Located right outside Din Tai Fung at level 1 of Waterway Point, Guschlbauer’s first day of giveaways received a warm welcome from Punggolians. It drew long queues for their free Devil Cheese Buns; some 500 pieces to be given out daily from 9th to 11th March. Since it’s the first day of the giveaway today, naturally I wanted to be there to find out just how yummy this cheese bun from the Austrian bakery brand is. I’ve heard some people say it’s really famous overseas so it was a good opportunity to find out just what the fuss is all about.
I joined the queue at 10.20am and there were probably some 40+(?) people ahead of me in the queue. There were elderly folks (I wonder how they knew about this since I’ve only seen the news about the giveaway shared on FB) and many families with children. The giveaway was supposed to start at 10am but there was evidently a delay (and no explanation from the company) so I heard a few people grumbling and saying “they should have prepared the buns in advance”. Singaporeans will complain about everything. Even a delay in the handing out of freebies.
I reached the head of the queue only at about 11.20am, so that was a full hour standing in line. But it was not a waste of time as I was reading yet another book I’ll be reviewing soon. 🙂
Ahead of me, there was a lady carrying her young son (he looked like he was about 2 years old) and when it was her turn, she requested for an additional bun for the boy. The Guschlbauer staff, whom I’ve seen give out free buns to kids even younger than this boy, told the lady that kids young enough to be carried won’t get a bun. And her reason was that there are (still) many people standing in line. The lady immediately put the boy down, insisted that he could walk and therefore should receive a bun too. Little kiddo probably felt the situation was getting tense and promptly burst into tears. The staff called the manager to come over and the result was the same. The lady walked away with just one bun for herself.
I’m guessing she won’t be back. 😉 Just give the kid the bun lah. They’ve been queuing for an hour. 😛
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Another thing I noted was that while staff were slathering the cream cheese onto the buns, not all of them wore masks. Their caps also did not contain their fringe and stray hairs so I’m guessing the caps are just more of a fashion accessory or for corporate branding, and not very relevant for hygiene and safety when it comes to handling food. Good that they were all wearing gloves though.
VERDICT:
Biting into the bun, I taste some saltiness first, then sweet and finally a slightly sour taste hits me. Was it the cream cheese? I have no idea. It’s a good thing that it’s not another one of those castella cakes. It tastes nothing like what you’ll find at BreadTalk. If you like trying ‘new’ food items that taste different from what you’re used to, go ahead and grab one of these.
Each of these cheese buns will retail at $5.80. I do consider the price a little steep. So I’ll enjoy it while it’s free, thank you very much! 😀
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If you’re someone who loves to bake, you can even make your own cheese buns at home:
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And if you’re too lazy uninspired to bake, and prefer something less pricey, try Nam Kee Pau’s char siew pau. It costs just 90 cents but is delicious! The stall has long queues throughout the day too! Located just next to Old Chang Kee and very near to the MRT station! *Their pork porridge CMI though. Seriously. Just go for the pau.
Working With Grace 
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