I was in the Selegie area and happened to pass by this stretch of road so thought I would stop by Rochor Original Beancurd for afternoon tea. Don’t confuse this brand with Rochor Beancurd House which is one of my favourite supper places along Upper Thomson Road. Well, some of you might remember the Rochor beancurd saga that happened years ago (very old news already!) but for those who don’t, this Straits Times article might jog your memory – just for fun reading.
It was my first visit to the shop though I first tried their beancurd almost 10 years ago when one of our suppliers brought some to our office. I could still remember how silky and smooth that beancurd was so naturally, I had the same expectations when I stepped into the shop and placed my order.
My typical order would consist all of these – hot beancurd ($1.20), cold soya bean milk ($1.20), you tiao ($1) and egg tart ($1.50). They also serve grass jelly, soy bean milk with pearls, pudding beancurd and other fried snacks like butterfly, hum chim peng, jian dui and curry puff if you are looking for variety.
I was very sure I frowned when I took a spoonful of the beancurd. It wasn’t anything like what I remembered from last time. The beancurd seemed to have split and the texture was somewhat coarse and floury. Probably too much gypsum powder? Anyway there wasn’t any familiar fragrance of soy beans too. I just couldn’t bring myself to finish the bowl and I had to waste it – it was that bad.
The soy bean milk fared more competently. It had a smooth, refreshing texture with a lovely soy bean flavour. Even though I requested for less syrup, the sweetness was just right without being diluted by the melting ice.
The bready you tiao was very greasy and was oozing with oil when bit into. The egg tart had a very crispy crust and though the custard was quite eggy in flavour, it was really firm and dense in texture. I thought the you tiao and egg tart from Rochor Beancurd House were better executed.
I’m not sure why some people would consider this to be one of the best tau huay places in Singapore. It probably used to be but the beancurd quality had clearly deteriorated. While I don’t mind having their soy bean milk again only if I’m in the vicinity and in desperate need for a drink, I don’t think I will bother to come back for anything else.
Rochor Original Beancurd
2 Short Street
Singapore 188211
Tel: +65 6334 1138
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Opening hours: 12.00pm to 12.00am daily