Crispy Water Chestnut Biscuit ‘Ma Ti Su’ - A Hungry Guppies Discovery
Walking by Telok Ayer Street one day, I saw a long queue at a very traditional looking Chinese confectionery shop. I was curious and discovered that these people were actually queuing to buy ‘ma ti su’ or water chestnut crispy biscuits. Like any good Singaporean foodies, see food queue, join food queue, no two ways about it. I later found out that this confectionery shop is a very famous brand that has been around for more than 50 years. It’s signature ‘Ma Ti Su’ is so popular that customers are only allowed to buy 3 packs at any one time. I don’t really fancy confectionery and I am really really trying to make sure I manage my calorie intake, but this ‘Ma Ti Su’ I think I will allow myself the luxury of treating myself to one every now and then, especially when I am lucky enough to get it when it is fresh out of the oven 
What other guppies say about Tan Hock Seng Ma Ti Su:
It is exceptionally comforting when it is just out of the oven. The skin is a good balance of crispy and yet soft. The tensile strength is quite uniform. The sweet filling is also made with the right amount, not too sweet. It’s a whole lot better than the ones you get from supermarkets. It could also be because of high turnover and the pastry is fresh
Simply put, this is yummy. I have never quite known what is this particular confectionery called… and thus have not known where to get the good ones.. thus, this Hungry Guppies Discovery is like an answer to my sweet-tooth desires! This is of course sweet with a filling that is not annoyingly sticky nor is it overwhelmingly sweet. Yes, it didn’t past the sweet-tooth guppy’s threshold. The crust is flaky though a little fragile and thus not suitable for the first date with someone you want to impress. But I must say it is definitely suitable for following dates when you meet the parents. I seriously doubt anyone will dislike it. Some people like it fresh, just out of the oven. I did a mini taste test and recommend leaving it in the bag for a day or 2 for the best tasting ma ti su ever!
Ok, to begin with, I am not much of a ‘Chinese biscuit’ person, so I must qualify. The rest of the guppies insisted I try water chestnut biscuit, and from the glow in their eyes, I thought I MUST give this a try! Not too bad. It isn’t as sweet as I feared. The biscuit is light and flaky. But heard it’s better when it’s straight out of the oven and warm …
The biscuit is crispy to bite into but the taste could have been more fragrant. Maybe if it’s warm it will taste much better! Also, this biscuit reminds me of something similar I have back home …
‘Ma Ti Su’ or Crispy Water Chestnut Biscuit is a round biscuit with a crispy and flaky outside, and a sweet water chestnut-based filling on the inside. It’s great as a snack or morning breakfast, with a good cup of ‘kopi’.
Details of Ma Ti Su or Crispy Water Chestnut Biscuit
Address: Tan Hock Seng, 86 Telok Ayer Street, #01-01 Far East Square
Tel: 6533 1798
Business Hours: 9am -7pm (Closed on Sundays)
