Stacy
With a history dating back to 1958, Ann Chin Popiah has been around for 65 years – that’s even older than Singapore! The brand was founded by Mr Lim Kam Chwee, who brought this to Singapore from Fujian in the 1940s. Today, they have 10 outlets located islandwide and their flagship store in Chinatown was even awarded with the Michelin Plate in 2018.
The secret to any good popiah is its skin. And Ann Chin Popiah is one of the few brands that still hand makes theirs! They are paper-thin, soft and chewy yet also tough, and different from machine-made ones which are generally harder and drier. If you’re lucky, you might even spot the staff in action cooking the skins on a hot griddle. In addition to that, the popiah sauces are also made in house, and the ingredients that go into the popiah are all prepared and cooked fresh daily.
Each popiah (S$2) is freshly made to order, and they consist of their homemade turnip popiah filling, fresh lettuce, beansprouts, crushed peanuts, fried crispy bits, hard-boiled egg, and their homemade sweet sauce and chilli.
Bursting with flavour, the popiah holds together nicely, and the proportion of skin to filling is perfectly on point. Striking a balance between sweet and savoury, the homemade chilli sauce also gives an extra kick to the popiah’s flavour and pairs very well with the mix of filling.
Looking to enjoy this at home? You can order just their popiah skins that come in 20 rolls or 40 rolls (from S$11). Or, get the Popiah Party Set at 10 rolls for S$25 that’s enough for three to four people, or 18 rolls for S$38 if you have a larger group of six. The set comes with all the ingredients and instructions you need to wrap your own popiah at home!
Besides popiah, Ann Chin Popiah also sells other local favourites such as Kueh Pie Tee (S$3.50 for 4 pieces), Deep Fried Spring Roll (S$1.60), Yam Roll (S$1.60) and Curry Spring Roll (S$1.60).
The Kueh Pie Tie also deserves a mention. Much like the popiah skins, the kueh pie tee shells are also made fresh and fried daily. They are crispy, addictive and delicious, with the same popiah ingredients filling the shell to the brim. Be sure to eat them fast and don’t let them sit out for too long – you don’t want the filling to turn the shells soggy! Kueh Pie Tie party sets are available for order at 30 cups for S$30 or 50 cups for S$48.
Not feeling popiah or kueh pie tie? Ann Chin Popiah also does handmade spring rolls with three different types of filling. The regular Spring Roll comes with turnips, carrots and mee hoon wrapped in a chewy fried skin. The yam version replaces turnips with yam bits, and the curry version is filled with a mildly spicy curry potato filling. The fillings are well-flavoured, but the skin leans more towards the soft side.
Despite all the trendy cafes and stylish restaurants in Singapore, sometimes what we need is just a good serving of traditional local food. Ann Chin Popiah will not disappoint and will keep you coming back for more. You can check out all their outlets here!
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