Shop Reviews

A rare stall still making handmade sak kei ma (殺騎馬) & xiao kou zao (笑口棗) the traditional way. The sak kei ma is golden, lightly crisp, gently chewy & nicely bound with maltose — not too sweet, not too sticky, just right. Their xiao kou zao is equally delightful — crunchy & lightly sweet with a fragrant hint of sesame.

I've loved Pan Ji's sakima since I've known they existed. I used to frequent this stall when it was possible for me to come in the daytime. But whenever I can, I make the effort to go all the way there to the innards of Chinatown Food Market's green zone and hope that they are 1) open and 2) have availability. It's made fresh every day, isn't too sweet, and not so sticky that your teeth feel awful after. As the oil used is fresh, there isn't any rancid smell. The only thing to note is the self-control one has to apply to self so as not to buy as many as one can carry. This is so good, I could lose control and eat plenty. Come try it but leave some behind for me! (It's in a very busy food centre so fewer stars for atmosphere)

Sak Kei Ma 殺騎馬 ( in Cantonese) *********************************** 🤎Sak-Kei-Ma is a traditional Chinese pastry made of fried dough crisps held together with maltose & sugar syrup. ✳️ My late mum used to feed us with this retro snack during tea time. 🟧 This shop is a popular one at Chinatown. ▪︎I've seen documentaries on this shop. It is alot of hard work and physical effort to make this heritage artisanal pastry. 🟨 At times, my husband would pass by Chinatown, and buy a packet or two of this crispy delicious vintage snack of yore. Recently, a friend of his gifted us with a packet of this Sak-kei-ma.

Some said the best, and some said otherwise. I would say above average for sure. Kinda pricy cos it took a lot of effort to make it. Hope you like it. 𝗦𝗮𝗸 𝗞𝗲𝗶 𝗠𝗮 (or “萨其马"), childhood sweet snack. chunky batter melded together with maltose syrup. Uncle had more than 40 years of experience. Can try if you are nearby.

The famous honey cracker definitely tastes different than most from elsewhere. At the first bite, it has a solid texture, and soon a strong eggy taste comes out. Also it's quite greasy. I'm personally not a fan of the strong and oily egg taste though.

It’s a bit hard to find within the hawker centre as it’s around a corner. But the effort is worth it. With prices going up in recent years, I think the price is reasonable for the taste, effort and craft. It’s light and fluffy as compared to others and easy to chew, not too sweet either. We should support these ageing hawkers while they are still around. Also, it’s not something you buy everyday so worth a visit if you’re in the area. Finally, stall accepts CDC vouchers now. Service was fuss free.

Not your ordinary snack Honey crackers is a must, best with tea or coffee Bit pricey Must try 🥖👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

Absolutely a Singapore heritage legend! All the snacks were handmade by the hawkers. The honey crackers were very soft and delicious with the right amount of sweetness. The sesame egg split is crunchy and it's flavours are enhanced by the white sesame seeds. These traditional snacks complements very well with a tea or coffee (Teh or Kopi) from a near by stall or even by itself. It was an absolute delight. The price is fully justified for the amount of expertise, effort, skills and time into perfecting these snacks that cannot be found elsewhere. I hope they can continue to make a decent living through making these delicious snacks for years to come. They accept an array of digital payments i.e. PayNow so it was very easy to buy a few more bags from them. Thank you for the lovely snacks!

Green Zone #02-78 Pan Ji Cooked Food 潘記剎騎馬 Over at the most obscure part of the Hawker Centre, Pan Ji Cooked Food makes traditional Chinese (race not country) snacks. With many places switching to the use of factory prepared snacks, Pan Ji still makes its snacks by hand and thus preserving the original flavours and taste. About 6 months ago, this stall gained much recognition from a blog post and resulted in a sudden surge in business which quickly died down after the novelty had worn off. Such unsustained burst in business is actually not good for hawkers as many people these days get angry when having to wait and then the hawkers suffer from low online ratings from the rantings of the selfish few. Hence the surge brought by the blog post was quickly wiped out by the rants of the privileged few. The Hawker making these traditional snacks has been doing it for decades and had considered retiring during the pandemic given the total disappearance of any firm of business. However, it is great to see him still hard at work these days, albeit at a slower pace as his hands do show the effects of the ravages of time. General Verdict: Handmade Traditional Chinese Snacks preserving the original flavours and tastes at an affordable pricing Queue Situation: Next to none Price: SG$1.80-SG$6.50 (depending on selection) Payment Mode: Cash, Local Internet Banking by QR code or AMEX (Singapore) Pay Item Ordered: 1) Item: 剎騎馬 (Sachima) - Big serving - Fried batter snack held together by stiff sugar syrup Description: Light and airy, it has a nice sweet crunch with every bite Verdict: Good, Can Order Price: SG$6.50

Traditional kind of snack freshly made at the stall. Bought the small size $3 which is kinda expensive. Went there on Sunday around 2.30pm and there was no queue.