Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original - Hand-Crimped Curry Puffs

Tucked into a corner unit on the second level of Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original sells a single item made four ways. The puffs are shaped by hand into a rounded triangle, sealed along a crimped edge, and built around a flaky, layered crust that sits closer to a Malay epok epok than the smoother shell of a factory puff. Each flavour is filled to the brim and marked by hand so it can be told apart from the next, and the recipe is one the family traces back to 1952. The four flavours below are all priced at S$2.

The stall’s recipe is one the family says dates to 1952, carried through to the corner unit it occupies today at Hong Lim. That long lineage shows in the small operational habits, including the hand-marking system used to tell the four flavours apart once they are sealed and indistinguishable from the outside. Each variety carries its own marking so customers and staff can identify a chicken, sardine, otah or yam puff without cutting into it. The puffs are made by hand in small batches through the day, and the stall offers free delivery within a seven-kilometre radius for larger orders, extending the reach of a recipe that has stayed in one family for generations.

Potato Chicken with Egg — $2

This is the stall’s signature and the one most customers come for. The filling is a mix of small chicken pieces and soft potato cooked down with curry spices, with the puff packed full enough that the filling reaches the sealed edge. The curry leans warm and savoury rather than fiery, carrying the kind of mild, old-school spice level associated with traditional Chinese-style curry puffs rather than the heat of a Malay version. The handmade crust holds its shape and stays crisp without turning greasy, which is part of why the puffs travel well for events and gatherings.

Potato Sardine with Egg — $2

The sardine puff sets potato as the dominant ingredient, with sardine and onion folded through and a quarter wedge of boiled egg tucked inside. It runs slightly drier than the chicken version and milder in spice, with a faintly sweet edge from the onion and fish. The boiled egg is a distinguishing touch, adding a firmer texture against the soft potato. As with every flavour here, it is sealed and crimped by hand and carries its own marking so staff and regulars can identify it at a glance.

Fish Otah — $2

The otah puff swaps the curry base for a fish otak-otak paste, giving it a sweet and spicy profile that is more pronounced than the chicken or sardine. The spices build with each bite rather than hitting all at once, so the heat reveals itself gradually as you work through the puff. It is the boldest of the four in flavour, and the layered crust gives way to a soft, aromatic filling that leans into the spice paste rather than potato.

Yam (Taro) — $2

The yam puff is the outlier, trading savoury for sweet. Inside the same flaky shell is a smooth taro paste with a moist, glossy finish, closer in spirit to a kaya puff than a curry one. The filling is earthy and gently sweet, and its softer, more luscious texture sets it apart from the drier, grainier yam fillings found elsewhere. It works as a dessert-style option for anyone who wants to round off a savoury order with something sweet.

What ties the four flavours together is the crust. Each puff is formed and crimped by hand, producing the rounded-triangle shape and the sealed, ridged edge that runs along one side. The pastry is built in thin layers so it bakes up flaky and shatters cleanly, with a light buttery note running through it. Because the puffs are made fresh rather than pre-packed, the crust stays crisp without an oily finish, and it holds its structure for a few hours, which is why the stall is a common choice for parties and catering orders. The shape and texture are deliberately old-fashioned, recalling the kind of curry puff once picked up on the way to the bus stop.

Address: BLK 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-36, Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Singapore 051531
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 4:30pm, daily
Tel: +65 9740 8408
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