Discovering Singapore's Best Curry Puff: What Makes It Stand Out?

The Battle of Two Curry Puff Brands

When you visit the Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, you'll notice two curry puff brands sitting side by side. One of them, Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff, has recently rebranded itself as Heritage Tanglin Puff Since 1952 to stand out and avoid confusion. Interestingly, their outlet at The Poiz Centre is currently the top-rated option on Google Reviews, boasting an impressive score of 4.8/5 based on around 251 reviews.

Is This Curry Puff Worthy of Its Title?

I think it’s time to see if the curry puff here really lives up to its reputation. The shop mainly serves takeout, with just a few bar stools for a quick bite. Compared to the prices at Hong Lim Market, there's a slight increase of about S$0.20 across the entire menu.

Special Curry Puff Varieties

Heritage Tanglin Puff offers five types of puffs at different prices: Chicken Potato (S$2.20), Sardine (S$2.20), Otah (S$2.20), Yam (S$2.20), and Rendang Chicken (S$2.40). I started with the Otah puff, marked with two red dots on its crust.

Upon taking a bite, I noticed that the filling wasn't just small bits but a cohesive mass packed neatly inside. The Otah here is quite similar to the Muar style that I enjoy — soft and rich in flavor. A definite plus for me!

Sardine Puff: A Bit Disappointing!

The Sardine puff, however, lacked any color markings on its crust, making it easy to confuse with the Chicken Potato puff without staff assistance. After taking a bite, I found the filling to be less generous compared to the others. The potato dominated, which made this puff less remarkable in flavor, although the sardine still retained its moisture and taste. Personally, I feel the quality of the Sardine puff has declined since my last visit to Hong Lim Market.

Yam Puff: A Must-Try!

To refresh my palate after two spicy puffs, I decided to try the Yam puff (S$2.20), marked with two green stripes on its crust. The filling is quite 'gao' (sticky), earthy in flavor, and not overly sweet. It truly felt like indulging in a luxurious bowl of orh nee.

Rendang Chicken: A Bit of a Risk!

I was very excited to try the Rendang Chicken puff. During the recent Hari Raya holiday, I sampled a series of curry puffs renowned for their rendang version, but I was disappointed by the overpowering flavor. I feared history would repeat itself, but from the very first bite, I sighed in relief. The filling included egg, chicken, and potato with a harmonious flavor, mild spiciness, and a hint of sweetness. The ratio of chicken to potato was much more balanced than the Chicken Potato puff I had tried earlier.

Finally, the Chicken Potato Puff

I wrapped up my morning of curry puffs with the classic — Chicken Potato. The crust was perfectly crispy, enveloping a fluffy potato filling that was supposed to include chicken. I say 'supposed to' because I found it quite challenging to spot any chicken pieces — the potato was clearly the star. In my opinion, this puff doesn’t quite justify its price. However, the curry flavor did provide a nice hint of heat.

Who Should Try Heritage Tanglin Puff?

This shop is perfect for anyone looking for a light snack in the morning or afternoon. If you want to explore flavors beyond the usual chicken and potato, options like Otah, Yam, and Rendang Chicken are excellent choices.

Getting There

Heritage Tanglin Puff Since 1952 is located at The Poiz Centre at 51 Upper Serangoon Road. The nearest MRT station is Potong Pasir (NE10), just below the shop. Alternatively, you can take several bus routes to two stops: Potong Pasir and Potong Pasir Stn Exit B.

Would We Recommend Heritage Tanglin Puff?

Although there are some areas for improvement, I still believe that the curry puffs here are among the best you can find in Singapore. The Sardine and Chicken Potato puffs could use some tweaking, but the other varieties were fantastic. Therefore, while I think a rating of 4.8 is a bit high, a score of around 4 to 4.5 would be more fair.