The Kuihmaker makes kuih — that is very clear. It occupies a small shop below a HDB flat in Bukit Batok West, near Dulwich College. A bar counter fronted the shop and the kuihs are freshly-made in the kitchen to the rear of the shop.
The Kuihmaker makes both Malay and Nyonya kuihs and other traditional pastries and desserts as well as curry puffs (specifically Malay-style "epok-epok"). The names of the kuihs are written on a chalkboard-menu and some kuihs are indicated as available on weekends only.
Most of the kuihs are laid out in the glass shelf for picking as desired. Each box can hold up to 5 kuihs.
For 4 or more pieces of the same kind, get a box instead. Some of the kuihs here are unique and have special flavours.
The Kuihmaker has 2 types of cassava kuih, or getuk ubi. One uses grated cassava with coconut milk and the other uses small chunks of cassava. Unlike the typical yellow cassava kuih that is made with coconut milk, The Kuihmaker’s getuk ubi are bright orange in colour, due to the additional use of gula Melaka, and have nice flavours.
Kuih puteri salat is a common kuih in Singapore and Malaysia. Prepared by the Malay and Peranakan communities, the typical pandan-flavoured kuih puteri salat has mild-savoury glutinous rice as its base, taking up half the kuih. The top layer is the flavouring that is made using pandan leaves, egg and coconut milk, giving the kuih a pandan-egg-custard flavour and creamy texture. The Kuihmaker's puteri salat has a top layer that is soft and creamy.
Other than the usual version with glutinous rice, The Kuihmaker has a version using sweet corn as its bottom layer with the same pandan custard on top. The corn-base is not sweetened so the kuih, on the whole, is not too sweet too.
There is another version using black glutinous rice — called puteri salat pulut hitam (black rice pandan kuih). Unlike the white glutinous rice that is soft after being heated, black glutinous rice is chewier even after heating and has coarser texture due to the rice husks. The unique flavour of black rice, with pandan custard, gives the kuih a whole new taste experience.
The Jackfruit-flavoured kuih has a dark-orange top layer, made with jackfruit and coconut milk, sitting on the same white glutinous rice base. The kuih has a light milky-jackfruit aroma and taste.
Durian is a popular fruit in Asia and its aromatic flesh has been used as common additive to enhance the aroma of many forms of snacks, pastries and iced desserts. The Kuihmaker’s durian-flavoured kuih has a dark-yellowish top layer made with durian purée. And coconut milk is added to cushion the strong aroma and taste of durian.
Under The Kuihmaker's "Special" menu, the talam ubi is another 2-layered non-rice-based kuih. It has a white top layer made with coconut milk and a bottom layer made of grated cassava and gula Melaka.
The lapis kacang hijau (green bean layered kuih), is available only on weekends. It has alternating layers of dark-greenish mung bean and brownish gula Melaka with a thicker texture from the other kuihs. It has nice flavours and not sweet.
Ever heard of Malaysians eating durian with rice? Since Thais eat sticky glutinous rice with mango and coconut milk, it should not be surprising to have glutinous rice with durian, thus giving rise to the dessert called "serawa durian". The Kuihmaker’s serawa durian is sold in plastic cups with sticky glutinous rice and D24 durian purée mixed with gula Melaka and coconut milk. It is a nice and flavourful dessert. Wait for it to thaw completely before eating.
So far, the kuihs and desserts that I have tried at The Kuihmaker are not too sweet and with nice flavours. Frankly, before I found The Kuihmaker, all Nyonya and Malay kuihs were just "kuih" to me. When writing this post, I get to learn their names and the clear and distinct flavours of the kuihs helped me to affirm the ingredients used.
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Address:
Blk 447 Bukit Batok West Ave 9, #01-02, Singapore 650447
Opening Hours:
7am to 5pm (Sat & Sun start at 8am) | Closed on Monday & Tuesday
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