中岜鲁联发水晶包 Tiong Bahru Lien Fa Shui Jing Bao, "Crystal" Dumpling @ Alexandra Village

When I was still small, and when my grand parents were still alive, my aunties (from my paternal side of the family) like to takeaway food in "喂猪 feed the pigs" portion (our own endearing term for bringing for in large portions) and bring them home. That's how I grow to like to enjoy food. It's part of my upbringing.

I recall that one of these aunties, who's a bus driver, (and still driving the bus that pass by my house everyday) bringing home the 水晶包 "Crystal" Dumpling from the same Tiong Bahru stall. This was when Lien Fa was still located in the old Tiong Bahru Market. Ever since the old market was renovated for a few years, 联发 Lien Fa shifted out of the Tiong Bahru area to Alexandra Village.

I was having an early lunch recently in the Alexandra Village Food Center and was glad that I'm lucky enough to catch them still opened. 联发 Lien Fa usually starts business at 9am and will close when everything is sold out. I was there slightly earlier than 12 noon and there's still some remnants for me. The red bean flavour is already sold out. The lady at the stall front advised me to call before hand next time as you may not get the flavours you want.

Here you'll see the savoury flavour on the left the yam filled ones on the right. So do you see why it's called 水晶包 "Crystal" Dumpling now? The skin of this dumpling is made so transparent that you can see what filling is wrapped inside. This finger food finds its origins in Guangzhou, China where red bean and lotus seed paste are commonly used as the filling.

The filling inside the original flavour, savoury 水晶包 "crystal" dumpling. There's the crunchy chestnut with radish and small morsels of meat in there.

Lien Fa's stall front in the Alexandra Village Food Center.

Address : Blk 120 #01-10 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Alexandra Village Food Center

Opening hours : Mon~Sun 9am till dumplings are sold out.

Tel : 62745561

Country : Singapore