One would usually associate cream sauce with pasta and not… chee cheong fun. So we were surprised to find this pairing at a hidden gem cafe in Singapore.
Called Yat Ka Yan (Cantonese for ‘one family’), the unfussy cafe is tucked away within gritty Fortune Centre at Middle Road. It specialises in tong shui, serving a large selection of both hot and cold Chinese-style desserts, and is open till 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
1of6
Hot food and desserts
It also offers “all-day value meals” such as Braised Pork Belly Rice ($4.80) and Yong Tau Foo with Rice ($5.30). Customers can top up for beverages like Homemade Barley ($1.50) and Hawthorn Juice ($2.30), as well as tong shui like Red Bean Soup with Lotus Seeds ($2.50) and Black Sesame Paste ($2.50).
2of6
Curry yong tau foo cheong fun
There are light bites too, like Glutinous Rice ($3.80) and Yam Cake ($3.50). But it was the cafe’s chee cheong fun menu that caught our eye; customers can also order Cai Po Chee Cheong Fun ($3.20) and Yong Tau Foo Chee Cheong Fun ($5.30) with a large bowl of curry yong tau foo.
3of6
Creamy cheong fun
The most intriguing, though, is a little laminated sign advertising ‘Creamy CCF’. Instead of the typical red sauce or sweetened soy sauce, the rice rolls are drenched in a thick alfredo sauce and topped with shallots and chopped spring onions.
4of6
But wait, there’s more
We happily ordered it and got our food. What we didn’t expect was that the cheong fun came with little strips of juicy grilled bak kwa.
And surprisingly, it all goes well together. The cream sauce clinging to the silky cheong fun is rich and tasty, the richness cut by the crunchy shallots, spring onions and meaty bak kwa. Don’t knock it until you try it; this makes for a satisfying light meal.
5of6
Chendol, $3.20
What’s also very good here is the chendol, which comes with fat, jade green chendol jelly worms scented strongly with pandan, soft red beans and earthy, fragrant good quality gula melaka syrup drizzled over shaved ice.
6of6
Fresh Mango with Ice Cream, $5
We are very fond of the mango dessert too, a more sinful version of the traditional mango sago tong shui with sweet, juicy mango cubes and puréed mangoes over shaved ice, ‘exploding’ jelly pearls and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s pretty filling, though. We reckon this bowl can feed two pax after a meal.
Yat Ka Yan is at #02-08 Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road, S188979. Tel: 9631-2359. Open daily except Tues. Mon, Wed & Thur 1.30pm-10pm, Fri, Sat & Sun 1.30pm-11pm.
Photos: Yip Jieying
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
8days.sg is now on #tiktok! Follow us on www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat
I consent to the use of my personal data by Mediacorp and the Mediacorp group of companies (collectively “Mediacorp”) to send me notices, information, promotions and updates including marketing and advertising materials in relation to Mediacorp’s goods and services and those of third party organisations selected by Mediacorp, and for research and analysis, including surveys and polls.
Former restaurant chef Haruyama has opened his own katsu specialty hawker stall at Bras Basah Complex! He serves up a selection of restaurant-quality katsu, which he makes from scratch and serves with mentaiko and Japanese curry! #8dayseathawker #katsu #sgtiktok #sgfyp #foodtok
You have definitely seen viral Japanese chef Motokichi Yukimura’s omurice videos online — the man who whips up the most hypnotisingly perfect omelettes is in town for a collab with Tsukimi Hamburg, and spills to 8dayseat on how to cook eggs like him! 😱 #8dayseattrending #sgfoodie #sgtiktok #sgfyp #foodtok
It’s Singapore’s 60th birthday and @mcdsg is ready to celebrate! 🥳 The most iconic collab has landed — McDonald's x Jumbo Seafood presents the NEW Chilli Crab Sauce burger. Ready, set, sauce! 🎉 Get yours from 10 Jul, 11am onwards, while stocks last! #8dayseat #mcdsg #chillicrab #sg60 #sgtiktok
Osaka-born Chef Haruyama has over a decade of experience working as a chef in Singapore. He recently opened his own hawker stall, Haru Haru, at Bras Basah Complex. It serves fantastic freshly-made, restaurant quality katsu that is super value-for-money! #8dayseat #8dayseathawker #katsu #sgtiktok #fyp
Cult favourite Hong Kong cha chaan teng Mon Kee opens its first Singapore outlet at a food court, and it has a SCRAMBLED EGG RICE menu! #8dayseat #8dayseattrending #sgtiktok #foryou
Cult favourite Hong Kong cha chaan teng Mon Kee Cafe has opened a food court outlet in Singapore! And it specialises in a very unique dish — bolo bun with scrambled eggs, luncheon meat, lettuce and… PEANUT BUTTER! 😱 #8dayseat #8dayseathawker #monkee #sgtiktok
A bag of IGP-labelled flour from Brittany, France, costs over a hundred dollars, and sits on an SIA-chartered flight to reach Singapore. Atas much?! It’s the star of cafe Madam Flod’s legit French savoury galettes, run by a hip French-Hungarian husband and wife! #8dayseat #8dayseatcafe #crepe #sgcafe
Only for this week! Bacha Coffee is having a 1-for-1 promo for its coffee set which comes with chantilly cream, a pretty sugar stick and a reusable glass straw that you can bring home! #8dayseattrending #8dayseat #bachacoffee #coffee
Nathan Nuzzo, who hails from Brittany, runs a crêperie in Singapore with his wife Eniko. The couple has perfected the art of making French crêpes, with crispy edges brushed with lots and lots of BUTTER! 🫶 #8dayseat #8dayseatcafe #crepe #cafe #sgtiktok #fyp #sgcafe
Is this the Hermès of chiffon cakes in Singapore?! 😱 The family-run Cheng’s@27 still make their chiffon cakes by hand, using atas ingredients like hand-shaved gula melaka and extra virgin coconut oil. Gen-Z hack: slather the rich house-made kaya over a slice of fluffy cake for maximum enjoyment! #8dayseat #8dayseatcafe #cake #fyp #foryou #sgtiktok
Have you tried the Hermès of chiffon cakes?! This well-loved family-run eatery in Tiong Bahru sells one of the best chiffon cakes in town (in our opinion!), using ingredients like extra virgin coconut oil and hand-zested yuzu peel! #8dayseat #8dayseatcafe #cake #dessert #sgtiktok #fyp
Something we never thought we’d need: this viral sugarcane juice in a bottle with a spinning tail capybara plushie hugging it! Super cuteee 🥹 #8dayseat #8dayseattrending #7eleven #viral #sgtiktok #foryou
You May Also Like
Content is loading...
This browser is no longer supported
We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with 8 Days to be fast, secure and the best it can possibly be.