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When I was growing up, my late grandmother would occasionally get me min jiang kueh (pancakes) as a mid-day snack from the hawker centre. Back then, there were no fancy skins like charcoal or decadent fillings such as Biscoff — only the basic peanut and coconut.
As I got older, I discovered Munchi Pancakes and instantly became a fan. This popular decade-old brand began as a humble coffee shop stall in Yishun selling just the classic flavours (peanut and coconut). In Sep 2017, they relocated to Yishun Park Hawker Centre.
With green tea and charcoal skins entering the scene and a parade of fancy fillings to match, simple and straightforward was officially cancelled. Say hello to being delightfully spoiled for choice. To date, the establishment has expanded to over 35 outlets islandwide.
When I first spotted Ottie Pancakes at Punggol Plaza, I remembered being so confused and even did a double take. “Is this another brand by Munchi? Why do they look so similar?” Those were my initial thoughts at that point in time.
Even the packaging is somewhat identical, a white base colour peppered with small motifs. Munchi Pancakes has a squirrel mascot with the branding beginning with the Chinese character that resembles ‘满’ (man) while Ottie Pancakes uses an otter with the character ‘圆’ (yuan).
After some online research, I realised that both these brands aren’t associated with each other. Ottie Pancakes was only established in late 2024 and currently has 16 stalls all over Singapore. The only obvious difference? Munchi Pancakes is Halal-certified while Ottie Pancakes isn’t.
This fuelled me to do a min jiang kueh showdown. Will I stand by my favourite Munchi Pancakes or will I prefer the competition? Let’s find out.
Pricing & variety
If you compare the prices of their Min Jiang Kueh and Pancake from each respective establishment, you’ll notice that they are exactly the same. Both Munchi Pancakes (top picture, above) and Ottie Pancakes offer Original, Charcoal, and Green Tea skins. For the $2.40 Pancake option, Munchi Pancake offers 11 different varieties while Ottie Pancakes has only 8 flavours, including a seasonal one.
If you’re talking about deals, Ottie Pancakes takes the win with its current Buy 5 Get 1 Free promotion.
Black Sesame (S$2.20 each from both)
First impressions, the original Black Sesame Min Jiang Kueh from Munchi Pancakes (top in picture) has a thicker and more glossy black goma filling while the one from Ottie Pancakes (bottom in picture) is thinner and looks a little drier.
True enough, the black sesame pancakes tasted exactly like they looked. The one from Munchi Pancakes was moist, and had a sandy and chunky texture. A little salt had probably been thrown in, giving it a salty-sweet aftertaste. Ottie Pancakes’ version was drier and slightly less salty, making it a tad sweeter. When it came to the pancakes’ texture, the latter won by a fractional margin — slightly fluffier and more moist — but honestly, the difference is basically a whisper.
Just love bread 就是爱面包: $1.30 old-school breads & cakes with 30+ varieties by 4th-gen hawker
Peanut (S$2.20 each from both)
There was only Original left for the Peanut Min Jiang Kueh from Munchi Pancakes, and I got the green tea skin from Ottie Pancakes. Besides the green tone, I couldn’t really taste any strong hints of green tea in the skin. Both the peanut fillings from both brands were chunky and a little salty. I didn’t have a favourite; both were equally tasty. The peanut filling quantity on both sides was almost on par, unlike the sesame one, which was very different.
As for the pancake’s texture, I found the green tea one a little too dry for my liking. The original peanut one from Munchi Pancakes was much better.
Coconut (S$1.80 each from both)
The Original Coconut Min Jiang Kueh (Munchi Pancakes) and Charcoal Coconut Min Jiang Kueh (Ottie Pancakes) were like two peas in a pod. Apart from the difference in skin, the coconut filling was identical, like they had been purchased from the same supplier. Both had the same quantity, taste and texture. Unlike the dry green tea skin from Ottie Pancakes, their charcoal one was so much more moist.
Strawberry Cheese (S$2.40 each from both)
Then came the Strawberry Cheese Pancake. Identical in shape, size, and thickness, both pancakes responded to a light poke with the exact same soft, squishy hello.
The strawberry cheese filling from Munchi Pancakes had a darker appearance while the version from Ottie Pancakes was slightly paler. The thickness of the pancake and amount of filling were similar. Both sides went all-in on real strawberries, so every bite comes with that satisfying little crunch of strawberry seeds.
If you prefer a stronger cheese taste, you’ll probably favour the version from Munchi Pancakes over the other. Similarly, those looking for a stronger hint of strawberries will appreciate the ones from Ottie Pancakes. At the end of the day, it all boils down to what floats your foodie boat.
Red Bean (S$2 each from both)
Lastly, I savoured the Red Bean Pancake from both sides. Much like the coconut version earlier, both brands had an identical amount of filling and it seemed to me like they were sourced from the same supplier. Both red bean fillings hit the same sweetness, and you actually get little bean bits with the skin, not just a boring smooth paste.
Verdict
After this min jiang kueh showdown and comparing the results from both sides, it looks like Munchi Pancakes, the OG of the 2 brands is the better of the 2. It was a little unfortunate that the filling and pancake for 2 of the flavours from Ottie Pancakes were slightly disappointing, which caused them to be penalised.
Have all of you tried the pancake from either brand? What are your thoughts? Do let me know.
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