Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream There has really been quite a number of small Vietnamese eateries that seem to have sprout up across the island in the recent few years — Qwang is one such establishment; having officially opened its doors in late 2021, Qwang is not an establishment that is most easy to locate within the mixed-use development that it is situated in. Occupying a shoebox-sized shop unit at Space@Kovan, the unit which Qwang occupies is within the air-conditioned retail space and therefore is not visible from the main road unlike other tenants which we have visited, such as The Bread Rack, Three Nuts Baker — just to name a few. Even walking within the air-conditioned retail space within Space@Kovan, Qwang is easy to miss — the half-height privacy film applied on the windows and doors does make the space seem less like a F&B establishment. With a space that seems to be emphasise more on being functional, the dine-in space does feel more like an afterthought — the establishment features three tables for dine-in patrons; two of which being dedicated to groups up to two pax each, while the remaining table can seat groups up to four pax. Initially only serving up rice noodle salads, Qwang has recently expanded their variety of offerings — this includes the range of Banh Mi which they now serve, while they do also serve up a new Avocado Mousse Ice-Cream as a dessert offering. The Chilled Vietnamese Coffee is the only beverage that is served at Qwang — yet another mainstay on the menu since Qwang has started operations.
We visited Qwang for the Banh Mi, but what left us a more memorable impression was actually the Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream. We were actually pretty surprised that Qwang actually served up the Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream — it is, after all, a rare find in the menu of Vietnamese establishments across the island. Better known as Kem Bo, the only time we had came across the dessert was at Hundred Acre Creamery at Sunset Way — the item being known as the “Dalat” there. Qwang describes the Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream as a “popular Vietnamese dessert originating from Danang”; visually, the Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream features elements such as an avocado mousse, coconut ice-cream, desiccated coconut, almond flakes and chopped peanuts. Digging into the Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream, one should go as far deep as the bottom of the bowl in order to get a little bit of everything in one spoonful — the avocado mousse being in a shade of dark green that is actually darker than that which we have had from the Dalat at Hundred Acre Creamery. The avocado mousse is nothing short of being smooth, buttery and creamy — yet despite its rich texture, the mousse remains light and easy to have without being airy. Carrying a light but distinct hint of avocadoes, the coconut ice-cream adds on to those flavours of the avocado mousse; we liked how the coconut ice-cream had a corresponding texture that wasn’t too dense, milky or rich — thus balancing on the refreshing yet delicate notes of the avocado mousse. The desiccated coconut actually helps to enhance those coconut-y notes further, but it was the almond flakes and chopped peanuts that added a nutty note and a crunch to provide both a contrast of flavours and textures for the dessert. All in all, a pretty enjoyable dessert that isn’t too heavy on the palate to end off the meal with.
Despite making our visit to Qwang for the Banh Mi, we thought it was actually more worth a mention for the Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream — this is considering how the dessert can be considered as a fairly difficult find across the island. That being said, it doesn’t mean that Qwang does not do a good Banh Mi — we can say that we were fairly happy with the Banh Mi Pork Belly which we had opted; the baguette itself being shatteringly crisp and carried a good bite without flaking into a mess. We also liked how the Pork Belly variant did come with a generous portion of chunky pork belly that provides for a good meaty bite — the juices of the pork belly chunks also flavouring up the baguette itself as well as the other elements such as that of the coriander and cucumbers which were sandwiched in the middle. The only qualm we had with the Banh Mi Pork Belly was how it does seem to be a little bit on the drier side of things — the lack of a sauce (think Sriracha sauce) does make the various elements of the sandwich feel standalone somewhat. Otherwise, we also do feel that the prices of the items at Qwang are a little bit on the pricey side — this is especially so for the Banh Mi since they start at $7.50 for the Banh Mi Chicken, with the priciest being the Banh Mi Beef Ribeye at $13; the Chilled Vietnamese Coffee is also priced at $4.60 for a 300ml bottle, which are all not seemingly competitively priced when compared against other small Vietnamese establishments in other neighbourhoods. That being said, Qwang is a spot that would do well to scratch those cravings for Vietnamese fare for residents around the Serangoon neighbourhood — we would most likely be thinking about their Avocado Mousse with Ice-Cream if we chance upon the neighbourhood again whilst craving for a refreshing post-meal dessert!
