Came here after lunch (to the outlet in Market Street) for a cup of tea. Not very busy at around 12.45 so we were able to get a table without difficulty. Also a selection of very unhealthy looking deep fried food which we didn't try. The tea was ok but nothing special.

Not just in Holland Avenue but all over the island is a company called Old Chang Kee. They've been around for years but more recently have grown into quite a successful venture. The greatest single creation is the curry puff. They sell a lot of other snacks but if you are visiting you have to try the curry puffs. For an Englishman it appears at first to be something like a small pasty. However, this is nothing your average Cornishman would recognise. Bite through the pastry and you are hit by a lovely blend of curried potato and egg with some meat thrown in for good measure. I am absolutely hooked. A couple of curry puffs will keep you going for hours and they are such a handy snack size too! Old Chang Kee are not the only company to have hit on this little delicacy - Polar, for example, do a 'dry' version - but this is a very consistent formula for snacking success.

Old Chang Kee is a famous local brand, so locals and tourists alike must be excited to see this outlet located at the convenience of Holland Village MRT station. Unlike most OCK outlets which are takeaway kiosks without dine-in areas, this outlet is a mini-cafe, where you can choose to sit down for a meal. When we visited it on a weekday afternoon, we were pleasantly surprised to see that it was relatively empty. We ordered a curry chicken rice set at around 5 dollars. Service was quick, as the chicken curry was scooped from the pot. While the portion is big enough to make a hearty meal, the meat tasted stale, with a funny taste. The texture of the meat was also tough. The curry sauce was ok, but it was not hot enough for my liking, both in terms of taste and temperature. The achar (local preserved vegetables) and white rice in the set were nice though. As a result, I could not finish two out of three pieces of my weird-tasting chicken. Being half-satiated, I ordered a curry puff at $1.40, which was lukewarm, but quite tasty (it being the most popular snack of the brand). I have previously tried their fried chicken wing (quite nice), and their cheesy balls also delicious. So, my advice is stick with the snacks, and avoid the meals.