Mei Heong Yuen Dessert has traditional Chinese desserts in Chinatown

When it comes to traditional desserts in Singapore, Mei Heong Yuen Dessert in Chinatown is practically a household name. With a history dating back to the 1950s, the dessert shop has amassed over 2,800 Google reviews at the time of writing, along with an almost always-packed storefront. Fun fact: it’s also recognised as one of the “Singapore Chinatown Heritage Brands” by the Chinatown Business Association!

FYI:  The dessert brand first started producing and selling groundnuts and snacks in Malaysia in the 1940s, before expanding to Singapore in the 1950s, where they built the widely recognised Farmer Brand peanuts. In 2002, the second-generation owners—sisters Connie and Clara Lee—took the family legacy a step further by opening their flagship dessert shop on Temple Street in Chinatown, this time with a focus on Cantonese dessert pastes and Taiwanese shaved snow ice. 

Curious about the hype, my colleague and I dropped by on a Thursday afternoon to find out if the long queues at this popular dessert shop were truly justified.