If you’re a fan of Peranakan-inspired fare, head over to Joo Chiat for a treat.
Tiap Tiap, which started out as a home-based business six years ago, has opened its first physical store on Friday (June 12).
The store is serving up popular items such as Pandan Chiffon Cake, made with Japanese cake flour and hand-pressed pandan juice, topped with gula melaka drizzle. There’s also a healthier option, made with monk fruit as a sugar replacement.
Other well-loved bakes include the Ondeh Ondeh Cake, Banoffee Pie, and Chocolate Cream Cake.
The store’s snack counter offers a variety of bites such as fish keropok made with mackerel, hand-stirred Nyonya kaya made without egg whites, and DIY muah chee designed to be eaten cold.
Diners can also take home savoury dishes such as paper-wrapped chicken, Teochew ngoh hiang, Nyonya curry midwings, and seafood yuteow. These are sold frozen with cooking instructions included.
Most of these goodies can be enjoyed in the cosy store space.
“We designed our store to be an extension of our home. Guests who have joined us for our private dining experience at Butterfly Table will recognise that every piece of china we serve you in and every feature of the space carries a piece of our family home,” founder Sophia Yeow said in a press release.
“Joo Chiat was the right neighbourhood for us to establish our first storefront, not only because I grew up in the East Coast area, but more importantly because this precinct has always understood what it means to keep heritage alive. We want Tiap Tiap to be this kind of place, where you return not because you have to, but because it feels like coming home.”
East Coast GRC (Joo Chiat) MP Edwin Tong, who graced the store opening, also shared the importance of what Tiap Tiap represents as a new addition to the neighbourhood.
“The food cultures that we have in Singapore are very special. We need to preserve as much of this as possible, and it is not easy to do,” he said.
“We will continue to support this community of heritage food and Peranakan food, and the special skills that we need to preserve in our community. We hope to continue to savour the presence of Tiap Tiap in our community for a long time to come.”
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From home-based business to brick-and-mortar store
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Sophia, who has two decades of experience in marketing and communications, founded Tiap Tiap in 2020 after friends asked her to cook for them. She would whip up three items for them: pandan chiffon cake, radish kueh and yam kueh.
Through word of mouth, more people learned about Sophia’s creations and she built up a loyal customer base.
In 2024, Sophia’s daughter, Nicole Lian, left her corporate job in system engineering and product design, to join Tiap Tiap as managing director.
Over the next two years, mum and daughter moved Tiap Tiap’s home delivery operation to a central kitchen in Bedok. They also grew their team and refined their systems before getting a permanent space for the brand at Joo Chiat.
“When I decided to leave my corporate job and join my mum, people thought I was mad, including my own mother,” Nicole said.
“I saw something in what she had built that felt rare, with products that people genuinely love, and a community that had formed around it without any marketing spend. This strong foundation inspired me to take on the role of building the scaffolding around this labour of love.
“The shop is the next chapter, and we cannot wait to welcome more guests to this extension of our home.”
Address: 374 East Coast Road, Singapore 428983
Opening hours: Mon and Thu, 8.30am to 3.30pm; Sat and Sun 8.30am-6pm (Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday)
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