Feisty 81-Year-Old Makes Kueh Lapis & Rempah At Peranakan Cafe Daily; ‘Scolds’ Son For Buying ‘Wrong’ Onions

Selling kueh lapis since the ’80s

Although Marie has been selling her kueh lapis for over forty years, this is the first time it’s available in a physical store. Originally an accounting machine operator for a liquor company, she started hawking kueh lapis from home in the ’80s, using a recipe passed down from her mother. She states proudly: “I was making nearly $7K a month from the orders.” Despite the profitable business, Marie never considered opening a shop as it was “too much work”.

In 2019, Chris, who was an R&D engineer, faced a career shift when his company relocated to China. Prompted by this change, he decided to start his own business. “It was around Chinese New Year. During that time, my mum’s lapis was very popular so I thought, why not start something online first,” he recalls. After a year of running the home-based bakery business, Chris opened Marie’s Lapis Cafe in November 2020.

Opened second outlet this year 

According to Chris, business is doing well. In January this year, he opened a second outlet, Marie’s Lapis Cafe Express, at Raffles Xchange, an underground retail space linked to Raffles Place MRT, partnering with his friend, Caroline Liew, 54. To date, he has invested around $700K into both shops and expects to break even “soon”.

Caroline, a seasoned baker who used to run her own Western bakery (she declined to share its name), now manages operations at the Raffles Place location. “Although my background is in Western bakes, I’ve always had an interest in kueh lapis and nonya kueh so I’m very happy to learn from Auntie Marie,” she shares. Caroline has been adding her own creative twist to kueh lapis, developing new flavours like Earl Grey and Horlicks (which were unavailable during our visit). The Raffles Place outlet, which has 28 seats, is self-service, while the Bedok outlet offers table service. Prices remain consistent across both locations, with the new branch offering a slightly smaller menu.

The ‘Oniongate’ saga

Most days, Chris and Marie are based at their flagship Bedok cafe, which remains the hub for food preparation – dishes are vacuum-packed for service at the new Raffles Place branch. At Bedok, Marie reigns supreme over making kueh and preparing rempah while Chris and his employees handle the rest of the cooking. Marie insists that the workload is manageable for her: “I've been cooking for big groups (for family dinners and special occasions) since I was young.” Even after leaving her office job in the ’80s, Marie has kept herself occupied by organising church food fairs for charity. “I like to stay busy. It keeps me going,” she says with a smile.

When asked about working with his mum daily, Chris brought up a minor grievance. “She insists on peeling the shallots ourselves. As you can imagine, peeling 1kg of shallots takes a lot of time.” He recounts getting chastised for a suggestion. “I wanted to switch to larger, pre-peeled red onions instead and it made her furious.”

“I was really very angry [at his suggestion]. That big onion is very watery and has no fragrance,” the matriarch protests indignantly.

At the end of the day, it’s clear who’s boss. “Every time we talk about onions, I want to cry,” Chris jokes.

Plans to open more outlets

Despite their occasional disagreements, Marie expresses pride in her son’s cafe venture. The veteran cook finds joy in seeing customers appreciate her food: “I’ve had customers who got emotional after eating because my food reminds them of their mum’s cooking. It’s very touching.” Marie is dedicated to continuing her work at the cafe. “It’s a full-time commitment. You need to be hands-on to ensure the quality stays the same,” she explains.

Looking ahead, Chris is determined to expand the business further, aiming to open two more outlets. “Our goal,” he explains, “is to introduce Peranakan cuisine to the younger generation.”

Traditional Kueh Lapis, $3 per piece  

At first glance, this cake isn’t as intricate compared to other kueh lapis purveyors like Bengawan Solo – it has fewer layers and is dotted with air pockets. In terms of texture, it’s lighter and fluffier than average, which may appeal to those who find denser variants too jelak. That said, we found ourselves yearning for a more pronounced buttery fragrance. The spice notes are similarly subdued, which is a shame, as Marie grinds the spices herself. Overall, this is a serviceable kueh lapis for those seeking a simpler, homelier rendition of the treat.

Coffee Kueh Lapis, $3 per piece

The robust espresso makes up for the faint spice flavours in the traditional version. We think this coffee-flavoured cake will serve well as a tea time snack.

Lapis Beras, $2.40 per piece (8 DAYS Pick!)

A lovely coconutty richness permeates throughout the layered confection, which boasts a smooth, springy and tender texture. Very yummy.

Kueh Salat, $2.40 per piece (8 DAYS Pick!) 

This kueh is equally well-made, with thick, velvety kaya custard atop lightly savoury glutinous rice, coloured with butterfly pea flower. Also worth ordering is the Kueh Kosui ($3.20), decadent with its rich gula melaka flavour and wobbly texture.

Nasi Ayam Buah Keluak, $16

The buah keluak gravy is satisfyingly rich and earthy, but we found the chicken slightly dry. Served with butterfly pea rice and omelette, this is a hearty plate.

Other rice sets include Beef Rendang ($18) and Itek Sio ($20). The rendang is flavourful, with well-cooked beef. New item Itek Sio features a tamarind duck leg with sweet and tangy notes – not bad if you want a less heavy main.

Buah Keluak Mee Tai Mak, $16

Strictly for buah keluak fans – this noodle dish has a remarkably rich and pungent flavour profile of the nut. Although the pairing with mee tai mak is interesting, we found the overall taste a little overwhelming and struggled to finish the dish.

Tok Kong Mee Siam, $14

The gravy is tangy and on the sweeter side, and we would’ve preferred more depth of flavour – you can remedy this by stirring in the house-made sambal belacan. Comes with prawn, egg and tau pok toppings.

Ngoh Hiang (8 pcs), $12 (8 DAYS Pick!)

We like the homemade appeal of these crisp-skinned parcels, stuffed with peppery minced chicken (no pork is used at Marie’s cafe to cater to a wider audience) and crunchy chunks of water chestnut. 

Lapis Waffle Set (comes with 2 scoops of gelato), $12

Much like their cake, the spice notes are somewhat understated in the waffle. We had the Ondeh Ondeh and Cempedak gelato with our order, and favoured the former, which features a rich pandan flavour and is studded with tasty gula melaka jelly bits.

Bottom line

The details

Marie’s Lapis Cafe is at:

#01-575, 537 Bedok North St 3, S460537. Open daily except Mon, 10am – 10pm. Call 6970 8556 or Whatsapp 9441 7697. 

Marie’s Lapis Cafe Express is at #B1-33 Raffles Xchange, 5 Raffles Pl, S048618. Open Mon to Fri, 10.30am – 9pm.

More info via Facebook & Instagram.

Photos: Kelvin Chia & Marie’s Lapis Cafe Express