Everyone’s a fan of Old Chang Kee. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single Singaporean who doesn’t delight in the yellow-and-white paper bagged pastries; we even love it enough to export it to the land of our colonizers (opening June 2018). And no shopping mall on the island would in their right mind operate without an Old Chang Kee stand in the basement.
All that said, after 62 years of grab-and-go fried goodness, the homegrown brand has finally opened its first flagship store. And in a move fans of local nostalgia will appreciate, the store is parked at the original location of Old Chang Kee’s very first stall.
Mr. Han Keen Juan at the Old Chang Kee stall in 1986
At the junction of Mackenzie Road and Niven Road and opposite Rex Cinema, the shiny new 50-seater sits. The first Old Chang Kee curry puff stall was opened right there in 1956, where it ran, operated by a Hainan hawker in a corner of the coffee shop, for a steady 30 years. In 1986, current owner and executive chairman Han Keen Juan bought over the business, and set about expanding the brand into the empire it is today. There are now 90 outlets across the island, as well as in Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Here at the flagship, you’ll be able to taste both new and signature dishes. The store brings together Old Chang Kee and its affiliated brands—Curry Times, Bun Times and Dip ‘n’ Go—under one roof, in a heritage-themed setting sure to inspire more predictable drama serials from Mediacorp. Definitely check out all-new offerings like the fluffy Flower Bread (from $11.90), an arrangement of seven pull-apart buns with your choice of curry or stew as the bud; and the Beef Stew Rice ($9.50), served in an old-school mess tin. Both are exclusive to the Rex outlet.
Flower Bread with chicken curry ($11.90)
Baked Beef Stew Rice with Cheese ($10.90)
Of course, a classic Old Chang Kee counter will still be available for quick and easy snacking—in the exact spot a giant wok that fried the original curry puffs used to be. Alongside it you can pick up pillow-soft buns from Bun Times and deep-fried finger food from Dip ‘n’ Go, as well as the usual local delights from Curry Times. The entire space occupies three shophouse units, so there’s plenty of room for everyone.
There’s much local pride to be had in supporting a brand like Old Chang Kee, and we can’t wait to see what else they have up their sleeve.
Old Chang Kee Coffee House @ Rex is located at #01-01, 19-23 Mackenzie Rd., and is open Mon-Thu (11am-9pm), Fri-Sat (10am-10pm) and Sun (10am-9pm). More information here.
