Jollibean @ Berjaya Times Square

We all know that soya beans (or soybeans) are good for our health as it's a good source of protein and soluble fiber, low in saturated fat, contain no cholesterol and supply loads of vitamins and minerals. 

 

But, that's not why I like them...I just like to drink "tau cheong sui" (soya bean milk) and eat "tau fu fah" (soya bean curd)!  And, soy pudding is just a cold version of tau fu fah (which is gaining popularity coz it's perfect and more enjoyable for our hot climate).

 

I was first introduced to this soybean by my neighbour (who kindly gifted me a box) some time ago.  A visit to their website (later) revealed that Jollibean is a Singapore product (which started in 1993) and they use the best quality Canadian 'Hellum' soya beans (incidentally, soya bean curd is one of Singapore's favourite desserts).  I only know of 2 outlets here, one in Berjaya Times Square and the other in Sunway Pyramid.

 

And so, when my friends and I had to attend a wedding at Berjaya Times Square recently, I thought about paying this outlet a visit, Jollibean @ Berjaya Times Square, to have a little snack before the wedding dinner (we all know wedding dinners are notorious for starting late).

I enjoyed the soy pudding so much the last time that I just had to order the Classic Soy Pudding @ RM3.90 again, of course.  It was cold, not overly sweet and very smooth....with a jelly-like texture :-)  My friend liked it so much that she packed some to take home.

A little digression:

This is soy pudding...not soy bean curd (tau fu fah) which has a softer custard-like texture with a more watery consistency.  Initially, I didn't know the difference, so I googled "soya bean pudding" and came across this blog...ieat.ishoot.ipost by a Singaporean celebrity blogger, Dr Leslie Tay.  His post on the soya bean pudding and tau fu fah recipes clearly explained the difference.  In a nutshell, soya bean pudding is basically soy milk that has been gelled (by adding gelatine powder or instant jelly) and tau fu fah is made by adding a coagulant (gypsum powder).  Looking at these 2 recipes, you'd realise that it's actually quite easy to make a soya bean pudding (but not a soya bean curd).  Not only that, but I also discovered a new, awesome, award winning food blog!!!  Although he writes mostly about Singapore food (especially hawker food), it's a very good blog as his posts are very detailed...like his "almost everything you need to know" recipe posts!

When I first got to his blog, he looked very familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger to it.  It wasn't until after I visited his Facebook and saw an entry on aburi salmon that it clicked...he was the one featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate - Singapore" where he showcased his favourite Aburi Sushi from Tatsuya.  Before this, the only other celebrity foodie (from across the Causeway) I know is Seetoh (I'm sorry I didn't know about this most talked-about food blogger, ok...hey, I didn't know about Boey either, at first).  Dr Leslie Tay has also written 2 best selling books, "The End of Char Kway Teow" in 2009 and "Only The Best" (a Guide to Singapore's Shiokest Hawker Food) in 2012.  Although we may not always see 'eye to eye' with our closest neighbour on the origins of 'some' dishes, this blog is still a very good read should you want to visit.
 

Ok, coming back to Jollibean, the Classic Soymilk @ RM3.50 that we had was just ok.  I've drank quite a few soya bean drinks from road side stalls (in my time) that tasted much better.  They have a no. of different versions in Jollibean like grass jelly, ginger, matcha, almond, chocolate and some done with fruits (banana, honeydew, papaya and watermelon)...some are probably ok but some sound too funky (if you ask me) especially those with fruits and chocolate.

We also had a "Mee Jiang Kueh" with Red Bean Paste @ RM1.80 (or otherwise known as Chinese pancake or "Ban Chang Kuih" or "Tai Kow Meen" locally).  This was no where near as good as those sold by street vendors, so I definitely wouldn't have this again.

 

The Stay Crisp Pancake with Peanut RM1.80 fared a bit better in the sense that the thin pancake managed to stay true to its name.

My Personal Opinion

Their tagline says it all....we've bean spreading joy!  But this Singapore chain seems to have only 2 outlets here (as opposed to over 30 outlets in Singapore)...I guess they've not bean spreading (so much) joy here (as they're not as popular).

Apart from the different types of soymilk, they also have 3 variations of soy bean curd (classic, ginger and gula Melaka) which I didn't try.

 

But the soy pudding only comes in one version and that is classic...and this is the one you should get.....it's 'jolligood'!

 

Jollibean
Lot LG-18A-2
Central Lower Ground
Berjaya Times Square
1 Jalan Imbi
55100 Kuala Lumpur