Enjoy a variety of sweet and savoury snacks at Orchard Road
By Alexandra Lin
If you’re feeling peckish while shopping, here are some tasty snacks to pick up along the way when shopping along Orchard Road.
By now, most people here know that Joy Luck Teahouse offers three famous Hong Kong style treats: egg tarts, pineapple buns (bolo bao) and milk tea. The cha chaan teng’s egg tarts ($9.20 for box of four) is made according to the recipe from Hoover Cake Shop, and the pineapple bun (from $2.20) and milk tea are from the decades-old Kam Kee Café. Another lip-smacking offering from the outlet are the bouncy fish balls with curry sauce ($4.80), whose recipe is from the famous “Hong Kong Fishball King” Tak Hing Fishball Company.
The latest addition is another Hong Kong favourite: HK Twin Sausage Bun ($3.20) – two locally made chicken sausages sandwiched in between steamed soft bun which can be lightly toasted upon request. Accompanied by a delicious Hong Kong-style sauce, made with high-quality ingredients like eggs, vinegar, butter, mustard and pickles, the twin sausage bun is great as a quick morning or teatime snack. Available at all eight Joy Luck Teahouse branches including #B4-61 ION Orchard.
Burgs is a new fast casual burger concept at 313 @ Somerset (#05-01/02/03, Stall 25), offering affordably priced gourmet burgers by two local chefs who were formerly trained in Michelin restaurants.
Tuck into the Burgs Classic Cheese Burger ($6.90), which is given a local spin with pickled green chilli and crispy fried shallots, accompanying a handcrafted beef patty, American cheese, lettuce and tomato. One of the newer items available at this outlet is the Marinara Burger ($5.90) made with beef patty, tangy homemade tomato sauce, and topped with melted mozzarella. Non-beef eaters can opt for The Crispy Fish Burger($7.90) comprising a whole battered Alaskan pollack fish, stacked with lettuce, cheese sauce and fresh tomato salsa. And the Hot & Spicy Chicken Burger ($6.90), composed of deep-fried chicken fillet glazed in fiery Sriracha sauce and layered with mayonnaise and lettuce.
There is a variety of fries too, from the Truffle Fries ($5.90) crowned with parmesan and spring onions to Burgs’ Cheese Fries ($4.90) topped with homemade nacho cheese sauce as well as the new Burgs’ Chilli Cheese Fries ($5.90) perked up with chilli con carne, cheese sauce, chili flakes and spring onions.
Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks
Also at 313@Somerset is Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks #B3-50A, which offers street snacks like the popular XXL Crispy Chicken ($5.50) – large, succulent pieces of boneless chicken breast, marinated and coated with imported flour, fried till golden and completed with a sprinkling of a special blend of oriental spices. Another favourite snack is the Crispy Floss Egg Crepe ($4.80), where fresh egg is pan-fried and topped with spring onion crepe. A generous amount of crispy chicken floss is scattered over, before the crispy crepe is rolled up and cut into bite-sized pieces.
The brand has also unveiled a healthier version of its Handmade Oyster Mee Sua ($5.20) with the addition of ‘Alchemy Fibre’ – a high-fibre, high prebiotics and low-glycemic index version. What’s great is that the taste, texture and appearance of the noodles (topped with oysters and shredded chicken) remains the same. Available for a limited time only in-stores.
If you’re missing Taiwan’s bustling night markets, why not try popular Taiwanese brand’s Monga Fried Chicken, famed for its extra-thick and juicy fried chicken. You can find the outlet at ION Orchard #B4-62. The thick juicy inch-thick Taiwanese fried chicken cutlets come in original salt and pepper, spicy paprika and seaweed flavours (from $8). There’s also addictive Monga Crispy Wings ($13.90) and the Monga Nuggets ($6.50). Other snack items include sweet potato fries, sweet potato balls, fried king oyster mushroom and fried chicken skin at $3.90 each. Wash down your savoury snacks with bubble teas such as Green Dragon (Matcha) and Black Dragon (Brown Sugar) at $4.50.
For traditional Chinese pastries to snack on, head to Hang Heung at ION Orchard #B4-33. This Hong Kong-based confectionery that has been around for more than 100 years is known for its wife cakes – the original recipe has been around since 1940. Here, they are baked daily for optimal freshnes. Within the thin, flaky crust is handmade winter melon paste filling (S$2.80 per piece). You can purchase boxes for gifting too. For a different version, opt for the Mini Pineapple Wife Cake – an inventive snack made with fresh pineapple and winter melon filling. Or try the Red Bean Paste Cake made using premium red bean (both $2.50) and the new Lava Custard Cake ($3.50) – handmade pastry skin with mooncake inspired lava custard.
Lavender Bakery, the popular Johor Bahru brand has just opened up a new outlet at ION Orchard #B4-39/42. You’ll find a whole range of wallet-friendly European-style bread and Asian inspired pastries. Pick up signature products such as Hanjuku Cheese Cake ($3.70) made with butter, Japanese flour and blend of cheese – and enjoy the crispy crust and soft creamy filling. Or sink your teeth into the soft otah cheese bun ($2), topped with fish otah and cheese, wrapped with fragrant pandan leaf and finished with dried parsley. Or the Luo Song ($2.40), a buttery bread with crispy and caramelised base. If you like cakes, consider a slice of taro cake ($4.80), made of light vanilla chiffon layered with creamy smooth homemade yam filling.
This premium matcha dessert shop originates from Asahikawa, Hokkaido. The popular 108 Matcha Saro is well-loved for its freshly made obanyaki – soft and fluffy pancake stuffed with azuki bean paste, matcha custard or other fillings. There are also other limited edition seasonal flavours to check out from time to time (each obanyaki pancakes is priced from $2.90). Plus pick up some melt-in-the-mouth warabi mochi (from $4.90), also handmade daily and dusted in matcha or soybean powder. There are of course the luscious parfaits and soft serve ice cream made from the finest Uji Matcha powder from Kyoto. Another high quality ingredient used in these treats is red bean paste sourced from Taiwan’s Pingtung, Wandan. Pick these items up at the takeaway outlet at #B4-70 ION Orchard.
