Ah Chew Desserts (Bugis)

Ah Chew Desserts is a Cantonese dessert shop at Liang Seah Place, on Liang Seah Street in Bugis. The menu runs to more than 50 desserts, some old-school and some newer, served hot or cold. It stays open late, so it is a popular stop after dinner.

The founder, known as Ah Chew, opened in September 2003 in half of a shop unit on Liang Seah Street. In 2004 the shop took over the whole unit and enlarged its kitchen. In 2008 it added the unit next door. There is now a second outlet at Cineleisure Orchard.

What to order

The menu is long, so it helps to know the main groups. There are sweet soups, steamed egg puddings, smooth pastes, sago bowls, grass jelly and a whole section of durian desserts. Ice cream, snacks and drinks round it out.

Dishes the shop itself puts forward include:

• Durian sago, plus a durian mango sago with pomelo
• Milk steamed egg with red bean, a soft, silky pudding
• Hashima red date soup, a sweet soup made with a traditional Chinese tonic ingredient
• Black glutinous rice with vanilla ice cream, a classic sweet rice porridge with a scoop on top
• White fungus with papaya and almond

Eatbook has also picked out the fresh milk steamed with egg white, a lighter take on the steamed egg pudding. If Chinese desserts are new to you, a sago dessert or a steamed milk pudding is an easy place to start.

The setting

The founder has a long interest in Chinese arts, crafts and heritage, and it shows in the room. When the shop grew in 2008, Ah Chew brought in wooden furniture, carved doors and lanterns from China. Some of the pieces come from the founder's own collection. The result feels like an old-style Chinese dessert house rather than a modern café.

Good to know before you go

• Late opening: the Bugis shop stays open late into the night, which makes it handy for supper.
• Busy times: it is a popular place, so you may have to wait a short while for a table.
• Getting there: Bugis MRT station is a short walk away.
• Something for everyone: with hot and cold choices, it works for groups with different tastes.
• Menu: the full list is on the Ah Chew Desserts website.

Nearby

Liang Seah Street is a short street of eateries in Bugis. Walk to Bugis Street for shopping, or carry on to Kampong Glam and Haji Lane and the Sultan Mosque. If you are exploring Kampong Glam first, The Dim Sum Place on North Bridge Road is good for a meal before dessert.

Nearby hotels include Andaz Singapore and Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road. For more ideas, see our Singapore dessert guide, our late-night food guide and our Kampong Glam and Bugis guide.