Ah Chew Desserts (Novena) – Famous Dessert Shop Serves Delicious Old School Desserts, Opens Till 12am Daily

Ah Chew Desserts is a famous dessert shop in Singapore that serves a wide variety of traditional Asian desserts. They have two branches, located at Bugis and Novena. This is my review of the Novena outlet. This article was last updated on 17 August 2020.

The first Ah Chew branch opened at Liang Seah Street (Bugis) in September 2003, where they quickly gained a loyal following for their delicious desserts.

In April 2014, they opened a second outlet at Novena in Goldhill Centre. It is a short two-minute walk from Novena MRT Station and faces the main road.

Both branches have beautiful traditional Chinese interiors, decorated with elegant furniture and accessories imported from China.

Novena outlet interior

I visited the Novena branch at 1.30pm on a Saturday, and the shop was filled with just a handful of customers.

I regretted visiting at this time because the few standing air-conditioners in the shop did not do a very good job of keeping the place cool.

The shop opens till 12am daily, so it is probably a better idea to visit from evening onwards when the weather is more cooling.

Menu (click to enlarge)

The Ah Chew Dessert menu offers over 50 types of desserts. Below are some of their popular items:

Cold Desserts
– Mango Sago with Pomelo ($4.50)
– Durian Sago ($6.50)
– Black Glutinous Rice With Vanilla Ice Cream ($4.20)
– Aloe Vera Strawberry in Honey Water and Lime ($3.30)
– Grass Jelly with Mixed Fruits ($5)

Hot Desserts
– Yam Paste with Ginkgo Nut ($3.30)
– Black Sesame Paste ($2.70/$3.30)
– Almond Paste ($2.70/$3.30)
– Rock Sugar White Fungus Papaya with Almond ($3.50)

Mango Sago With Pomelo

My Mango Sago With Pomelo ($4.50) was served in an elegant ceramic bowl decorated with traditional Chinese motifs.

While I enjoyed the standard sweet pomelo pulps and sago pearls, the highlight for me was the luscious mango puree which had a rich tangy flavour and a pleasant creaminess that was not overwhelming.

And I was impressed by the generous portion of large mango chunks which were quite sweet and juicy. The crunchy bits of ice inside the dessert helped to keep it cold.

Grass Jelly With Longan

The Grass Jelly With Longan ($3.30) consisted of grass jelly cubes, four longans, and small chunks of ice to keep the dessert cold.

The grass jelly was smooth but not very soft, so it didn’t really possess a nice mouthfeel. It also did not have the distinct grass jelly fragrance.

The longans were fresh and sweet, but that was not enough to save the dessert.

Skip this dessert if you’re visiting Ah Chew.

Conclusion

I enjoyed my mango sago dessert at Ah Chew Desserts very much. I’m looking forward to check out their other desserts, though I will probably not visit in the hot afternoon again. Note that Ah Chew is available for islandwide delivery on Oddle, GrabFood, Foodpanda, and Deliveroo.

Ah Chew Desserts (Novena)
Address: 181 Thomson Road Goldhill Centre, Singapore 307627
Opening Hours: Daily 12.30pm to 12am
Phone: +65 6254 8198

Ah Chew Desserts (Bugis)
Address: 1 Liang Seah Street, 10/11 Liang Seah Place, Singapore 189032
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thur: 12.30pm – 12am | Fri: 12.30pm – 1am | Sat: 1.30pm – 1am | Sun: 1.30pm – 12am |
Phone: +65 6339 8198