Chuan's Ladle (Tekka Centre)

Heard all about Chuan’s Ladle — one of the new stalls that had recently sprouted up at Tekka Market. Not a particularly new name in the F&B scene, the stall used to operate as a mobile kiosk usually in temporary night markets (aka Pasar Malam) before being a home-based business that took in orders for delivery under a “Ladle Cake” branding. Located at the stall just right beside the one which Jasmine Pork Rib Prawn Noodle occupies, Chuan’s Ladle serves up their signature Ladle Cake, a heritage food in their family prepared by the founder’s grandmother dating back to the 50s, in three (3) different flavours — think Original, Coriander, and Spicy. For those looking for something more substantial, the stall also serves up a heritage food offering apart from their Ladle Cakes — the Paper Wrapped Chicken, alongside Scallion Noodles; these could be ordered either ala-carte or in a set which comprises of two (2) pieces of Paper Wrapped Chicken, a serving of their Scallion Noodles, and Achar priced at $6.00.

Being here for their signature offering, we found ourselves going for the Ladle Cakes, opting to both of the flavours that are available for the day at the time when we made our visit. Both Ladle Cakes were actually pretty decent, though for a bit more contrast of flavours, the Coriander Ladle Cake is probably the one to go for. For those who have yet to hear of what a Ladle Cake is, the Ladle Cake comes almost similar to an Oyster Cake — the same sort which are typically served at stalls similar to Fu Zhou Poh Hwa Oyster Cake 福州宝华蠔饼 at Berseh Food Centre. That being said, whilst the shape and method of preparation does seem to be really similar, the fillings used in the Ladle Cakes at Chuan’s Ladle are significantly different. For one, the Ladle Cakes do carry a chewy, kueh-like texture with a crisp crust bordering the sides; the fried “cake” does come a little greasy to some, but is still of a rather acceptable level for such items in general. It is also noted that the Ladle Cakes are filled with turnip instead of the minced pork that can usually be found in oyster cakes, and lacks the peanuts on the top that can be found in some oyster cakes as well. The Coriander Ladle Cake was our pick for how the turnip within was soft — almost akin to that of caramelised onions with a slight sweetness amidst the savoury filling; pretty easy to have despite the fried nature of the dish. The addition of coriander adds that slight zing that cuts through all of that flavour and slight oiliness perfectly with its own distinct flavour — overall feeling more like a lighter version of the Oyster Cake that was pretty popular at one point of time during the pandemic.

There are plenty of hawkerpreneurs around these days whom have entered the F&B industry from various walks of life, serving up different food items that seemingly feels a little bit more hipster in order to be a little bit more relatable to the mass market. No doubt that there is nothing wrong with that, but what we do like about Chuan’s Ladle is how they are all about heritage foods — something from their family history that has since been passed down; serving up recipes and old-school cuisine that are a little bit of a difficult find these days. Serving up Ladle Cakes and Paper Wrapped Chicken, Chuan’s Ladle does seem to be vastly different from the likes of other hawkerpreneurs that seem to be more towards serving up Din Tai Fung-style fried rice, Japanese-inspired Donburi etc.; something which we find to be pretty admirable and commendable given the trends these days. What remains as something to be seen is whether the masses would warm up to what they have to offer though; something which is different from the typical hawker fare which one would usually get — thought definitely something which we could definitely find ourselves open up to nonetheless!