Soon Soon Huat Crispy Curry Puff – Crafting Handmade Puffs Since the 1990s
March 31, 2021
Soon Soon Huat (顺顺發/SSH) serves fresh handmade curry puffs daily, ever since their humble beginnings in the 1990s. Mui Lan, the third-generation lady boss of this curry puff business is determined to carry on the legacy that her grandmother started. Her grit and passion despite life’s curveballs are admirable.
As this is a family business, it’s all hands on deck. The whole clan would come down to the eatery as early as 6:30 am to prepare the different fillings needed for the puffs. On top of that, they prepare ingredients for other items such as Nasi Lemak ($4.80) and Sesame Balls – Green Bean/Peanut ($1.30/pc).
Every curry puff at SSH is handmade from scratch, from the different puff fillings to the pastry dough. I was impressed by Mui Lan’s dexterity as I watched her wrap each puff. It takes about 30 seconds for her to stuff and wrap one curry puff.
Other than puffs and fried snacks, they also sell food like Mee Siam ($4), Chwee Kueh ($2.20), and drinks. I highly recommend the Iced Kopi ($2.20) as it’s super gao and aromatic with a strong caffeine kick for a good morning!
We tried 4 out of 5 flavours of their puffs — Curry Chicken Puff ($1.80), Sardine Puff ($1.30), Custard Puff ($1.30) and Otah Puff ($2.20). The Durian Puff($2.50) which we didn’t try was not available. Mui Lan shared that it’s a seasonal item and it highly depends on the availability of the fruit because they use real durian flesh in their filling. It was a pity that I didn’t get to try it, but I’ll be back for it!
Both the Curry Chicken Puff and the Sardine Puff are made using the original recipe from SSH’s founder, Mui Lan’s grandmother, with minimal tweaks. Contemporary flavours like custard and durian were created to bring a twist to the traditional snack while appealing to a wider audience.
Their signature is the Curry Chicken Puff. It’s huge as compared to the other puffs on the menu and it is really affordable for its size! The curry filling is mildly spicy, with a substantial amount of potatoes and chicken. There is also a quarter of an egg, which completes the curry chicken “set”.
The pastry was super flaky and crispy, giving it a very nice crunch in every bite. The buttery pastry complemented the curry chicken filling very well too. It’s a messy affair but it’s so worth it!
If you prefer something spicier, go for the Sardine Puff. It contains bits of chilli padi along with shredded onions, sardine and special gravy. It tasted zestier as compared to the curry chicken puff, with a spicy and sour aftertaste.
I was quite surprised to find myself relishing every bite of the Custard Puff. As I don’t have a sweet tooth, I thought that this would not be something that I would enjoy. However, the smooth and creamy custard filling changed my mind.
The SSH family took quite some time to perfect the custard filling so that it would not only appeal to the younger generation, but to the older one too. The custard was not overly sweet and it had the perfect consistency even after being deep-fried with the pastry. The sweet and slightly savoury pairing of this puff is just *chef’s kiss*.
As for the Otah Puff, it was an interesting combination! The otah filling was packed with bits of Batang fish and chilli paste and paired extremely well with the puff pastry.
I got the Green Bean Sesame Ball as well because I caught a glimpse of the freshly fried ones while we were in the kitchen. It was really irresistible. The sesame ball was very crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Although it’s not the main highlight of this post, it was really scrumptious! You might come for the puffs, but don’t leave without getting a few of these!
As I conversed more with Mui Lan about the future of SSH, she said that there are no successors in line after her for now. She didn’t want to place unnecessary pressure on her daughter to take over the business as it’s a tough trade. She hopes to carry on the legacy of her grandmother for as long as she can.
In essence, Soon Soon Huat’s curry puffs are really one of a kind. Oh, and can we just appreciate how adorable their logo is? This small eatery is a great spot if you’re looking for a good traditional breakfast without burning a hole in your pocket. I sincerely hope that Mui Lan and her family would be able to keep the business going for many more years to come.
Soon Soon Huat Crispy Curry Puff
Address: 220 East Coast Road Singapore, Singapore 428917
Phone: 6841 5618
Mobile: 9455 8662
Email Address: sshcurrypuff@gmail.com
Area: East
Opening Hours: 7:30 am to 5pm daily. Closed on Monday.
Cuisine: Chinese
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SSHCurryPuff/
MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.
Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Soon Soon Huat Crispy Curry Puff. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!