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Note: The elderly owners don’t open if they aren’t feeling well, be mentally prepared when u go there.
Sleep is one of my 2 biggest passions in life. The other? Food. So when I found myself being tasked to visit Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake, I was caught at a crossroad.
For those who are unfamiliar with this ultra popular stall, Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake opens at 3.30am daily — yes, you read that right. Not 3.30pm, but 3.30am, when the majority of the country is still sound asleep in their comfy beds (me included).
The stall, located within Tanglin Halt Market, has been in operation since 1965, and is run by an elderly couple who took over the stall from the wife’s father, who was the original owner.
You’ll spot the elderly owners, who are in their 70s, working hard through the wee hours of the night to churn out their famous min jiang kueh that many have queued up early in the morning for.
Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake offers 6 min jiang kueh flavours and even makes its own yeast starter to give the pancakes a unique, chewy texture.
Despite the official closing time being 11.30am, these popular min jiang kuehs infamously sell out hours before that. I knew that if I wanted to try all of Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake’s flavours, I would have to sacrifice my beauty sleep and make an early morning journey to the South — in this case, the early bird really does catch the worm.
What I tried at Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake
At 6am on a Tuesday, I made the long journey from my home in the North all the way down to Tanglin Halt Market in Commonwealth. The sun had barely come out by the time I reached the hawker centre, and I was delighted to find that there was no queue for the min jiang kueh. Of the 6 flavours available, only the Salted Bean Paste Pancake was sold out.
The first thing I tried was Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake’s titular Peanut Pancake (S$1), which was the stall’s only rectangular shaped min jiang kueh. The small slice was filled with crushed peanuts and sugar that spilled out the sides of the pancake.
Straight off the bat, I could instantly tell that Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake’s recipe was unlike most other stalls and shops in Singapore. The min jiang kueh pancake was much chewier than your average pancake, with a gelatinous, kueh-like texture.
The peanut and sugar combination within the pancake was yummy, with the soft, chewiness of the pancake pairing perfectly with the crunchy textures of the sugar crystals and ground peanuts.
However, I did find the size of the pancake to err on the smaller side in relation to its price.
The Red Bean Paste Pancake (S$1) had smooth red bean paste within. The fillings within reminded me of the red bean paste used by neighbourhood bakeries, with a sweet and slightly floral aroma. It wasn’t as earthy as whole grounded natural red beans, but I actually liked Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake’s fillings more.
The Pandan Leaf Green Bean Paste Pancake (S$1.20) was a surprise to me. The pandan taste was incredibly strong, making every bite of this pancake extremely aromatic with tantalising sweet and grassy notes. The filling was a little sweeter compared to the Red Bean Paste Pancake, but not too overwhelmingly sweet either.
As a huge taro fan, I was excited to try Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake’s Yam Paste Pancake (S$1.50). Though the filling had been sweetened with sugar, it still managed to retain the earthiness of the yam without being overwhelmingly sweet or artificial in taste.
My favourite of all the pancakes was undoubtedly the Black Sesame Peanut Pancake (S$1.50), which was stuffed full of black sesame paste. When it comes to black sesame, I’m always a little sceptical of local bakeries and eateries because a large number of places tend to cut costs by mixing their black sesame with mung bean paste, thus diluting the flavour.
Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake did not disappoint me on this front, as their black sesame paste was super nutty with a thick and grainy mouthfeel. It had the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the bold flavours of the black sesame, and I would love to have this again.
Final thoughts
It’s easy to see why Tanglin Halt Original Peanut Pancake has become as famous as it is now. Their min jiang kuehs are unlike most other stalls in Singapore, with their chewy, bouncy textures and generously packed fillings.
Despite that, I don’t think I would ever wake up so early and travel to the other end of the country just to have these again, given how far Tanglin Halt is from me. However, if you live near the area or don’t mind taking an early trip to the stall, definitely pay a visit soon and have a taste of these yummy pancakes.
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