小吃Small Bites may be a spot that is quite easy to miss for some — whilst located just steps away from Exit 3 of Maxwell MRT Station along the Thomson-East Coast Line, 小吃Small Bites is that sort of mom-and-pop stall at Blk 333 Kreta Ayer Road serving light snacks that one wouldn’t necessarily pay too much attention to unless they are hunting out for food. Looking like any other stall that serves up light bites, the shopfront is pretty simple; the frontage consisting of a display case placed on top the counter, while one could also spot the waffle maker by the side within the store. Operating as a food kiosk, 小吃Small Bites does not have any dine-in seats; an establishment that is meant for its patrons to do a quick takeaway. Serving a small variety of savoury food, the selection of items available at 小吃Small Bites includes skewered items such as Cheese Tofu, Fish Ball etc. — the friendly auntie at the stall also told us that the Curry Puffs and Sambal Bee Hoon etc. are handmade in the stall. Quite prominently displayed at the counter would be their waffle menu — offering the very same type of Pandan waffles that neighbourhood bakeries tend to serve up, not only does 小吃Small Bites serve up their waffles with the usual selection of spreads (think Kaya, Chocolate, Peanut Butter etc.), but also with a variety of house-made spreads including that of Banana Oatmeal Purée, Taro and Japanese Roasted Sesame.

小吃Small Bites caught our attention for the very first time due to its unique offerings on the waffles menu — and this was how we found ourselves going straight for the Milo Custard Waffle during our visit to 小吃Small Bites on a weekday for a light lunch. The waffles are made fresh upon order just like what one would expect at a neighbourhood bakery. It is noted that the batter here comes with a lighter hue as compared to those at other neighbourhood bakeries — the auntie also places the waffles on a vertical rack with a fan blowing at the waffle once the waffle has been prepared, spreading the Milo Custard onto the waffle only after it has been aired for a while. This speaks about the attention to detail that the auntie behind the stall has in serving her patrons well — the step of having the fan blow the waffle ensures that the waffle is still crisp even after it has cooled down. As what one would have expected, the Pandan waffle here itself carries a light whiff of Pandan fragrance — the flavours lighter than that of most waffles we had ordered from other neighbourhood bakeries. This seems fairly intentional however; probably an effort by the auntie to keep the sweetness of the waffle controlled considering the demographic of the population here. This was also the same for the Milo Custard — we would reckon that there are some folks who would like for the Milo Custard to be a touch sweeter; but we enjoyed how it seemed to have emphasised on the richness of the chocolatey, malty notes instead whilst carrying a velvety smooth texture as one could observe from its glossy sheen. No doubt the custard itself was a little runny and tends to smear across the paper bag from the bottom of the waffle eas one chews onto it, but we liked how it also did not feel too heaty or jelat either — pretty easy to have.

Being the only person making our order at the store, the auntie seemed to be pretty happy in engaging in small talk with us — she had recommended for us to try the Cheese Tofu; a favourite of hers and though an item that is obtained from a commercial supplier, it just shows the auntie’s love for good food in general. Auntie has also shared with us how she has made her own waffle spreads a little different as well — the Azuki Red Bean containing fresh orange rinds for a slightly citrus-y zing for some contrast, while the Japanese Roasted Sesame uses white sesame seeds as a base for the spread rather than black sesame seeds (though she has included a small proportion of black sesame seeds for flavour); something that is slightly out of the ordinary from what one would expect. She has also shared with us that they do ferment their own Mango Vinegar — something which she serves in bottles and in paste form as well. Taking a lot of pride and passion in what she serves up to her patrons, one could see how much love and patience she has placed into each of her creations — her curiosity in creating unique flavours does make 小吃Small Bites seem a little bit more than your usual mom-and-pop light snacks stall; the various items served up being a result in her passion and devotion to the craft, and also serving up patrons her very best as well. There isn’t quite a spot that gets as humble and down-to-earth as this; a spot worth supporting considering how earnest they are. We would be back some time soon; definitely intrigued by their Curry Puffs (they use SCS butter for their Curry Puffs here), as well as the Taro / Japanese Roasted Sesame Waffle to make a return visit in due course!