3rd-generation hawker Jacky of "Tan's Tu Tu Coconut Cake" shared that his grandfather started the business back in the 1930's. When the government moved food-sellers off the streets in the 1970's, he settled in at Havelock Food Centre.
When I was there today, I saw Jacky and his aunt running the stall. The queue of customers wasn't too long but because the "tu tu kuehs" are made by hand, it does require time. I was told my order would take about 40 mins to be ready, so I shared a bowl of laksa with my mum while waiting. In the end, I got mine after less than half an hour.
Besides the traditional coconut and ground peanut versions, I decided to try the new chocolate one as well. They all turned out to be delightful, mostly because the steamed flour part was a lovely foil to the fillings.
My fave would be the chocolate (I blame it on the kid in me 😜) but seriously, the semi-sweet chocolate chips which had melted into a slightly gooey state, proved to be a match made in heaven with the moist, fall-apart-soft flour.
In case you're keen to try the kuehs for yourself, do note the Havelock stall is open between 12noon and 3pm daily except for Thursday and Sunday.