalising. As I pulled the pastry apart, translucent milk mochi oozed and stretched from side to side. A single bite was enough for the earthy, almost vanilla-like fragrance of the orh nee to pervade my senses.
The smooth orh nee paste tangled in strands of silky mochi was interrupted by the crisp pastry. Shards of paper-thin dough crunched between my teeth, a textural delight that prevented the piah from becoming too jelak.
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Though the Black Sesame Hokkaido Milk Mochi Piah (S$8) had similar earthy tones to the orh nee, its savoury nuttiness makes the piah pack an aromatic punch. It counters the sweetness of the filling and mochi, making each mouthful a refreshing treat.
The stall owners also advised me to read the serving suggestions. Fun fact: the instructions are usually printed on a sticker, but they ran out and had to send them to me via text instead. When they’re popular enough to run out of packaging, you know this stall is the real deal.
While I was waiting for my piah, spots of colour caught my eye. The 9-layer kueh (S$1.20) gleamed like a bird of paradise. If you’re a kueh lover too, you know that not all 9-layer kueh’s colours are made equal. This little piece of rainbow was soft, stretchy and so fun to peel as I ate.
The Ondeh Ondeh (S$3) featured a pillowy, bouncy dough that burst with gula melaka. The palm sugar had an almost toffee-like taste, where its sweetness was offset by the plain glutinous skin and lightly salted coconut shavings.
Final thoughts
The thing I loved most about the piah was the amount of mochi packed inside. Pulling the pastry apart was satisfying, and biting into it was even more so. Though the prices are steeper, you get the quality and quantity of ingredients deserved.
I ended up bringing 2 of the piah home because these things were FILLING. So, I tried both the intended method of reheating the pastry and an air fryer at the same temperature. Thankfully, heating it up for 5 minutes in an air fryer did the job too. If you don’t have an oven at home, don’t worry!
Hung Huat Cakes and Pastries is the way to go when you want to give yourself a treat. Everything I tried was well worth the money, especially since you can use CDC or SG60 vouchers here. Everyone needs something sweet once in a while, you know?
Expected damage: S$7 – S$10 per pax
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