Bite into a Piece of Heritage at Kim Choo Kueh Chang

The rattle of shophouse shutters breaks the silence on a Monday at 7am — Joo Chiat Place, Singapore’s treasure trove of foodie gems, is just waking up. The street is a mishmash of the old and new, where snazzy cafes operate alongside pioneers of local cuisine. And one of its oldest tenants is none other than Kim Choo Kueh Chang, home to delectable Nyonya kueh like the rice dumpling.

The Nyonya rice dumpling (kueh chang) is similar in appearance to its Chinese cousin, also known as bak chang to many Singaporeans. But take a bite out of the steaming rice package, freshly made in-store at Kim Choo’s, and you’ll realise that its rich flavour palate is unmistakably Peranakan.

According to Edmond Wong, one of the three brothers managing the family business, the flavour begins in the leaves used to wrap the dumpling. “We make a variety of rice dumplings here at Kim Choo,” he explains. “For the typical bak chang, we use bamboo leaves but the Nyonya kueh chang are wrapped with both bamboo and pandan leaves.” Firm yet malleable, the leaves peel away to reveal a glossy pyramid of pandan-scented glutinous rice. The mound of fragrant rice isn’t particularly ‘gram-worthy, but it is the perfect base for the star of the show: savoury and tender pork filling, accented with hints of local spices like galangal and coriander seeds, and balanced out with candied winter melon.

This 77-year-old brand’s rice dumplings have had a long-standing reputation of being the go-to for many local families during major festivals, like Chinese New Year and Dragon Boat Festival. But for the Wong brothers, rice dumplings signify more than just yearly traditions or nostalgia. This unassuming Nyonya kueh helped their late grandmother, Madam Lee Kim Choo, make ends meet as her family’s sole breadwinner in the 1940-50s.

Above the humble shop-cum-kitchen entrance at 60 Joo Chiat Place, a slab of dark wood with two gold-painted Chinese characters, “金珠” (pronounced ‘jin zhu’ in Mandarin or ‘kim choo’ in Hokkien/Teochew), greets patrons. Reminiscent of the local Chinese and Peranakan ancestral halls in the 1940s, the signboard pays homage to Madam Lee and her legacy.

“My late grandmother started her business selling rice dumplings under a banyan tree at the cross junction of Joo Chiat Place and Everitt Road,” Edmond shares. “In 1965, she secured a loan to service this exact shophouse for her business, which she passed down to my parents later, and we’ve held on to the location ever since.”

After taking over the store operations from their parents in 2009, Edmond and his brothers grew the business into a full-fledged household name. With a close-knit team of fewer than 50 people, five of whom are persons with special needs, Kim Choo Kueh Chang operates on an efficient system — one that allows them to produce nearly 15,000 pieces of rice dumplings, alongside other traditional Nyonya kueh, every day during busy months.

Things are a little quiet this morning as it’s not the festive period, says Edmond. But people are still buying their rice dumplings. And on a day like this, you’ll see the cosy kitchen producing nearly 2,000 rice dumplings.

At the storefront, two workers man the counter and attend to customers in a lively manner. Behind them is a functional kitchen space where another colleague is wrapping the next batch of dumplings. He then hangs the finished ones on steel hooks that dangle from the ceiling so the rice packages don't lose their shape. In front of him, layers of glossy pandan and bamboo leaves which have been pre-soaked for easy folding, are stacked on a long stainless-steel countertop that leads to the back of the store, where the magic happens.

While growing the brand, one of Edmond’s main concerns was that the taste of his grandmother’s specialty dish would be lost in mass production. In the past, Peranakan women, also known as Nyonyas, would inherit culinary skills and recipes from the elderly matriarchs at home. And Madam Lee was no different, learning the ropes from her maternal grandmother. Hours would go into preparing the ingredients and wrapping dumplings before opening the shop at 5am.

Now, some of the labour-intensive chores like washing the rice and leaves are done with the help of machines. But many things at Kim Choo are still done by hand as certain parts of the cooking process cannot be replicated by machinery; leaves are soaked and shaken off by workers before use, and the rice dumplings are deftly wrapped by veteran kitchen staff. 

The meat filling is seasoned, and then cooked ahead in large batches. Thereafter, they are stored in large metal vats on one side of the kitchen; this method is commonly used in many local stewed dishes and curries to intensify flavour. The fat of the meat will separate and form a natural sealant at the top of the vat as it cools, safely preserving the meat and allowing the flavours to develop further.

But to make a good Nyonya dumpling, or any kind of rice dumpling, it boils down to the basics - ensuring that the glutinous rice grains reach their maximum potential. The rice should be slightly chewy, but soft enough to absorb the umami juices of the filling. While a seasoned cook will find this easy to do at home, one will run into some snares when producing a sizable amount of rice dumplings daily.

To ensure that the rice is well-cooked, the washed rice grains are par-steamed ahead. “If you’re just making a batch for your family, the rice will always be cooked through. But if you’re operating a store, there are chances of getting a ‘bad batch’ where the rice is unevenly cooked,” Edmond explains. “Consistency is key at Kim Choo, and by doing this before the rice is filled and wrapped, our dumplings won’t have hard spots of uncooked rice.”

Kim Choo’s persistence in preserving the roots of local heritage stretches beyond the tasty kueh they produce daily. At its heart, the brand regards itself as a medium for Singapore’s rich history to be passed on to the younger generations.

“History is important. Just by walking along Joo Chiat, I am transported back to my childhood,” Edmond reminisces. “My family lived in a zinc house at the last kampong in the Joo Chiat precinct and things were quite different then. This is something that the younger generation won’t experience, so I want to remind them of their heritage.”

As part of their mission to raise awareness for the rich Peranakan heritage, the brand now occupies two locations, one at the original 60 Joo Chiat Place and another at 111 East Coast Road. The latter also serves as a Singapore Visitor Centre and is divided into two floors. The first floor lets patrons shop for kueh and Peranakan-inspired souvenirs, while the second floor consists of a mini gallery, filled with Peranakan artefacts, and a studio for kebaya making and customisation.

And their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. The brand was recently recognised with the Made with Passion mark, which is a national initiative that celebrates the hard work and passion of local businesses. Kim Choo’s rice dumplings have come a long way, but it’s not the end of their journey yet. With their extensive knowledge on Singapore’s culture and history, the Wong brothers remain committed to using the brand to educate others. “My brothers and I infused our own interests to this business,” Edmond explains. “So that we can inspire more Singaporeans and tourists to better appreciate our shared heritage of the Peranakans.”

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