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Neighbourhood bread shops are a great source of inexpensive snacks you can grab and eat on the go. That’s the case for Jiang Jiang Bakery, a small and relatively new bakery brand that I discovered in Jurong Central.
There has never been an instance when I passed by the bakery and didn’t see any customers. Everything made sense when I noticed the nearby standee stating that all small buns cost just S$1 each for their opening promotion (unspecified end date). Even without the promo, everything looked affordable with prices starting from S$1.30.
Are there any other Jiang Jiang outlets in Singapore? I looked it up and found out that the only other outlet is next to Ghim Moh Market which, while isn’t too long a trip, would require some more trouble on my part.
I would’ve taken my time to stare at all the available flavours, but the shop doesn’t provide self-service. This meant I had to hasten my selection process, which I did under the pressure of being watched by the staff that picked and packed the goods for me.
It was a pity I couldn’t try the other interesting flavours like Lemon Cheese and Sesame Oil Chicken. Unfortunately, one only has so much stomach space (and a word limit) so I had to make do with six.
What I tried at Jiang Jiang Bakery
Jiang Jiang serves 3 flavours of bolo buns: Original Bolo (U.P. S$1.30), Chocolate Bolo (U.P. S$1.40) and Coffee Bolo (U.P. S$1.30). As a coffee lover, I gravitated towards the third.
Who doesn’t love a bolo crust? The crackled exterior was the best part of the bun – perfectly crunchy and sugary with a warm coffee fragrance. Inside, the hollow of the soft bread was salty and buttery, creating a lovely contrast with the sweet crisp on the outside. Needless to say, it earned my approval despite it deflating the moment I tore it open.
It would make sense to follow up this review with the other sweet ones. I instinctively reached for another of my favourites – the Salted Egg Sands Stick (U.P. S$1.40).
I’m a fan of all things liu sha bao related, so I admit I was slightly biased towards this bun. The “Sands” in the name was fitting, as the filling was grainy and resembled golden sand. The salty umami of the salted egg woven with the sweetness of sugar was yummy and went perfectly with the soft bread.
My first reaction to the Red Bean Milk Stick (U.P. S$1.30) was confusion. “Eh? Not red bean paste?” Instead of the classic dark maroon dousha you’d usually find in baos, the filling was white and dotted with intact azuki red beans.
This turned out to be a spectacular choice. Using the cooked beans instead of the factory-made paste meant that it didn’t contain as much sugar as if it were. The sweet milkiness with the soft nutty beans reminded me of the traditional red bean potong ice cream. I was however saddened that there wasn’t as much as I would’ve liked; it was the equivalent of a puff with a measly layer of cream.
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Now onto the savoury options, which could almost pass off as desserts if you ignored the meat.
Jiang Jiang’s Berry Char Siew Chicken (U.P. S$1.50) was a curious flavour. The Chinese label could be directly translated to “Hawthorn Char Siew Chicken”, giving me the impression that it’d taste like haw candy.
While there indeed was a slight fruity sweetness to the red-coloured meat, it didn’t resemble the childhood snack. The honey barbecue flavour of the chicken spread throughout the fluffy bun, which had a glossy toasted thin crust. It was one of the better-looking buns and possessed an equally satisfactory flavour.
In hindsight, I should’ve expected it given the way the staff kiapped the buns with tongs, but the Nyonya Curry Chicken Stick (U.P. S$1.30) was a little… squished. There wasn’t much to see inside either; the bun didn’t contain a lot of curry.
Like the Berry Char Siew, it tasted sweet. The filling seemed to contain coconut cream, mashed potato and shredded chicken with hints of ginger and turmeric but sadly, it lacked spice even for me! I usually fear having too much spice but this could use a little more.
The Mushroom Chicken Stick (U.P. S$1.30) was slightly soggy, so I assumed that the filling had produced some gravy. It had already penetrated the bun, leaving the bottom moist and flimsy.
If someone had handed me the bun without specifying its components, I would’ve confidently claimed they were just mushrooms and vegetables. The filling only contained a few thin strands of chicken alongside the mushrooms and carrot shreds. An upside to this was its earthy and savoury flavour which helped cut through the sweetness overload from my earlier test subjects.
Final Thoughts
I liked the buns as some were pretty unique and promising in flavour. Aside from the fact that most didn’t contain enough filling, I’d say the quality of the dough and the ingredients were decent.
In particular, I would like to compliment the Berry Char Siew Chicken and Salted Egg Sands Stick. These two candidates were exceptionally fluffy and kept their volume when torn open despite their softness.
While not show-stoppingly spectacular, Jiang Jiang Bakery in Jurong West makes a good location for future snack runs. This S$1 bun promotion probably won’t last, but there haven’t been any signs of it ending so far and I’d like to use that opportunity while I still can. Who doesn’t like cheap buns?
Expected damage: S$1-2 per pax
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