Madam Ang KK: Traditional delights with modern twists, has 16 ang ku kueh flavours

If you love ang ku kueh and are always ready to queue up for a box of these traditional pastries, then Madam Ang KK, a newly launched brand by Old Seng Choong, is one to check out.

For the uninitiated, ang ku kueh is a traditional Chinese pastry that’s usually red and designed to resemble a tortoise shell. Its round shape is made with soft, sticky glutinous rice-flour skin and usually stuffed with mung bean or peanut filling. A mould is then used to give it its characteristic markings.

In Chinese culture, the ang ku kueh (akin to the tortoise) symbolises longevity, good fortune and prosperity. You’ll often find these treats at weddings or birthday celebrations, especially for a baby’s full moon or first month (man yue or 满月).

A new brand under Old Seng Choong

Daniel Tay, the owner of Old Seng Choong, wanted to create a brand which honoured our local traditions of yesteryear. Thus, Madam Ang KK was born, to modernise traditional ang ku kueh to suit the palates of the younger generation. 

He also hopes that it’ll become a go-to place for comfort food such as dim sum, traditional buns and pastries, and more.

The brand currently boasts 16 different flavours to savour and its ang ku kueh runs the gamut of colours — not just red, but green, brown, deep violet, yellow, and bright orangre!

But beyond just ang ku kueh, the store also serves up steamed mochi buns and rice bowls.

For now, the brand’s first outpost at Paragon Shopping Centre is takeaway-only and can be found tucked away in the mall’s basement.

Tradition gets a facelift

As someone who, admittedly, does not eat very much ang ku kueh, I‘d asked those around me about their experiences with the well-loved Singaporean pastry. 

My mother has fond memories of the snack. At each celebration, friends and relatives would always buy packets upon packets of ang ku kueh for not just snacking, but also gifting. She does gripe that there’s usually always an uneven ratio of mung bean and peanut. (My mother only eats the peanut ang ku kueh.) 

To her dismay, there were usually fewer pieces of peanut ang ku kueh — so it was always a scramble between the cousins to snatch that last prized piece of peanut-flavoured kueh. 

The same principle seems to hold true, even at Madam Ang KK today. The winning flavour — regardless of age group — was its nutty classic (S$1.90), stuffed to the brim with chunky peanut paste. You can’t go wrong with this classic combination!

There’s also the Lucky mung (S$1.90) if you’re looking for yet another tried-and-tested flavour.

In general, we found the skin to be relatively thin, chewy and generously stuffed with fillings. 

If you’re more daring and love experimenting with new flavours, Madam Ang has that in spades. 

Its best-selling savoury flavours include the XO Treasure (S$2.80) with XO scallop, Pang Pang parma (S$2.80) with parma ham and shallot oil and Tender Braise (S$2.80), a mixture of braised meat with mung bean.

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For those who love sweet treats, Madam Ang KK has flavours with fillings such as Ti Ti orh nee (S$2.40) — a fragrant yam paste — and almond noir ($2.40) — a decadent concoction of dark chocolate and almonds.  

According to Daniel, the brand may tweak the recipes further to finetune them. It is also looking to launch new flavours with dried fruit in the future.

Not just ang ku kueh

We also got to try Madam Ang KK’s steamed food options, which include steamed mochi buns and rice bowls. 

Its mochi buns are pillowy soft, chewy and full of comforting flavours. Go for its yammy mochi (S$2.90) if you love yam desserts, its ruby bean mochi (S$2.90) if you enjoy red bean, and its Mystic sesame mochi (S$2.90) if you simply can’t resist a good black sesame treat!

There are also fluffy traditional steamed buns such as its gourmet truffle char siew bun (S$3.40), which might be up your alley if you prefer savoury buns.

If you’re looking for more carby options, Madam Ang KK’s rice bowls may satisfy. There’s Granny’s minced pork with salted fish (S$9.80) and its fragrant chicken mushroom & Chinese sausages (S$10.80) rice bowls — hearty bowls to start off your mornings. 

In the future, though, you might be able to sample its kuehs, buns, rice bowls, and even dim sum in a dine-in space if Daniel’s plans pan out. HungryGoWhere understands that there are plans for two other Madam Ang KK outlets in the Square 2 and Parkway Parade shopping malls later this year.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more eats, read about the opening of Japanese restaurant Royal Host at Jewel Changi Airport, or newly opened Har Har Chicken! for all things har cheong gai. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

Do explore the GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Madam Ang KK to try its innovative ang ku kueh flavours.