Our First Foray off the Beaten Track Brings Us to Tai Seng

Originally known as Charn Mau Hern, a Teochew term that means lemongrass farm, Tai Seng used to be a village where residents were long able to hide from the numerous changes that came with Singapore’s rapid development. In 1917, a man by the name of Ang Young Huat invested in a rubber plantation and named it Tai Seng Rubber Factory. This factory helped create jobs for residents and led to the growth of the village. Today, Tai Seng is home to various businesses, making it a vibrant industrial centre with numerous residential estates, retail stores and other new developments. 

A short walk from the MRT station is a quaint little shop called Big Bakery, owned by a very cute couple, Mr Tan Li Hin and Ms Candy Ng. Upon arriving at their bakery, it was apparent that this was a very old-school place.

Their products are all homemade and are baked fresh daily. We decided to get their signature apple crumble pie, two chocolate tarts and a coffee biscuit; spending a total of $11. The apple pie was delicious, definitely deserving of being their signature pastry. The rest of the pastries we tried brought on a wave of nostalgia, bringing back fond memories of our childhood where traditional bakeries like these were commonplace.

For the arts-and-crafts enthusiasts and gift lovers, you will definitely want to stop by CityLuxe to explore their wide range of stationery. Tucked away on the fifth floor of the Lian Cheong Industrial Building, this is a perfect shop to go to if you are planning to get a gift or hand-make a gift for a loved one or a friend.

From walls lined with a myriad of stickers in all shapes and sizes to shelves filled with washi tapes (a type of tape with designs used for decorative purposes such as for scrapbooks or journals) of all designs, you are sure to find the design that you’re looking for. They also offer notebooks, keychain trinkets and even a small work area for you to craft the perfect gift for that special someone.

For our next stop, we have arrived at Kay Lee Roast Meat. Kay Lee has been around since the 1940s, attracting visits from international celebrities such as Chef Gordan Ramsey and various news interviews and articles. We ordered the roast pork rice, roast duck rice and the char siew (cantonese-style barbecued pork) noodles.

The roast meat had a flavourful and crispy layer of roasted skin while still maintaining tender and savoury meat. The rice was fragrant and complimented the roast meats well. The roasted pork was so good I had to get another plate! The noodles could have done with slightly more seasoning but they were still tasty nonetheless. Kay Lee Roast Meat is a place you do not want to miss if you are in the Tai Seng area!

For our last stop, we arrived at The Good Boys (TGB) for a refreshing bowl of acai. We ordered the TGB Acai Bowl which came with a generous portion of acai topped with blueberries, banana, granola and many more healthy toppings. It was a hearty bowl of goodness that was re-energising and a great dessert option. 

Tai Seng may seem like purely an industrial hub, however, there are hidden gems in the area that offer great food and interesting little shops. If you are ever in the area, do check out the places mentioned above! 

Stay tuned for more of our adventures as we venture into other different areas of Singapore and discover what they have to offer next. See you at the next stop! 

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