Yut Yun Tong Sui

A refreshing take on mango sticky rice! The black glutinous rice was super soft and had a great chewy texture and the coconut milk was creamy but not overwhelming. The mango cubes were a little sour but in a refreshing way that balanced everything out. The sago added a nice pop of texture and the grass jelly was a cool, light touch. Overall, it’s a fun and satisfying dessert especially if you’re looking for something less sweet but still really delicious 》$4.50

If anything, Kovan seems to be putting itself back on the map when it comes to being the hotspot in the local F&B scene of the late; there has been quite an number of dining establishments that had sprouted out in the vicinity of Kovan MRT Station in recent times including that of Today Restaurant 日日茶室 at Upper Serangoon Road. Located right across the road taking over the former premises of the now-defunct The Bread Shop / Jie Traditional Bread Bakery at 953 Upper Serangoon Road is the new Yut Yun Tong Sui 月圆堂. The whole shophouse has been reworked with Yut Yun Tong Sui taking over its premises — the works done had been pretty extensive from its facade all the way into its interior; the facade features geometrical elements that gives the shop space a unique look, while the interior exudes a look that is close to that of a modern Hong Kong-style tea room with the use of tiled walls, booth seats with rattan-esque and wooden accents and cushions in the shade of royal green. The dining environment is well-lit, and pretty welcoming despite the slightly raw looks when it comes to the half-height stone walls and concrete floors. Being an establishment that serves primarily serves up Chinese-style Tang Shui, the menu at Yut Yun Tong Sui is split across categories such as the Paste Series, Traditional Series, Collagen Series, Coconut Series, Milk Pudding Series, Icy Desserts and Snacks. It is worth noting that there are no beverages being listed in the menu at Yut Yun Tong Sui.

The Durian from the Milk Pudding Series was also one of the items that had caught our attention when we were skimming through the menu to see what Yut Yun Tong Sui has to offer. Unfortunately, we found the Milk Pudding itself to be a little lacking to say the least — the Milk Pudding seemed to have come in a jelly-like texture rather than in a form that is runnier which some would describe to the more alike soya beancurd. This also meant that the milk pudding didn’t really carry that exact milky and creamy flavours that we had expected per the usual milk pudding offerings that other establishments tend to serve up. Nonetheless, the scoop of durian flesh is pretty much on point; this came with loads of fibrous durian flesh and would definitely satisfies those whom are looking for that pungent, sweet and buttery note of durian though it doesn’t really blend into the milk pudding considering the consistency of the milk pudding itself.

We had the “Mixture of either 2 above”in the Paste section of the menu, which we opted for the Black Sesame Paste and the Creamy Custard Paste to be served half-on-half in a single bowl. Digging into the Creamy Custard Paste, one can find that the texture of the Creamy Custard Paste to be pretty smooth and a little runny with a bit of density without being overly starchy at the same time — this keeps the paste from being too heavy to have. Interestingly, the flavours of the Creamy Custard Paste is considered to be pretty milky without the usual sweetness and eggy notes that one would typically associate with custard; quite decent for those looking for something that isn’t overly sweet whilst still of the milky sort — something which we found to be more like the usual double skimmed milk pudding that one would expect as compared to the Milk Pudding Series that they have to offer. The Black Sesame Paste is the meanwhile is smooth yet reasonably dense and comes with a roasty and nutty note; the texture being what some might prefer. When combined to be enjoyed with the Creamy Custard Paste, it adds a milky fragrance that provides a slightly richer note to the Black Sesame Paste without being particularly sweet.

The Watermelon Aiyu with Sago is one of those items that is being listed in the “Coconut Series” section of the menu — this dessert is observed to have come with cubes of watermelon, sago, Aiyu Jelly and a splash of coconut milk. This is one of the more refreshing desserts here that we have had during our visit to Yut Yun Tong Sui; the watermelon cubes are sliced in chunks that allow one to actually have a bit of sago and Aiyu Jelly to go along with it — this allows one to get that refreshing sweetness of watermelon that gives a light, fibrous bite to go along with the slippery smooth Aiyu Jelly, as well as the slightly chewy sago that all in one spoonful. The addition of coconut milk further thickens the juices of the watermelon, providing a depth of flavours of all else that comes within the bowl.

We had also given the Handmade HK Egg Tart a go during our visit to Yut Yun Tong Sui — it is noted that the Handmade HK Egg Tart is sold as a single piece here. Coming with a cookie crust, we did note that the tart base of the Handmade HK Egg Tart at Yut Yun Tong Sui does hold up the egg curd above it pretty well and crumbles rather neatly as one takes a bite into it. The egg curd within baked egg tart does come soft and jiggly — pretty on-point when it came to the texture, though it also felt that it quite lacked the eggy fragrance and that bit of sweetness that would help bring out the flavours better perhaps in an attempt to manage the overall level of sweetness that the Handmade HK Egg Tart would carry.

Meanwhile, the Durian Mochi is an item which seems to be misnamed in its menu; the Durian Mochi turned up at our table being a durian crepe, whilst we do note that there is no durian crepes listed on the menu at Yut Yun Tong Sui anyway. The insides of the durian crepe also does not feature any mochi elements though it does come with the usual suspects of a dessert crepe served up by establishments serving up Chinese-style Tang Shui — fresh cream and fibrous durian flesh. A classic combination that never goes wrong, the crepe is stuffed with quite a good load of fresh cream and durian flesh within, with the durian flesh carrying a pungent note and a fibrous texture much like the scoop of durian flesh served with the Durian Milk Pudding that would be bound to satisfy the fans of the King of Fruits. Having tried a good number of what Yut Yun Tong Sui has to serve up, it does seem that there are quite a few hits and misses with the dessert items that they have to offer — some just seemingly falling short of what one would reasonably expect like the Milk Pudding, while some like the Durian Mochi comes misnamed and therefore misaligning with what its patrons would expect. That being said, elements like the durian flesh, as well as the Paste and Coconut Series offerings were pretty satisfactory. With prices of most of its desserts from $3.80 to $8.80 (the Icy Dessert series ranging from $12.80 to $16.80), Yut Yun Tong Sui is one spot that would likely see a healthy crowd seeking a sweet treat to end their meal off in the area that has an abundance of late night establishments to dine at!