Tai Cheong Bakery

Tai Cheong Bakery
31 Lorong Liput

391 Orchard Road
#B2-85 Ngee Ann City

65 Airport Boulevard
#B2-40 Changi Airport Terminal 3

https://www.taicheong.com.sg/

Duo Of Tarts

"The Best Egg Tarts In The World"

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 5
Value for Money: 5
Spent about SGD $15 per person.


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Orginally establised in 1954 by Master Au Yeung in Lyndhurst Terrace in Hong Kong, Tai Cheong Bakery has been serving their signature, irresistibly delicious egg tarts and other classic treats for over 6 decades. Tai Cheong Bakery gained acclaim when then-governor of Hong Kong, Christopher Francis Patten, proclaimed them "the best egg tarts in the world". First operating in Singapore as a pop-up stall in March 2016, Tai Cheong Bakery opened their 1st permanent outlet in Singapore in November 2016, quickly drawing long queues.

Ambience at Tai Cheong Bakery has a modern cha chaan teng / tea restaurant / tea house vibe, with low warm lights, intricate pattern mosiac tiles, and panels in light green-blue and wood. Functional modern furnishings line the spacious area, a stark contrast to the tightly packed, crowded places typical to Hong Kong. These days, long queues tend to form only during peak dining periods, but most people order takeaway, so seats are usually available.

Service at Tai Cheong Bakery is partially self-service, with ordering, payment, and collection for takeaway completely over the counter. If dining in, staff will take orders tableside and serve to your table, but payment is still over the counter. Again, unlike Hong Kong, there is a relaxed, leisurely pace, instead of frantic bustling. Mostly transactional in nature, there's little display of product knowledge on the menu, and cleaning up is done leisurely as well.

Food at Tai Cheong Bakery is classic Hong Kong tea house cuisine, focusing on snack, desserts, and light bites. The original Western Asian fusion cuisine, dishes are tasty with familiar, comforting flavours. Portions are decently sized for individuals, and set meals can be filling. Prices have risen since they opened, and are slightly more expensive than elsewhere, budget about SGD $15 per person. Low value for money for dishes you could make at home.


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Tai Cheong Bakery Facade

Tai Cheong Bakery Signage

Tai Cheong Bakery Exterior

Tai Cheong Bakery Interior

Menu

Menu

Menu

Menu

Menu

Menu

A mug of Hot Milk Tea (SGD $3.20), warm and comforting, with decent earthy milky flavour. I like that sugar isn't added, so you can decide how sweet you wish it to be.

Hot Milk Tea (SGD $3.20)

Hot Milk Tea

A mug of Hot Milk Coffee (SGD $3.20), warm and toasty, with light roasted coffee milky flavour. Not that strong, have had better coffee elsewhere. I like that sugar isn't added, so you can decide how sweet you wish it to be.

Hot Milk Coffee (SGD $3.20)

Hot Milk Coffee

The Hot Yuenyeung (SGD $3.20) or yuan yang drink consists of 30% coffee blended with 70% milk tea. Has a roasted earthy sweet bitter milky flavour. I like that sugar isn't added, so you can decide how sweet you wish it to be.

Hot Yuenyeung (SGD $3.20)

A warm mug of Horlicks (SGD $2.50) is a nostalgic childhood drink. This sweet malted milk beverage is a typical café beverage in Hong Kong, and is heavy on sugar.

Horlicks (SGD $2.50)

Horlicks

The Grass Jelly With Milk (SGD $5.30) features a glass of chilled milk with delicate milky sweet flavour. Garnished with chewy gelatinous chunks of grass jelly, which lend a soft chew to texture. Alright both as a dessert and as a drink.

Grass Jelly With Milk (SGD $5.30)

Grass Jelly With Milk

Their world famous tarts are as delicious in Singapore as they are in Hong Kong. Featuring a medium thick, crumbly biscuit cookie crust, which has light grainy sweet buttery flavour, their tarts are easy to hold and eat, and unlike other versions, are less messy.

Display Of Tarts

Box Of Tarts

The Egg Tart (SGD $2.40 per piece) features a wobbly soft egg custard, set in their signature tart crust. With bright eggy sweet flavour, it's addictive enough to make you crave more. Highly recommended!

Egg Tart (SGD $2.40 per piece)

Egg Tart

Egg Tart

The Pandan Tart (SGD $2.40 per piece) features a wobbly soft egg custard, infused with pandan / screwpine leaf juice, set in their signature tart crust. With bright floral earthy eggy sweet flavour, it's more fragrant, but just as tasty, as its brethren. Highly recommended!

Pandan Tart (SGD $2.40 per piece)

Pandan Tart

Pandan Tart

The old-school Coconut Tart (SGD $3.20 per piece) features grainy shreds of dessicated coconut, infused with sugar syrup, and tightly packed in their signature tart crust, topped with a halved maraschino cherry. This has lovely fruity earthy sweet flavour, with a light chew, but you still can taste the coconut notes. I feel this is much better in texture than most other versions. Good!

Coconut Tart (SGD $3.20 per piece)

Coconut Tart

Coconut Tart

Loved the Chicken Pie (SGD $3.65 per piece), which is set in a crumbly, buttery, flaky pie crust. A generous filling of boneless chicken chunks, button mushrooms, white pepper, and cream complete this. With a tender chew, and bold milky sweet savoury flavour, this is rather addictive. It also lacks the sour note I taste in some other versions elsewhere, making this more pleasant. I want more! Highly recommended!

Chicken Pie (SGD $3.65 per piece)

Chicken Pie

Chicken Pie

The Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (SGD $6.50) or har gow have a medium thick, sticky dumpling wrapper that doesn't tear too easily. It holds the warm filling of juicy bouncy deshelled prawn / shrimp well, and the satisfying burst of sweet savoury flavour when bit is really nice. Good!

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (SGD $6.50)

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Loved the Steamed Spinach Dumplings (SGD $6.50). The medium thick sticky dumpling wrapper is infused with spinach, and holds the warm filling of juicy bouncy deshelled prawn / shrimp and crunchy spinach leaves well. Bite in, and you're rewarded with a bright burst of vegetal earthy sweet flavour. Delicious, would order again. Highly recommended!

Steamed Spinach Dumplings (SGD $6.50)

Steamed Spinach Dumplings

Steamed Spinach Dumplings

Felt the Steamed Pork Ribs In Black Bean Sauce (SGD $5.50) was underwhelming. It lacked the delicate earthy aroma of black beans, but the main issue was the pork ribs, which I suspect isn't too fresh. The meat is fatty, firm, and dry, requiring some effort to chew off the bone. It has a strong gamey savoury flavour. Not good. Could be improved.

Steamed Pork Ribs In Black Bean Sauce (SGD $5.50)

Steamed Pork Ribs In Black Bean Sauce

A typical Hong Kong snack, the Curry Fish Balls (SGD $5.90) features 5 rounds of bouncy soft fish balls, with delicate savoury sweet flavour, in a rich spicy savoury curry gravy. The fish balls don't soak up the curry, so it's best to drizzle the curry over for each bite. Worth ordering!

Curry Fish Balls (SGD $5.90)

Curry Fish Balls

The Braised Cuttlefish (SGD $5.90) features crunchy slippery slices of fresh cuttlefish, in a thin yet savoury sweet spicy gravy. The typical street food version has this braised in soy sauce, but it seems they've done it differently here. Also known as orange cuttlefish or orange squid, this makes a decent side dish to pair with a meal.

Braised Cuttlefish (SGD $5.90)

Braised Cuttlefish

The Toasted Bun With Condensed Milk (SGD $2.50) features a toasted and buttered bread bun, with bready sweet flavour, a crisp exterior, and a fluffy soft interior. It's drizzled with thick creamy condensed milk, which lends a lovely addictive milky sweet flavour. Pairs nicely with most dishes, and also good on its own as a snack. I like that the taste is balanced. Good!

Toasted Bun With Condensed Milk (SGD $2.50)

Toasted Bun With Condensed Milk

Toasted Bun With Condensed Milk

The Scrambled Eggs Toast With Spam Fries (SGD $10.90) is something you could possibly do at home, but I love it because of its comforting flavours. The thick yet soft toasted white bread is warm and fluffy. A generous heap of soft scrambled eggs sits over it, having bright eggy sweet savoury flavour. Finally, thick cut strips of luncheon meat / spam, with tender soft texture and bold salty savoury flavour, complete this lovely breakfast dish. Also good as a snack, I enjoyed this, though it's expensive for the value.

Scrambled Eggs Toast With Spam Fries (SGD $10.90)

Scrambled Eggs Toast With Spam Fries

Scrambled Eggs Toast With Spam Fries

Scrambled Eggs Toast With Spam Fries

Scrambled Eggs Toast With Spam Fries

The French Toast With Maple Syrup (SGD $7.90) is pretty good. The thick slice of French toast is huge, with a fluffy soft spongy texture, and delicate bready buttery eggy sweet flavour. Drizzled with a thin sticky maple syrup, which lends a light floral sweet note to the dish, and finished with a knob / slab of butter, which quickly melts and gets soaked up by the bread. Super filling, it's best shared. Worth ordering!

French Toast With Maple Syrup (SGD $7.90)

French Toast With Maple Syrup

French Toast With Maple Syrup

French Toast With Maple Syrup

French Toast With Maple Syrup

Loved the Tomato Noodle Soup, 3 Eggs, Luncheon Meat (SGD $10.90). The warm thin tomato soup base is richly flavoured, with chunks of juicy tomato that hold bright vegetal sweet notes. The long spingy instant noodles have a soft chew, and the 3 sunny side up eggs lend good body when the yolks are broken, infusing the broth with eggy sweet flavour. Completed with thick cut strips of luncheon meat / spam that have tender soft textures and bold salty savoury flavours, alongside wispy parsley with vegetal bitter herbal flavour. Perfect on cold days. Highly recommended!

Tomato Noodle Soup, 3 Eggs, Luncheon Meat (SGD $10.90)

Tomato Noodle Soup, 3 Eggs, Luncheon Meat

Tomato Noodle Soup, 3 Eggs, Luncheon Meat

The Cheese Baked Rice With Grilled Pork Chop & Tomato Gravy (SGD $19.70) is a filling dish, largely due to the generous portion of white rice. Over this fluffy crisp white rice bed, is a layer of gooey cheese with bold salty cheesy flavour, offset by the bright tomato gravy with its vegetal sweet notes. Completed with a medium thin slab of grilled pork chop, which is tender and juicy, with good meaty savoury sweet salty flavour. I wish they had an ala-carte option for the pork chop though, could do without this much rice and cheese.

Cheese Baked Rice With Grilled Pork Chop & Tomato Gravy (SGD $19.70)

Cheese Baked Rice With Grilled Pork Chop & Tomato Gravy

Cheese Baked Rice With Grilled Pork Chop & Tomato Gravy

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