Hong Kong cafes aka cha chaan teng are just opening up one after another in Singapore, from So Good Char Chan Tang, Pi Food,Tsui Wah, Friends Cafe HK, to Legendary Hong Kong.
Perhaps because Singaporeans are craving for good-old Hong Kong food, yet cannot travel freely there (remember the burst travel-bubbles?)
Therefore, it is not surprising to find Charmaine Hui – better known as TVB veteran actor Benz Hui’s daughter, open a modern Hong Kong café.
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The location of JuJu 津津 is just steps away from her other café concept Café Bakeaholic at Wheelock Place, Orchard Road.
I waited for her till the end of my meal (I visited anonymously and paid as a usual customer) before she was free for one quick photo.
She explained that four of her staff was down, and was extremely busy in the kitchen.
”Would you be okay if only my dad was in the video?”
I didn’t mind waiting, because I felt that this café should be about her, as too many other writeups and attention were focused on her celebrity dad – but it is understandable.
The café didn’t look that crowded (surprisingly), but everyone looked kind of busy or lost – opening jitters it seems. Daddy and mummy were around attending to guests and clearing tables. Ah, parents’ love.
Otherwise, the wait wasn’t that long for the food, though cha chaan teng is usually known for serving food at faster-than-fast speeds.
Some of the signature JuJu items were Fried Chicken Thigh with Fries ($8.90), Egg Luncheon Meat Noodle ($8.90), Toast with Ham and Scrambled Eggs ($7.30), HK French Toast ($5.90), JuJu Curry with Fishballs ($4.90), and JuJu Wings ($7.90).
For pastry items, there was a small selection of Cocktail Bun ($3.50), Bolo Bao ($3.80), and Egg Tarts ($2.50). Not all items were available for ordering though, so do a double-check with the cashier (mine had to double-up as the tea-maker).
The Fried Chicken Thigh with Fries ($8.90) was… okay I guess. While the meat was considered well-marinated, the skin could have been crispier and meat juicier to bring it to the next level.
The weaker link happened to be the fries, which tasted like they were not thawed properly before deep-frying.
I preferred the Toast with Egg and Luncheon Meat ($6.90) – the scrambled egg being considerably creamy, though the toast could have been thicker and more buttery?
A taller ‘hill’ of egg (taking reference from Capital Café 華星冰室’s version) would have provided a better mouthfeel.
As for the Curried Fishballs ($4.90), they probably found the right supplier for the balls which had a familiar ‘Hong Kong’ bite, though the sauce lacked of the fragrance and viscosity that could bring you to the streets of Mongkok.
Unfortunately, the Bolo Bun which was heavily publicised to be house-made was possibly the weakest link as it lacked the characteristic sugary-crunch on the outer layer, while the bread was rather doughy.
The thing about Hong Kong cha chaan teng food is that these Canto-Western food happen to sound and look simple, but it needs to be extensive, comforting, and tasty at the same time.
JuJu has the potential, but perhaps give the team some time to settle down first to work through some of the operational details.
JuJu 津津 Singapore
Wheelock Place #02-17/17A, 501 Orchard Road, Singapore 238880
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
12 Best Hong Kong Cafes In Singapore
So Good Char Chan Tang (Capitol Singapore)
Pi Food (Penang Road)
Tsui Wah (Jewel Changi Airport)
Friends Cafe HK 朋友冰室 (Springside Walk)
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I went to Juju last week.
1. My verdict for Fried Chicken Thigh with Fries. The meat is not juicy. It is dried. Maybe it happen to be overcooked that day.
2. The Toast bread with scrambled egg and luncheon meat. The scrambled egg is a bit wet. The toast bread is not crispy enough. That is why scrambled egg soak through the bread.
3. The milk tea is lukewarm by the time it reached us. It is not hot. I saw the milk tea is already on the table but noone sent to us. It just sit there.
Quite disappointed for my first visit.
Total spent is around $30 plus forbthe following
1. Fried Chicken Thigh with Fries
2. Toast with Ham and Scrambled Eggs
3. Toast with peanut butter and condensed milk
4. Yuan yang
5. Milk tea
This place has a very cosy ambience with lovely seats as well as atmosphere that it was comfortable to seat in as well. For one of the dishes, the curry fishball the cashier advised waiting time 45 mins but all the food arrived within 15 mins with prompt serving of the food. The food all tasted pleasant and were sumptuous especially the instant noodles made me feel that I was in Hong Kong and the egg tart was great too
The staff were very alert to give fast service and also were very knowledgeable about the food items.
The food items in the menu might be limited but all the dishes are done to perfection. That’s my preference.
For HK milk tea I didn’t taste any milk fragrance at all. And curry fish ball curry quite diluted.
I was very satisfied of their milk tea, with hot water at the right temperature, well balanced tea & milk , right consistency. It smoothes the throat , In addition to this, it goes well with 菠 萝 包. Highly recommended for tea lovers. There are some small appetizers like the chicken wing (tail part) is so great if coming with a cold beer. Keep it up !