It takes guts and gusto to jump from one job industry to another. Ken Lee, the owner of Kim Lee Hokkien Zhang and Crispy Puff had all that… and more! He went from a pastry chef to a gym instructor and did that for a solid 15 years.
That went well until the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, which forced him to make a U-turn back to the F&B world.
His wife, Kim, and he decided to venture into their very own home-based business selling handmade bak zhang and gradually expanded their offerings to curry puffs as well. As orders poured in, they struggled with the limited space, which drove them to open their very own kopitiam stall in 2022.
Each morning, a total of about 200 curry puffs are handmade in-house. Everything except for the otah filling is prepared by the couple themselves.
Every other day, like clockwork, the couple rolls up their sleeves in the late afternoon to craft an array of rice dumplings too— I can imagine their workload!
What I tried at Kim Lee Hokkien Zhang and Crispy Puff
We got our engine running with a few varieties of curry puffs: Sardines Puff (S$1.90), Signature Otah Laksa Puff (S$2.50), Chicken Curry Puff with Potatoes (S$1.90) and Taro Lava Puff (S$1.90).
The Sardines Puff, identifiable by its red dots, contained heftier pieces of sardines than any other version I’ve tried before. The chunks of fish were delicately spiced with chilli and adorned with juicy slivers of onion that gave it a lovely crunchy texture.
Ken orders otah specially from Muar, a Johor district well-known for their delicious otah (my favourite). He then enhances the taste by adding laksa seasoning to the filling of his Signature Otah Laksa Puff (marked by green dots).
Final thoughts
If you’re a curry puff lover, Kim Lee Hokkien Zhang and Crispy Puff offers both traditional and uniquely-interesting options to cater to every palate. I can see the effort both Ken and Kim put into each offering, and the unparalleled quality is evident in every bite.
If you’re around the Jalan Berseh neighbourhood, why not stop over for a little snack or bring home their range of rice dumplings to share with your family and friends?
Epok Epok Nyé: XL epok-epok with black pepper & rendang fillings at Arab Street
Price: $
Our Rating: 4 / 5
Kim Lee Hokkien Zhang and Crispy Puff
27 Jalan Berseh, Singapore 200027
Kim Lee Hokkien Zhang and Crispy Puff
27 Jalan Berseh, Singapore 200027