One Kueh At A Time – Handmade Soon Kuehs in Pandan Loop

After two years, One Kueh At A Time has finally reopened. Nope, they are no longer at the hawker stall in Berseh Food Centre. They have moved all the way to the west, into the same building as Lim Chee Guan’s factory.

To be honest, I didn’t expect to see a cafe in an industrial building. Driving along the road with factories and buildings on my left and right, I started to wonder if I went to the right place. But once we get past the security guards and walked into the space, it felt like a secret hideout.

“I wanted to have more space, hence it took us two years to find the right one. When we saw this space, we just love it,” said Nick, owner of One Kueh At A Time.

Everyone who has been following him online for sometime would know that this man quit his job as an insurance agent to open a hawker stall selling soon kuehs. He is still very shy since the last time I met him at Berseh Food Centre.

When I arrived, he was quietly doing his work like before. But now, he makes his skin using a big roller machine. “When I first started One Kueh At A Time, I had to make the skin using my hands. And there is only so much I can do every day. But now with this big machine, I can churn out more skins at a faster speed.”

Of course, not everything here is made with machines, because the beauty of soon kueh still lies in it being handmade. Nick and his girlfriend, Karen, still manually wrap the soon kueh by hand. The recipes are passed down from his old parents who have been making kuehs and sharing with friends and relatives.

His selection is not huge but you know, as with all businesses, you just need one good product. The soon kueh is definitely the star here. It comes with different fillings such as turnip, chives (koo chye), hae bee biam, bak kwa and beetroot. I see how the couple meticulously handles each thin dough skin, wraps ONE KUEH AT A TIME with the fillings and place them in the industrial steamer, just like the good old days.

The skin, oh my, still so translucent that it is literally shining in the sunlight. Their classic soon kueh is made with juicy turnips, black fungus and dried shrimps. It has enough bite and a good texture. Each pocket of kueh is wrapped with a generous amount of fillings that it looks like it is going to burst anytime. But well, I am not complaining. It is full of ingredients!

I think it is my first time trying the hei bee hiam and bak kwa flavour and I was very curious. The former is very lightly spicy but filled with savoury goodness. The taste is familiar and comforting. The bak kwa soon kueh, which is made with Lim Chee Guan’s signature bak kwa, is sweet, yet savoury, and is interestingly tasty.

So if you are in the area or are a big fan of One Kueh At A Time, pay them a visit at Pandan Loop today! Oh yes, Nick can only produce a limited number of kuehs every day, so please whatsapp for reservations.

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